Shiver, Maggie Stiefvater

The blond haired and brown eyed Grace has always watched and obsessed over the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow eyed, grey furred wolf - her wolf- has a chilling presence she cannot seem to live without. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why. She would look at him, and he would look back.
Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives. In winter, he spends his time in the frozen woods, protecting the pack. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. In summer, he has a few precious months of being human and finding himself having lots of opportunities where he can talk to Grace.

 For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. Until now.

Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. Is it her wolf? It has to be. Grace hides Sam in her house and eventually love comes, and Sam becomes Grace's boyfriend. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human, or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever...

I found that this book was extremely good, in a weird sort of way. As soon as I read the first chapter I knew that I wouldn't be able to put it down. Maggie Stiefvater is an incredibly good writer to have thought of such a strange but exciting plot line.

Favourite quotes

“Hope hurt more than the cold.”

“Right at this moment, I can´t even remember what unhappy feels like.”

“I didn't think I belonged here in her world, a boy stuck between two lives, dragging the dangers of the wolves with me, but when she said my name, waiting for me to follow, I knew I'd do anything to stay with her.”

This book is filled with mystery, romance, and the super natural. I highly suggest that you read it, if you haven't yet.

Malorie Blackman: Noughts and Crosses

In a world divided by racial hatred, love can be a deadly thing...

This book is deeply moving and very touching. It is about discrimination and injustice and brutal violence. Yet it is also about love and tenderness.It made me think about life beyond how we know it, and how the colour of our skin can be so important in our lives.

Malorie Blackman noughts and crosses is the first book in a superb trilogy. It is set in a world where black is right and white is wrong. Sephy (the daughter of a leading cross) and Callum (a lowly nought) are two best friends who eventually fall in love. Throughout this emotional story, we follow their journey together as they try to pick up the pieces after a bomb goes off.
 The most motivational part in this story for me is how two humans, from completely different backgrounds , fight against the world to be together. But what will happen when their world is divided by racial hatred, or will their passion for one another be enough to fight back?

"What I enjoyed most were the characters - so beautifully drawn that you can really believe that these people exist"

"A compelling, engrossing and startling novel, it makes us look more closely at the questions of colour that still plague the world we live in"

Noughts and crosses is a powerful novel, with a complexed plot line, but with a very simple message being put across. If you are able to appreciate this ssometimes: disturbing, distressing, or heartfelt novel, you will read it through to the end and its motivational message will linger in the mind way after it is finished.