Shiver was one of my favorite things I read in 2010, and I hurried to finish Linger immediately after because I loved Sam and Grace's story so much. I will admit that I wasn't happy with Linger. I didn't like the introduction of Cole or Isabel. My original reasons for loving the series were because of what Sam and Grace shared, and it was their stories I cared about. At the end of Linger I was left (painfully) wanting the next book, not because of anyone else except for those two. Naturally, I feared the worst because that Maggie is a sneaky one (hehe).Going into Forever, I was a little disappointed (at first) to see that there would again be four different points of view (okay, five). But, I'll admit that both new characters grew on me. And in the end, I really did love Cole and Isabel. They became part of that Sam/Grace combo and created a love story of their own. They fight like cats and dogs but they couldn't stay away from each other. One of my favorite moments in the book was Isabel giving him the toy Mustang. It was sweet and the few minutes they shared beneath the lab table hiding from Mrs. Culpeper when he was driving it up and down her arm? I died. Seriously, it sounds ridiculous, but one of the most intimate moments I've ever read. And I've read a lot of intimate moments.But it wasn't just that. Watching Cole grow into the man he was supposed to be -- outside of NARKOTIKA -- and reading about him developing his scientific roots, along with the good sides to him, was amazing. Seeing his friendship -- brotherhood -- with Sam grow, and with Grace as well, made me happy. He really did make this book better. When the climax hit, I was sitting here crying for several pages knowing I was supposed to think he had died and what a waste it was for him to have come so far and have it all taken away. But somehow I knew he wasn't dead. And as soon as Isabel's phone rang, I smiled so big.But enough about those two. Sam and Grace. Okay, more acurately: SAM. He's always been this swoony sweet adorable boy that I have loved and that definitely did not change. He went through so much in this book, learning secrets about the man who he's called his father for most of his life. Having to face his fears about that, ask questions about that and then ultimately, say goodbye to someone who taught him everything. He breaks my heart in the best ways every single time. His love for Grace is so palpable it's like you can feel it coming off the page. The same goes for her. These two have gone through a struggle that hasn't been easy, and they've stuck together and only become stronger because of it.Maggie has an amazing ability to create characters and make them so real it's like someone you know. Or someone you want to know. That being said, sometimes I wonder if trilogies are really for me... I have yet to not be kind of upset by one of them. While I loved Forever, the ending I'm still unsure of. The last page literally left my mouth gaping open and, as you can see from my status update, all I could say was uhhhh... I'm not generally the type that needs everything wrapped in boxes with pretty little bows--do I like it that way? Of course--but when I've invested so much time into something, I guess I expect there to be a clear answer when I get to end. There was no clear answer here. So basically, I loved it, but I'm thinking of petitioning Maggie to write us Forever 2.0: Did it really work?. But maybe that's just me being selfish rather than drawing my own conclusions as she probably intended.Full review: http://www.fictionators.com/review/forever-by-maggie-stiefvater/
