This is a spoiler-free review!
Almost 11 years later and I have returned to this series!! It appears freshman year high school me was very ambitious (and new to BookTube) and was reading everything in sight. I will admit, it took a few chapters to re-orient myself back into this series, but everything began to click back into place and came together.
To be completely honest, every single time they mentioned werewolves, I could only think of Twilight - these wolves seem so opposite compared to others in literature. They are more "people turning into wolves" instead of "people shifting into wolves as they wish" - and considering the emotional toll it takes on these characters, I am glad they only have to deal with themselves and not any other supernatural creatures. The premise that the werewolves do not remember their time as wolves is honestly terrifying - I would never be able to cope with not knowing what happened for a number of months every single year.
Grace and Sam are attached at the hip and seem to be unable to spend a moment without each other - understandable considering what they have been through, and since they are teenagers, completely expected. Isabel's presence in this book was a point of annoyance for me - I just could not get into her character, and her perspective portions in this book were nowhere near as intriguing as Grace, Sam, or Cole's portions. I wish I could have enjoyed her involvement more, and Cole's inner battle throughout the book was a serious reality check for the rest of the characters.
There were a lot of moments in this book where I felt as though the pacing was suffering - too often I wanted to put the book down and I had to push myself through the slowing plot. That being said, the actual main plot of this installment was intriguing, and really picked up towards the end of the book. It is unfortunate that this reads more like a filler book rather than an load-bearing sequel. I wanted to see more come from this, and it simply fell flat in my opinion. I was hesitant on my opinion on Cole, but he warmed up to me by the end of the book and I found an appreciation in his character.
The last ten or so chapters were honestly the most intriguing part of this book, and this was essentially the only time that I was locked in and was ready to see what happened. Stiefavter's writing suffered mildly, more in the actual flow than in her characterizations. I hope to see the writing improve in the remainder of the series, but I can imagine that if it continues to follow this structure, the storytelling may be impacted negatively.
I do not have any particular attachment to these characters compared to characters of other series, but I am aiming to see this series through, whether it takes another eleven years or not. The idea of Cole and Isabel as a couple does not draw me further into the series, but does not exactly cause me to walk away either. Sam's characterization shows that he is able to be vulnerable in his life and honestly he seems like he would love to just bake bread all day and hang out with Grace. One day I will return to these books, but for now, I think I will take another break.
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