Book Club Discussion Guide

Photo and author

Information taken from

Maggie Stiefvater’s website

and Scholastic’s Maggie

Stiefvater webpage.

Other Books by Author The raven boys

The Scorpio races Lament Ballad

Requiem The curiosities Kiss me deadly

Demons

Author Information

OTHER BOOKS IN THE WOLVES

OF MERCY FALLS TRILOGY

# 2 LINGER

# 3 FOREVER

After a tumultuous past as a history major, calligraphy instructor,

wedding musician, technical editor, and equestrian artist, I'm now

a full-time writer living in the middle of nowhere, Virginia, with

my charmingly straight-laced husband, two kids, four neurotic

dogs who fart recreationally, and a 1973 Camaro named Loki.

I'm also an award-winning colored pencil artist, play several mu-

sical instruments (most infamously, the bagpipes), and an ex-

Navy brat. I recently acquired a race car.

Who wrote the music from the book trailers? Where can I

find it? Can I use it for my fan video? All of the trailers fea-

ture music composed by me. The songs are available for free

download on the respective books’ pages in this site. Feel free

to download for your listening pleasure and for any non-

commercial purpose. For fan videos, please credit me with a

link back to my site.

What are your favorite books? You can read all about my

favorite books on my Goodreads page and my Shelfari page. I

put only my absolute favorite books on Goodreads, usually

with a review, but I put everything that I read on my Shelfari

page.

Will you write another book in the Shiver series? Will you

write a spin-off series? Nope. That series is about hope and

beginnings and the last thing I want to do is follow the remain-

ing characters to the bitter end. The nope will remain nope,

even when I’m 60 and feeling nostalgic. There's more about

the ending online [see back of guide under websites for the

website].

Will the books be movies? What’s going on with the movie?

Can I be in the movie!? Don’t make the movie! Do make the

movie! I get asked about the movies. A lot. A lot a lot. Here's

what I know: Shiver was optioned, but the producers and I had

a difference of creative opinion and so I decided not to contin-

ue with it. It's not to say it will never happen, but it's definitely

not on the books now. I would always rather no movie than a

movie I don't think my readers will appreciate, if it's in my

power (and with film, it isn't often). No, they don't have trail-

ers. No, they are not yet casting. I get asked a lot if there are

new developments. Trust me, if there were new developments,

I’d be howling them from the rooftops. And by rooftops, I

mean Twitter.

I would like to talk to you about the ending of Forever. Will

you? No, but I will tell you that I did talk to readers about it in

this chat hosted by Mundie Moms. I think it might answer your

questions.

How did you come up with the idea for Shiver? This is a

long story, and I’ve tackled it in many, many interviews. For

the story of Shiver‘s genesis and many other fascinating details

about my life, I invite you to google “maggie stiefvater inter-

view” and be amazed by the sheer number of them.

I want to be a writer. What should I do first? Google is a

godsend. Check out as many editor, agent, and author blogs as

you can find — the Internet is like a free crash course to the

writing business and craft, available 24/7. There’s just not any

excuse not to be well-versed in the writing world now. I’m

afraid I don’t have time to answer specific writing questions

via e-mail. If you leave writing questions on the blog as com-

ments, I may tackle them in a group blog post at some point.

Will you read my unpublished or self-published short sto-

ries, novels, poetry, or grocery lists? Unfortunately, I can’t,

mostly for legal reasons, but also because I only have time to

critique the in-progress works of my two critique partners.

How do you pronounce your last name? “Steve-Otter.” Like

the name, “Steve,” and the little furry animal otter.

Discussion Questions

1) Temperature is very important in this story. In some

ways, it seems to be the most important element in

their environment for the characters. Each chapter

even includes the temperature in the chapter header.

Why is temperature so important? How does it

affect the story? How does the author remind

readers of the importance of the temperature as they

are reading?

2) Grace’s parents are extremely neglectful, and seem

to be more interested in their own relationship than

in a relationship with their daughter. Do you think

they cross the line to abuse?

3) How did Sam’s parents react when he was turned?

What kind of parents were they before he was

changed? Why do you think they reacted the way

that they did?

4) Grace and Sam are both products of their

upbringing, Grace of her neglectful parents, and

Sam of his “pack.” How do you think they would

have been different with different parents? Do you

believe that Sam’s generosity and introspection is a

product of his parents or of his natural personality?

What about Grace’s stoicism and kindness? Which

is more important, nurture or nature?

5) Sam regards becoming a wolf as the worst possible

outcome, while Beck seems to be more pragmatic

about it and Olivia seems to even embrace it. Why

do you think they feel differently? How would you

feel?

6) Why wasn’t Grace turned when she was attacked as

a child? What characteristics does she share with

the wolves? Would she have fallen for Sam if she

didn't have such a strong connection to the wolves?

7) Beck changed three teens into werewolves to

continue the care of the pack after he and Sam

became wolves for good. Sam is horrified by his

decision: Grace slightly less so, especially once she

finds out that he had their consent. Do you think

Beck was justified in taking such drastic steps to

ensure caretakers for the wolves? What other

options did he have?

8) Thee are many different kinds of love in Shiver: that

between Grace and Sam, Grace and her Friends,

Isabel and her brother, Beck and Sam, and Beck and

Ulrik. What do you think draws each of these

groups together? Do you think Grace and Sam’s

love is unhealthy or not? Where do you draw the

line with obsession? How long does it take to fall in

love?

9) Consent is an important theme in Shiver: whether an

event or person is viewed positively or negatively in

the book is often framed by whether they act on

other people's wishes or in spite of them. Sam was

changed into a werewolf against his will, as was

Olivia. The teens that Beck bit were changed with

their consent. Sam didn’t press himself into Grace’s

life until invited; Grace injected Sam with a deadly

disease with his permission. Discuss other instances

of choices given and choices taken away. Is it ever

OK to do something to someone without their

consent?

10) Grace grew up with a “pack of girlfriends.” Each of

them had very different personalities. Compare and

contrast Rachel, Olivia, and Grace.

11) What was it about Sam’s eyes that made him stand

out as a human? Do you think that his eyes were the

reason he was bitten as a child?

12) If Sam knew the circumstances surrounding his

adoption by Beck, why was he so upset with the

acquisition of the new wolves?

13) Why did Sam’s parents cut his wrists? What

happened to his parents? Were they monsters or did

they think they were killing a monster?

14) Shelby was happier as a wolf because her human life

was awful. Can you imagine a circumstance where

a teenager would be happier just living in the

woods?

15) There are times in the story where Grace yearns to

live with the wolves, yet she desperately wants Sam

to remain human. Does she truly love Sam or is it

only because he is part wolf?

Maggie Stiefvater’s official

website:

maggiestiefvater.com/

Shiver trilogy website:

maggiestiefvater.com/the-shiver-

trilogy/

Goodreads’ trivia and quizzes

for Shiver:

www.goodreads.com/trivia/

work/6244926-shiver

Seventeen’s interview with

Maggie Stiefvater:

www.seventeen.com/

entertainment/features/maggie-

stiefvater-interview

Link to more info. about the

Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy:

www.youtube.com/watch?

v=ApB_kgtJGI0

Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver

Discussion Guide:

maggiestiefvater.com/wp-

content/uploads/

Scholastic_ShiverCG.pdf

Scholastic’s Shiver Discussion

Guide:

www.scholastic.com/teachers/

lesson-plan/discussion-guide-

shiver-linger-and-forever-

maggie-stiefvater

United States of YA Image and

list of books came from Epic

Reads:

www.epicreads.com/blog/the-

united-states-of-ya/

WEBSITES TO CHECK

OUT

What’s it all about? For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house.

One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem

to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: in winter, the

frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a

fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until

the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed

boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be.

But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing

himself, and Grace, forever.

The discussion questions came from the Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver Discussion Guide and

Scholastic’s Shiver Discussion Guide.