Published by: Scholastic, July 3rd 2014
Genre: YA, Romance
Pages: 368
Format: Hardback
Source: Purchased
A standalone companion book to the internationally bestselling Shiver Trilogy.
Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy. Everybody thinks they know Cole's story. Stardom. Addiction. Downfall. Disappearance. But only a few people know Cole's darkest secret -- his ability to shift into a wolf. One of these people is Isabel. At one point, they may have even loved each other. But that feels like a lifetime ago. Now Cole is back. Back in the spotlight. Back in the danger zone. Back in Isabel's life. Can this sinner be saved?
I didn't enjoy this book by anyone's stretch of imagination. I'd built Sinner up to be an amazing fix for the gaping hole of not knowing what happened to Cole and Isabel, and in a way it was but it also wasn't. It gave me the closure I craved, and I'm happy to know the end of their stories, but this was far from a Wolves of Mercy Falls novel - because it had no wolves in it.
I think the massive hiccup with this is that it was marketed, obviously, as a spin off of WOMF, but it's absolutely not. Sure it follows two of the Shiver characters, but it's not paranormal romance. It's straight up contemporary romance. Which, I'm sure you know, is not my deal. The first line, if cool and hooky, is a complete lie. Cole isn't a werewolf in LA, he's a guy with issues and problems and addictions in LA. If this book hadn't been written in Maggie's wondrous way I wouldn't have finished it, I'm sure. But it was, and it was real and raw and aching and I did love the love story ... but it felt severely lacking.
I kept waiting and waiting for the wolf part to become fully integrated in the story ... but it never was. There were a couple scenes where Cole became wolf but the emphasis was still on the realistic, the real life issues. And I didn't like it. I love Cole because he's damaged and needy for love, and I love Isabel because she's frosty and needy for love ... but I didn't love their story, not in Sinner, because of the gaping lack of wolf.
I'm kind of disappointed by Sinner, not gonna lie. I expected fireworks but I got a shitty handheld sprinkler. Not to say this book is shitty - it isn't. It made me cry so many times, and it broke and healed my heart ... but I didn't enjoy it. And I'm not sure fans of Shiver will enjoy it either. I loved it in parts, don't get me wrong, but I just ... meh.
I'm happy to have read it but I wouldn't read it again. Recommended for fans of realistic fiction and contemporary romance.
I think the massive hiccup with this is that it was marketed, obviously, as a spin off of WOMF, but it's absolutely not. Sure it follows two of the Shiver characters, but it's not paranormal romance. It's straight up contemporary romance. Which, I'm sure you know, is not my deal. The first line, if cool and hooky, is a complete lie. Cole isn't a werewolf in LA, he's a guy with issues and problems and addictions in LA. If this book hadn't been written in Maggie's wondrous way I wouldn't have finished it, I'm sure. But it was, and it was real and raw and aching and I did love the love story ... but it felt severely lacking.
I kept waiting and waiting for the wolf part to become fully integrated in the story ... but it never was. There were a couple scenes where Cole became wolf but the emphasis was still on the realistic, the real life issues. And I didn't like it. I love Cole because he's damaged and needy for love, and I love Isabel because she's frosty and needy for love ... but I didn't love their story, not in Sinner, because of the gaping lack of wolf.
I'm kind of disappointed by Sinner, not gonna lie. I expected fireworks but I got a shitty handheld sprinkler. Not to say this book is shitty - it isn't. It made me cry so many times, and it broke and healed my heart ... but I didn't enjoy it. And I'm not sure fans of Shiver will enjoy it either. I loved it in parts, don't get me wrong, but I just ... meh.
I'm happy to have read it but I wouldn't read it again. Recommended for fans of realistic fiction and contemporary romance.
Characters ★★★☆☆
Setting/world building ★★☆☆☆
Writing Style ★★★★☆
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(from published copy:)
I am a werewolf in LA.
I haven't even read Sinner, so don't know how I'd feel about it, though it does sound like a big jump from one to the other, and okay, I don't mind contemporary romance, but if he's a wolf in one...there should be more of that in this. I guess the focus was more on then and just giving their story an end, but still. Reviews I've read so far, have been really hyped up about it, so nice to see a different side too. Shame it disappointed you though. :(
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