[Review] Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater

Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls [Companion]
Version: Advance Reader's Copy

Release Date: July 1, 2014

Goodreads synopsis:

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?

It's been about 4 years since Linger came out and about 4 years since I fell in love with Cole and Isabel. The moment that they interacted on the pages, I couldn't get enough of them. Oh, the banter! When the series (supposedly thank god) ended with Forever, I was extremely crushed that there was no conclusion that felt final enough for Cole and Isabel.

And then Sinner was announced.

And then these three chapters were posted. 

And I fell in love all over again.

I don't know how many times I reread those chapters. Over and over again, thinking about how Maggie would write this story.  I would finally get a conclusion for my favorite characters; I would finally get more of them. I am so glad to say that all the hype that I built up for this book did not leave me disappointed.

Sinner was absolutely breathtaking. I had to constantly pace myself when reading it because I didn't want it to end (which was extremely hard because every page that Cole and Isabel were on was captivating)(which was most of the book). The whole novel focuses on them: the trails they go through in their relationship, in their day-to-day lives, with their feelings. So unlike previous novels with them, their parts are not contained. Grace and Sam have small cameos, and it was so exciting to see them on the pages again. (In addition, the werewolf issue is not as strong as a plot point as it was in the Wolves of Mercy Falls, where the mystery and troubles of being a werewolf was really the main issue. In Sinner, it did not seem to be as strong as to be the theme of the book.) Maggie Steifvater brings back the chemistry Cole and Isabel had in Linger and adds to the depth of the characters, giving us an inside look to their thoughts that we just got a glimpse of in previous books. Oh how I wish I could go to L.A. and experience this book! I'm in love.

I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of the series and (of course!) lovers of Cole and Isabel. (You should definitely buy a copy when it comes out in a couple of days).