SINNER by Maggie Stiefvater Book Review
Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #3.5
Publication Date: July 1st 2014 by Scholastic Press
Rating: 
– Exceeds Expectations | 
Book Summary: 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?
Book Review Overview:
- It’s been a while since I read Forever, but I was able to jump into SINNER without getting lost
- Cole and Isabel still have kick-ass chemistry
- Couldn’t put it down
I fangirled when I first heard about SINNER by Maggie Stiefvater. The ending of Forever had left me aching for more Isabel/Cole, and I was a little bummed out that their ending had been so open. Luckily, Maggie Stiefvater had blessed me with this companion novel in which Cole St. Clair returns to Los Angeles to find Isabel Culpeper. But returning to LA also means returning to his rock star lifestyle – the lifestyle that ultimately had led to his downfall. Cole returns to the spotlight despite the risks in order to also return to Isabel’s life.
Like most series, I was really worried that it has been too long since I read Forever, the last book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series to understand the tumultuous relationship between Isabel and Cole. Luckily, I was able to dive right into the book without any issues. Cole and Isabel still had the fiery chemistry that I remembered. They still had great banter and even better kissing scenes.
If you’re looking for a werewolf read, then SINNER by Maggie Stiefvater is probably not the book you are looking for. The werewolf aspect is even less of the focus in SINNER than it is in the rest of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. SINNER is really about Cole and Isabel’s rocky relationship. While Cole still uses the wolf as an escape from reality, the book focuses more on his character development and his tendency to escape when real life gets too rough.
I really enjoyed reading about Cole’s lifestyle as a rockstar. Everyone in the book kept doubting his transformation and expected him to fail. I loved that he was able to keep the reality show interesting and give the audience what they wanted but still manage to live a clean lifestyle. I was really rooting for Cole from beginning to end, and I hoped that Isabel would see that he has changed for the better.
As far as companion novels go, SINNER by Maggie Stiefvater was perfect. I couldn’t get enough of Cole and Isabel. They needed their own story and I’m glad that I was able to read it. I couldn’t put this book down until I read it from cover to cover.
About the Author
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Find the Author
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All of Maggie Stiefvater’s life decisions have been based around her inability to be gainfully employed. Talking to yourself, staring into space, and coming to work in your pajamas are frowned upon when you’re a waitress, calligraphy instructor, or technical editor (all of which she’s tried), but are highly prized traits in novelists and artists. She’s made her living as one or the other since she was 22. She now lives an eccentric life in the middle of nowhere, Virginia with her charmingly straight-laced husband, two kids, two neurotic dogs, and a 1973 Camaro named Loki.
