Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy.found.Cole St. Clair has come to California for one reason: to get back Isabel Culpeper. She fled from his damaged, drained life, and damaged and drained it even more. He doesn’t just want her. He needs her.lost.Isabel is trying to build herself a life in Los Angeles. It’s not really working. … really working. She can play the game as well as all the other fakes. But what’s the point? What is there to win’sinner.Cole and Isabel share a past that never seemed to have a future. They have the power to love each other and the power to tear each other apart. The only thing for certain is that they cannot let go.Praise for the New York Times bestselling Shiver trilogy:* “Beautiful and moving.” — School Library Journal, starred review * “A lyrical tale of alienated werewolves and first love . . . [Stiefvater’s] take on werewolves is interesting and original.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review “Beautifully written, even poetic at times, and a perfect indulgence for readers of all ages.” — Bookpage
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I liked The Wolves of Mercy Falls series, but I didn’t love it. One problem that I had with it was Sam and Grace, they were okay, but I was very indifferent towards their relationship. Now, Isabel and Cole? I loved them both and I shipped them hard. I loved the sarcasm, the hatred, the banter, and the tension. And I was a bit upset when their relationship was never resolved in the series.
So, boy, was I glad when I found out about this book.
I admit it, the main reason why I loved this book was because it’s basically entirely about Isabel and Cole, my two favorite characters in The Wolves of Mercy Falls. But I was glued to this book! I had dishes piling up in my room because, instead of putting them away, I wanted to read (notice that I still ate food, but in my defense, I gathered the food when I got home from school and then work and then sat down and read). But it was very difficult for me to get up and away from that book, I was that immersed Now, it wasn’t because of excitement that made me not want to put it down, but it was the shipping.
Yes, I’m a shipper and I ship these guys hard. I kept reading and reading because I WANTED THEM TO GET TOGETHER! I knew was going to happen and I was strongly anticipating it! AND ALL THAT TENSION! Come on! How could I want to put it down?!
One interesting fact, though, about this book is that it has very little paranormal aspects. Sure, Cole’s a werewolf, but he hardly ever changes in this book and it hardly ever comes up. This book is mainly about Cole trying to come back to his life (and Isabel & Cole’s relationship, of course). But I oddly liked the contemporary feeling of this book.
Issues? Yeah, I might’ve had a few, but it’s mainly parties and stuff, which I think do make sense in the story, so I’ll not be picky about it. I also didn’t really care as long as my ship sailed.
Basically, if you’re a fan of Cole & Isabel, you really need to read this! (Hello, fellow shippers!)
If you prefer your paranormal to be paranormal, then you might pass this by, as this book has a huge contemporary feel.
Out of Boundary Woods and into LA, Sinner takes readers on a wild ride with Cole as he tries to win back Isabel. Cole struggles to become a better person. Instead of escaping into drugs or alcohol, he is one syringe away from becoming a werewolf. On the other hand, Isabel fights against the emptiness that is beginning to consume her. And as alluring as Cole is, she dreads being attached to someone who may simply cast her to the side.
Filled with complex emotions, Sinner is a battle between ice and fire. Isabel and Cole are at constant odds, and when they are on the pages together be prepared for sparks to fly. The tension between them is intense as they trade sarcasm and witty comebacks. But as much as their back and forth was entertaining at first, the repetitive nature became somewhat draining to the storyline.
Years ago when I first read Sinner, the amount of drama between Cole and Isabel entertained me. And while it engaged me as a reader in my twenties, now that I am revisiting the characters in my thirties, I wondered why they continued to try. I also recognize that I am no longer part of the target audience for Sinner and am now looking at this from the approach of how this book fosters unhealthy relationships.
The fantasy elements that originally drew me to The Wolves of Mercy Falls are also almost nonexistent. I did think it was a creative twist to have Cole addicted to becoming a werewolf, instead of using drugs, but this made the fantasy more of a plot device than actual context. Sinner focuses heavily on relationships, drama, and addiction. Would I recommend this for young adults? Yes, I think it does hit the right marks for older young adults due to its content. But I think this one will be just for young adults.
It’s been a couple of years since I read the original trilogy about the wolves of Mercy Falls and I was afraid I would remember too little to be able to follow the story, but that was no problem. I guess you could read this as a stand alone, but I suggest you read the trilogy for the complete story.
Cole and Isabel are both interesting characters. Cole has been a real a**hole, as well as an addict, but now he’s sober and wants to resume his music career. But most of all he wants Isabel. She doesn’t know if she can trust this “new” Cole (and who can blame her?). Isabels bad attitude can get on my nerves sometimes, but I feel like it’s her way of protecting herself and her feelings. The chemistry between Cole and Isabel is well described and believeable.
I’m no fan of reality shows so I wasn’t too happy about cameras following Cole all the time, but I must say that Stiefvater used it in a good way. The characters are the strong point of this book, both the main and the side characters (Leon!). I would have liked the wolf shifting to have had a bigger part, and I’m sorry to have to say good bye to Cole and Isabel, but overall I’m satisfied.
This was much different than the other books in the series. Focusing on Isabel and Cole, and not a whole lot on the wolf aspect at all. It read more like a troubled rock star romance to be honest, but I did enjoy it.
Cole follows Isabel out to California all the while, trying to rekindle his music career. Through most of the novel, it’s unclear who is the bigger “mess,” but let’s be honest, we’re all a little messy!
I like that Cole checked in with Sam and Grace, but I do wish we’d gotten a little bit more of the couple that started the whole series. I did like the addition of Isabel’s cousin though.
I like the way the story ended and how it felt like everyone would be happy after all.
Not The Best Book Of The Series, Personally Opinionated.
Tear-jerker isn’t really the right word for it, but it did gnaw on my heartstrings a bit.