May 12, 2014
Stiefvater expands on her bestselling Wolves of Mercy Falls novels with a side story built around Cole St. Clair, werewolf front man of the defunct band Narkotika. Now sober, Cole attempts to resurrect his career and his dysfunctional love affair with Isabel Culpeper, who’s working retail in Los Angeles. From a vacuous live phone interview in the opening pages to the semi-trashy web series Cole winds up starring in, the glitzy, manic tropes of TMZ culture dominate. For the most part, attachment to these characters (and knowledge of their history) must be carried over from the original trilogy. But Stiefvater’s talent for wordcraft and her powers of observation are as sharp as ever, and the L.A. setting gives her even more cause than usual to treat cars like characters. It’s less a romance than a conjuration of the monolith that is mass-market entertainment, the trappings of fame, and the narrow spaces they leave for being human. Or wolf, sometimes. Ages 14–up. Agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
January 1, 2015
Gr 9 Up-The public believes they know Cole St. Clair. They know about his public and not-so-public life. He was a rock star and a drug addict, and he left the limelight for reasons all his own. What the fans don't know is his darkest secret. Cole can shift into a wolf, but is doing everything in his power to control that side of him. He has now returned to California and is trying to keep both his addiction and his wolf side in check. Listeners who discover Sinner before the rest of the "Wolves of Mercy Falls" series will have no problem understanding the story line, but libraries may want to have the first books available for them to get the complete picture. Dan Bittner and Emma Galvin share the narration flawlessly, giving listeners the varying points of view with completely different styles. This will make a good addition to a high school or public library collection.-Elizabeth L. Kenyon, Merrillville High School, IN.
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