Monday, October 1, 2012

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater



“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of theShiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

Publication Date: September 18, 2012

This book was definitely a huge WOW one for me. I absolutely loved it! It was a pleasant surprise in so many ways that I was literally crushed when it ended. The only other book I’ve read by Maggie Stiefvater is the beginning of Lament, which I just couldn’t get into. I’m a huge fan of the author now and I’ll have to check out the Wolves of Mercy Falls while waiting for the sequel to The Raven Boys.

What I liked the most about the book was the characterizations. Although it took me a little longer to fall in love with Blue, I instantly started crushing on the “Raven Boys.” I usually find YA males are usually made up of one of two formulas. Either they’re Prince Charming or the Sexy Bad Boy. It was nice to see how layered the boys were and how complicated their bond was with one another. Adam was my favorite followed by Gansey and Ronan. Blue and her family were interesting and I loved the teen’s unique relationships with the different members of her psychic family.

The plot was magical. I enjoyed learning about the ley line and the mystery surrounding the fallen king Glendower. The novel particularly took off when Blue came together with the boys to uncover the resting place of Glendower. I liked her interactions with Adam and Gansey and I loved how she brought one the softer sides of each boy. The twist I saw coming, but I loved what it added to the story.

SPOILERS

My one complaint is that I’m a little nervous about where the series is heading as far as the love aspect. There wasn’t much romance in the book besides some longing touches between Adam and Blue. I’m buying them as more of a couple although the book hinted at Gansey being her true love. In my opinion Gansey already has a true love: Glendower.

The ending was maddening too. I didn’t like how Gansey reacted to Adam awakening the line and Ronan’s last line had me puzzled for hours.

END OF SPOILERS

The Raven Boys is a five star read for me. I’ll be counting down the days until the sequel. There were so many mysteries left unresolved that it’s going to be torture to wait for the next installment.

Rating: 5/5 Stars 

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of The Raven Boys for review!

1 comment:

  1. This sounds like an awesome book. I really like YA and a huge fan of authors Rick Riordan and Cornelia Funke. Great review. I'm gonna have to slow down. My Kindle app needs catching up lol! WRITE ON!

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