Review: Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Summary:

The second installment in the all-new series from the masterful, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after..

Publication Date: September 17, 2013

I don’t know what it is about this book and its predecessor The Raven Boys, but I am absolutely in love with the series. Instead of rushing through this book, I took my time, wanting to savor not only the lovely writing but also the fantastic cast of characters.

The plot is intricately woven and you must have read the first book before diving in. Honestly, I feel like I should have reread The Raven Boys before revisiting Gansey and his friends’ quest for Glendower. It would’ve been helpful having a refresher to remember the large cast of secondary characters and their different supernatural abilities. However, a few chapters in, I was captivated once again.

Dream Thieves almost has a gothic feel to it—the writing is haunting and beautiful. I’m a huge fan of the author’s style and I’m certainly interested in checking out her other series. The dialogue is also full of wit and I loved the humor immersed in the characters’ interactions. Descriptions of ley lines may not sound that interesting, but I became invested because of how much I connected with all of the characters.

This novel centers mostly on Ronan and I liked finding out more about his family history. I felt like he was in the background for most of the first book and this book really was his story. But no worries, all the other central figures have a strong presence in the book including Blue, Adam, Gansey and Noah. Some of the characters are beginning to crack under the pressures of Cadeswater and Glendower and I really hope everyone gets a happy ending (I believe there will be four books in total).

I honestly can say that this is a must-read series. It is original and fun and the story stays with you long after you finish the book. It’s YA, but it is probably one of the few young adult books that I’d recommend to all ages.  

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this novel for review!

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!

Stacking the Shelves and In My Mailbox-September 22, 2012

Is it just me or was there a crazy amount of great books released this week? To keep my book budget under control, I had to seriously force myself not to go on a novel buying binge.

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and features books you've added to your shelves, both physical and virtual. In My Mailbox from the Story Siren is another meme that highlights the books that bloggers have bought or received for review.

Bought:

Ceaseless by Abbi Glines

For Review:

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Naturally Charlie by S.L. Scott

Amber House by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed and Larkin Reed