Thursday, October 6, 2016

Review: The Raven Boys

Title:  The Raven Boys 
Series:  The Raven Cycle #1
Author:  Maggie Stiefvater 
Genre:  Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance 
Publisher:  Scholastic Press 
Publication Date:  September 18, 2012
Source:  Gifted.  Thank you!


Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.
His name is Gansey, 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 is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher 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 doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.


Find The Raven Boys online

Okay, so I've been avoiding this book for years.  Years.  And I know that might sound silly but I really haven't had great experiences with Maggie Stiefvater's other books.  None of them really captured me.  But I've heard so many good things about this series and the last book just recently released . . . I decided it was about time I gave it a shot.  Guys, I'm so happy I did.  This book had the thing.  You know, the thing that just captures you.  I started reading and absolutely couldn't stop. 

Let me just say, Stiefvater's writing style is so.  Freaking.  Awesome.  It was what really drew me in.  The way to describes things, the imagery and diction she uses made it so easy to sink into the world and story.  She made normal, ordinary objects and situations feel magical.  I mean, just read this! 

“There were three boys in the doorway, backlit by the evening sun as Neeve had been so many weeks ago. Three sets of shoulders: one square, one built, one wiry."

I absolutely love those words.  Something about the way this is worded pleases me so much.  It created such a beautiful and magical tone throughout the entire novel.

Also, the relationship between Blue and the boys in this novel made me so happy.  The dynamic between them all and each other individually was so honest.  I could see me and my friends having similar conversations and interactions.  The honesty of it all was what made it amazing.  I just want more and more and more of them all together.

The overall plot was also, quite literally, magical.  The quest that Gansey is on and welcomes the others on is great and so interesting.  I loved the research that went into it and the history behind it all.  Not to mention the wonderful pace it set for the story.  

I'm so, so, so excited to jump into the rest of the series.  I have a feeling I'll have to read the books as quickly as possible, otherwise I'll go insane wondering what happens.  I can't be too mad at myself for waiting so long to read this book - it just means I won't have to wait for the rest of the series to release!

“She recognized the strange happiness that came from loving something without knowing why you did, that strange happiness that was sometimes so big that it felt like sadness.” 

    Five teapots

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