Title: The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: September 18th, 2012
Source: ARC (Borrowed from Kathy)
My Rating: 5/5
“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 the Shiver 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. (Summary from Goodreads)
I knew this was going to be a stunner but I was not prepared
for the amazingness of The Raven Boys. It sailed past my every expectation and
has sky-rocketed on to my all-time favorites list. This was a beautiful,
alluring, captivating book, and I still can’t get over it. I want to read it
over and over, to be lost in this story and never find my way out.
I find that I focus my reviews on either characters or plot,
even if I love both. I always seem to love one more than the other. But, The
Raven Boys is different. Because the plot was honestly so creative and
enthralling and the characters were some I completely connected with. I just
want to gush on endlessly about this book. There was nothing I didn’t love.
Maggie Stiefvater creates enchanting characters in all her
books and The Raven Boys is no exception. I have said it once, and I’ll no
doubt say it tons of times: I adore broken characters and The Raven Boys are
as fractured as they come. They have so much depth, and heart and I can’t help
but love every piece of them. The Raven Boys were a broken bunch and they were
beautiful, stunning people, each held together by a dream and a seemingly
unbreakable bond.
My view of Adam varied throughout the book, but overall I
was definitely a fan. He was a very sweet, complex character and one I kept
cheering for. I loved his determination, and passion, although I was slightly
frustrated by his pride. At the same time, I knew my frustration was simply an
outsider’s perspective, and that being in his situation would give me a much
different opinion. Ronan is...well, he's Ronan. A haunted soul whose dark past
seems embedded in every move he makes. I think he could seem a bit off-putting
to some readers, but I loved him with abandon. I want to know more about him,
to peel back his armour and see what lies beneath. Noah was a mysterious character. He had a shy, calming
personality, and something magical about him that I was fascinated with. I
wanted to know his story, and what his role in the ley line hunt truly was.
But of all the characters, Gansey captivated me the
most. Gansey. Oh my Gansey.
Gansey was also the character I connected with the most.
Constantly searching for more, hoping to find a nugget of magic and beauty in
this world. I’ve always been the kind of person that wants to know, to learn as much as I can, and to
find some sense of meaning and purpose in this world. Watching Gansey on his
quest to find the ancient king, to find something more to life, and to fulfill his desperate purpose was both
heart-breaking and enchanting. When he was explaining his quest I felt
fascinated. I clung to every word he said, and even found myself researching
the historical tops online (I have to see those Nazca Lines for myself one
day). I wanted to join him on his journey to find Glendower and the meaning of
the ley lines. I felt myself utterly obsessed with it, just like him. I could
also see that part in Gansey that was just broken, and I wanted to desperately
to help him fix it. To help him complete his quest and stand right next to him
as he unlocked the secrets he was desperate to know. I don’t think I’ve felt
just a deep connection to a character in a long while, and it was honestly
amazing. Gansey is everything I’ve always wanted in a character, and I’m so
happy to have read about him.
Then, of course, there’s Blue. Her fascinating home life and
strange power kept me intrigued through the book. As did the prophecy
that seemed to be woven into most of her life. I loved her determination and enthrallment
with the magical ley lines. She wasn’t a protagonist that was going to just
stand back and watch the scene, but rather dive in and be a part of the action,
which was great to read about.
This wasn't an unputdownable book. I set The Raven Boys
aside, hung out with friends, watched Masterchef,
and went along with my life. But, each and every time I picked up that book I
was welcomed back with open arms. I slipped right back into the story with no
sense of time in between readings. And the story was brilliant. I loved the
idea of the ley lines (which I’ve heard of before, but not in so much detail),
the quest for Glendower, the theme of the ravens woven in and every other
magical aspect of the story. I wanted to immerse myself in this
world, because I was so captivated by it. Maybe it’s just my pure love of
myths and legends, but this story was just beautiful to me.
Maggie Stiefvater has a way of turning simple phrases into extraordinary
prose. I was amazed, as I always am, but her pure talent when it comes to writing.
The words flowed together so well, I found myself sitting back stunned at
points. I love amazing writing, and Maggie Stiefvater never disappoints.
As a final note since really, I could go on for days, this
is one heck of a gorgeous cover. If you see it up close, the Raven is made of
brush strokes, which just adds to the beauty. It’s probably one of my favourite
covers this year.
If you love…well, if you love all things amazing in books
you’ll love The Raven Boys. It is a purely beautiful novel, and I can’t wait to
read it again and again. I don't think I've done this book justice with my review. Read it. It's the best way to see for yourself what I've tried to convey with my jumbled thoughts.
Also, for my fellow team members: #TeamGanseyForEver
- Ciara (Lost at Midnight)
Find This Book: Amazon | Goodreads | Maggie Stiefvater's Site
Sheltered American good girl Allyson “LuLu” Healey has always followed the rules. Laid-back 20-year-old Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter has never been given too many rules to follow, so he just makes them up as he goes along. But when the two first meet in England at an underground performance of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, there’s an undeniable spark. As they spend just one day together in Paris, that spark bursts into a flame of love, or so it seems to Allyson, anyhow, until the following morning, when she wakes up to discover that Willem has disappeared without a trace. Over the next year, Allyson is forced to come to terms with the narrow confines of the life that has been built for her, and, haltingly at first, through Shakespeare, through travel, and through looking for Willem, to break free of those confines. (Summary from EW Shelf Life)
