Review: The Raven Boys

The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Summary: “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.

My Thoughts: I was so excited when I learned about this new series by Maggie Stiefvater. Much to my surprise, I loved her Wolves of Mercy Falls series, and the description of this sounded pretty good. While it’s a bit slow to start, The Raven Boys quickly picked up steam and became a book I couldn’t put down. I found for much of the first portion, the text was very descriptive, almost rambly. There’s a lot of narration, explanation, information – not much action. But once the action gets going, watch out! It grabs on and won’t let go.

I really like Blue. While she has no psychic powers of her own, she tends to serve as a source of energy for those who do. And this proves incredibly important later in the book. Her personality is one that’s very likable: kind, thoughtful, intuitive and spirited. I loved how she dealt with Ronan, whose secret I’m dying to know! And I also want to see what exactly is going on with Adam.

Gansey is probably my favorite character. As Blue often notes, he’s got his public persona and his real self. Seeing him go back and forth is interesting to watch. He seems to hate that he doesn’t really know how to relate to everyday people. His quest kind of made me think of Indiana Jones.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. I would highly recommend it, and quite possibly read it again. It’s very exciting, and I can’t wait to see where this series is headed!

Source: Received through Around the World Tours for review.

Read It: The Raven Boys is scheduled for release on September 18, 2012. You can pre-order your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

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FTC Disclosure: All items reviewed were either obtained by me for my own enjoyment or sent (from the author, publisher, publicist, via tour sites, etc.) in exchange for an honest review. I receive no monetary compensation for my posts. All opinions expressed are my own. Any exceptions to this are clearly noted in the appropriate posts.

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