Review: 'The Raven Boys'

Title and author: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Pages: 408

Date: September 18, 2012

Publisher: Scholastic

ISBN: 9780545424929

Source: NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

“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.

My Thoughts:

This is another favorite read of 2012. I have one word that describes this novel: WOW!

Seriously, there is no other word for it. The book itself is near impossible to review without giving away major plot points, but I will do my best.

First, hats off to the author for keeping me guessing throughout the reading of this novel. I thought I had everything figured out, until the very end.

With that out of the way, I want to focus on her characters. Blue and Gansey, an unlikely pairing, quickly find themselves a part of one another’s world. No matter how hard Blue tries, no matter how many times her mother warns, she is drawn to Gansey. She must know him, help him, figure out what will bring about his death. This must be the boy she was warned about, right? The one she was told would die if she were ever to give him a kiss. Or is he, because if there is one thing Blue knows, it’s that she doesn’t plan on kissing him. EVER.

While Blue and Gansey were the two driving forces behind the storytelling, it is the minor characters that steal the show, in more ways than one. It was a joy to experience the interaction within this circle of friends – Aglionby boys and Blue. We experience their highs, their lows, their triumphs, their discoveries. And we learn the value of loyalty and friendship, and the true meaning of betrayal.

Without giving too much away, Stiefvater’s plot is nicely executed. The pacing will keep readers enthralled, turning the page, and hungering for more.

This novel will appeal to ya lovers, especially those of the paranormal variety, but also Neil Gaiman fans. This is also a great hook novel for teen boys.

Have you read this novel? What were your thoughts? What kind of reader(s) would you recommend it to?

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Happy reading all!