Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys

(Raven Cycle # 1)

By: Maggie Stiefvater

Pub. Date: September 18, 2012

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Pages: 408

Source: Netgalley

“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.

To say I am a huge fan of Maggie Stiefvater is an understatement. The women can seriously do no wrong. She can write a story about a bunny eating a carrot and I'll be interested! With this in mind, I tried The Raven Boys, even though I was a little skeptical. But who am I kidding, it's Maggie-freaken-Stiefvater, so of course The Raven Boys was amazing. The writing, the plot, the characters- there was nothing to not like about it.

The Raven Boys starts off on April 24th-St. Marks Eve. On this night, Blue and her psychic mom go to the church so her mom can see the souls of those that will die in the next 12 months. Blue isn't a psychic so she is never able to see anything. Until tonight, when she sees a boy who calls himself Gansey. By Blue seeing him this can mean one of two things-It's either her true love, or she kills him. Knowing she has to learn more about him, she goes to find out who he really is. Turns out he goes to Aglionby, a private boys school in her town.

There is a lot more to Gansey then meets the eye. For the past few years he has been trying to find the local burial place of Owain Glendower, who died in the Middle Ages. The legend goes that Glendower isn't really dead, but sleeping, and who ever wakes him will be granted a favor. Gansey friends, Adam, Ronan, and Noah also help him.

I loved these four guys together. They had a very interesting dynamic. Noah's story was the most interesting, and I totally did not see that plot twist coming at all! Rowan was definitely intriguing, and I can not wait to read more about him in upcoming books. Adam was my favorite. He's the poor kid going to Aglionby on half a scholastic. Unlike his friends, he has to work for what he has, and his home life sucks with an abusive father and a mom that doesn't care. I respected him a lot because despite having rich friends who would get anything for him, he doesn't look for hand outs. He does what needs to be done.

Blue was also interesting. She comes from a family of psychics, but isn't a psychic herself. I think she fits perfectly with the four guys. I am so excited to see what will happen next to each of them!

There is a lot of mystery and plot twists going on within the pages of The Raven Boys. This kept my attention the entire time, and I couldn't even put down the book for the last hundred pages or so.

Overall, I loved The Raven Boys and I can not wait to see what happens next!