The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, Book 1) (1)

I try to reread this series at least once a year. It is one of my all time favorite series and every time i reread it, I'm absolutely blown away by the writing, the characters, the plot, all of it. Maggie is impeccable, especially when it comes to her characterizations. If I tried to quote all the moments where her writing shines, I'd be sharing the entire book. I will forever recommend this series until the end of my days (and then write the recommendation on my tombstone). Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time? I will forever reread this series. See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book CHARACTERS: In this book we follow Blue and her 'Raven Boys', Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah on a quest. Blue is wonderfully spunky and no-nonsense, Adam is the smartest of the lot but is very quiet in his mannerisms, unlike Gansey, who is one of the most passionate and determined characters I've ever read. And unlike Ronan, one of the brittlest characters I've ever read. He's all broken edges of despair that leave him both abrasive and somehow incredibly safe. And finally we have Noah, who speaks the least of all of them, yet has an eerily steady presence that completes the group. Each of these characters (and the supporting cast) share a complexity I rarely find in books. PLOT: For the first time, Blue sees a ghost in the churchyard of St. Mark's Day. She's always been told that if she kisses her true love, he'll die. But when their paths meet, she's inexplicably drawn to the group of boys and their mythical quest. Magic and mystery abound in this absolutely incredible small-town Virginia urban fantasy, where you truly believe that when it's put like this, magic truly could be real in the world if we look for it. EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need. 3:5/medium. There are some moments that can be considered triggering, especially with what some of the characters go through, but overall this is pure entertainment that leaves me starry-eyed. CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled? 100%. The book ends with an incredible zinger of a line that sets us up perfectly for the second book. When I first read this book I immediately went and purchased the rest of the set that's how eager I was to continue. I am always thoroughly satisfied when I finish this book.

The Good By the end of The Raven Boys, I was convinced that this was a work of character development and an incredibly original story. If you are a character-driven reader, this story could very well appeal to you. On the surface, these characters could come off as stereotypical. You have trailer park trash wanting to rise above his family and dreams of having the kind of money his friends have. You have the boy with the troubled past that comes off as abrasive and you shouldn't mess with him. You have the posh, incredibly wealthy but nice guy who talks in words the others most likely have to look up on occasion. Then you have the quiet, no one really notices outcast boy to round them out. In addition, there is the girl that desperately wants to be a part of this group because she needs something big to make her different and able to stand out. That's what they may come across as on the surface. However, Steifvater magically weaves the human intricacies that make us all unique into each and every character. There are little tidbits of their personality that you glean from the pages that are like tiny surprises you were't expecting. It's a lot like getting to know someone on a deeper level that you had previously judged incorrectly. I find myself wanting to know even more. Add to that the unique mythology that makes up Gansey's quest and the magic therein along with a houseful of psychics on the side and it's an incredibly interesting story with quite a bit of surprise and humor mixed in. The Bad One of the things that is hard about reading The Raven Boys is the way Steifvater jumps back and forth on things and adds random information in the middle of a topic. She will be telling you how one of the characters is sitting there, then jump to a random history lesson of something that character was thinking, then to how hot it is in the car, back to the original conversation the character is having with someone else. It can be quite disconcerting and definitely takes some getting used to. I basically had to let go of any valid timeline my head was trying to keep track of and go with the flow of the story as it was presented. The Romance Well, there is only one girl in the group of boys. I think a few of the boys are intrigued by her, but currently one has more interest over the others. Unfortunately for Blue, romance for her isn't going to be able to go anywhere good since the prophecies say she will cause her true love to die. We'll see more on that in future books I'm expecting since this wasn't really explored a lot in The Raven Boys. Conclusion I quite enjoyed it. Once I got over the lack of solid timeline in the way the story was written, I was able to just digest the information we were given. Steifvater delivers on intricate details of each character and causes me to feel as if I am also a part of this group. They've gotten under my skin and I want to know more. The magic that lies within has me curious to where all this will lead and the psychics are a funny addition with their eccentric natures and conversation. Recommended for character-driven readers.

i am so disappointed. the book came damaged. creases to the pages, the edges and spine bent all out of shape, the cover SCRATCHED and DIRTY!!!

Every now and then, a book attacks me and holds on tight and when I finish with it, it refuses to let me go. That’s the case with the first book in the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, whom I declare to be my new favourite author. I came to this conclusion not far in, primarily because of her unique way of molding her characters and settings, bringing everything literally to life. (Yes I know what “literally” means. I use it within the context of the story and the magic of Cabeswater.) I’ve written off some authors because they obsess with describing everything with pretty metaphors that leave the plot behind. Here, the plot and characters are swept along in a river of descriptions that don’t so much use adjectives or comparisons, but exclusions – descriptions of what the character is not – or things they do or collect that define them. And most often, their actions, gestures and reactions. Because of this, her characters and places always give me a sense of movement, or in the case of Ronan, movement that could come at any moment. By far my favourite character, Ronan is a bundle of venom, poised like a sharp-clawed cat about to strike at any moment. Yet, Stiefvater also gives him the perfect amount of vulnerability and harsh truth to make him more than just the bitter character that should be detested or pitied. Sometimes I got so wrapped up in her depictions that when I shook myself from their hypnotic power, I was afraid that I’d been carried away and missed what was going on. But nope. Everything was still clear and enticing and as the mystery deepened, I was pulled right along with it. This is the story of Blue Sargent, a young adult with the ability to strengthen the psychic powers of the women around her, but lacking in those abilities herself. From a very young age, her fate – her curse – was revealed to her: true love’s kiss would bring the death of that person. (Sorry Disney.) Blue does not stress over this destiny until she meets Gansey’s spirit on the Corpse Road, and later meets Gansey himself, who turns out to be one of the dreaded Raven Boys of Aglionby Academy. This is a young adult book and before I scare some of you away with the seemingly obvious sickly sweet romance plot, allow me to assure you that this is anything but the case. First of all, I really liked the maturity with which Steifvater presents the young adults in the book. The writing style is respectful of the teens Stiefvater writes about, as well as those who might be reading, while still appealing to me as an adult. Secondly, there’s Gansey himself. He’s a young man born into generations of privilege to the point that he doesn’t understand how his offers of money to those less fortunate can be taken as deeply offensive. He has a good heart and his mind functions on a strong sense of right and wrong and of concrete evidence, even when dealing with the unknown, such as his obsession. Somewhere along the way, I equated Gansey to Bruce Wayne (sorry, Gansey) for the way he gathers those in need to him and they all look to him for command, if not support, and how he can shift into his rich boy persona to handle a situation, but his true self is the one obsessed with finding ley lines and the secret of a dead king. Gansey and Blue are destined to meet, obviously, but I loved the way everything wrapped together. Nothing was extraneous or added to mislead. And when new elements popped up, they were shocking, culminating in a tense ending. Or rather, the beginning. This is the first in a the Raven Cycle and the end of The Raven Boys works like a fantastic door, opening onto all sorts of new mysteries that I’m really excited to find out about. But as if I needed more motivation, the very last line ensured that I will be grabbing book 2 as soon as I can.

A constantly exciting and mysterious first book. Highly enjoyable from start to finish, with a fun cast of characters. Excited for book two.

2 gun icinde hasarsiz bir sekilde elime ulasti, ayrac hediyeniz icin de tesekkur ederim :)

It only took me a couple of chapters to completely fall in love with all the characters. ALL of them! It's a must read if you like an amazing character-drive story.