Title: The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Hardcover, 409 Pages
Published September 2012
Summary: 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.
Today on the blog we have a guest review from Chelesa over at BooksTune! She was kind enough to stop by and review The Raven Boys (a classic!) and share her thoughts on it, and we couldn't be more excited to have her here as our guest reviewer for today! So without further ado, let's get into it!
I don't think I can put into words how much I adored this book. I'd heard so much hype around it in the book community and I fully understand why. Now, I've read Maggie Stiefvater's other works and while they were good, this book - and series, I'm sure - surpasses all of them. I will admit, I read this at a much slower pace than I usually read books. However, I don't think that it means it was harder to read or that it was a downfall at all. In fact, I think the fact that I read it slower was because this book makes the reader want to enjoy and savor the world, story and characters for as much as they can.
The writing style was so good and easy to read. It's easy to not even feel the amount of pages being read. More than 100 pages could be read without realizing it. The description and imagery used throughout the book makes you feel like you're actually within the story, seeing and experiencing everything firsthand.
The world that this writing style creates is one of the best parts of the book. It was so intricately created, everything and everyone has a purpose and nothing feels like filler. Some parts felt a little slower near the beginning or towards the middle but I feel like a reason for it was because I was so invested and excited to get to other certain parts that I just wanted to skip to them. That doesn't mean there were boring bits to the story.
The way the story was set up, it was able to give the reader the perspectives of more than one character, which I really liked. I think that helped make the story so clear and the plot/characters more interconnected. The plot was beautiful and the most creative I've read in a while. But it could be confusing at times. However, I don't really think it took anything away from the book because it's easy not to care. Just sit back and let the plot carry on, not trying too hard to put everything together, it feels like everything gets put in its place and suddenly makes sense. A great part of the plot, and a part that I don't usually find in books, is that nothing was predictable. Plot twists were actually plot twists - I didn't see them coming and I legitimately had no idea how the book was going to end or what else was in store.
What I thought was unique about these different perspectives is that even in other books that have multiple point of views, it's easy to see who the author wants you to agree with or understand most. In The Raven Boys, the perspectives were so well developed that there wasn't one character that was 'obviously right'.
The perspectives were so well developed because of how well developed and unique the characters were. Each character had very distinct personalities (which I LOVED), so much so that the feel like real people. I could pinpoint people in my own life that remind me of the characters. This not only means their personalities; the motivations of each character are laid out and established effectively, persuasively, and clearly. Everything down to the dialogue is consistent to how the person is characterized.
I think the part I loved the most was the relationship dynamics. I'm such a sucker for characters looking after each other as if their family (bonus if they go to a preppy Academy). All of my favorite series involve that trope and this story encompasses everything I love about it. The development of the relationships are slow and realistic. They don't feel rushed for the sake of getting on with the plot. You can clearly understand why some characters act the way they do, why they're attracted or connected to other characters or other things in the story. I also loved how there was a perfect balance of romance and friendship/family - it felt like a perfect blend of what I always look for in a series.
I feel like I've been raving about this book since I started reading it and I don't think I've said one bad thing about it but this book deserves it. The notes I write during each read have never been as long as the notes I've written about this. Even when I wasn't reading it, I constantly thought about the characters and the plot. That's something few books have managed to do - especially lately. The world is probably one of, if not the, best worlds I had ever been thrown into while reading and I can't wait to continue with the series and get back into it and to see more about the characters.
I can distinctly see and name each of my favorite series and I can honestly say, I think this is going to join their ranks.
We'd like to once again thank Chelea for stopping by The Book Bratz today to post this guest review. You can read the original review over on her blog by clicking HERE!
** Psst! Interested in guest reviewing on The Book Bratz? Shoot us an email at thebookbratz@gmail.com or DM us on Twitter (@thebookbratz) and we'd love to have you!
