5/09/2013

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater.

Series: The Raven Cycle #1.
Published: September 12, 2012.
Published by: Scholastic Press
Source: Won from Young Adult Book Reviews. Thank you!

Goodreads Blurb:
“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 Review:

I have to admit, it really took me a while to connect with this novel. I was interested from the very beginning but I wasn't loving it. I'm not entirely sure why, to be honest, but it's possible I had just set my expectations too high. I absolutely loved The Scorpio Races when I read it last year and hoped that I would love this one just the same. I wish I could say that I did love it, but I did at least enjoy it.

I think part of the reason I didn't totally connect was the whole magic aspect. I thought it was a really cool idea, but the way it sat on the cusp of paranormal from Blue's end and magical from Gansey's end just didn't seem to sit quite right in my mind. It almost felt like there was a disconnect between the two that threw me off. Not that I didn't enjoy it or that it didn't interest me, it just didn't enchant me the way the not-quite-real aspects of The Scorpio Races did. I also felt myself waiting to understand Blue's fortune and how it would come to pass, which meant I liked the idea but just wanted it to develop already!

I will say that I really enjoyed the shifting perspectives. While it may have been part of the reason I didn't really connect (because it meant I formed no strong bond to any one character in particular... okay, not entirely true, I did love Adam, one of Gansey's "boys"), it worked well for the plot. There were just so many people involved that it was great to get not only different ideas of the situation but also of the other characters. It really helped to better understand where everyone was coming from, especially because of the way I saw the characters hiding things from one another. There was definitely an interesting dynamic going on, and connections between people that I didn't see until they were plainly revealed, so that was interesting to follow.

Overall, I had gone in with expectations that the book couldn't meet and a brain that didn't want to connect the two otherworldly ideas together. I did, however, find it a very interesting novel and thought the way the characters were presented and revealed definitely kept me reading. I will check out the sequel because I'm curious to see where it goes next and if certain characters can keep themselves together.
3 stars.

16 comments:

  1. I love her writing! I haven't read this one or The Scorpio Races though. I want to. I really really want to. I'm glad that you like it and I think that all the points of view sound awesome! Great review!

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    1. While I preferred The Scorpio Races, others I know felt totally opposite from me, so hopefully you can try them both and see where you stand! This one definitely had elements that I enjoyed though.

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  2. I have to agree with you because I didn't really connect with this book the way I was expecting to. I liked it, but something felt like it was missing for me. I think my expectations were too high, but hopefully the next book will be better for me. Great review :)

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    1. I think my expectations were too high too, especially after The Scorpio Races. Hopefully having read this one my expectations for the sequel will be more reasonable and I'll be able to enjoy it. Thanks :)

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  3. I really want to read this novel, beacuse I loved The Wolves of Mercy Falls series. I hope the writing is as beautiful and poetic as in that one, but I'm sorry to see you didn't love it that much! Great review. :) x

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    1. I haven't yet read that series but I think her writing is consistently beautiful. If you saw it in that series, I know I saw it in TSR and this one, so I hope that makes it good for you!

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  4. I've heard raving reviews for this book, and it's sad to hear that you didn't enjoy it as much :/ Magical and supernatural elements do take some time getting used to, and dual POVs annoy me a great deal sometimes!! Though you've got me interested about the characters, still going to keep this one in line :)

    Alicia @ Summer Next Top Story

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    1. I do hope you still read it because I know people who absolutely loved it! I just found that some of the elements, like the mix of magic and supernatural, didn't work all the time for me.

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  5. I read a little bit of this but just couldn't get into it. This review basically sums up my feelings and makes me glad I didn't finish. :)

    New blog lovin follower
    Emily @ Counting in Bookcases

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    1. If you didn't want to finish after reading a bit, then it probably wasn't for you because it was fairly similar throughout. While it was okay for me, I understand why it didn't work for you.
      Thank you! :)

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  6. Hmm... I also loved Scorpio Races but it took me a while to really immerse myself into that book. When I did, I found myself taken by the love story even with the quiet nature of it. This one, I was really looking forward to, but I'm seeing mixed reviews all over the place. I may have to start it (already purchased on Kindle) and if I don't connect as well, not push myself on it? Yeah, I think that's what i'll do :)

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    1. I agree with what you said about The Scorpio Races. It was a slow building story and when I got into it, I REALLY got into it! I would definitely say give it a try, because some people really did love it, but no, don't push yourself if you can't seem to connect.

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  7. Maggie Stiefvater is an author i still need to read! I'm glad you liked Raven Boys overall because that's the one I'd like to try of hers first. Great review!

    Happy reading!
    Rachel & The (YA) Bookcase

    P.S. How did you get your scroll bar to be PINK? OMG! <3

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    1. It is definitely worth a try and I did enjoy it for the most part, but I'd say don't give up on Maggie Stiefvater if you don't connect with it because I get the idea that her books will each appeal to different people.

      Thanks! And the scroll bar was all my designer, Lisseth. She was a good catch for me ;)

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  8. While I truly loved The Scorpio Races, this book did not intrigue me as much. It did hold my interest, but the characters and the events that occurred did not resonate with me the way that they did in the later work (which I had read first). I did like Blue and her crazy, psychic female clan, but the Raven Boys themselves were just too self absorbed.

    Maycee Greene (NC Photo Booth)

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    1. I completely agree. This one did not resonate with me the same way either, which was too bad. Still an interesting book, but didn't capture my attention like The Scorpio Races did. I really enjoyed Blue and her family more so as well.

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I'd love to hear what you think!