Reviews

The Raven Boys — Maggie Stiefvater

June 26, 2017

“She wasn’t interested in telling other people’s futures. She was interested in going out and finding her own.”

All Blue’s life, she’s been surrounded by psychics: her mother, her aunt, her mother’s live-in best friends. Blue can’t predict anything, though – she’s just an energy amplifier for everyone (and everything) around here. Her future has been set in stone for years. She will fall in love, and she will kiss her first love, and he will die.

It’s hard enough, when Blue sees her first vision: the boy she will kiss and kill, a boy named Gansey. The weirdness is only beginning, though, because Blue’s paths will soon cross with Gansey’s in his search for a dead king and magic, and she will be wrapped up into a whirlwind adventure even her psychic family couldn’t have prepared her for.


ALL OF THE STARS FOREVER AND EVER AMEN

Seriously you guys, how did I not pick this book up sooner?! I am literally lamenting the fact that I have waited this long to begin this series – though, I’m also a little pleased, because I don’t have to wait on book releases heh heh.

I’m just going to jump right into a breakdown of what I thought of this beautiful book. (By the way, I’m starting a new review format with this one – let me know what you lovelies think!)

BLUE ➳➳
I honestly just love Blue to pieces. I feel so sorry for her about the fact that she’s the only one in her family who isn’t a psychic, but I love her little “amplifier” ordeal and her sass and witticisms are fantastic. If I met someone like Blue IRL, we’d totally be besties.

THE BOYS ➳➳
The boys are all so precious and perfect in their own ways. I love Gansey’s self-awareness and awkwardness, as well as his ridiculous obsession that he manages to draw everyone else into. I love Noah’s adorable smudgy self. I love Ronan’s fierce protectiveness and his bitter attitude that is so obviously hiding this teddy bear interior. I love Adam’s shyness and feelings of inadequacy. They’re all just precious little cuties and I want to protect all of them. ❤

THE PSYCHICS ➳➳
How fun are the psychics?! Blue’s mom is fun on her own, but I LIVED for Persephone’s quiet oddity and Calla’s snappy attitude and antics. It’s so fun to watch their little predictions unfold, too. And then there’s Neeve, who I have very mixed feelings on…

PLOT ➳➳
A bunch of teenagers on some quest to find a dead king in some magical woods, surrounded by the energy leftover from a bunch of dead people? Plus there are psychics and scrying and such? Count me in. I really thought the plot for this was fantastic (though admittedly a little bit confusing at the start for me, because I overthink things and spent the first few chapters wondering why it’s so important to Gansey).

WRITING ➳➳
This was my first ever Maggie Stiefvater book, and I didn’t know what to expect of her writing. A lot of my bookish friends had actually warned me that her prose was very lyrical and flowery, and to try to power through it, I guess? I could see where her writing could be unlikable by some standards, but I really enjoyed it! I found it to be just the right level of descriptive and vague, and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

FINAL VERDICT ➳➳
5 stars, all day! I absolutely loved this book and have already purchased the second book in the series. I’m only sad that I have such a big pile of ARCs that The Dream Thieves will have to wait a couple of weeks, but I might end up caving and diving into it sooner, because I am just so in love with these characters already and I can’t wait to find out where their adventure takes them next!

June 2017 group read with Forgotten YA Gems

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23 Comments

  • Reply The Bookish King June 26, 2017 at 3:06 pm

    Im so glad you loved this one! And Dream Thieves is even 100x better than this one ?

    • Reply Destiny @ Howling Libraries June 26, 2017 at 6:14 pm

      Oh man. Are you serious?! Idk if I can handle that. ? I already bought Dream Thieves and it’s sitting on my shelf but I have to knock out a few ARCs first. *cries*

  • Reply frankielovely June 26, 2017 at 3:06 pm

    I love Stiefvater’s writing! SO MUCH THOUGH! 🙂

    Great review

    Couldn’t agree more … forever and ever amen

  • Reply Sarah June 26, 2017 at 4:10 pm

    I really loved this book, but I had trouble getting through the second one! I hope you write a review so I can see your thoughts on it. 🙂

  • Reply thebookprophet June 26, 2017 at 4:34 pm

    Trust me, you’re going to love the rest of the series even more!

  • Reply lyndleloo June 26, 2017 at 4:38 pm

    I just read this series this year too, I finished the Raven King last week and am so sad it’s over! ? I loved it so much, I love Maggie’s writing style, the audio books always make me laugh and I like the fact you could recognise her writing anywhere because it’s do distinctive ?

    • Reply Destiny @ Howling Libraries June 26, 2017 at 6:15 pm

      Her writing does have SUCH a distinct feeling to it! I could see how you could pick it out of a crowd, and that’s after having just read one book by her. It makes me that much more excited to read literally ALL of the rest of her books ??

  • Reply emmareadstoomuch June 26, 2017 at 5:47 pm

    just cemented the fact that i totally need to pick this up!

  • Reply yasminereads June 26, 2017 at 6:59 pm

    Yeeesssss!!! One of my absolute favourite series ever, and it shot Maggie Stiefvater to the top of my “will even read their post-it notes” author list. I totally agree about her writing, too! It hits that perfect sweet spot between literary and genre fiction.

    • Reply Destiny @ Howling Libraries June 27, 2017 at 3:04 pm

      Oh man, TRB has totally done that for me already, too! I’m about to pre-order her new book because I already know I’m gonna love it.

  • Reply amyriadofbooks June 26, 2017 at 7:34 pm

    BAHAHA. I’m so glad you love this book! I just finished listening to The Dream Thieves via audiobook as a reread and loved it way more than the first time I read it. Hope you enjoy the rest of the series. <3

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  • Reply Cass (Words on Paper) June 28, 2017 at 8:39 pm

    Woo! Glad that you looooooooved it!!! 😀 I actually tried reading this all those years ago (back when my review copy was legit as an ARC) and couldn’t get past 60 pages, I think I might not have been in the mood for it and got bored. I’ll really have to try again sometime in the future because I would like to give Maggie Stiefvater another shot. Thanks for sharing.

    • Reply Destiny @ Howling Libraries June 30, 2017 at 1:22 pm

      Oh no! I would definitely recommend trying one more time since it’s been a while, but at the same time, I could see how her writing style wouldn’t be for everyone. 🙂

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