Review-The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys

Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: September 18, 2012

Hardcover: 416 pages

Publisher: Scholastic Press

ISBN: 0545424925

Source: ARC from the publisher at ALA

Rating: Loved

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From Goodreads.

“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.

I love Maggie’s books! I love her writing style and how she can draw you into a story with such force you feel as if you’re actually living it! This is how it was for me with The Raven Boys! I fell in love with the story from page one. Oh and peeps this is not a love triangle story! Hell there’s actually not much of a love story either! I mean the MC Blue? She’s not supposed to fall in love she’s been told all her life that she’ll kill the boy she loves with a kiss. No we don’t know if it’s the actual kiss that will kill him but she doesn’t even want to risk that. This story is one of action and adventure. It’s a quest to find a long lost king and the ley lines where he has been hidden. It’s also a story about folklore and psychics and magic. I loved every minute of it!

So onto the characters Blue rocked she was probably one of my favorites of Maggie’s! She was smart and she didn’t take crap from anyone. I loved her name too. Oh the boys I know many of us will disagree whom is our favorite there’s three (I know it says 4 but when you read the book you’ll understand why I only say 3) to choose from. Gansey, the very rich, good-looking scholarly boy is definitely a love of mine but he didn’t steal my heart. Ronan did! Even though he’s a serious badass with a huge chip on his shoulder I fell hard for him with his dark hair, tattoo, secrets, and overall bad boy feel. Yep what can I say I’m a sucker for a bad boy! Oh but there’s this part with a baby bird where he melted my heart I was a goner after that. Then there’s Adam who I know a lot of people liked but I couldn’t stand! His pride and stubbornness made me want to smack the crap out of him! I don’t care how good looking he is he just rubbed me the wrong way.

Ok enough about my love or lack of love for the characters time to share an excerpt. This one is from the beginning of the book and I felt it really started the story in a great way!

He was so real. When it finally happened, when she finally saw him, it didn’t feel like magic at all. It felt like looking into the grave and seeing it look back at her.

“Is that all?” she whispered.

Gansey closed his eyes. “That’s all there is.”

He fell to his knees—a soundless gesture for a boy with no real body. One hand splayed in the dirt, fingers pressed to the ground. Blue saw the blackness of the church more clearly than the curved shape of his shoulder.

“Neeve,” Blue said “Neeve, he’s—dying.”

Neeve had come to stand just behind her. She replied, “Not yet.”

Gansey was nearly gone now, fading into the church, or the church fading into him.

Blue’s voice was breathier than she would have liked. “Why—why can I see him?”

Neeve glanced over her shoulder; either because there were more spirits coming or because there weren’t—Blue couldn’t tell. By the time she looked back, Gansey had vanished entirely. Already Blue felt warmth returning to her skin, but something behind her lungs felt icy. A dangerous, sucking sadness seemed to opening up inside her: grief or regret.

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve, Blue. Either you’re his true love,” Neeve said, “or you killed him.”

Ok peeps so The Raven Boys is out now go get this one you won’t be disappointed!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh and check out the trailer! It’s pretty cool Maggie likes her animated trailers J