Review: The Raven Boys

Goodreads Summary: “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.

[One quick thing, that has got to be the longest synopsis I have ever seen on Goodreads...JUST WOW.] 

 I have got to say it, I just HAVE TO, The Raven Boys totally had a Practical Magic feel if Practical Magic was told from the perspective of a teenager. I love the idea of a houseful of women, particularly this group of women filling this house. Some of my favorite moments of the novel were the times [Oh! And when they had the screwdrivers? This is what cinched the Practical Magic reference for me...fans of the movie will know EXACTLY what scene I was thinking of.] when the women of the house were interacting with Blue or one another. I loved their conversations. In fact, don't be the slightest bit alarmed if you suddenly see about half a dozen liked quotes appear on my Goodreads Activity thingie, its just me liking every thing they ever said. I adored their conversations THAT MUCH. 

[And why yes, that comparison is how I plan on making my Mom read this novel. I WILL CONVINCE HER TO READ PARANORMAL/SUPERNATURAL THINGS. MUHAHAHA!]

Moving on.

You guys remember awhile back when I made a wish to have more books that were told from alternating chapters with multiple perspectives? Glory hallelujah I got my wish! The Raven Boys is filled with various points-of-view all of which manage to add a little something something to the story that is being told. My particular favorite? Blue, hands down. I was always really excited to get to her chapters. So people who have been desperately pining for another awesome multi-narrated piece, check this one out for sure!

The boys were interesting too. I love when you get an odd group of friends like this, a group that really has no reason to be attached to one another because there is ALWAYS an interesting story as to how they came to be and why are they are still friends. I mean, from the synopsis alone you can tell that they are all VERY different guys and yet...they hang out together. My Nancy Drew sense was immediately tingling!

Also. The plot is pretty snazzy. I don't want to give anything away though. Just take my word for it. Though, a little disclaimer, it did take me awhile to get into it. A few chapters at least. I'm not saying I had to really push myself or anything, I just wasn't grabbed and yanked through from the very beginning. It took me awhile to get to know and warm up to the entire cast of crazies. But once I got into it, I was totally into. And it was spooktastic, nay, CREEPTASTIC. AND THE TWISTS. The book was just like, seriously, WHOA. And utterly unputdownable. [Yay for made-up words!]

AND THE ENDING? Wow. Just wow. HOW COULD YOU END IT LIKE THAT? I cannot wait for the next book to come out. Seriously. Can. Not. Wait.