Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Raven Boys

I loved everything about this book until the big cliff-hanger at the end. The tension was beautifully written, loved the prose, and the dimension of each character.

Content Warnings

greytome's review

Go to review page

adventurous funny inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Has very diverse set of characters (age-/personality-/background-wise), all of them are so real you think of them as people and not as fictional characters. They all constantly evolve and though the plot is as much fantasy as it gets, they still also have a lot of conversations I'll never be able to get out of my head again.
Writing style couldn't be more poetic, funny and poignant.
Also, this genre, where the main characters are basically just a bunch of teenagers who are beyond their age on the inside and still teenagers and this untangible group of something bigger than just friends, somehow facing the world and scary magic stuff together is just too underrated.

Content Warnings

jojo_fiction_'s review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

4.5 stars

“‘Is that all?’ she whispered.

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

Blue Sargent comes from a family of psychics, but her own abilities are limited to amplifying the powers of others. On the feast of St. Mark, while helping her aunt speak to the spirits of those who are to die within the next 12 months, she sees a spirit for the first time. The spirit of a boy named Gansey. The problem is, when a non-seer sees a spirit, it means one of two things: they are either their true love, or they are the ones who kill them.

Gansey is a student at the elite private school Aglionby. Despite the prestigious lifestyles of those around him, Gansey is only interested in one thing: finding the lost tomb of the Welsh King Glendower. He and his friends, Adam, Ronan and Noah, take their search to the local psychic’s home. There, these mysterious boys and their quest draw Blue in, and their fates become tangled together in a web full of mysteries and magic.

————————————

This wasn't my first time reading this book. I had tried when I was younger when it was just getting popular, but I guess I was just too young to fully absorb what was happening. However, I am so glad I decided to give it another shot.

This book was really good! However, it was a bit slow plot wise at the start. Stiefvater takes her time making sure we are properly introduced to the characters, and their dynamics with each other, before really moving us along to focus more on the plot. Now, I personally love character based stories, so I didn't mind the slow start to the action. But if you are someone who likes a little more focus on plot/action as opposed to the characters, this might not be your cup of tea, or it just might be harder for you to get into.

In terms of the style, Stiefvater has such a wonderful way with words that really draws you in. I love books that make me feel enveloped by a feeling of magic and mystery and The Raven Boys makes even the more mundane aspects of the town feel like it is covered in magic.

I also enjoy it when fantasy books have a magic system that is off putting and doesn't make logical sense all the time. It's not all sunshine and rainbows. In this case it's ghosts and spirits, stepping out of linear time, and trees that speak Latin to you.

Stiefvater gives us characters that we can't help but love. They all have good intentions, and care deeply about each other, but are dealing with different levels of pain or toxic environments that cause them to make decisions that often clash with each other. The friendships are really what sell this story. The playful dynamics that start with the 4 boys are increased when Blue joins the mix. All of these characters are closed off in one way or another, and I can't wait to see how they slowly open up to each other and further flesh out these already amazing characters. My only critique of the characters is that of Blue’s characterization. I'm not quite sure how I feel about her, but the way she is portrayed can sometimes come across as “not like other girls”. Which could just be due to the trends that were around when this book was released, but I'm still hoping she will become more developed as the series goes on.

My only critique of the book’s writing itself would be the difference in pacing from the beginning and the end, as I mentioned before. By putting such a focus on the characters in the beginning, when the plot starts to pick up it is a noticeable change that might be jarring to readers.

All in all, I can't wait to read the next book, especially since we get to see more of Ronan’s character (who I have a feeling will become my favourite character).

Content Warnings

rafacolog's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

readwithsarah's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Wasn't sure what to expect going into this series and it wasn't quite what I thought, but I enjoyed it! The plot is interesting and I like Blue's character. The vibes are a lot darker than I initially thought, but I was intrigued and engaged throughout.

Content Warnings

takarakei's review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A good start to a series. I knew going in that this is a “vibes” book which helped, and it’s a relatively fast read. Even so there’s a couple chapters I was confused by being included that seem to be extraneous. Overall a lot of short chapters which I like.

This gave me definite call backs to The Whispering Dark which I feel like is a lesser known ya fantasy stand-alone that if you liked this you would probably love.

I look forward to continuing the series as I hear it gets better with each book.

Content Warnings

kitfkat's review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Content Warnings

crustysourdough's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

Content Warnings

More...