Book Review: The Raven Boys

The Raven Boys

“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 theShiver 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."

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Year of Release: 2012

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal

Sequel(s): 3 Untitled Sequels

What motivated you to read this book?: I enjoyed Maggie's other books, so I wanted to try this one too! Plus, the plot summary seemed interesting

Book Version: Hardback

Where did you get the book?: Library

Favorite Character: Gansey

Least Favorite Character: Barrington Whelk

Thoughts on Cover: I really like it! Very nice. Love the raven on it.

Recommended to: 

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

Review:  This book is probably the eeriest book I have ever read. It gave me the creeps...in a good way. It was written extremely well. It wasn't overly detailed, nor was it not detailed enough. It was perfect. The story and plot were completely original. I have never read anything like it before. It definitely kept my interest. I would give it 4 stars, but it was very slow moving and it had pretty much no romance at all. (Books without romance can be a bit boring at times.) Therefore I'm dropping it down to 3.5 stars instead. Its lack of romance is pretty understandable though, considering that Blue cannot kiss her true love without him dying. However, I did expect her to fall for Gansey right away. I didn't expect her to have a thing with Adam. I guess I am too accustomed to characters falling for each other immediately. I suppose this is more realistic. I like that.

Overall, this book was a good read, but it wasn't as great as I thought it would be. I plan on reading the sequels, but I'm not dying to do so.

Waiting on Wednesday (#4)

Waiting on Wednesday is a Book Hop  hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 


This week's pick is:

Raven Boys by: Maggie Stiefvater

 " '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 theShiver 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."

Release Date: September 18, 2012

I'm pretty excited for this book. Maggie is a remarkable writer. Her writing descriptions make me quite envious being a writer myself. I really enjoyed The Scorpio Races. The Shiver Trilogy was pretty good too. While I wait for this book I definitely plan on reading her Books of Faerie series in the meantime!  

The Raven Boy's Trailer

Today author Maggie Stiefvater released the trailer for her newest book The Raven Boys. I read her book The Scorpio Races & loved it! It was a great read. It was truly unique & original. She also wrote the Shiver trilogy which are pretty good as well. Maggie is a great author. She definitely knows how to write. I am really looking forward to reading The Raven Boys & its sequels. Here's the synospis according to 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."

Here's the trailer:

Doesn't it look intense?? It comes out in September, but you can win a free copy of it. Go to Maggie's website for more information.

Sneak Peaks

What is it these days with sneak peeks? This past week, I discovered two excerpts/sneak peeks of books that I'm looking forward to reading. One is from Insurgent that's on Facebook and one from The Raven Boys that's on Entertainment Weekly's website. After reading both excerpts, I can definitely say that I cannot wait to read both books! These are just two books that come out this year that I'm looking forward to reading.

Sorry, for not continuing the 30 Day HG challenge. I've been busy. I'll probably keep posting these short blog posts for awhile, that is if I post any at all. Hope you guys understand.
-E