Review | The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Review of ‘The Raven Boys’ by Maggie Stiefvater. Discover the enchanting world of Blue Sargent and the mysterious Raven Boys in this thrilling young adult fantasy. In this review, we dive deeper into the story, discuss the intriguing characters, and explore the building mystery surrounding the ley lines and the legend of Glendower. Keep reading to find out why this book, despite a slow start, is an absolute must-read for fans of magical stories full of suspense and adventure.

“My words are unerring tools of destruction, and I’ve come unequipped with the ability to disarm them.”

– The Raven Boys
Maggie Stiefvater

‘The Raven Boys’ by Maggie Stiefvater is a mysterious and original fantasy story with engaging characters, but a slow start

Synopsis

“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.

---

Review

Let’s be honest, the cover of this book is simply stunning! Without a doubt, this is my favorite limited edition that Boekerij / Best of Fantasy has ever released. I honestly can’t wait to have the full series in this beautiful edition on my bookshelf.

As for the story, ‘The Raven Boys‘ starts off a bit slow. It took me a while to really get into the story and understand where it was headed. This is not a book you can just skim through; it demands your attention. But to be fair, it’s definitely worth the investment. Once you get through the slow start, it becomes a fascinating and exciting journey. The book is full of mystery and has a unique atmosphere. At one point, I simply couldn’t put it down because I just had to know what was going on with the ley lines, Glendower, and especially Blue’s prophecy.

The real strength of this book lies in the characters. Each one of them is a delight to follow, each in their own way. They are all so different from each other, which made it incredibly fun to read from their perspectives and discover their unique personalities. Blue, Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah form such an intriguing group that I wanted to know more and more about them. I especially would have liked to dive deeper into Gansey and Ronan, but I expect that their stories will be explored further in the next books. Sometimes it was a bit difficult to know exactly which character I was following, but it didn’t bother me too much.

Additionally, I thought the world-building was really well done. Maggie Stiefvater describes everything in such a way that I could picture the scenes effortlessly. It played out in my head like a movie, which made it even easier to get fully immersed in what the characters were going through.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, without a doubt! The book might have a slow start, but stick with it because it gets better and better. The mystery, the suspense, and especially the amazing characters make this an absolute must-read, and I can’t wait to dive into the next book.

Rating

9/10

Details

• Trigger warnings: Attempted murder, underage drinking, depression, child abuse, elitism, murder, ritual sacrifices, suicide (mentioned), violence, domestic violence, workplace harassment
• Representation: none
• Genre: Paranormal (young adult)
• Pages: 409
• Publication date: September 18, 2012
• Publisher: Scholastic Press
• About the author: Maggie Stiefvater is a New York Times bestselling author of The Shiver Trilogy, The Raven Cycle, and The Scorpio Races. Artist. Driver of things with wheels. Avid reader. Maggie Stiefvater plays several musical instruments (most infamously, the bagpipes) and makes art in several media (most generally, colored pencils). She lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband, their two children, many dogs, a bunch of fainting goats, and a mating pair of growly tuner cars.

---

With love,