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The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. Photo: Amazon UK
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I first read this book back in March of 2018 and the first time around I thought the book was good but it didn't thrill me (I gave it a 4/5 stars though). So I put off reading the second book in the series until almost a year later in March 2019.
After reading the second book in the series I was hooking and flew through the full four book series in a matter of days!
I just finished rereading The Raven Boys and I have to say, this time around I found it MUCH more enjoyable.
Honestly it's one of my favorite books of all time!
Honestly it's one of my favorite books of all time!
Maggie has such a talent with her writing, it’s so elegant and descriptive. She's also incredible at making fully developed and functioning characters. Her characters are real and so well-developed that I fell in love with all of them instantly. Maggie does a great job of giving them all strong back-stories so you know why they do what they do and their actions are legitimate.
Such great writing, incredible characters and an interesting story...there is nothing not to love about this book. Simply perfection!
*SPOILER SECTION*
I'll break it down by characters and give my thoughts on each one as they are the reason why this book is so spectacular.
Gansey: God Gansey is the man I want to end up with. He's obviously got some flaw (don't we all) but he does a good job of acknowledging them. For example, when he flaunts his affluent lifestyle without sparing a thought for families with less money. He always tries to keep his silver-spoon fed mouth shut in moments like those. However, one of the best things about him is that he is always willing to help his friends no matter the cost - monetary or otherwise.
He's smart, sophisticated and just plain fantastic. But we sometimes get to see a deeper side to Gansey, when his 'presidential smile' fades and his true self shines through the cracks.
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| My own little Pig! |
He's an academic and very determined - I don't think you'll find a better man out there if you tried. Also I'm obsessed with the character descriptions that Maggie includes - his constant habit of sucking on mint leaves or his odd love of the Pig that's always falling apart.
I have to admit - I'm a bit obsessed with the Pig and may have purchased my own Pig!
All in all, you'd be lying if you said that Gansey wasn't one of the most perfect YA characters you've ever met, but don't make the mistake of thinking this book and the rest of the series is all about him. Although it may feel like that at points in this first novel - that truly isn't the case.
But gosh Gansey I love you!
Blue: She's a badass misfit that doesn't care about your opinions of her or her family. As the only member of her household that doesn't have any psychic abilities (except the fact that she can amplify other psychic's powers) she's just your average high school student.
She works as a waitress at a local diner and that's how her life gets tangled with those of the snobbish and overly good-looking raven boys.
I love her personality and although at times she can be rash and aggressive - she still manages to capture every raven boy's heart in a different way.
I also enjoyed how she knew the major secret from almost the very beginning: that Gansey would die within the next year. How is a 15 year old supposed to handle that sort of information?!
Ronan: I actually really disliked Ronan when I read this book for the first time. It is the reason why I put off reading the second book for so long. I couldn't stand the thought of having to read the second book which focuses so heavily on Ronan.
However, after reading the second book I fell in love with Ronan and his prickly personality and wicked grin - then when I reread this first novel I understood him so much better and yet again I saw Ronan in another light.
He is such a mystery of a character. You love him yet are infuriated with him most points. But underneath all those pointy tattoos is a heart that is so big and lovely and it just takes readers a while to see that and truly understand the complex character he is.
Adam: I have to agree with a fellow reader on this observation - I don't know if I can fully trust Adam. He acts like he does things for one reason, but most of the time it's a selfish reason and one done just to sooth his damaged pride.
One of the highlights for me in this first book is when Ronan beats up Adam's dad for beating up Adam and making him lose hearing in one of his ears. That scene is heartbreaking and powerful and Maggie does a fantastic job of portraying domestic abuse and it's effects on teenage children.
Such a powerful scene that shapes the rest of the series!
I respect Adam for being a self-made man and not accepting hand-outs from Gansey all the time - but at the same time he needs to not let his pride blind him to what's actually best for him and the situation (which Gansey points out multiple times).
Noah: Oh my poor poor Noah. He was my favorite character when I read this book for the first time and I was truly SHOCKED when Maggie pulled out that twist that he's been a ghost the entire time.
Although when I reread it and legit the first thing that Noah says is 'I've been dead for 7 years,' it's funny because you assume he's joking and being a moody teen. So rereading that gave me a good ole laugh.
But his murder is disgusting and Whelk got exactly what he deserved (although it did show the reader something about Adam's character/morals).
But I need to repeat this - oh my poor little smudgy Noah, my heart breaks for you!
Alright that's all the main characters that need discussing so I'm going to wrap up this extremely long book review.
I loved this book and I loved the entire series as a whole. The characters are so well-developed and they feel so magically real! Maggie does a stellar job of describing the whimsical world of Henrietta and Cabeswater - the mental visuals are just incredible!
I'd recommend this book to any YA fan but please note you must keep an open mind and just roll with the punches - I promise it's all worth it in the end! As I know some readers have been turned off by all the mentions of ley lines and psychic abilities - however then those same people go on to read stories about dragons and wizards...this story isn't any more whimsical/magical than those!
So keep an open mind and get ready to fall in love with the raven boys (plus Blue) in the same way they all fell in love with each other.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Buy The Raven Boys here.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Buy The Raven Boys here.
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