Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Published: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 416
Series: Raven Cycle #1
My Rating:  5 of 5 stars

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.

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.

My Review: Ever since I heard about this book I knew that I needed to read it. Another book by Maggie? Yes please! There's something about her writing that makes the world around me disappear and nothing else matters other than reading her book. I stayed up late at night thinking about The Raven Boys and I don't think its going to leave my thoughts for quite some time.

The way this book is written is just...magical (I can't think of any other word to describe it at the moment). I loved every single part of the book. The magic and mysteriousness it was just so wonderful. I've read her Wolves of Mercy Falls series, The Scorpio Races, and Lament but I think that this book is her best yet.

All the characters were great. I loved each of them for different reasons but I think my favorites were Ronan, Noah, and Gansey. At one point I almost started crying because of a vision that Blue was having about Gansey. And even though Gansey is supposed to die soon I can't help but try to think of ways that will allow him to live. Each character had so many layers and I loved the complex relationships between the raven boys. It just added to the story.

I'd never heard of the ley line before this and now I really want to know more about it and about Gansey's search. I especially want to know more about Noah's situation and that raven that Ronan named Chainsaw. That ending left me a little confused about her. 

The only part that might bother some people was the lack of romance. That didn't really bother me but people looking for romance should probably skip this book. I think that if you expect it then you will be disappointed. After all if Blue kisses her true love he'll die so she couldn't exactly kiss anyone.
 
The wait for the next book is already way too long.