The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1) in Random Readalongs

Sep 15, 2014 Kayla Farley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2016

This book. THIS BOOK.
The mood was perfect. The pacing was perfect. I loved the characters. Honestly they felt like the marauders to me which made me love them MO R E. The plot is so interesting. The writing is poetic. I had so many F E E L S. This is one of my favorite books now. I'm sad I didn't pick this up sooner. ...more

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Mar 13, 2015 Kimberlee rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites

I feel the need to protect these idiots at all cost. On to the next one.

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Jul 23, 2015 Ashley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, own, 2015

4.25

It is time that I finally sit down and confront my complex and intense feelings about this book. Going in to The Raven Boys I had a lot of expectations. So many people had read it and hyped it (which is the reason I try to read things as soon as possible so I can form my own uninformed opinion). Unfortunately, I could not avoid the fact that this is a rather widespread love for this book. In fact, I don't think I encountered anyone saying that they didn't like this book.

I was skeptical.

Extre 4.25

It is time that I finally sit down and confront my complex and intense feelings about this book. Going in to The Raven Boys I had a lot of expectations. So many people had read it and hyped it (which is the reason I try to read things as soon as possible so I can form my own uninformed opinion). Unfortunately, I could not avoid the fact that this is a rather widespread love for this book. In fact, I don't think I encountered anyone saying that they didn't like this book.

I was skeptical.

Extremely skeptical about how much I was going to enjoy this book. I was terrified that I would have an opinion that was convoluted.

Now that I've read the book, my feelings are still a bit convoluted. The story certainly was not perfect, but I definitely loved it. I want to bring something new to the table, but in all honesty, like everyone has said before, it was the characters that made this story. There were times reading this when my heart felt tight and my throat closed as panic rose through my chest, leaving me sweating with anticipation and anxiety. There were also times when I got warm and fuzzy feels because of the sweet things that were happening.

I mentioned that this book was not perfect. It is not. I've encountered very few books that I feel have achieved that. The biggest problem with this book in particular is actually one in the same with the book's strength. The focus is entirely on the characters with the plot kind of lingering in the background. I love the characters, but it took a while to get there.

The plot is truly secondary in this story. There is most certainly a plot their. The characters have goals and they take steps toward reaching those goals. There were obstacles they encountered. There were antagonists trying to hinder them. All those elements were there, but they largely just fell to the background. They just weren't as important. Which in some ways is a bit of a shame, because that plot is actually pretty interesting. However the number of major plot points in this story would not have added up to a full story in more plot driven novels. I have to give the book credit because even though the plot isn't particularly quick and it does fall to the back, it is never forgotten. The plot is so intricately entwined with the characters that it would be impossible. So even when the plot isn't important it's ever present.

This isn't a plot driven book. It is a character driven book. Sure the character's goals are interesting, but you stick around because you come to like the characters. The problem with this for the first almost half of the book I was not invested. We spent so much time with these characters as they moved through life that it was hard to finally care. There was one exception and that was Adam who I was instantly enamored with. Everyone else I needed time to come to care about them. It came, but it wasn't quickly. Honestly it was a subtle shift just before the midway point when I realized that these characters had come to life for me. They weren't just traits on a page, but felt like people I was going on a journey with.

I have to take a moment to talk about the titular Raven Boys. Soe know off the bat that theese are boys who go to an all boys private school Aglionby, which I love to say. They are nicknamed Raven boys. Being private school boys they come from money, but they are all different and interesting. Gansy is the leader. The one everyone circles around. Despite his money, he's a nice guy. He cares about people and his money gives him privilege. Even still he comes off as someone who would be the nice guy even if he didn't have money. Ronan is the fighter. Despite his privilege, he hasn't exactly had it easy partially because of his personality. That said, there is a softness to him that doesn't quite show to a random onlooker. Then there is Noah, the quiet one. The moment he appeared, I felt like I wanted to take care of him. I'm still very protective of him. Then there is Adam. The only one who doesn't have the same privilege of the others. There is something extremely relateable to him. He's prideful and doesn't always make the best decisions, but again he's another good guy. Yes, the Raven Boys are the kind of motley crew that you want on your side for all sorts of reasons.

Then there is Blue. I didn't fall in love with her. There's something even at the end of the novel that I just could not relate to. This is largely because she's so far removed from any situation I've been in that it felt entirely foreign. Add on that her personality in the novel was the least fleshed out of all the characters didn't help.

Overall, I really did enjoy it. I particuarly enjoyed it from the second half onward. So much so, that I went out and purchased the next book before I finished it. I was so convinced that I wanted to continue on this journey. I still do. ...more

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Aug 15, 2015 Claire ✨ rated it it was ok

Ok so I'm pretty torn right now on this book and whether to continue on with the series.

I'd heard so many glowing reviews, and don't get me wrong, I can see why people enjoyed it. It was well written, but the style was one I found hard to get into. The premise was also unique (the ley lines part - not the 'if you kiss your true love he will die' part *eyerolls*) and there were a good cast of characters, but none that I felt particularly invested in.

My main problem was how SLOW it was, there we ...more

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May 12, 2015 Jordan rated it it was amazing

5/5 loved it

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Jun 06, 2015 Huda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

*4.25 stars

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May 02, 2015 justcallmeemilie rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook

Ooooof, this book was quite something.
I thought, I would have enjoyed it more or that it would at least receive 4 stars, but well...

I partly listened to it as an audiobook, but also read some parts as an ebook.

The beginning was great! It sucked me in, the writing was interesting and it was really nice to get to know everybody. But then after the set up was done, however, the pace just fell off the edge of the world. It felt so weird and off and parts of the book were simply moving forth far too Ooooof, this book was quite something.
I thought, I would have enjoyed it more or that it would at least receive 4 stars, but well...

I partly listened to it as an audiobook, but also read some parts as an ebook.

The beginning was great! It sucked me in, the writing was interesting and it was really nice to get to know everybody. But then after the set up was done, however, the pace just fell off the edge of the world. It felt so weird and off and parts of the book were simply moving forth far too slowly for me, while other parts were so jumpy that I had to reel back and focus on where the story is currently at and where it's intending on going.
Magical realism books may not be my cup of tea afterall.
The writing was magical, beautiful and flowing at times, but then there were similes made with eyebrows and a phrase that got stuck in my brain was "soft as a poem" and at that I was just like "???" Some weird and quirky descriptions work exceptionally well, but you can also overdo it with eccentricity. I am always for less is more, or in this case: simple is better.
The characters were not as marvelous and complex as I have expected them either (but since it's only the first book in a series, I will cut them some slack, they may still develop in ways I cannot even think of at this point).
The plot irked me, I just didn't see clearly what the plot of this whole story way. And the climax+conclusion also seemed forced to me. It didn't make that much sense in my head and the ending was also rushed, in my opinion.
Things that I didn't really understand:
Barrington Whelk as a character. (view spoiler)
Neeve's mysteriousness. She should have been this über-powerful psychic aunt with secrets and weirdness etc., but it seemed too much for me (also forced again) and I didn't really buy into it.
I actually just realised that I have so many problems with this book (but mostly little things). The little things do add up and I guess that just knocked off two stars from my rating in the end.

I'm still not sure if I will continue this series, since the first book didn't blow me away and perhaps my time is spent better reading other books.

To end this review on a nice note, though, here I show you a quote that simply captured my heart in its wholeness and beauty:
"She recognized the strange happiness that came from loving something without knowing why you did, that strange happiness that was sometimes so big that it felt like sadness. It was the way she felt when she looked at the stars." ...more

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Apr 14, 2015 Olivia rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned-books

First of all I went into this totally blind.

The writing was incredibly slow and so it took me a long time to get into this. However I loved the tone of the novel and how Stiefvater put so much intricate detail into character and world building. I loved all the characters and was always left guessing on what was going to happen next. The ending wrapped up too quickly for me and to me the last sentence of the novel, which is the cliffhanger, was too random and seemed like an afterthought. Overall ...more

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May 01, 2017 alexa ⭐️ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

REREAD 4/28/2021: changing my rating to 5 stars. i can totally see why upon first read this wasnt a 5 star book for me, but after having finished the whole series and loving the characters as much as i do now, this was an easy 5 stars. i fucking love Gansey. so much. so happy im rereading these

5/1/2017: **4.5/5 stars**
What a great start to the series!!!!!!!

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