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The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1)

Maggie Stiefvater

Start date: January 1, 2022

Finish date: January 31, 2022

Discussion: Book of the Month

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What Members Thought

Oct 01, 2015 Emma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: re-read, fantasy, ya, paranormal

YA YA blah blah. This is quite well written but..it makes me feel old, several decades too old! If I was about 13 or 14 I'd probably love it...

That was the review I wrote when I got about a third of the way through and called it a day. My original rating was 2 stars. But my goodread friends kept on giving this series good ratings so eventually I returned for a re read and absolutely LOVED it! It wasn't the book I thought it was. I just needed to get over my hang up about rich pre-Ivy league scho ...more

43 likes · Like · see review

Jun 18, 2020 Aly rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, ya, 2020, audiobook, paranormal, fantasy, urban-fantasy, 2021

2nd time reading all the way through

I read this with a buddy and flew through the chapters each day. I found it so engaging and now that I've read the series, certain things make more sense. I enjoyed seeing my friend read it for the first time and hopefully we'll continue to read the other books.

I think I understood the characters more and when Ronan protects Adam, my heart flipped. Ronan is a difficult character to understand, but once you see into his head things click. I also really like Bl ...more

26 likes · Like · see review

Sep 27, 2018 Penny Well Reads rated it it was ok

Shelves: 0-dnf-did-not-finished, reviewed, y-read-young-adults-fantasy

DNF

This is not my kind of story. I tried, but it never grab my interest. There are too many characters and no define or clear plot line. My attention scattered constantly, nothing felt important enough.
I can't really say what this book is actually about.

I am sure many people would find this book enjoyable, it just just not for me. ...more

20 likes · Like · see review

Jan 19, 2019 Lee rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, paranormal

I'm not sure I even know where to start with this. The story took a long time before I found myself sucked into the story and not just partially paying attention as I tried to fall in love with the characters. Then, before I knew it, I was sucked in. I was in love with the characters and curious as to what was going to happen next.

I was sucked in with Blue and her adventures with the four Raven Boys. The writing was poetic and helped create the mysterious air of the story. It drew me into the s ...more

11 likes · Like · see review

Aug 14, 2020 Saar The Book owl rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya-to-read

It has been a while that I was so confused about a book, but this one did it. It cought me, released me, cought me again...It was just like a game and then the story didn't let me loose. I've started reading it with a lot of questions and after finsihing, I still have s many questions. Half of the book I didn't know what there was up to, what was everyone intensions and at some points it annoyed me a bit, but I got through it. It wasn't what I thought it was, but it was good.
You can feel the bon ...more

9 likes · Like · see review

Oct 10, 2018 Brittany Kollenberg rated it it was ok

I did not like this book at all. I did not understand why everyone in the whole freaking town of Henrietta was obsessed with leylines. I wasn't even sure what they did. I was confused for almost all of the book. I gave this book 2 stars solely because I enjoyed the characters. I probably will not be reading the rest of this series. ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

May 13, 2015 C.P. Cabaniss rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, maymadness, maypage, favorites

I love Maggie Stiefvater's writing. I'm a huge fan of the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy and the companion novel Sinner. Her writing is just beautiful and is what got me hooked on her stuff. For some reason it took me years to pick up this book (and just in time to complete the first three before the final one comes out later this year!), but I'm really glad that I did.

This is an extremely character driven story and I love that. Blue is the daughter of a psychic and has been surrounded by the pa I love Maggie Stiefvater's writing. I'm a huge fan of the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy and the companion novel Sinner. Her writing is just beautiful and is what got me hooked on her stuff. For some reason it took me years to pick up this book (and just in time to complete the first three before the final one comes out later this year!), but I'm really glad that I did.

This is an extremely character driven story and I love that. Blue is the daughter of a psychic and has been surrounded by the paranormal her entire life. She knows, through psychic visions, that if she ever kisses her true love, he will die. How exactly is a question she doesn't want answered. So Blue avoids guys, not wanting to fall in love and doom her love to an early death. That gets complicated when she sees Gansey's spirit, warning her that he will be dead within a year. And she would only be able to see him if he were her true love or she were the one who killed him, which, I guess, would kind of be one and the same with Blue.

Blue's life gets mixed up with the raven boys: Gansey, Adam, Noah, and Ronan. Their paths cross somewhat unexpectedly and together they embark on a quest to awaken the ley line (a line of power that runs through their town). Much of the novel is spent in the development of these characters and them getting to know each other. It could be rather slow at times, but was overall very interesting. Gansey is brilliant, rich, and ambitious. He just doesn't know how to act around other people without them thinking they are his playthings. Adam is a poor genius who goes to their prestigious school on scholarship, hoping to escape his abusive household. Ronan has a troubled past that seems to be steeped around the death of his father, which is somewhat of a mystery. He's rough, but one of the more intriguing characters for me. Noah is quiet and nearly invisible. His history is shrouded in dark events and twisted people.

There is not a single character that I did not enjoy in this story. The story alternates between the characters, giving you insight into each of them as the story progresses, and I loved that style. It's all told in third person and Blue is the main focus a majority of the time, but the rest of the cast gets a good share of attention. I am really excited to dive into the next book and see where the story is headed. This one had a very satisfactory ending, but there are definitely many loose ends that need answers. ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Nov 08, 2017 Unabridged Bibliophile added it

I ended up DNFing this at around the 130 page mark. I believe I gave it a fair chance (or 2 to be more precise). I am, however, not going to give it a star rating because I did not finish the book.

4 likes · Like · see review

Nov 06, 2023 Vicki rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, fantasy, wheels-8, paranormal, young-adult

I've had this book on my shelf FOREVER, but for some reason every time I thought about reading it I didn't...not sure why. I had no idea what to expect of it but not what I got! I think Maggie Stiefvater is incredibly gifted and I will be reading her again for sure. I had read Shiver but only gave it 3 stars but I also read The Scorpio Races and gave it 5 stars. After reading The Raven Boys I will definitely read more of her books.

Stiefvater packed a lot into the plot. I love how she masterfull ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 11, 2015 Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: completed-series, young-adult, 4-stars, great-side-characters, fantasy, fantastic-heroine, paranormal, from-my-shelf

4 stars. This was a really fascinating read. I enjoyed it a lot but the first half of the book was really slow for me. Once it picked up, though, it got so good!

I absolutely loved the writing. It was scenic and beautiful. I felt as if I was right there with the characters. The story is intriguing and very different than what I've ever read before. I like that this isn't romance heavy. It's Blue getting to the know the boys without any kind of insta-love which I was very pleased about. The chara ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 04, 2016 Iman the Bookwitch rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites, fantasy

Never have I seen a better portrayal of characters in my life.
I was drawn first and foremost to these amazing children that were both young and old,
I was drawn to their amazing friendship that was both beautiful and damning at the same time and lastly I was drawn to the magic that was weaved in the pages through the story's mundane and its extraordinary.
This was a pretty fantastic book that I don't think I'll forget any time soon. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 26, 2020 Aneta rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-english, fantasy, young-adult, supernatural, favorites, i-own

Wow! This book took me by surprise! I fell in love in these characters, their story and their quest to find Glendower.

2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 17, 2018 Amanda rated it liked it · review of another edition

I’m not really sure how I feel about this book. It was almost too chaotic. Things did not flow a well as they could have. I feel the author was trying to keep so much mystery with the paranormal that there was a lot of information left out. I like that Blue came out of her shell a bit. Moira could have given a little more information on Blues father. I feel like I need a better understanding of why Gansey wants to know some much about the key lines and the magic. There seems to be an underlying ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 09, 2015 Michelle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal, ghosts, not-what-your-expecting, science-fiction

I like to be honest when I write my reviews so I will tell you straight up I had very little hope for this book. First of all Maggie left a bitter taste in my mouth after I read Linger. I couldn't understand how someone could write a brilliant first book in a series and totally drop the ball in the second book. I went into this book not really expecting to like it and for the first half of the book I really didn't like any of the characters except for Adam. Everyone else just really seemed to ha I like to be honest when I write my reviews so I will tell you straight up I had very little hope for this book. First of all Maggie left a bitter taste in my mouth after I read Linger. I couldn't understand how someone could write a brilliant first book in a series and totally drop the ball in the second book. I went into this book not really expecting to like it and for the first half of the book I really didn't like any of the characters except for Adam. Everyone else just really seemed to have some serious psychological issues. In fact one of the first phrases out of my mouth was, "OMG what a bunch of assholes. Who are these people?" I didn't like the point of view it was written in and that is something that I still don't like, but it didn't take away from the story as much as I thought it would.

In the beginning of the book Blue was quite annoying and pretty condescending. She mentioned that Gansey was like that, but she acted the same way. I despised how she stereotyped everyone of the boys and she was just so hateful towards Gansey. Granted Gansey was a bit clueless when it comes to money, but it was not because he wanted to be a dick, He truly wanted to be helpful and nice. To me it did not feel like he was trying to control everyone with his money. Personally I felt he was a bit mis-understood. That still did not mean I liked him very much in the beginning. His cluelessness was a bit too much and I wondered if his social skills were a bit lacking. However as the book went on I finally got a good idea of who he was, what he wanted, and what he really wanted to accomplish. I guess we can say I had a bit more respect for him towards the end.

Ronan is a dick. He was a dick in the beginning and was pretty much a dick at the end of the story. I give him props for taking care of a baby bird and for kicking Adam's Father's ass, but the dude is in some serious need of therapy. He's hiding something I do believe and I believe it has something to do with the death of his father. I still don't trust the boy as far as I can throw him. He feels like the type of person who would slit your throat in the middle of the night.

Blue's mother and her gaggle of Psychics that live at the house are a bit out there for even me. I've lived in some not so normal situations, but this one was really strange and a bit far out. I don't like Maura based on the fact that she is/was hiding who Blue's father is.

Adam is the one character that I liked from the beginning to the end.

I gave this 5 stars because it was original, fresh, and it was just that much different than most of your YA/Paranormal type of books. Hopefully Book 2 in this series will live up to the same reputation. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 11, 2016 Jenner rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-by-audio, z2016, series-to-finish, young-adult, books-left-3, ya-paranormal, z2024

Feb 25, 2024: Narrator was Will Patton and he did an amazing job. I am bumping my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars. This storyline was so entertaining, especially for a young adult book.

Jan 18, 2016: Fascinating story line. I have never heard this one. A strange group of boys with an outsider girl. The writing is very lavish. I got lost a few times within it. I think I would learn something new with each read if I read it repeatedly. I enjoy different aspects of each character. I also love the ps ...more

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Aug 18, 2016 Natasha Morris rated it liked it

Shelves: library, kindle, ya

Interesting first book in trilogy. Has assorted characters with untold backstories

Ended feeling as if the author might have wrote one long book and simply cut it into 3. The end of the book lacked a wrap up or a cliff hanger, and instead ended abruptly.

Still looking forward to finishing trilogy.

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