The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1) in Addicted to YA

Aug 07, 2013 Danielle rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-in-2013, read-in-august-2013, ya-books, ya-books-read-in-2013

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I give this book a 2.5 stars, which I know seems harsh especially with most people loving this book and giving it high scores, praising it to high heavens that its the most wonderful book in the world, but I got to say that I just didn't enjoy it and found myself bored with it for a majority of the book.

When I began the book I was really into it and thought "oh this is going to be a pretty good book", but then as I kept on reading I became very disappointed with it and even found myself bored a I give this book a 2.5 stars, which I know seems harsh especially with most people loving this book and giving it high scores, praising it to high heavens that its the most wonderful book in the world, but I got to say that I just didn't enjoy it and found myself bored with it for a majority of the book.

When I began the book I was really into it and thought "oh this is going to be a pretty good book", but then as I kept on reading I became very disappointed with it and even found myself bored and be honest start dragging at some points that I needed just to skim over it in hopes that it would get better. And like I said it did get better once Blue, Gansey, and Adam met up and there was a little bit more excitement especially when I was trying to figure out if Gansey was her true love and she would kill him with her kiss or just believing she would kill him someway because she saw his spirit in the beginning of the book that predicted she would either love him or kill him, but the fact remained that he would be dead within twelve months of that day, which added to the intrigue there, though sadly this question doesn't get answered at least in this book. Also I was wondering whether Adam might be her true love and she could possibly kill him as well from her kiss alone so that was interesting trying to find out, but again this question wasn't answered either. So, then the book just began to drag and drag without interesting me at all until the end again.

I think what my problem was with this book was that there was so much information thrown at me from the points of views of Gansey, Adam, Blue, and Whelk and it was too much and kind of disconcerting to go from point of view to point of view. I know why the author did it to help show characterization of each of the characters and what they were going through and what they were dealing with at the time and just showing what they were. And I get why that was done, I really do, but then again it wasn't what I was expecting and maybe that through me off a tad too.

I liked the concepts in the book and I also liked the character of Gansey, Adam, and Blue just fine and there was definitely a few twists that I didn't see coming with some mystery thrown in along the way, which would be a success for any good book, but in this book when it was all put together it just didn't work for me at all and didn't make my pulse race or flipping through the pages rapidly dying to see what was going to happen next, more I was just trying to get through it. So, it just didn't work for me as a whole.

Also I think the book wasn't what I was expecting when I read the blurb, which interested me very much. So I believed Gansey and Blue would met and she would try to stay away from him in hopes of not hurting or falling in love with him, and just see more of the struggle that she had there the more and more time that passed and all the while that she was really drawn to him and fighting it all the way. And it did happen, but not as greatly as I thought it would be. I thought it would be more about their relationship and them trying to resist one another with this push and pull back and forth all the way, but it wasn't really like that with other characters being thrown in as well as another plot that I didn't see coming from reading the blurb. And I just felt like the blurb was really misleading with the plot of finding this guy, a king, who was buried but not dead ready for someone to wake them and then grant them a favor with Gansey leading the way on that search, and has been researching that for many, many years which brought him to this town. But nowhere in the blur did it talk anything about this which was the major plot of the entire book and more focused on her struggle to resist him like I said, making it out more of a love story than this big mystery kind of thing that I didn't know where it was going. And to my chagrin there wasn't that much romance in the book, making me feel even further duped by the blur, which almost screamed romance. I felt that this blur that was written about the sub-plot more or less was just written to entice readers to pick up the book and start reading (which I suppose was that was the purpose), but then they just took a left turn and the book became something else that I wasn't really looking for or expecting, which probably reflects why I gave this such a low score because I did feel kind of played by it especially when the issue in the blur isn't even solved in this book at all and seemed to continued on to the next one like I said above. And that I just felt wasn't right.

I wasn't even sure who she liked better Adam or Gansey with her being drawn to both, but no clue who her true love truly was, which I guess that was suppose to entice readers to continuing reading the series to find out, but that didn't for me at all. I would have thought at least something would have been said about it, or even state that yes Gansey was her true love, but they couldn't kiss and then in subsequent books try to figure out a way around it or come up with a solution, but that didn't happen either. And like I said I don't even know which one she liked better, though I know that she was trying not to get too involved because of that prophecy on her and denying how she felt not wanting to hurt either boy, but still I would have liked a little hint or at least see the way she was leaning, but she doesn't. I don't even know if she knows yet. Though I know Adam really liked her and seemed genuinely interested in her, wanting to kiss her, which was apparent from the first time he saw her, and Gansey was starting to be drawn to her too, but he wasn't there like Adam was. And I can just see that Adam is going to be crushed in future books once he learns that Gansey and Blue do in fact have a connection and I don't think that is going to go over well at all especially how he feels about Gansey and how Adam feels that since Gansey is rich that he wants to own Adam (which is not the truth because Gansey genuinely cares about Adam and wants what's best for him and will do anything in his power to help Adam, but Adam doesn't see it that way)so that'll be a conflict for sure. But I feel bad for Adam who had been dealt a tough blow with his abusive background while going to this rich boy's school when he was a poor scholarship student trying to make his way to better himself and make something of himself. He doesn't want handouts and wanted to do it on his own which was admirable and understandable, but I think he was a little too pig headed like Gansey said especially when his life was in jeopardy.

And Ganesy was a great guy as well, trying to help his friends and kind of pushing them in the right direction being a guardian angel of sorts, thinking that's what needed to be done in order to feel worthy. And he wanted to be more than a rich kid who didn't have to work in the world, and he wanted to do something with his life when most rich kids would just party it up and blow all their money on frivolous stuff. But Gansey isn't like that at all, and wanted to do the complete opposite and caring and helping his friends along the way, and I really liked that about him, though he does have to realize that he can't save everybody, and it's not his job two.

So there were two great love interest there, but not a lot happened in the romance department like I said. I thought there would be more romantic tension especially from the blurb, but again I was wrong which made me think so differently on the book I was reading than what I thought I was getting.

There was a mystery with Noah, which I didn't see coming at all, though there were clues along the way, though truthfully I ignored them because I was just trying to get where this story was going, and when it was revealed what he was it made sense to me and surprised me. But at the same time part of me felt like it might have been just thrown in there to bring the bad guy in it, which I don't know if that needed to be done or it needed to be done in a different way.

Also there was the mystery of Blue's father, which I'm sure will be answered in the series, but I have a feeling I already know who he is going to be with the questioning being more or less what does this mean for the plot of the story and also how Blue is going to deal with it plus how it might help her out of her little prophecy problem. But again I thought that was kind of just thrown in there as well, and thought that maybe it was more appropriate for another book. I don't it was just weird for me.

What I was more interested in like I said and what wasn't done was what it meant that Blue saw Gansey's spirit in the book, looking dejected and a member of the future dead. Is he her true love or is she going to kill him (though she vows at the end of this book that she will not let that happen to him no matter what she has to do)? That was the most intriguing part for me and what I wanted to see played out, but like I said it wasn't in there. I thought maybe she would try to find a way to prove the prophecy wrong or how to work around it. Also I don't know if her kiss will be what kills him. It might be the action of the kiss that might be the reason that Gansey might get killed, but I don't think it is the kiss itself. I just don't see it. But if that is the case then why will her kiss do that to him? There has to be reason. So, what is it?

Sadly I didn't find out, and I don't know if I'm going to read the rest of the books to find out because I didn't like this one. And if those go like this one went then I'm sure I am going to enjoy it despite there still being unanswered questions there. Let's put it this way I'm not dying to read the sequels like I am for some other books I have read and I'm really really waiting until there released so I can find out what happened. Maybe because I know more what to expect from the series I could be more prepared and perhaps less disappointed like I was with this one, but I don't know about that either.

I have read other books by this author and I haven't really been thrilled with her other works as well with the only one I really enjoyed was Shiver. So, maybe it's her writing style I don't enjoy or maybe the plot was just too much for me and something I wasn't expecting or I was distracted by the fact that the blurb and what was going on the page wasn't really matching up to my expectations. I don't know what it is, but I know I haven't had the best success with this author. I know others rave and rave about her and can't wait to read the next book in this series, but I can't say the same. I just didn't get it and thought it was dragged out too much with elements of the story not connecting with me and just seemed to go on and on and on. So, whether I continue with this series remains to be seen even though like I said I liked Blue and want to know if I am right about her father. I liked Gansey and Adam too and do wonder what will happen to them, yet at the same time I'm not going to run out and the book either and would rather just read the summery of what happens in the remaining books in the series. I just didn't like this book and possible I blame the blurb which I think affected my expectations of the book which added to my disappointment. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 30, 2013 Melissa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I have to admit it took me a while to really get involved in this book. The beginning was a bit slow, but I did enjoy Blue the psychic's daughter. The only non-psychic in the family but gives them a boost in their powers. I did like the raven boys in the tale, even Ronan the one that would have been hardest to like. I didn't fall for Gansey for quite a while as it seemed as if he was disconnected with everyone and everything even though he cares so much for his friends. It was this caring that f I have to admit it took me a while to really get involved in this book. The beginning was a bit slow, but I did enjoy Blue the psychic's daughter. The only non-psychic in the family but gives them a boost in their powers. I did like the raven boys in the tale, even Ronan the one that would have been hardest to like. I didn't fall for Gansey for quite a while as it seemed as if he was disconnected with everyone and everything even though he cares so much for his friends. It was this caring that finally drew me to him.

There are confusing parts to the story, but although I believe this was entirely intentional, it felt that it was unintentional at times. Some of the plot holes seemed to be reasonable since the world of the psychic is filled with 'maybe' and 'might happen' and is rarely specific. Still, sometimes it felt as though some of the characters fell through that plot. Despite this I did find myself engaged in the characters and what is going to happen to them. While the ending of the book isn't a cliffie, per se... it does end with an enigma. I think why these things didn't bother me as much as it might with other books because I've read Maggie's writing and I tend to trust more that answers will come in further books.

There is one issue I did have problem. I admit it is small, but it did bother me because it should have been better researched. It was the issue of Gansey's EpiPen. First, why did he only have one EpiPen? He was rich and those come in packets of 2. His parents weren't terribly involved, but involved enough that they would have made sure that he would have several around him. It is also recommended to have 2 because many people need 2 doses. It is NOT a solution for his allergy. It is only for emergency use to give him time to get to the ER. That is the ONLY purpose for the EpiPen. At one time Blue thought it was something that would restart his heart after exposure to his allergy. That is something entirely different that is injected into the heart. If you are using the EpiPen for that reason, call the undertaker. You are dead. Yes, I know this is a small issue in the book, but since it was repeated several times, I would like to have had better and more accurate information about it. It would have benefitted other people in his position. Gansey would have been informed by his doctor even if he didn't take the doctor's advice.

In the end I do give this book 3 1/2 stars. Despite my problems with this book, I'm actually quite excited in starting the next. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Feb 21, 2015 Sarah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

WOW. This book completely lived up to the hype and I'm thrilled! Such a beautiful and intricate story with likewise characters. Picking up the second book ASAP. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 09, 2012 Michelle rated it liked it

really more like a 2.5. I really thought I would enjoy this one more than I did. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood to read a YA book, but it was just okay for me. ...more

Like · see review