The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
THE BLURB
Blue has spent the majority of her sixteen years being told that if she kisses her true love, he will die. When Blue meets Gansey’s spirit on the corpse road she knows there is only one reason why – either he is her true love or she has killed him. Determined to find out the truth, Blue becomes involved with the Raven Boys, four boys from the local private school (lead by Gansey) who are on a quest to discover Glendower – a lost ancient Welsh King who is buried somewhere along the Virginia ley line. Whoever finds him will be granted a supernatural favour. Never before has Blue felt such magic around her. But is Gansey her true love? She can’t imagine a time she would feel like that, and she is adamant not to be the reason for his death. Where will fate lead them?
THE RAVEN BOYS – MY THOUGHTS
I actually hate the blurb on this one as it makes The Raven Boys sound like a typical teenage YA romance and it’s so much more than that. Yes, there is a little romance but it’s more about the relationships between all of the key characters which are both interesting and complex. Add in a quest, the supernatural, a villian and plenty of conflict and you have a compelling read that will keep you turning page after page.
I’m lucky that I was not aware of the hype around The Raven Boys and only picked it up on the recommendation of a friend, and I’m glad that I did. Mainly for the people it depicts.
I loved all the characters within The Raven Boys, which in itself pretty rare. I found Blues belief in the people around her heartwarming and Ganseys complex nature endearing. The stereotypical rich boy is ever at odds with the boy striving to find something he has been searching for, driving in a personal quest. This is evident in the company he keeps. Adam who wants success but only on his own terms. His pride may be his downfall. Ronan who’s personal tragedy has left his changed and on a path of self destruction. Then there is Noah, who is just full of secrets. It’s the relationships between these 4 boys and then Blue as the joins them, that keeps you gripped during The Raven Boys.
The Raven Boys is the first book in a quadrilogy, and would suit anyone who loves books about relationships which are packed full of action and has a little touch of the supernatural about it. I can’t wait to see what they get up to next.
The Raven Boys is currently available on Amazon for £4.74 for the kindle edition (affiliate link).
If you enjoyed this review, then why not check out the Book Club section of the blog for more recommendations.
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