Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle, Bk 1)

The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle, Bk 1)
onecurvyblogger avatar reviewed on + 13 more book reviews


There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Marks Eve, Blue.. Either youre his true love, Neeve said, or you killed him.

In my years as a bookworm, Ive read many YA novels, but Ive never read anything quite like Maggie Stiefvater. Even though The Raven Cycle didnt have as much action as I thought it would, it became a novel I obsessed over fairly quickly. The writing is mysterious and gothic, and incredibly riveting. I woke up the morning of determined to get things done and before I knew it, I spent the whole day in bed, starting and finishing this novel...I pretty much read it all in one sitting. Nothing was more important than figuring out what was going to happen to my new favorite characters!


Blue


She wasnt interested in telling other peoples futures. She was interested in going out and finding her own.


Blue is the only normal in a family full of psychics. She doesnt have the sight, she cant see or speak to ghosts, all she can do is amplify the gifts of seers around her. To make matters worse, she cant even act like the teenage girl she is, because shes been prophesied to kill her to kill her one true love by kiss. . . (what a way to die, though!) and now that she knows the identity of her ever-mysterious true love, the danger of causing his death is more present than ever. But when she is given the opportunity to help him and the Raven boys find Owen Glendower, a lost noble from medieval Welsh whom some say is still alive by magical means, how can she say no to the only magical adventure shell ever experience firsthand?


Can you imagine knowing that the first time you kiss your true love, youll cause his death? That would put me off kissing (boys) forever! Blues character was a lot of fun. Shes quirky and unique in her own ways, but also the same as most teenage girls. Everyone at some point has desired to be like everybody else. Blue sees herself as the black sheep of the family, the only female in her family to be born without seer abilities. Though she may have no ability to see the future, she can amplify the seers gifts and I think that's pretty cool, too!


Gansley


Gansley is a student at Aglionby Academy, an all-boy school for the rich. He spends most of the time with his head stuck in books, and doesnt understand how much emphasis most people put on money. . . and how offended they get when he offers to pay their way for them. Hes spent his whole life searching for treasure of a lost Welsh noble who fought against England during the medieval times. I had a great time learning about Gansleys past and what made him so determined to find the treasure of a man who may never have existed in the first place. Not only is he a romantic at heart, but hes also the glue that holds the Raven Boys together. The groups dynamic is so interested to learn about, and its interesting to note they are all so different from one another that they probably shouldnt even be friends. Hell, most of them act like they dont like each other, but some how they came to care for one another. Its a complicated relationship. . . thank goodness I like complicated!


Adam


All the Raven Boys are interesting, but Adam is one mystery I cant wait to dig more into. Hes a scholarship with a severely abusive father. He wants to leave home so bad, but he cant stand up to his father, and he wants to leave home on his own. He wont accept the handouts Gansley offers him, and he wont even think of moving in with him. . . and yet they are best friends? Hummm. Like I said, complicated.


Ronan


I didnt learn nearly enough about Ronan to appease my curiosity, and most of it I cant share or my review would be riddled with spoilers, however I will say I didnt much like him in this book. Id say hes the anti-hero, and Ill be interested to see if Stiefvater redeems him in the next story, which Ive heard is pretty much all about him.

Noah


I just knew there was something up with Noah ever since he was introduced into the story. Hes a hermit, practically never leaves the house unless forced to, and yet hes a student going to a rather strict private school for rich young boys? There was always something fishy about him, and I think its funny his own friends didnt realize! I will say he is adorable and one of my favorite characters. I hope he makes an appearance in the new couple of books, because he is just so damn cute!

With every chapter of this book I read, I gained a new question. While The Raven Cycle didnt have much going on in the way of action until most of the book was finished, Stiefvater leans heavily on the development of important characters (not just the main characters, either!), and in doing so, deepening the intrigue. I cant wait to see how Dream Thieves plays out - if my friends are right, the series only gets better!


Thank you too ALL the fans of The Raven Cycle series who encouraged me to read this! Everybody else who is dragging at the heels to pick up this book, I dare you to buy, steal, or borrow a copy now! (just kidding, stealing is bad! dont do that!)