The Raven Boys

3.5 stars

I have no idea what just happened but I'm here for it

It’s been a long time since I read Shiver, so I was taken by surprise by the gorgeous, lyrical nature of the language of this. The characters are so nuanced and fully fleshed-out that it feels like they’re real and I’ve met them. The magic is strange and unexplained like the magic in The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which is one of my favorite books of all time, so I loved it. The world building is rich. I feel like I could sink into this book and never come out. The audiobook narrator is spectacular. I’m only disappointed that I can’t read book two until LIS 722 is over.

I really enjoyed The Raven Boys. The story was original and the characters were fascinating. The premise was interesting as well. I really enjoyed the relationship between Blue and her Mother, and all of her mother's sooth-saying compatriots. They were interesting. The inner lives of Blue and Gansey were some of the high points of the book.

My favorite part though, was Stiefvater's language. She has a skill with metaphor that is really rare in popular fiction. The only place that I have seen in lately, other than her books, was Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch, which is a masterpiece. To find language that can be compared to a Pulitzer prize winning novel in a YA fantasy, is seriously impressive. I recommend this book.

It took me awhile to warm to it. There's a lot of characters that are all introduced at the start and I was not keen on the rich kids at private school part. However the boys' characters are developed enough to get me caring about each and every one.

Once I got into it, I was hooked. The prophecy that Blue will kill the boy she loves if she kisses him might sound like it’s going to be predictable, but it isn’t. There’s fortune tellers, ghosts and ancient Celtic legend woven into a modern setting. I will definitely be picking up book two in the not too distant future!

Magical. Haunted. Fierce. These stupid characters mean so much to me.

The writing is a bit awkward in places, but once the plot picks up, the slow burn becomes worth it. Recommended to urban fantasy fans who want something more substantial than 'elves in the subway'. The book has a social conscience, which adds incredibly to its favor; it never forgets that it's primarily concerned with affluent men, which makes the fact that it's primarily concerned with affluent men far, far more tolerable than it would be otherwise.

2.5-2.75 stars.

Review to come.

Now I want to go back to Geralt <3

Compelling enough to continue reading the series, but not earth-shattering.