Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Publication Date: September 18th, 2012

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Genre: YA/Paranormal

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Synopsis:

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

My Thoughts: Here I am! Finally writing a review for The Raven Boys. I have been awaiting this book so impatiently and the day I finally got it in my hands was no doubt one of the best days ever. I have been hopelessly in love with Maggie's books ever since I started the Wolves of Mercy Falls series last year. So starting a brand new series by her is incredibly exciting  and wonderful to me.

If there was one word I could use to describe Stiefvater's work I think it would have to be captivating. Her books just always suck me right in. Her books are like a whirlpool of fantasy and adventure. There's no way you can get through it without getting pulled down into the depths. And yes, this story falls right into that description as well. I started this book with pretty darn high expectations, and you be assured I was not even slightly disappointed.

Yet again I've met these characters that I just love. I feel so personally attached to them. I don't know exactly how she does it, but somehow I always feel like the characters are my closest friends. I struggle with them, hope for them, laugh/cry with them, and just straight out love them.  Blue is this adorably quirky girl, who's also really smart and his a sense of self and confidence in her own decisions that I envy so much. The four Raven boys, these boys that Blue has never wanted anything to do with, they go against everything she supports and believes in. But here she finds herself on an incredible paranormal adventure with them, and she even becomes quite attached to them. There's only one major problem. One of them, Gansey, is going to die before the end of the year. Blue seen him on the corpse road. Which can only mean one of two things, she was able to see him because he is her true love, or because she herself will be the one to kill him. Considering the fact that Blue has always been told if she kisses her true love he will die, I guess it could very well be both.

It was a super suspenseful, exciting, paranormal adventure. I love being surprised by books and even more I love being creeped out by books. I experienced both of these things and more. If you are into the paranormal  at all, I'm sure you will love this book. It's full of information and oozes with the paranormal. As I was getting closer to the end of this book I kept thinking, no I'm not ready, the end can't be that close because I am not ready to let go! But as usual, it's over way too soon and we're forced to let go. Let's just say I will be sitting here biting my nails and counting down the days to the sequel. Thanks again Maggie for captivating me. I can't wait to walk beside Blue and The Raven Boys again!!