Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.
His name is Gansey, 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 is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher 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 doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.
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57 of 61 people found the following review helpful.
If Edgar Allan Poe had taught the boys of Dead Poets Society, this is the type of story he might've told.
By Wendy Darling
On a cold night every spring, sixteen-year-old Blue and her psychic mother wait in a churchyard for the dead to arrive. Her mother is usually the one who sees the spirits of people who will die within the next twelve months, but this year, Blue herself is startled by the sad, desperate sight of a boy named Gansey falling to his knees before her."There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve, Blue. Either you're his true love...or you killed him."With those chilling words, Blue is caught up in a mystery she never expected involving the privileged Raven Boys from Aglionby Academy. She must guard her heart closely, however, because Blue's always been told that she's destined to kill her true love with a kiss.If Edgar Allan Poe had taught the boys of Dead Poets Society, The Raven Boys is the type of tale he might've told, one that emerges through curl of smoke and excites with a flash of fire. This story, which seems to be loosely based on a real Welsh folk tale, is haunted by ghosts, invigorated by a fantastical search for a legendary sleeping Welsh king, and tinged with the frightening dark beauty of centuries-old magic.While the story starts out from Blue's point of view, the book is actually told in third-party omniscient style, a welcome change from the author's usual first person perspective, and a necessary one given the many characters we get to know, particularly the raven boys. Gansey, who is obsessed with the supernatural; Adam, who yearns for a life outside what he knows; Ronan, whose anger hides untold regret; and Noah, a troubled soul who knows a great deal more than he lets on. I loved the complicated relationship between these boys, from their good-natured jeers to their anxious concern for one another. There is a collegial feel to the book that I very much enjoyed, but beyond that, there is also a deeply felt connection and a mysterious synergy between the characters that I hadn't felt in the author's books since Shiver and Linger. It's a surprise to find that the strongest and most compelling facet of this novel isn't necessarily the romance--although that is also intriguing and incredibly complicated--but the brotherly love between this tightly-knit group of boys.There are several mysteries going on, all of which aroused my curiosity. I have to admit, however, there are so many characters and plot lines to keep track of that the first half of the book was occasionally bewildering and a little maddening. As with The Scorpio Races, I also find some of the names a bit distracting since there are so many unusual ones (although I do like some of them, including the rather gloriously pompous "Barrington Whelk"), and the propensity to overuse proper nouns when a simple "he" or "she" would do occasionally tried my patience. While I think the novel would be stronger overall if it was a little more focused and lost some of its cluttering details, these are small nitpicks in such an imaginative book, and the whirlwind of the second half definitely rewards those who stick with it. I liked that we see more of the author's offbeat humor in this novel, and her gift for seeing beauty in ordinary things still moves me.I'm happy to find another Maggie Stiefvater book that I like so much and I'm incredibly excited to see where this story goes next. That cryptic ending--and the loose ends with Blue's romantic destiny--will guarantee that I'll be one of the first people in line for the sequel.For fans of intelligent mystery and fantasy, this unkindness of ravens is well worth your time.**An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
110 of 133 people found the following review helpful.
The promise of the novel (or series) is more than the novel itself...
By Eventide
I debated between 3 and 4 stars, but ultimately went with 3, for reasons I will state below. This review contains very minor spoilers (vague references to plot/character dynamics).Pros:1) The characters: Blue and the Raven Boys are well crafted. Gansey's my favorite, the rich boy who wants to do more with his life and help the people he's closest to, little realizing that his fixing things with money caused bitterness in some of the very people he wanted to help. One of the most intriguing parts of his character is the bee subplot and how it ties to the main plot with Glendower, and the idea that Gansey technically should have been dead years ago.Blue is also a great character, though I found her aggravating and dense sometimes. I felt she should've told Gansey everything she knew, particularly about St. Mark's and her visions, but that's a personal quibble. At least she has a personality and felt real. I'm also interested in her parents' story and what will happen with Gansey. I have a soft spot for Ronan with his tortured self; the author manages to do a bad boy without making him cliché. I guessed Noah's secret from almost the get go, so it wasn't a surprise, but he was sweet and I enjoyed him.Adam is my least favorite Raven Boy, though he was as well as drawn as the others. I have no idea why Blue likes him (or thinks she likes him; it's apparent she actually likes Gansey more, but is being stubborn/dense about it). I felt sorry for Adam, but look at the difference between him and Ronan, who are reverse in their exterior/interior. Ronan, for all of his bad behavior, is really the boys' friend; Adam, for all his model behavior, is not a good friend. I saw Adam's actions at the end of the novel coming a mile away (as well as the vision he had). Adam is that kind of friend who hates his friends underneath it all because he's jealous and believes his misery is worse than everyone else's. I almost wish the author had left out the Blue/Adam dynamic (though I assume it's too add another dimension to Adam's jealousy when Blue falls for Gansey), because it's obvious from her interactions with both boys that she and Gansey are better suited for each other. Right now, Blue is seeing them both superficially, though she's started to glimpse the real Gansey.Whelk could've been better developed, as could Blue's family (though I assume we're learn more about their pasts in the ensuing books, so I wasn't too bothered about that).2) The Mysteries: I didn't care that the blurb is misleading and the main plot is Glendower and the ley lines. It was different from the usual YA fare, and I'm also interested in learning more of Ronan and Blue's fathers, Neeve, Gansey's fate, Adam's latest development, and how it all ties to Henrietta.3)The writing: The author knows how to string words together :)Cons:Execution: For all the great characters and interesting plot, the author's execution is mediocre. It feels like she imagined a bunch of scenes with the characters, wrote the scenes down, and threw them in a book without going back and fashioning them into a coherent narrative.I don't mind slower paced novels. I love character development. I get that this is the first novel in a series. But any novel should be substantial on its own. Only 50-60% of The Raven Boys seems necessary. The first third of the novel in particular could have been heavily cut. While I'm glad I finished it, I was constantly questioning why I kept reading for a long time. Some scenes and dialogue are cute and clever. But every scene should move the story forward in some way and should matter. If this had been the author's debut, I would have rated it 4 stars, but considering this is her 7th, she should have a handle on execution by now. This is an indulgent novel, and the last fourth of it shouldn't justify its existence. Also, there were info-dumps galore.I described the novel to a friend. I spent longer explaining and thinking about the characters than I did on what actually happens, because not much does. And when I was finished she said: "That's it?" The novel lacked buildup and payoff, had no tension, nor a beginning, middle, and end - just stuff divulged by/to characters at various instances. Compare this to Kathleen Peacock's Hemlock, which is the first in a series too, but has its own complete narrative and exists as a novel in its own right. I was dissatisfied when I finished the last page of The Raven Boys and wondered if this novel could have been combined with the second one. There were too many instances where I kept thinking "boring, boring, can we get to the point?" I also felt like Gansey and Blue, as much as I liked them, did not really evolve as characters in any profound way either. Again, I get this is a series, but like the plot, there should be a trajectory for them in each book too.I know I'll probably get slammed for this review, but to be honest, the promise of the novel (and what is to come in the ensuing novels) is better than the actual novel itself.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful.A Delightful Start...
By Miss Bonnie
3.5 stars"There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve," Neeve said. "Either you're his true love . . . or you killed him."Easily one of the most hyped books of the year, Maggie Stiefvater's first installment in her Raven Cycle series was high on my to-read list. I wasn't left disappointed but as far as first installments go it could have been better.Blue Sargent is a non-seer but has the gift of being able to amplify other seers powers. On the Eve of St. Mark's Day Blue's mother, a clairvoyant, sits watch over the churchyard all night to watch the ghosts of those that will be passing over in the next year. Blue accompanies her mother even though she's not able to see any of the ghosts. Except she does this year. A boy wearing the uniform from Aglionby Academy named Gansey; a Raven Boy. And the only reason a non-seer would see a spirit is he's either Blue's true love or she's the one that kills him.Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah (otherwise known as The Raven Boys) have their own mystery to add into the mix. Gansey has become obsessed over the years with finding the local ley line and believes that once found he will be able to locate an ancient and mythical sleeping king and that he will grant him a wish.Despite the initial hint at romance, it never actually made an appearance. It was a nice change from the typical though. I was loving the whole Practical Magic feel and loved Blue and her eclectic household. The group of boys aptly named the Raven Boys were quite charming and reminded me a lot of the group of friends in The Secret History (at least before the whole sleeping king granting wishes came in to play). The multiple storylines were intriguing, nicely written and converged well with one another. The only problem is it is a bit slow-going at first so patience may be required for some. Also, fans of Maggie Stiefvater may find that The Raven Boys is missing some of her beautiful prose that she's so famous for.I would have gladly given this a solid 4 stars; however, I had one HUGE problem. I wouldn't say that there's a huge cliffhanger, but more that there isn't actually any resolution to be seen. No conclusion. No answers. I understand that this is the first in the series but it definitely had the feel of a pilot episode and despite the fact that I will still be waiting with bated breath for the next installment I really wish we would have been given more.
