The Raven Boys
THE RAVEN BOYS is one of the rare books that blends contemporary and fantasy effortlessly. Blue lives with her family of psychics at 300 Fox Way. She isn’t a psychic herself, but her presence makes psychic abilities stronger, so her mother and aunts often have her sit in on their readings.
Ever since she was a kid, it has been foretold that Blue will cause the death of her true love. As a result, she has a policy of staying away from boys. She has an additional policy of staying extra far away from raven boys, the dangerous, wild, rich boys who attend the local private school. She breaks both of these personal rules when she is swept up in a group of friends with a mysterious mission. Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah, four Raven Boys, are on a hunt to find a hidden king’s burial. Finding it, they are told, means their wishes will be granted. They have been searching for years, but with Blue’s knowledge of energy and psychic powers, they get closer than they ever have been before.
Each character is distinct and unique and makes this book amazing. Gansey, the leader of the group, is the son of a prominent family and has a hard time not coming off as condescending (no matter how hard he tries). Adam is a scholarship student who struggles as he works multiple jobs and studies endlessly to keep up his grades while he helps the rest of the crew with their search. Ronan has a troubled past, a rough family life, and anger issues that get him into fights all the time. Noah is a quiet, mysterious boy who gets along with everyone. Blue, completely on the outside of the boys’ world, completes the newly formed posse, and makes this one of the best friend groups in YA.
Maggie Stiefvater is an outstanding writer who uses beautiful prose to make this world feel magical. The adventure the teens embark on during the story is hard to describe in words, but it’s spellbinding. The conflicts and character dynamics are extraordinary and you will fall in love with all of them. This is one of those special books that readers of all genres will enjoy, and if you’re even considering it just a little, you have to read it. It’s one that you’ll recommend over and over for the rest of your life.
CRITICS HAVE SAID
“Simultaneously complex and simple, compulsively readable, marvelously wrought. The only flaw is that this is Book 1; it may be months yet before Book 2 comes out.” – Kirkus, starred review
“. . . the book is marvelous, for not only is it filled with marvels, it is also a marvel of imagination and, more prosaically, structure. Rich, too, in characterization, this fantasy/mystery rises to the level of serious literature” – Booklist, starred review
“It’s a tour de force of characterization, and while there is no lack of event or mystery, it is the way Stiefvater’s people live in the reader’s imagination that makes this such a memorable read.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review