Age: 16
Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Pub Date: 09/18/12
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: The sense of place built in the novel is fabulous. Through the quests in the forests of Henrietta, and discovering the latent magic on the ley line I was able to see everything they were experiencing. By the end of the book, Stiefvater pulled together the plot puzzle gracefully. There were a lot of pieces being balanced, especially for a mystery, but they were, for the most part, resolved. It would have been good as a stand alone book, but as it is, I'll be interested to see where she takes it in the following books.
Memorable or Forgettable: The Raven Boys is based on magic, but there was nothing supernatural about the characters. Every one of them was broken in one way or another, which makes them interesting to read about. I cared about their relationships, their well-being.
Without spoilers, there were several directions that Stiefvater took the book in (Blue's relationship with not Gansey, that Noah is a ___) that I wasn't expecting, but that worked. It felt like the author was listening to her characters, instead of just making up plot twists.
There is one thing I would like to see improved upon in Stiefvater's next books, that I have noticed as a trend in many of her novels so far. She has a tendency to build up to exciting plot, rather than diving straight into it. Once you get into the book it's fabulous, but I want more of the amazing right at the beginning, raise the stakes right away!
Cover: Super cool cover - the style of artwork reminded me of a flow-ier Neil Gaiman. The lines of the raven drew the eye in, and it most definitely stands out on the shelf. Without being too obvious, it still reflects the books.
Age Range: Under 12 through 17
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Annotation: As as psychic's daughter, Blue is no virgin to the supernatural. But even she could not imagine the danger, intensity, and scale of the magic she encounters when questing with the alluring boys of the Raven Academy.
tags: supernatural / mystery / magic / ya lit
Age Range: Under 12 through 17
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Annotation: As as psychic's daughter, Blue is no virgin to the supernatural. But even she could not imagine the danger, intensity, and scale of the magic she encounters when questing with the alluring boys of the Raven Academy.
tags: supernatural / mystery / magic / ya lit
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