nevermoregothic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Death, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Suicidal thoughts
kricxx's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
it starts out slow and i was confused for most of the first half but oh once it gets going *chefs kiss*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Death and Self harm
endlessconfused's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Gun violence, Child death, and Death
zoiejanelle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
i CANNOT believe i did not read this series sooner. holy moly.
Stiefvater’s writing is so immersive, so poignant, so visceral. reading this reminded me why i loved the Shiver series so much, and compels me to read more of her work.
not only is the writing style utterly gorgeous, but the pacing and intricate plots are just divine. i won’t say everything i’ve read so far has made total sense, but the way the sub-plots and characters arcs are interwoven kept me on my toes and invested the entire time.
i had no idea Blue was the main character and i couldn’t be more pleased. she’s raw, and hilarious, and relatable, and i enjoy her POV the most. she is definitely the key to this whole mystery of Glendower and i am so excited to see the extent of her gift(s) in the rest of the series.
i’m in love with Adam, with Ronan, and I WASN’T AT FIRST BUT NOW I AM IN LOVE WITH GANSEY. and of course, i adore Noah. i loved getting to know each of them and watching their individual stories unfold little by little throughout, seeing their motivations become clear and watching them start to grow, and i cannot wait to see where this marvelous, treacherous, magical treasure(ish) hunt takes them next.
and here’s the deal. i despise love triangles. (there isn’t really one here [yet] but there is some complex teenage crushing happening) but oh my lord i am so invested and in love with Blue’s big Love Dilemma and i’m a total sucker for characters doing their damndest to fight destiny.
i have tooooooo many things to say about this book, but all involve spoilers so i’ll just leave this here.
incredible read, i am immediately moving on to the next book now!!!
Stiefvater’s writing is so immersive, so poignant, so visceral. reading this reminded me why i loved the Shiver series so much, and compels me to read more of her work.
not only is the writing style utterly gorgeous, but the pacing and intricate plots are just divine. i won’t say everything i’ve read so far has made total sense, but the way the sub-plots and characters arcs are interwoven kept me on my toes and invested the entire time.
i had no idea Blue was the main character and i couldn’t be more pleased. she’s raw, and hilarious, and relatable, and i enjoy her POV the most. she is definitely the key to this whole mystery of Glendower and i am so excited to see the extent of her gift(s) in the rest of the series.
i’m in love with Adam, with Ronan, and I WASN’T AT FIRST BUT NOW I AM IN LOVE WITH GANSEY. and of course, i adore Noah. i loved getting to know each of them and watching their individual stories unfold little by little throughout, seeing their motivations become clear and watching them start to grow, and i cannot wait to see where this marvelous, treacherous, magical treasure(ish) hunt takes them next.
and here’s the deal. i despise love triangles. (there isn’t really one here [yet] but there is some complex teenage crushing happening) but oh my lord i am so invested and in love with Blue’s big Love Dilemma and i’m a total sucker for characters doing their damndest to fight destiny.
i have tooooooo many things to say about this book, but all involve spoilers so i’ll just leave this here.
incredible read, i am immediately moving on to the next book now!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Child abuse
Moderate: Classism, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Injury/injury detail, Alcohol, Blood, and Body horror
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Medical content, and Grief
alexis_michelle's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Death
angstifies's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
really can’t describe this book but i had the best time. the atmosphere is so intense and the characters are truly amazing; the last 10% of the book left me a little ??? so that’s that, really loved it tho.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Murder, Gun violence, Classism, Alcohol, and Violence
Minor: Misogyny and Cursing
taryn_g's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Murder, and Kidnapping
Minor: Cursing
ashconklin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, and Death
mariebrunelm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Raven Boys was one of my favourite books of 2020 (or was it 2019?) and I'm very happy to report that it's still a favourite, and it's still just as hard to describe, so I'd like to end the review here but that wouldn't be very helpful. So instead I'll tell you that this uses themes like found family, dark academia, death, prophecy, Welsh legends and stronger-than-death friendship in the modern setting of an American small town. It is very binary in that you have on the one hand Blue and her family / coven of psychics, all women, to whom she acts as a sound box by making energies louder, and on the one hand this tight-knit group of four lost boys at an elite school. Watching the two universes clash, appraise each other and treat each other with respect even when they don't share the same values is a joy. Seeing the four raven boys mess things up and have each other's back is heartwarming. Witnessing them make a space for Blue in their group is enchanting. It *is* a dark story when you look at the themes and at these characters who clearly need therapy, but there's a lot of light coming from their relationships and the support they find in and give to each other.
PS : while there is no on-page queer rep apart from a very discreet, very in-passing mention, there is a queer vibe going on that I can't quite put my finger on. Things may be more clear in the following volumes. The one thing that's sure is that everyone is very white.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Suicide attempt
tania_mybookishsecret's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Suicide attempt, and Death