kazoo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
firsf audio book I've finished, at times I did not love the narration but it forgot how much I loved this series, am I going to read rest of the series? highly probable
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Child abuse
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Gore, Body horror, and Classism
bugcollector's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Did Lana Del Rey design the cover
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Grief, and Murder
friendly_neighborhood_grandma's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This is a very good book. Especially considering that i was written 10 years ago. It was exactly my level of creepy. Not scary. I cannot tolerate scary. The characters are great, it is so very engaging, good dialogues, supernatural, witchy, dark academia, perfect for a busy fall read for people who do not want to be scared but do not want to feel left out either. Would recommand. I do not think that the ending is very strong. (But I guess it’s okay considering that it is a first in a series.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Bullying, and Child abuse
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/injury detail, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Kidnapping
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Car accident, Vomit, and Self harm
kat3_m's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gore
adamustdie_'s review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
started very slow, but ended very fast. immaculate worldbuilding. all of the characters were three dimensional which i appreciated a lot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Injury/injury detail
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, and Murder
Minor: Classism, Death of parent, Cursing, and Vomit
euphoriaonpluto's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Ok, here we go. This review will be very messy, and I'll probably be the only one who understands it. Oh, well.
The series is shaping up to be really interesting. I assume I'll love it by the end. I like the premise and I like the things that have been set up so far. The Raven Boys on its own, however...
It honestly feels wrong to even be writing a review at this point. It feels like I' only a third of the way into the book. And in a way, I am. Well, a fourth of the way done, I suppose. It seems that the was this series is written is like one big book broken up into serials, rather than four separate novels. The Raven Boys was pretty much entirely exposition. The main goal was established. The main characters were introduced. Several major plot points were started. One of them was resolved. That's it.
About 2/3 of the book felt like what the first 100 pages usually feel like. A lot of introductions, some exploring, mild adventuring, hints at future conflicts. Then the last third happened. One of the conflicts that had been set up was resolved. But, with how much the book had already set up for the future, it felts very quick and unfinished. Reading the last 100 pages felt the same as when you're rewatching your favourite 10-season-long epic fantasy TV show and you just got to the part where they defeat the big bad of season 1. It's nice but it mostly leaves you feeling amused by the knowledge of how minor it feels compared to everything else that will happen in the later seasons. The big difference here is that I'm not rereading The Raven Cycle. It's my first time. And yet, I still got that feeling. It was all a bit underwhelming in the grand scheme of things.
I don't think all of this is necessarily a bad thing. I'm certainly a lot more used to a fantasy series structure where there is a main series plot going all throughout it but the individual novels, especially the first ones, still have their own main conflict and resolution, which could stand on their own. Not continuing The Raven Cycle right now would feel more like DNFing a book 100 pages in, rather than not reading a sequel.
As for the characters, at this point I'd say I know them about as well as they know each other, which means barely. There was no development on that front. I can tell there will be in the future, though. Or at least I'm hoping there will be. Because half of them I have almost no impression of and the other half I find annoying.
Gansey: Please, I'm afraid that you're going to get seriously hurt. Please let me help. You can live with me. I'll do whatever you want just to get you out of this situation
Adam: Stop patronizing me, you don't own me, you don't even know how shitty you're being.
Hell, at least Ronan didn't throw his own problems and failures in Gansey's face, nor did he try to portray him as a bad person for trying to get him to graduate.
And why the hell did he say something as deeply hurtful as "Sometimes I don't know how you live with yourself" because Gansey said?????? that they shouldn't do the ritual?????? because they just found out it's deadly????? and one of them would die?????? How the fuck is that something to be mad about?
Now let me go over Blue quickly. What's her deal, exactly? She's supposed to be the main character and yet, there's barely anything of note about her. Her only personality trait seems to be being #notliketheothergirls (something I'm trying to ignore in this book since I know it was written in 2012 and that trope was unfortunately a staple at that point in time). She has pretty much no motivation behind her actions. Her only problems are that her mom prophesized that she'll kill her first love by kissing them and that apparently that true love is meant to be Gansey. Yeah, this is a bad situation to be in, but what is her reason for joining the ley line hunt? What is her reason for not telling them about the prophecy or about what her seeing Gansey meant? She never showed any internal conflict about the whole thing, other than "they won't believe me", which, given what they're doing, isn't a reasonable assumption at all. They're looking for a medieval king who's supposedly being kept alive by magic, for god's sake. There are several reasons she could not want to tell them, fear of being blamed or rejected or kicked out of the group, for example. But she never thinks about those things, so they must not be her motivation. She's basically flying by the seat of her pants the entire time.
Ok, I'll end my ridiculously long review by saying this: the series are shaping up to be great, but the The Raven Boys as a novel on its own without the future promise of continuation holding it up, is pretty mediocre.
The series is shaping up to be really interesting. I assume I'll love it by the end. I like the premise and I like the things that have been set up so far. The Raven Boys on its own, however...
It honestly feels wrong to even be writing a review at this point. It feels like I' only a third of the way into the book. And in a way, I am. Well, a fourth of the way done, I suppose. It seems that the was this series is written is like one big book broken up into serials, rather than four separate novels. The Raven Boys was pretty much entirely exposition. The main goal was established. The main characters were introduced. Several major plot points were started. One of them was resolved. That's it.
About 2/3 of the book felt like what the first 100 pages usually feel like. A lot of introductions, some exploring, mild adventuring, hints at future conflicts. Then the last third happened. One of the conflicts that had been set up was resolved. But, with how much the book had already set up for the future, it felts very quick and unfinished. Reading the last 100 pages felt the same as when you're rewatching your favourite 10-season-long epic fantasy TV show and you just got to the part where they defeat the big bad of season 1. It's nice but it mostly leaves you feeling amused by the knowledge of how minor it feels compared to everything else that will happen in the later seasons. The big difference here is that I'm not rereading The Raven Cycle. It's my first time. And yet, I still got that feeling. It was all a bit underwhelming in the grand scheme of things.
I don't think all of this is necessarily a bad thing. I'm certainly a lot more used to a fantasy series structure where there is a main series plot going all throughout it but the individual novels, especially the first ones, still have their own main conflict and resolution, which could stand on their own. Not continuing The Raven Cycle right now would feel more like DNFing a book 100 pages in, rather than not reading a sequel.
As for the characters, at this point I'd say I know them about as well as they know each other, which means barely. There was no development on that front. I can tell there will be in the future, though. Or at least I'm hoping there will be. Because half of them I have almost no impression of and the other half I find annoying.
Spoiler
Adam gets on my nerves. I feel for him, his situation is terrible, but that's no excuse to treat his own supposed best friend so terribly. He's awful to Gansey. The entire book all Gansey wanted to do was help him in any way he could because he cares for him, and Adam did everything in his power to act like he's being condescending and selfish. Which he wasn't being. And at no point did he do anything that could come off that was without his intention. The whole book was basically:Gansey: Please, I'm afraid that you're going to get seriously hurt. Please let me help. You can live with me. I'll do whatever you want just to get you out of this situation
Adam: Stop patronizing me, you don't own me, you don't even know how shitty you're being.
Hell, at least Ronan didn't throw his own problems and failures in Gansey's face, nor did he try to portray him as a bad person for trying to get him to graduate.
And why the hell did he say something as deeply hurtful as "Sometimes I don't know how you live with yourself" because Gansey said?????? that they shouldn't do the ritual?????? because they just found out it's deadly????? and one of them would die?????? How the fuck is that something to be mad about?
Now let me go over Blue quickly. What's her deal, exactly? She's supposed to be the main character and yet, there's barely anything of note about her. Her only personality trait seems to be being #notliketheothergirls (something I'm trying to ignore in this book since I know it was written in 2012 and that trope was unfortunately a staple at that point in time). She has pretty much no motivation behind her actions. Her only problems are that her mom prophesized that she'll kill her first love by kissing them and that apparently that true love is meant to be Gansey. Yeah, this is a bad situation to be in, but what is her reason for joining the ley line hunt? What is her reason for not telling them about the prophecy or about what her seeing Gansey meant? She never showed any internal conflict about the whole thing, other than "they won't believe me", which, given what they're doing, isn't a reasonable assumption at all. They're looking for a medieval king who's supposedly being kept alive by magic, for god's sake. There are several reasons she could not want to tell them, fear of being blamed or rejected or kicked out of the group, for example. But she never thinks about those things, so they must not be her motivation. She's basically flying by the seat of her pants the entire time.
Ok, I'll end my ridiculously long review by saying this: the series are shaping up to be great, but the The Raven Boys as a novel on its own without the future promise of continuation holding it up, is pretty mediocre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Child death and Death
Minor: Gore
bookishspoonie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, and Injury/injury detail
Minor: Blood, Eating disorder, Vomit, Self harm, Medical content, and Kidnapping
andromeda_1998's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The raven boys is one of those book that just checks al my boxes. I know it isn’t perfect but I enjoyed it so much that I don’t care.
Keywords:
Found Family, enemies to friends to lovers, supernatural, multiple POV.
Plot
Blue is a 16 year old girl who has been told her whole live that when she kisses her soulmate he would die. She vowed to never kissed a boy in her life. But when she helps her clairvoyant aunt at the church on St Mark’s eve, she sees the ghost of a boy who is fated to die that year. She is told that the only reason she would be able to she him is if he’s her soulmate or if she is the person that kills him. He’s name is Gansey and she soon finds out that he’s on a mission to find the legendary king Glendower. Gansey isn’t doing this alone. He is part of a close knit group who searches for the king together.
The plot of this book is surprising. The book has a lot of twists and turns and doesn’t shy away from the darker parts of life, so if you decide to read it check the triggerwarnings!
Characters
The characters are very lovable, at least they are in my opinion. They have been very well done. All the characters have flaws and good sides. They are very well rounded and believable.
Worldbuilding
This book is part of the fantasy realism genre. That means that the story plays out in our world. Maggie Stiefvater has created an extra layer to our own world and does this tremendously well. I really enjoyed reading this story in her world!
Recommendations
I would for hundred procent recommend this book. I think fans of beautiful creatures and Legendborn would particularly enjoy this one!
Keywords:
Found Family, enemies to friends to lovers, supernatural, multiple POV.
Plot
Blue is a 16 year old girl who has been told her whole live that when she kisses her soulmate he would die. She vowed to never kissed a boy in her life. But when she helps her clairvoyant aunt at the church on St Mark’s eve, she sees the ghost of a boy who is fated to die that year. She is told that the only reason she would be able to she him is if he’s her soulmate or if she is the person that kills him. He’s name is Gansey and she soon finds out that he’s on a mission to find the legendary king Glendower. Gansey isn’t doing this alone. He is part of a close knit group who searches for the king together.
The plot of this book is surprising. The book has a lot of twists and turns and doesn’t shy away from the darker parts of life, so if you decide to read it check the triggerwarnings!
Characters
The characters are very lovable, at least they are in my opinion. They have been very well done. All the characters have flaws and good sides. They are very well rounded and believable.
Worldbuilding
This book is part of the fantasy realism genre. That means that the story plays out in our world. Maggie Stiefvater has created an extra layer to our own world and does this tremendously well. I really enjoyed reading this story in her world!
Recommendations
I would for hundred procent recommend this book. I think fans of beautiful creatures and Legendborn would particularly enjoy this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Murder, Injury/injury detail, and Gun violence
li_reading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Injury/injury detail, Death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Gun violence, Alcohol, Murder, Gore, Suicide attempt, and Child death
Minor: Vomit, Homophobia, and Ableism
grimmdark's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
i enjoyed myself enormously. head over heels!! the characters, the prose, the universe, the characters, the plot, the CHARACTERS
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Gore, Grief, and Injury/injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, Medical content, Stalking, and Toxic friendship