mariebrunelm's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Suicide attempt
l_arand's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
this books follows blue sargent, a teenager from a clairvoyant family. while she doesn’t have any “gifts,” herself, she acts as an amplifier for those in her family (ex. if a member of her family can pick up on energy, having blue around them can make the energy’s presence more known).
the story begins on st. mark’s eve, where the soon-to-be-dead appear. there, she sees a boy who speaks to her directly. he introduced himself as “gansey” and when blue asks for more elaboration, the only response she gets is “that’s all there is.”
this prompts her into discovering what is going on with gansey, and sends her on a hunt to try to delay his death (since those who appear in st. mark’s eve are to die within the next year). and on top of this, she’s been told since her birth that she will kill her true love if she chooses to kiss him by all of her family, who keep in mind, are all gifted with magic.
at a night shift at her service job, she sees the boy from st. mark’s eve, and this heightens her curiousity, and before she knows it she’s been indoctrinated into his group of friends who all attend algionby, an elite private college prep school for boys who have more money than they know what to do with.
so, there’s the synopsis. the characters in this book are lovely, and we do learn more about them throughout the book. however, stiefvater leaves out enough information on them (and the quest they’re on) to keep the reader wanting more, which is sensible because it’s the first book of a series (the raven cycle). i found this book to be so immersive, and that’s coming from someone who doesn’t typically gravitate towards fantasy/magic. also, there are some beautiful quotes in this work that i still think about;
“he’d chosen his weapon well: only the truth, untempered by kindness.”
“it was the stop that happened when you made up your mind to confess, but your mouth betrayed you in the end.”
“a soul is vulnerable when it is outside the mind.”
Moderate: Physical abuse, Classism, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse
anni_swanilda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Cursing, Death, and Gun violence
mandaraffe's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Murder, Violence, Kidnapping, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Vomit, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Minor: Grief
swampmonster's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Murder, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Gore, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Homophobia