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jelkebooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
Oh yes baby, we're back! After not being the biggest fan of The Dream Thieves I was a bit nervous to get into this book, especially as I haven't read this one before. However, this book was just SO GOOD. It was just so incredibly well executed.
Let's start with the usuals. The character dynamics are still absolutely everything. I just think they are the perfect found family. I love them. Blue & Gansey are also the most adorable yet tragic couple you will ever find, and I adored them in this book. The atmosphere in this book was also just on another level. I feel like that is a strong point for this series, but somehow it was even better in this one. I was completely sucked into this one, and this book just did NOT let me go.
On top of that I also feel like we raised the stakes on this one. It felt a bit darker, a bit more eerie, and it overall just feels urgent now. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time reading this book. Especially, because it just feels like we're so damn close. I truly think this book is the definition of what a penultimate book in a series should do. It was all just so incredibly well executed.
Book two was a bit of a bore to me, and this definitely wasn't. Despite just the overall sense of hurry, and tension, I also feel like this book had several little small reveals. It just keeps the plot moving around every single corner. I also takes some turns I did not expect, and made some connections I definitely wouldn't have seen coming. It truly had me gagged at several points. I just fucking adored this book, and I truly can't wait to read the series finale. I know a lot of fans think that book fumbled the bag a little but I have a heard time imagining that when this book just sets things up incredibly well. It's hard to not completely knock it out of the park now.
Let's start with the usuals. The character dynamics are still absolutely everything. I just think they are the perfect found family. I love them. Blue & Gansey are also the most adorable yet tragic couple you will ever find, and I adored them in this book. The atmosphere in this book was also just on another level. I feel like that is a strong point for this series, but somehow it was even better in this one. I was completely sucked into this one, and this book just did NOT let me go.
On top of that I also feel like we raised the stakes on this one. It felt a bit darker, a bit more eerie, and it overall just feels urgent now. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time reading this book. Especially, because it just feels like we're so damn close. I truly think this book is the definition of what a penultimate book in a series should do. It was all just so incredibly well executed.
Book two was a bit of a bore to me, and this definitely wasn't. Despite just the overall sense of hurry, and tension, I also feel like this book had several little small reveals. It just keeps the plot moving around every single corner. I also takes some turns I did not expect, and made some connections I definitely wouldn't have seen coming. It truly had me gagged at several points. I just fucking adored this book, and I truly can't wait to read the series finale. I know a lot of fans think that book fumbled the bag a little but I have a heard time imagining that when this book just sets things up incredibly well. It's hard to not completely knock it out of the park now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Physical abuse
lokes's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Why does the author hate short people??
Also really disliked her trying to implement a „strong female character“ and writing a white, blonde woman being a man’s pet and being constantly reduced to her body and literally SA‘d - and I hated Greenman even more, because why was every second line of his a really weird sexual reference? Not to mention the protagonists thinking about how to get him to leave the town and deciding to make up fake videos and text messages of Greenman SAing and then killing literal children, because that was not unnecessary, but also totally disrespectful…
Also really disliked her trying to implement a „strong female character“ and writing a white, blonde woman being a man’s pet and being constantly reduced to her body and literally SA‘d - and I hated Greenman even more, because why was every second line of his a really weird sexual reference? Not to mention the protagonists thinking about how to get him to leave the town and deciding to make up fake videos and text messages of Greenman SAing and then killing literal children, because that was not unnecessary, but also totally disrespectful…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
unicorn3's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? No
4.75
Until now it's by far my favourite book in this series! I loved it from the start until the end. It's really interesting and the characters had a great development which I love to read about in the last book too! Also Piper and Colin! I really liked them as side characters here too I'm curious what will happen with the three sleepers who are they? Will they wake Glendower and get their wish? Will Gansey die?
So many open questions for the last book to close...
So many open questions for the last book to close...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Misogyny
trintrin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
I gotta say, this book has a lot of quotable quotes. The writing's just gotten so much better and feels more poetic and very beautiful. The synonym-antonym one (Adam Parrish was lonesome, Blue Sargent was afraid etc.) was my favourite and it was a pleasure to read in a way that actually makes you sit and think about it for a while. I'm literally battling the urge to not add every single quote I highlighted into this review.
The character dynamics somehow seems to have improved? I didn't even know that was possible considering how amazing they were from the start. Every single one of their interactions add more years to my life, I'm not even kidding. Be it Adam and Ronan's relationship slowly taking root, or Adam and Gansey finally not fighting, or Ronan showing he does have affection for Blue, or even Blue pulling the plug on Noah, they all seem so real and so wonderful and I feel like a part of their group.
<blockquote>Blue and her boys were <I>all</I> in love with one another. She was no less obsessed with them than they were with her, or one another. analysing every conversation and gesture, drawing out every joke into a longer and longer running gag, spending each moment either with one another or thinking about when next they would be with one another.</blockquote>
I want to childishly believe they will all remain this way until they grow very old and die peacefully, but oh well :D
Plot wise, this book turns its focus back to Glendower (who I still don't care much for) but oh boy were there some mind-blowing plot twists. And worse, some characters I hold very dear to my heart had to go and die. And possibly even worser, some characters who give me the creeps had to make a reappearance. I genuinely don't want to read the next book because 1) that means I officially have to say goodbye to the raven squad, and 2) I really don't want to see Gansey die, even if they do end up successfully resurrecting him. Now that we've had the taste of a major character death, I do not want to go through the same with Gansey.
Adam's character development was great, and so was Ronan's many subtle improvements. Gwenllilian was a nice touch. Not enough Noah scenes. Blue is such an inspiration. Gansey is as loveable as ever. Jesse Dittley is a man with a heart as huge as him. Mr. Gray must be cherished. Calla's strength is amazing. Persephone is one of a kind. Malory, however, I don't know what he brought to the plate, but that seems very fitting to his character, so whatever.
The only thing that this book, or rather, this series lacks is a strong overarching villain. It's all just very villain-of-the-week; not to worry, just a minor inconvenience, and <I>boom</I> he's gone now. Neeve was very unnerving, but she just disappeared. Whelk gave me the creeps, but then he just got trampled over by a magic forest. Mr. Gray was a cool and badass villain who looked like he would definitely get the job done, but he had to fall in love (in the span of a few weeks? days??) and did a full 180°. Kavinsky was a strong candidate but he blew himself up. And now,Greenmantle, who was genuinely scary, turned out to be a coward and ran away because of a few papers (and they never even properly revealed what was actually inside it) I hope the two women, who I assume will be the part of the antagonists of the next book, actually have some skin to them. Otherwise, I have nothing else to say (actually I have a lot of love to pour for the character writing, but that's gonna be as long as the book is, so writing all of that maybe is a bad idea)
Feb 2024 reread: 5 beautiful stars
UHMM I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE WEAKEST BOOK IN THE SERIES? Like I never once hated it or thought it was bad, but for some reason I remember just not thinking this book had much going on for it. Which makes sense, in a way, because the plot is quite slow for a majority of the book and then BOOM everything happens all at once at the end. But this is the Raven Cycle we're talking about, who cares about the plot? Let's talk characters. Wait did I say characters? Whoops, let's talk Adam Parrish.
Adam's character growth was so, so satisfying, especially knowing how much he develops all the way until the Greywaren epilogue.THAT COURTROOM SCENE!! When Adam and Gansey finally understood each other, I felt like screaming into the void and eating my pillow. That scene with Blue and Noah, the slowburn with Ronan, his "I'm awake" moment at the end, his introspection of himself throughout the entire book all deserve a medal. God I'm in love with Adam Parrish, can you tell?
The character dynamics somehow seems to have improved? I didn't even know that was possible considering how amazing they were from the start. Every single one of their interactions add more years to my life, I'm not even kidding. Be it Adam and Ronan's relationship slowly taking root, or Adam and Gansey finally not fighting, or Ronan showing he does have affection for Blue, or even Blue pulling the plug on Noah, they all seem so real and so wonderful and I feel like a part of their group.
<blockquote>Blue and her boys were <I>all</I> in love with one another. She was no less obsessed with them than they were with her, or one another. analysing every conversation and gesture, drawing out every joke into a longer and longer running gag, spending each moment either with one another or thinking about when next they would be with one another.</blockquote>
I want to childishly believe they will all remain this way until they grow very old and die peacefully, but oh well :D
Plot wise, this book turns its focus back to Glendower (who I still don't care much for) but oh boy were there some mind-blowing plot twists. And worse, some characters I hold very dear to my heart had to go and die. And possibly even worser, some characters who give me the creeps had to make a reappearance. I genuinely don't want to read the next book because 1) that means I officially have to say goodbye to the raven squad, and 2) I really don't want to see Gansey die, even if they do end up successfully resurrecting him. Now that we've had the taste of a major character death, I do not want to go through the same with Gansey.
Adam's character development was great, and so was Ronan's many subtle improvements. Gwenllilian was a nice touch. Not enough Noah scenes. Blue is such an inspiration. Gansey is as loveable as ever. Jesse Dittley is a man with a heart as huge as him. Mr. Gray must be cherished. Calla's strength is amazing. Persephone is one of a kind. Malory, however, I don't know what he brought to the plate, but that seems very fitting to his character, so whatever.
The only thing that this book, or rather, this series lacks is a strong overarching villain. It's all just very villain-of-the-week; not to worry, just a minor inconvenience, and <I>boom</I> he's gone now. Neeve was very unnerving, but she just disappeared. Whelk gave me the creeps, but then he just got trampled over by a magic forest. Mr. Gray was a cool and badass villain who looked like he would definitely get the job done, but he had to fall in love (in the span of a few weeks? days??) and did a full 180°. Kavinsky was a strong candidate but he blew himself up. And now,
Feb 2024 reread: 5 beautiful stars
UHMM I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE WEAKEST BOOK IN THE SERIES? Like I never once hated it or thought it was bad, but for some reason I remember just not thinking this book had much going on for it. Which makes sense, in a way, because the plot is quite slow for a majority of the book and then BOOM everything happens all at once at the end. But this is the Raven Cycle we're talking about, who cares about the plot? Let's talk characters. Wait did I say characters? Whoops, let's talk Adam Parrish.
Adam's character growth was so, so satisfying, especially knowing how much he develops all the way until the Greywaren epilogue.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Sexual harassment
cowardlyteaman's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
So, I really like this book. I will say that in the first half of the book it just felt like things were happening for no reason at all. I can't even remember much of it, just a day after having read it.
However, it got much MUCH better throughout the second half.
I still really like Ronan, and Adam is starting to grow on me. Gansey maybe even more, but he's being pulled down by Blue. Honestly. Remove her. I cannot stand her at all. The story genuinely would've been so much better without Blue and her whole family WITH☝ the exception of Maura*. She's a great character, and her dynamic with the Gray Man works really well. Alas, I cannot stand Calla, Persephone, or Orla, and as honourable mentions: Neeve. Why not just spell it Niamh when that is her name? Silly Americans.
* You know how so many female characters are exclusively love interests for male characters? Well, Blue is Maura's daughter character. Like, she's just there to make Maura a MILF. Blue is excessive; Maura is life.
The whole 300 Fox Way family feels so... 🤌 quasi-weird. Like the author's writing a family made up of signature quirky girls™.
Now, Greenmantle and Piper?! They're the O.G.s. My favourite couple by far here. I love to see read about they're weird interactions. They never let you know what comes next, and they're just so authentically peculiar.
Like, I imagine 300 Fox Way being weird in a cat way. Like cringe. Come on, cats are not that weird, just shut up already.
Meanwhile, Greenmantle and Piper are weird in a stick insect way. So peculiar and odd, but it's just the way they live life. There are no Tumblr people going «LMAO XD STICK BUGS ARE SO WEIRD» No. They are authentic. The real shit.
The plot is good, though. :)
Very nice, very intriguing, and I LOVE the details like Chainsaw, a made-up mum?? (Niall Lynch literally got the woman of his dreams).
This is what really makes up the book, so this alone I'd say would've made the five-star, but the 300 Fox Way people pull it down. Should've just been Gansey, Ronan, and Adam, because to be honest, hadn't it been for his shared plot-line with Gansey, Noah could've been dropped as well.
Anyways, I do recommend the series. It's definitely worth it, AND it is worth mentioning that I seem to be the only person with this opinion on 300 Fox Way. That and that I think I'm going down a rabbit hole of shitty things to say about them. Giving Maura a bad reputation, really.
However, it got much MUCH better throughout the second half.
I still really like Ronan, and Adam is starting to grow on me. Gansey maybe even more, but he's being pulled down by Blue. Honestly. Remove her. I cannot stand her at all. The story genuinely would've been so much better without Blue and her whole family WITH☝ the exception of Maura*. She's a great character, and her dynamic with the Gray Man works really well. Alas, I cannot stand Calla, Persephone, or Orla, and as honourable mentions: Neeve. Why not just spell it Niamh when that is her name? Silly Americans.
* You know how so many female characters are exclusively love interests for male characters? Well, Blue is Maura's daughter character. Like, she's just there to make Maura a MILF. Blue is excessive; Maura is life.
The whole 300 Fox Way family feels so... 🤌 quasi-weird. Like the author's writing a family made up of signature quirky girls™.
Now, Greenmantle and Piper?! They're the O.G.s. My favourite couple by far here. I love to see read about they're weird interactions. They never let you know what comes next, and they're just so authentically peculiar.
Like, I imagine 300 Fox Way being weird in a cat way. Like cringe. Come on, cats are not that weird, just shut up already.
Meanwhile, Greenmantle and Piper are weird in a stick insect way. So peculiar and odd, but it's just the way they live life. There are no Tumblr people going «LMAO XD STICK BUGS ARE SO WEIRD» No. They are authentic. The real shit.
The plot is good, though. :)
Very nice, very intriguing, and I LOVE the details like Chainsaw, a made-up mum?? (Niall Lynch literally got the woman of his dreams).
This is what really makes up the book, so this alone I'd say would've made the five-star, but the 300 Fox Way people pull it down. Should've just been Gansey, Ronan, and Adam, because to be honest, hadn't it been for his shared plot-line with Gansey, Noah could've been dropped as well.
Anyways, I do recommend the series. It's definitely worth it, AND it is worth mentioning that I seem to be the only person with this opinion on 300 Fox Way. That and that I think I'm going down a rabbit hole of shitty things to say about them. Giving Maura a bad reputation, really.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent
antonia_00's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I’m disappointed. The first and the second book were fantastic, but the third one... The ending was good but that was it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, and Kidnapping
keen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Child death, Gore, and Misogyny
ramiel'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, and Abandonment
Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Vomit, and Sexual harassment
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE finds Blue with her world in turmoil after her mother's disappearance. The closer she and the Raven Boys become, the more they realize they don't know each other at all.
This is a point of inflection. As the teenagers finally pause a little to process the changes and revelations from the first two books they start to understand the assumptions they've been making until now, and even question them. It feels like they've grown so much since the first book, in a bunch of ways, but they're also a bit scattered as they needed to do things more on their own for a while. Large portions of the book feel like the calm before a storm, and the leading edge of it finally hits at the end of the book in some pretty devastating ways. I feel strange about it because I'm excited more for how this moves various pieces and plot points into place rather than being happy about anything in particular that happened. There's a lot of little moments I loved (Adam shines especially here, this portion of his arc is so good), but it's definitely getting ready for big things rather than actually doing many of them.
The best part of the book for me is definitely the moments when the characters pause to reflect on their inner worlds and their relationships with each other. This book is filled with those moments, sometimes because they're stressed and sometimes because they have a moment of calm, but they make their character growth evident in a bunch of little ways. I love how each of them keep thinking of themselves in relation to each other, and how their perceptions of each other have changed so much since the start of the series. I'm so happy for Adam, in particular, that he's figuring out when and whether he wants help rather than constantly refusing it or feeling like it's giving up to accept it.
The ableist language surrounding a particular new character was disappointing. Yes, the circumstances in which they found her would be hell on anyone’s mental health, but having her most frequent descriptor be variations on the same derogatory language about mental health over and over was very frustrating to read. Additionally, one of the antagonists seemed as though her main trait was finding ways to casually drop ableist slurs into every conversation. I do recommend this as part of the quartet, but it was frustrating enough that I don't know if I would recommend it if it were stand-alone.
This moves the plot forward on some things from the second book, but I can't think of anything that it wraps up completely. It doesn't really have its own storyline, there's a pair of antagonists who weren't physically present previously but at least one of whom was introduced in the second book. The biggest plot point in this book began in the last one and plays out here, but there is a pretty major thing which has its biggest moments in this book (even then it was technically teased in the first book, looked for in the second, then found here). This left a bunch of things to be resolved in the final book, some of which have been hanging since the start of the series. There's a mix of new and returning narrators, and all of their voices are distinct. This is very much a step on the way to the final volume, so it's not a problem that it couldn't stand on its own very well as its book three of a quartet. There's too much history needed for someone to understand most of the plot and its importance, and I don't think it would make sense if someone picked it up at random. That being said, it's good enough about naturally recapping important stuff that if it had been a while since reading the first two books it would probably be pretty easy to follow.
Overall it works as the third entry in the quartet but it has some frustrating ableism that makes me like it less than the first two books.
This is a point of inflection. As the teenagers finally pause a little to process the changes and revelations from the first two books they start to understand the assumptions they've been making until now, and even question them. It feels like they've grown so much since the first book, in a bunch of ways, but they're also a bit scattered as they needed to do things more on their own for a while. Large portions of the book feel like the calm before a storm, and the leading edge of it finally hits at the end of the book in some pretty devastating ways. I feel strange about it because I'm excited more for how this moves various pieces and plot points into place rather than being happy about anything in particular that happened. There's a lot of little moments I loved (Adam shines especially here, this portion of his arc is so good), but it's definitely getting ready for big things rather than actually doing many of them.
The best part of the book for me is definitely the moments when the characters pause to reflect on their inner worlds and their relationships with each other. This book is filled with those moments, sometimes because they're stressed and sometimes because they have a moment of calm, but they make their character growth evident in a bunch of little ways. I love how each of them keep thinking of themselves in relation to each other, and how their perceptions of each other have changed so much since the start of the series. I'm so happy for Adam, in particular, that he's figuring out when and whether he wants help rather than constantly refusing it or feeling like it's giving up to accept it.
The ableist language surrounding a particular new character was disappointing. Yes, the circumstances in which they found her would be hell on anyone’s mental health, but having her most frequent descriptor be variations on the same derogatory language about mental health over and over was very frustrating to read. Additionally, one of the antagonists seemed as though her main trait was finding ways to casually drop ableist slurs into every conversation. I do recommend this as part of the quartet, but it was frustrating enough that I don't know if I would recommend it if it were stand-alone.
This moves the plot forward on some things from the second book, but I can't think of anything that it wraps up completely. It doesn't really have its own storyline, there's a pair of antagonists who weren't physically present previously but at least one of whom was introduced in the second book. The biggest plot point in this book began in the last one and plays out here, but there is a pretty major thing which has its biggest moments in this book (even then it was technically teased in the first book, looked for in the second, then found here). This left a bunch of things to be resolved in the final book, some of which have been hanging since the start of the series. There's a mix of new and returning narrators, and all of their voices are distinct. This is very much a step on the way to the final volume, so it's not a problem that it couldn't stand on its own very well as its book three of a quartet. There's too much history needed for someone to understand most of the plot and its importance, and I don't think it would make sense if someone picked it up at random. That being said, it's good enough about naturally recapping important stuff that if it had been a while since reading the first two books it would probably be pretty easy to follow.
Overall it works as the third entry in the quartet but it has some frustrating ableism that makes me like it less than the first two books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Ableism, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, and Domestic abuse
CW for major character death (graphic).