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bungadinding's review against another edition
3.0
3,5 bintang.
Fix, series ini yang paling bikin aku book-hangover dan gagal move on sepanjang setengah tahun ini :')) Tadinya bintangnya kubuletin ke atas, tapi setelah pikir panjang kuturunin jadi 3. Kayak yang pernah aku bilang, dari series ini aku paliiinggg suka sama karakter-karakternya. Gansey, Blue, Ronan, Adam, Noah, Henry, semuanya masih nyantol di kokoroku lama setelah bukunya kelar. Juga suka banget sama gaya nulisnya yang cantik, ekspresif, quotable di sana-sini. Sejujurnya mulai buku ketiga aku mulai care sama plot besarnya juga, tentang pencarian Glendower, dimana di buku-buku awal aku masih ngerasa pencarian ini rasa konyol dan lebih suka merhatiin perkembangan karakter2nya aja.
Di buku pamungkas ini, awalnya aku excited buat mengungkap semua misteri yang tersisa. Suspense building-nya bagus di awal-awal, pacingnya cepet dan seru dan bikin nggak sabar sampai ke ending.
Terus ternyata endingnya.... gitu doang. Agak kecewa karena ternyata ekspektasi terlalu tinggi ._.
........yha.
Tadinya aku berharap juga series ini lebih banyak menggarap mitos2 lama Skotlandia, nggak cuma selintas-selintas aja. But maybe I was asking too much. Bab terakhir yang nyeritain nasib Adam, sebetulnya aku akan senang banget kalau bagian itu ditaruh di buku-buku awal. Sayangnya di sini, bab sebelumnya masih yang heboh-heboh fantasi, bab terakhirnya langsung loncat ke masalah realistisnya Adam dan keluarganya. Bukannya aku udah nggak care sama Adam tapi kerasa jomplang banget.... Kayak buku ini ke-split identitasnya, maunya jadi novel fantasi apa realistic YA sih sebenernya :|
Kalau seriesnya keseluruhan boleh lah kukasih bintang 4. Tetep recommended buat dibaca. Bacalah, naksirlah dan fangirlinglah sama Gansey Adam Ronan Noah Henry Blue :"3
Fix, series ini yang paling bikin aku book-hangover dan gagal move on sepanjang setengah tahun ini :')) Tadinya bintangnya kubuletin ke atas, tapi setelah pikir panjang kuturunin jadi 3. Kayak yang pernah aku bilang, dari series ini aku paliiinggg suka sama karakter-karakternya. Gansey, Blue, Ronan, Adam, Noah, Henry, semuanya masih nyantol di kokoroku lama setelah bukunya kelar. Juga suka banget sama gaya nulisnya yang cantik, ekspresif, quotable di sana-sini. Sejujurnya mulai buku ketiga aku mulai care sama plot besarnya juga, tentang pencarian Glendower, dimana di buku-buku awal aku masih ngerasa pencarian ini rasa konyol dan lebih suka merhatiin perkembangan karakter2nya aja.
Di buku pamungkas ini, awalnya aku excited buat mengungkap semua misteri yang tersisa. Suspense building-nya bagus di awal-awal, pacingnya cepet dan seru dan bikin nggak sabar sampai ke ending.
Terus ternyata endingnya.... gitu doang. Agak kecewa karena ternyata ekspektasi terlalu tinggi ._.
Spoiler
Tadinya aku mengharap kalau Gansey dkk itu ternyata reinkarnasi dari Glendower and his knights, atau semacamnya. Tadinya aku berharap kalau kutukan ciumannya Blue nggak se...harfiah itu. Minimal ada backstory-nya, lah. Lha ternyata beneran cuma cium, trus mati.........yha.
Tadinya aku berharap juga series ini lebih banyak menggarap mitos2 lama Skotlandia, nggak cuma selintas-selintas aja. But maybe I was asking too much. Bab terakhir yang nyeritain nasib Adam, sebetulnya aku akan senang banget kalau bagian itu ditaruh di buku-buku awal. Sayangnya di sini, bab sebelumnya masih yang heboh-heboh fantasi, bab terakhirnya langsung loncat ke masalah realistisnya Adam dan keluarganya. Bukannya aku udah nggak care sama Adam tapi kerasa jomplang banget.... Kayak buku ini ke-split identitasnya, maunya jadi novel fantasi apa realistic YA sih sebenernya :|
Kalau seriesnya keseluruhan boleh lah kukasih bintang 4. Tetep recommended buat dibaca. Bacalah, naksirlah dan fangirlinglah sama Gansey Adam Ronan Noah Henry Blue :"3
rychelereads's review against another edition
3.0
Maggie Stiefvater proved that her specialty is making readers hungry for a climax, wantonly so, in developing this beguiling and intricately woven storyline.
From the very first sentence of book one in this Raven Cycle,
"Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she’d been told that she would kill her true love,"
readers are filled with questions upon questions, many moments of speculation, fear of the unknown, and an increasingly fed desire to continue on this path towards certain death. And the climb is absolutely brilliant. The story, writing, and details of this series can be described as the perfect balance between whimsical discovery and certain foreboding circumstances - YA fantasy literature at its best.
Previous to the ending, here are the many great things I'd gleaned from this magnificent journey:
Life is certain until there is death; death is certain unless it is a dream; and dreams are certain, unless they are not. The only thing keeping you from attaining certainty of self, is the will to follow an uncertain path to find it. For me, The Raven Cycle was a coming of age story, that was more like a coming of self; A call to action and a warning for pursuing your dreams and bringing them to reality.
And when you're just you, flesh, blood, dreamer, aiming for the sky above you, and "that's all there is;" that is enough.
And yet, all this praise, but only 3 stars?
I often find that when it comes to series in this genre, magnificent as they are, climbing and reaching for a climax that you see coming, anticipate so wantonly, and then have bitter sweet or at the very least strong feelings for when it finally arrives, they tend to end in a fit of cliche.
Either everything is happily ever after, or everything is happily ever after, for every single main character. So when the raven cycle promised me death, ominous feelings, grief, answers to my questions, and oddities of REASONABLE quality, I felt an emptiness with the loose ends of this book.
The fact of the matter is that none of the books in the Raven Cycle, including The Raven King are ever deserving of the label, "bad," under any circumstance. However, the promises that this all too bizarre yet reasonable world come to pass in ways that are so trivial compared to the rest.
In a word, unsatisfying.
From the very first sentence of book one in this Raven Cycle,
"Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she’d been told that she would kill her true love,"
readers are filled with questions upon questions, many moments of speculation, fear of the unknown, and an increasingly fed desire to continue on this path towards certain death. And the climb is absolutely brilliant. The story, writing, and details of this series can be described as the perfect balance between whimsical discovery and certain foreboding circumstances - YA fantasy literature at its best.
Previous to the ending, here are the many great things I'd gleaned from this magnificent journey:
Life is certain until there is death; death is certain unless it is a dream; and dreams are certain, unless they are not. The only thing keeping you from attaining certainty of self, is the will to follow an uncertain path to find it. For me, The Raven Cycle was a coming of age story, that was more like a coming of self; A call to action and a warning for pursuing your dreams and bringing them to reality.
And when you're just you, flesh, blood, dreamer, aiming for the sky above you, and "that's all there is;" that is enough.
And yet, all this praise, but only 3 stars?
I often find that when it comes to series in this genre, magnificent as they are, climbing and reaching for a climax that you see coming, anticipate so wantonly, and then have bitter sweet or at the very least strong feelings for when it finally arrives, they tend to end in a fit of cliche.
Either everything is happily ever after, or everything is happily ever after, for every single main character. So when the raven cycle promised me death, ominous feelings, grief, answers to my questions, and oddities of REASONABLE quality, I felt an emptiness with the loose ends of this book.
The fact of the matter is that none of the books in the Raven Cycle, including The Raven King are ever deserving of the label, "bad," under any circumstance. However, the promises that this all too bizarre yet reasonable world come to pass in ways that are so trivial compared to the rest.
In a word, unsatisfying.
trenchcoat_moss's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
reflective
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
4.0
esw_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
cheriii_16's review against another edition
5.0
oh my godd what an ending. I absolutely loved this book, it was the perfect conclusion to the series. out of all four of them this one was definitely my favorite. it gave me horror vibes and at times it was kinda scary lol. those creepy scenes (adam and his eye, noah getting possessed, and adam and ronan when they were dreaming) were my favorites. my heart was beating and I got so nervous when reading. it was amazing.
the plot throughout the books have all been complicated to understand and this one was no different. so much was happening at the same time that it kinda overwhelmed me in a good. i always had something to look forward with all the plots lines. it also came together so neatly, like godd.
piper got a demon that was going to like unmake the forest every time she used it? i think. that fact that she turned to be like the final antagonist was so intriguing. her as a character was so interesting.
we get a bunch of answers in this book. blues’ father being from glendower’s time? and him and blue being tree people? (this was so confused lol). glendower’s tomb was found and he was a pile of bones (which also confused me) gansey whole death scene was so never wracking and noah sacrificing himself and erasing himself from time? for him was heart breaking. (im pretty sure it was noah who told gansey about glendower when he first died, so if i did understand that correctly then it was an amazing ending). neeves death was also sad
the plot throughout the books have all been complicated to understand and this one was no different. so much was happening at the same time that it kinda overwhelmed me in a good. i always had something to look forward with all the plots lines. it also came together so neatly, like godd.
piper got a demon that was going to like unmake the forest every time she used it? i think. that fact that she turned to be like the final antagonist was so intriguing. her as a character was so interesting.
we get a bunch of answers in this book. blues’ father being from glendower’s time? and him and blue being tree people? (this was so confused lol). glendower’s tomb was found and he was a pile of bones (which also confused me) gansey whole death scene was so never wracking and noah sacrificing himself and erasing himself from time? for him was heart breaking. (im pretty sure it was noah who told gansey about glendower when he first died, so if i did understand that correctly then it was an amazing ending). neeves death was also sad
dunder_mifflin's review against another edition
4.0
So it took me a while to finish the whole thing because of exams, but it just meant I had time to process everything and consider how I feel about it all. It wanted to give it 5 stars so, so badly, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I loved it enough to give it 5 stars but Maggie's shortcomings mean I can't.
My major complaints:
- Didn't??? Use??? The??? WOrd??? Bisexual???? Maggie had so many fans asking her if she was going to use it, telling her how important it was to have bi representation, telling her how much it would mean. HOW HARD WOULD IT HAVE BEEN TO SLIP IT IN???????? I'll tell you: not hard. Could have been slipped in after the demon attack. "This is biphobia." Could have been slipped in when he was talking to his parents. "Oh hey, I know you know I have a boyfriend, but I came here to officially tell you about him, and to officially come out as bisexual." THERE I JUST WROTE IN TWO WAYS OF REVEALING HE'S BI, ONE COMICAL REVEAL AND ONE SERIOUS. IT'S NOT HARD MAGGIE.
- NOAH DIDN'T GET AN ENDING. ?????????? LIKE COME ON WE ALL KNOW MAGGIE SHITS ON NOAH BUT WOULD IT HAVE BEEN HARD TO HAVE THE GANG THINK ABOUT HIM? HAVE HIM ALONG FOR FINDING GLENDOWER? HAVING HIM ALONG FOR /ANYTHING/?
- Henry Cheng's introduction to the Gangsey. While I absolutely adore that kid and enjoyed his presence immensely, how on earth did he just fit in with the Gangsey that easily???? Idk it seemed a bit rushed but I love him so I'm choosing to ignore that part. But I feel like it needs to go here anyway.
- NOAH DESERVED BETTER.
- Where is Adam Parrish going to college? Is it Ivy League like he wanted/??????
BUT tbh overall I did love it bc the characters.
My major complaints:
- Didn't??? Use??? The??? WOrd??? Bisexual???? Maggie had so many fans asking her if she was going to use it, telling her how important it was to have bi representation, telling her how much it would mean. HOW HARD WOULD IT HAVE BEEN TO SLIP IT IN???????? I'll tell you: not hard. Could have been slipped in after the demon attack. "This is biphobia." Could have been slipped in when he was talking to his parents. "Oh hey, I know you know I have a boyfriend, but I came here to officially tell you about him, and to officially come out as bisexual." THERE I JUST WROTE IN TWO WAYS OF REVEALING HE'S BI, ONE COMICAL REVEAL AND ONE SERIOUS. IT'S NOT HARD MAGGIE.
- NOAH DIDN'T GET AN ENDING. ?????????? LIKE COME ON WE ALL KNOW MAGGIE SHITS ON NOAH BUT WOULD IT HAVE BEEN HARD TO HAVE THE GANG THINK ABOUT HIM? HAVE HIM ALONG FOR FINDING GLENDOWER? HAVING HIM ALONG FOR /ANYTHING/?
- Henry Cheng's introduction to the Gangsey. While I absolutely adore that kid and enjoyed his presence immensely, how on earth did he just fit in with the Gangsey that easily???? Idk it seemed a bit rushed but I love him so I'm choosing to ignore that part. But I feel like it needs to go here anyway.
- NOAH DESERVED BETTER.
- Where is Adam Parrish going to college? Is it Ivy League like he wanted/??????
BUT tbh overall I did love it bc the characters.
its_cold_'s review against another edition
5.0
i truly don’t know how to review this book, and this series as a whole. it means so so much to me, these characters mean so much to me. they feel so deeply real, it almost hurts to be done with their story.
Maggie Stiefvater’s writing is gorgeous, her descriptions are so sensual and in depth and interesting. she writes characters so unbelievably well. i honestly strive to write something that will impact even just one person the way that the Raven Cycle has for me. so, thank you to Maggie Stiefvater for dreaming up (pun intended) these characters <3
Maggie Stiefvater’s writing is gorgeous, her descriptions are so sensual and in depth and interesting. she writes characters so unbelievably well. i honestly strive to write something that will impact even just one person the way that the Raven Cycle has for me. so, thank you to Maggie Stiefvater for dreaming up (pun intended) these characters <3
gcarney15's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0