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ong's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-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? N/A
5.0
The first few chapters confuses the hell out of me. It was just too many characters & too much lore at my face, making it way overwhelming. The first half of the book was somehow both easy and hard to read. There’s something weird or uncanny or unsettling throughout but I just can’t stop reading. Felt like Sisyphus, condemned to keep reading while barely understanding, against my will.
What was definite throughout was that I was scared as shit reading in the darkness of my room. Like most great books, I just couldn’t stop reading pas the 50% mark. Overall, it was a great & fun read.
Me personally, I would run the fuck away when I hear Latin-speaking trees. But they’re just built different ig. Also, Adam, and Noah’s story is just. Why must u hurt me like this. And once again the smartest is just the biggest lil dumb dumb in the end huh.
What was definite throughout was that I was scared as shit reading in the darkness of my room. Like most great books, I just couldn’t stop reading pas the 50% mark. Overall, it was a great & fun read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Gun violence, Body horror, and Death
platonic reverse harem, love triangle, smart characters cursed by circumstanceviacrow's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Classism, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Murder, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Death, and Physical abuse
dlsmk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Violence, Child abuse, Blood, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Suicide attempt
trintrin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.0
ooookay where do we start
THE CHARACTERS. I love the characters. I can't stress how much I love the characters. I would willingly read a thousand one-shots and spin-offs about them even though it's only been one out of four books so far.
- Maura, Calla, Persephone, and the other psychic women were very interesting to read about. I hope to get to know them more in the future books. Especially Persephone, she's got me in her charms.
- Blue is such a refreshing character, I love her so much. I thought she's gonna be one of those whiny YA protagonists,especially considering her forbidden love and kind of poor background story, but oh boy, she's none of those things.
- I don't really have an opinion on Ronan yet, but I smell a character backstory/arc up ahead. I shall deliver my judgement after that :DAlthough, I do admit, those little moments where Ronan actually expressed his emotions and his love for the others or Chainsaw made me feel warm
- Adam is probably the most realistic character out of everyone here. He was my first favourite character, I hope he pulls through all the way to the end.His relationship(?) with Blue was very pure, but obviously it's not gonna be the endgame. I pray for him and my future self.
- Gansey, oh Gansey. I have a soft spot towards Gansey. Something about the way he cares so much for the Raven Boys, and eventually, Blue, makes me want to not read this book anymore. Because I absolutely do not want him to die. He's such a FANTASTIC friend and he is the glue holding the group together. I genuinely cannot imagine how the boys would even survive without him. I want a friend like Gansey, and not just because he's filthy rich.I don't really sense any chemistry between Gansey and Blue so far. I kinda hope they don't have to resort to that, but oh well. A prophecy is a prophecy, but ig prophecies can also be misleading
- And finally, saving the best boy for the last, NOAHHHH.He went from a very suspicious background character to this adorable, cutest little child gahhhhhh someone please protect him from all the harm in the world
THE PLOT. The first 50%-ish part of the book had a very weird pacing, so much so that it nearly took me a month to finish it. I truly did not care about Glendower or the ley lines or Aglionby, but it was the characters that kept me going. Lucky I did, because after setting up the world and everything about halfway through, the book picks up the pace. One second you think you've got it, and the next second it goes poof. It keeps you guessing all the way till the end.
I literally just finished reading the book, but what wouldn't I give to find out that Noah Czerny's been dead all along for the first time. I was convinced he was sneaking out trying to wake up the ley line on his own, but turns out the poor child wasn't even alive in the first place. I'm so glad the others didn't freak out and suddenly turn Noah into this ghost who haunts them now, but they gave a logical explanation on why he appeared and disappeared at certain times.
The amount of foreshadowing this book has?? Noah quite literally said that the reason he is always cold is because he's been dead for seven years in the fourth chapter AND NO ONE QUESTIONED IT? Every time Noah makes an appearance has some sort of clue to his situation (the way he threw up after seeing that car and no one bothered to think why?) and yet I never guessed that he was actually dead, just that he's sketchy. And the way it matched up with Gansey's hornet death backstory and Whelk's Czerny backstory, it's incredible, really.
Whelk, I thought he's a weirdo who turns out to be a good-ish guy in the end. The psychopath straight up murdered Noah. Little bitch deserved every bit of his stupid death. Noah's funeral actually made me kinda teary eyed, but I didn't expect them to commit literal grave robbery wtaf 😭 we stan.
One thing that made me feel so relieved in a way was when Adam's father (he can go to hell) slapped him, he actually lost his hearing in a ear. That's it. It's gone. No partial hearing loss, or temporary deafness that will soon be back to normal, or magical abilities to heal his condition, or super hear with his other ear. Nothing. It's just an injury that can never be fixed. This is one thing that I never really liked about fantasy. Like why make the characters lose something as important as a body part only to immediately fix it in someway that its loss is not a big deal at all? I really hope Adam stays this way at least for a good long time, and that his partial deafness affects and slows him down every once in a while. (I understand how sadistic this sounds, but we really need more disabled characters who are actually disabled)
Overall, if only the pacing in the first half hadn't been dogshit, I would've given this five stars. As it is, I hope we can rectify that in the next one :D (although I still don't really care about Glendower, I'm just here for the lovely people and some vibes)
Jan 2024 reread:
This has been my favourite book ever to reread, easily 5 stars! I remember thinking there was a lot of foreshadowing immediately after finishing this book and just flipping back through the pages. Now, with the knowledge of the other three books and the Dreamer Trilogy combined, I can safely say THERE'S SO MUCH FORESHADOWING!! I was sitting here with my jaw dropped for some of those. So many of them evaded my attention, even the things that happen within this book. Maggie, you big-brained genius.
Another thing that I somehow forgot about ishow present Adam's abuse is. I was genuinely shocked on reading about it even before Blue became a part of the gangsey. Reading Adam and Gansey's argument hurt even more, now knowing and understanding the two characters better than before. So proud of them for making it through eventually.
I remember struggling with the pacing so much that it took me nearly a month to finish this book because it took forever to get to the main plot. After flying through the book at record-speed during this reread, I realised it's probably because I didn't know that the main point of this series is not finding Glendower, it's the friendships, and it's always been there at the core of the book. Not justifying the book or invalidating new readers who might feel the same way, just a curious thing to point out.
THE CHARACTERS. I love the characters. I can't stress how much I love the characters. I would willingly read a thousand one-shots and spin-offs about them even though it's only been one out of four books so far.
- Maura, Calla, Persephone, and the other psychic women were very interesting to read about. I hope to get to know them more in the future books. Especially Persephone, she's got me in her charms.
- Blue is such a refreshing character, I love her so much. I thought she's gonna be one of those whiny YA protagonists,
- I don't really have an opinion on Ronan yet, but I smell a character backstory/arc up ahead. I shall deliver my judgement after that :D
- Adam is probably the most realistic character out of everyone here. He was my first favourite character, I hope he pulls through all the way to the end.
- Gansey, oh Gansey. I have a soft spot towards Gansey. Something about the way he cares so much for the Raven Boys, and eventually, Blue, makes me want to not read this book anymore. Because I absolutely do not want him to die. He's such a FANTASTIC friend and he is the glue holding the group together. I genuinely cannot imagine how the boys would even survive without him. I want a friend like Gansey, and not just because he's filthy rich.
- And finally, saving the best boy for the last, NOAHHHH.
THE PLOT. The first 50%-ish part of the book had a very weird pacing, so much so that it nearly took me a month to finish it. I truly did not care about Glendower or the ley lines or Aglionby, but it was the characters that kept me going. Lucky I did, because after setting up the world and everything about halfway through, the book picks up the pace. One second you think you've got it, and the next second it goes poof. It keeps you guessing all the way till the end.
The amount of foreshadowing this book has?? Noah quite literally said that the reason he is always cold is because he's been dead for seven years in the fourth chapter AND NO ONE QUESTIONED IT? Every time Noah makes an appearance has some sort of clue to his situation (the way he threw up after seeing that car and no one bothered to think why?) and yet I never guessed that he was actually dead, just that he's sketchy. And the way it matched up with Gansey's hornet death backstory and Whelk's Czerny backstory, it's incredible, really.
Whelk, I thought he's a weirdo who turns out to be a good-ish guy in the end. The psychopath straight up murdered Noah. Little bitch deserved every bit of his stupid death. Noah's funeral actually made me kinda teary eyed, but I didn't expect them to commit literal grave robbery wtaf 😭 we stan.
One thing that made me feel so relieved in a way was when Adam's father (he can go to hell) slapped him, he actually lost his hearing in a ear. That's it. It's gone. No partial hearing loss, or temporary deafness that will soon be back to normal, or magical abilities to heal his condition, or super hear with his other ear. Nothing. It's just an injury that can never be fixed. This is one thing that I never really liked about fantasy. Like why make the characters lose something as important as a body part only to immediately fix it in someway that its loss is not a big deal at all? I really hope Adam stays this way at least for a good long time, and that his partial deafness affects and slows him down every once in a while. (I understand how sadistic this sounds, but we really need more disabled characters who are actually disabled)
Overall, if only the pacing in the first half hadn't been dogshit, I would've given this five stars. As it is, I hope we can rectify that in the next one :D (although I still don't really care about Glendower, I'm just here for the lovely people and some vibes)
Jan 2024 reread:
This has been my favourite book ever to reread, easily 5 stars! I remember thinking there was a lot of foreshadowing immediately after finishing this book and just flipping back through the pages. Now, with the knowledge of the other three books and the Dreamer Trilogy combined, I can safely say THERE'S SO MUCH FORESHADOWING!! I was sitting here with my jaw dropped for some of those. So many of them evaded my attention, even the things that happen within this book. Maggie, you big-brained genius.
Another thing that I somehow forgot about is
I remember struggling with the pacing so much that it took me nearly a month to finish this book because it took forever to get to the main plot. After flying through the book at record-speed during this reread, I realised it's probably because I didn't know that the main point of this series is not finding Glendower, it's the friendships, and it's always been there at the core of the book. Not justifying the book or invalidating new readers who might feel the same way, just a curious thing to point out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Grief, and Gun violence
Minor: Classism, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Vomit, Alcohol, and Self harm
eurydice8153's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse
Moderate: Body horror
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
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
nebraskanwriter's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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: Alcoholism, Cursing, Alcohol, Death of parent, Child death, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Death, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Violence
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