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friendly_neighborhood_grandma's review
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
wallflovver's review
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
i absolutely love this series and im so happy to finally sit down for a reread! the first time i read the raven cycle was 2016 which is mad, it doesn't seem all that long..
though it has been long enough that while i think of these books often, ive forgotten a lot of the finer details. it truly feels like seeing a bunch of old friends and going on an adventure
its pretty slow to start, but that's due to heavy lore and world building which i find fascinating anyways.. but come the second half of the book i hated putting it down
i genuinely love the characters, and find it so intriguing that not a single character is without flaws.. its so delicious to me
i literally cannot wait to reread the rest of the series!
though it has been long enough that while i think of these books often, ive forgotten a lot of the finer details. it truly feels like seeing a bunch of old friends and going on an adventure
its pretty slow to start, but that's due to heavy lore and world building which i find fascinating anyways.. but come the second half of the book i hated putting it down
i genuinely love the characters, and find it so intriguing that not a single character is without flaws.. its so delicious to me
i literally cannot wait to reread the rest of the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Classism, Death, Self harm, Grief, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
_teoeo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-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
4.5
This book exceeded my expectations (and I already had high ones)!! The characters are so loveable and so so so deep!! You know it is good writing when it makes them seem real. I can't decide which one is my favorite, everyone has parts I like about them or relate to. Also love the vibe I've felt while reading it, imagined 300 Fox Way as a cozy whimsi gothic home!! Still, I feel like there is something I've missed while reading, like I didn't fully understand what is happening. This is the only reason I rate this book 4,5 stars instead of 5.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, and Death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Murder
thesupermassive's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism and Murder
tylercrow's review
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Violence, and Child abuse
Moderate: Classism, Alcoholism, and Injury/Injury detail
andromeda_1998's review
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
princesssdiaries's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
fuck this is so good wtf this has literal crack in it and also i physically can’t imagine blue as anything other than desi??? um i’m in love with everyone and i’m so glad i have the rest of the series on standby i just wish some parts weren’t spoiled for me :/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, and Physical abuse
Minor: Alcoholism
lilywalton's review
adventurous
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
This book follows Blue and her adventures with the boy (and his friends) she’s supposed to kill with her kiss. This sound like a love story, however it’s more so about the boys and his fascination with the bazaar happenings in their small Virginia town, where they learn of the magic that lies along a lay line.
I loved this story when I read it years ago, the magic was intresting without feeling impossible and the characters reaction to it was so realistic. Everything was written in a way that makes you feel as though I was experiencing it as well as the characters. This made me very happy.
The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is that it’s almost impossible for someone (like myself) who feels the need to skip over long texts at a time, especially because the book is describing a tiny objects in excruciating detail. I only got through the entire series because I was listening to it in audio form.
I loved this story when I read it years ago, the magic was intresting without feeling impossible and the characters reaction to it was so realistic. Everything was written in a way that makes you feel as though I was experiencing it as well as the characters. This made me very happy.
The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is that it’s almost impossible for someone (like myself) who feels the need to skip over long texts at a time, especially because the book is describing a tiny objects in excruciating detail. I only got through the entire series because I was listening to it in audio form.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, and Death
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Homophobia
kat_andherbooks's review
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-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? No
3.75
Great start to a series. It gets you hooked.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Murder and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism
keen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
3.5
The Raven Boys is an enjoyable book. It's not usually the kind I'd read, as I tend to avoid Young Adult novels since the days of Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Maze Runner by James Dashner, and Legend by Marie Lu. This was not helped by the summary, with its focus on "true love's deathly kiss" and an apparently big romance aspect. It all looked so cliché. It took a friend suggesting me The Raven Boys, a praise from acquaintances, some spoilers, and, finally, the first friend wanting to read the book with me. That was when I gave in. Another friend buying me the book sure did help too.
And I was pleasantly surprised. It starts off seeming like a romantic-focused story, but while romance is a factor, it's written well and has big plot relevance other than love-triangle nonsense meant to keep people guessing who will be The One. Based on comments on other fans, they also acknowledge that the summary is misleading and doesn't give a good idea of the actual contents of the book.
As I continued reading, I had to reconcile with the fact that the book was slower than I'm used to. Most stories I read are fast-paced. Horror books are the ones I accept for being medium or slow-paced so atmosphere can be build up. I'd say this book was medium-paced, with the slow beginning used to build up characters in preparation for the later acts and future books. Aside from that, I have to take some blame in how slowly I read. The struggles of the character Adam were so relatable to me that I had moments where I wanted to drop the book. Luckily, I kept going.
By the end, I was deep into the story. Despite reading another book with this one, I had to keep myself from buying the rest of the series the moment I finished. I'm excited to see where this story goes.
And I was pleasantly surprised. It starts off seeming like a romantic-focused story, but while romance is a factor, it's written well and has big plot relevance other than love-triangle nonsense meant to keep people guessing who will be The One. Based on comments on other fans, they also acknowledge that the summary is misleading and doesn't give a good idea of the actual contents of the book.
As I continued reading, I had to reconcile with the fact that the book was slower than I'm used to. Most stories I read are fast-paced. Horror books are the ones I accept for being medium or slow-paced so atmosphere can be build up. I'd say this book was medium-paced, with the slow beginning used to build up characters in preparation for the later acts and future books. Aside from that, I have to take some blame in how slowly I read. The struggles of the character Adam were so relatable to me that I had moments where I wanted to drop the book. Luckily, I kept going.
By the end, I was deep into the story. Despite reading another book with this one, I had to keep myself from buying the rest of the series the moment I finished. I'm excited to see where this story goes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Death, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Alcoholism, Body horror, and Bullying
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