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anaheeta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This will always be my favorite. My favorite EVERY thing. Series, fantasy, characters, settings, writing style. Maggie Stiefvater you brilliant brilliant woman, you have written me (yes, me specifically!) the perfect characters to love.
This is the perfect mix of whimsical and twisted magic, ghosts and ley lines, murderous professors, emotional things happening (you will cry multiple times by the time you finish the series).
It reads like a magical realism set in West Virginia, but it’s much more than any one sentence can describe. The first book is an introduction into the characters and their beautiful found family. There’s incredible amounts of references and foreshadowing implemented throughout the books. The pacing is a bit slow, but this is the only time I didn’t mind that, it matches everything perfectly. There are so many beautiful descriptions, heartbreaking lines, funny comments, and heartbreaking character backstories that will make you fall in love with the series. The series has such a huge emotional and mental hold on me, that it can wreck me for days or weeks, so read if you are a fan of pain like I am.
(I shall soon create a great playlist for this book)
Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Death
Moderate: Classism, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Kidnapping
Minor: Suicide attempt, Blood, and Alcohol
rookeatsbooks's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Cursing, Violence, Alcohol, Death, Classism, and Murder
Minor: Suicide attempt, Gun violence, and Self harm
ladythana's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Death
Moderate: Murder, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Child death
Minor: Suicide attempt and Classism
oscarnotwildin's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Classism, and Domestic abuse
takarakei's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This gave me definite call backs to The Whispering Dark which I feel like is a lesser known ya fantasy stand-alone that if you liked this you would probably love.
I look forward to continuing the series as I hear it gets better with each book.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Classism, Murder, and Gun violence
Minor: Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Misogyny, and Suicide attempt
askirmishofwit's review against another edition
- 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
I stand by what Past Emma said about this book.
Also the audiobook narrator is fantastic for this series so would highly recommend that.
—-
2015 Review:
You know the feeling when you're not quite sure what you read but you find yourself hooked and wanting more all the same? That, in a nutshell, was my experience of reading <i>The Raven Boys</i>. I'd seen this book everywhere on Booktube but what intrigued me most about it was the lack of detail people seemed to be able to give about it in their mini synopses - I now understand why. Saying house of psychics, searching for ley lines, an orange Camaro, Glendower, public school boys, and Latin all seems like an incongruous puzzle that couldn't possibly fit together, but it turns out that, in Maggie Stiefvater's hands, it does.
What impressed me most about this book is that it's the kind of odd and quirky and ridiculous that you honestly just fall into its world and then you're along for the ride, no matter what twist is thrown at you next. The pacing is perfectly controlled (I read this in the space of two days when I definitely had other things to do) and the characters are pleasingly different and distinguishable from each other. It would have been easy for some of the eponymous "raven boys" to blend into one another but, no, each stands on his own merit even if I do find myself wanting to shake some sense into each and every one of them - I'm mostly looking at you, Adam. And of course I like Gansey, even though I'm 99.9% certain that he's designed for everyone to fall for him. What can I say, well-spoken little rich boys who search for ancient Welsh kings in their free time and casually use words like "repugnant", that's "my type", apparently.
I spent a lot of time whilst reading muttering "no, no, don't, please no" and "wait... what?!?" at this book so if that isn't a ringing endorsement of how much <I>The Raven Boys</I> draws you into its world (even despite your better judgement), then I don't know what is.
[4.5/5 stars]
PS- If the blurb puts you off this book because it makes the narrative seem romance heavy, don't believe it, it lies. This is so much more than just a girl called Blue pining after pretty boys she can't kiss, though that is a shame in itself.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Addiction and Classism
guessgreenleaf'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: Physical abuse, Blood, Gaslighting, Child abuse, and Death
Moderate: Sexism, Gun violence, and Classism
Minor: Suicide attempt
ziggy13's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Murder, Violence, and Classism
lunep's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Murder, Alcohol, Death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Classism, Self harm, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Vomit
viacrow's review against another edition
- 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
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