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adamparrishlover's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Gore
trintrin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
5.0
Oh… that… that was the most beautiful thing ever
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Murder, Body horror, Death, Violence, Blood, Gore, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Gun violence
Minor: Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, and Racism
friendly_neighborhood_grandma's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
3.5
This book was very good at the start. Kinda predictable but idc. I did not understand anything that happened at the last quarter of the book. It was very confusing and too fast to understand, a little forced...I think that I really like the ending. Simple, hopeful, free)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Suicide, Body horror, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, Self harm, Confinement, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Vomit and Panic attacks/disorders
_teoeo's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I finished this book crying. Over the last 2 months trc were my comfort books and I'm so sad that I've finished them now. The books are really extraordinary, the hype and high rating more than deserved!! They are beautifully written and the characters, I just love them. Also Ronan as a gay character without it being a stereotype when the books are from 2012 - 2016??? Wowowo. I have to admit that some plotlines abruptly ended without a satisfying explanation e.g. piper?? how is it that glendower is dead?? what about gansey, what is it that cabbeswater had to make "different" about him so he can live again?? and that's the reason I'm rating it 4,5 instead of 5 stars. All in all it was really gut wrenching and heart warming and I'm so glad that I've finally read them! They really have a special place in my heart from now on!
Update: I recently discovered Maggie Stiefvaters past racist and problematic comments and also learned about the racist joke(s) in this book, e.g.:
Update: I recently discovered Maggie Stiefvaters past racist and problematic comments and also learned about the racist joke(s) in this book, e.g.:
“Principles? Henry Cheng’s principles are all about getting larger font in the school newsletter,” Ronan said. He did a vaguely offensive version of Henry’s voice: “Serif? Sans serif? More bold, less italics.”
Blue saw Adam both smirk and turn his face away in a hurry so that Gansey wouldn’t see, but it was too late.
“Et tu, Brute?” Gansey asked Adam. “Disappointing.”
“I didn’t say anything,” Adam replied.
Adam made puerile jokes at Henry’s expense (He’s half Chinese? “Which half?”) and sniggered clannishly; Blue called them on it (“Jealous, much?”): Gansey told them to put aside their preconceptions and think about him.
Because of my point of view as a white reader I didn't saw them when I first read the books, but I want to acknowledge them now and encourage you to inform yourself about these issues, even if trc is one of your favorites.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Murder, and Death
Minor: Emotional abuse
hg_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
comraderowan94's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Death
layn_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
battybookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
It finally happened! This book got me and I really ended up having a good time finishing off this series in general. This was sort of a challenge I set myself (I believe at the end of 2019) where I wanted to read a series. I am a not-so-notorious-though-perhaps-very-loud series hater. I have been since middle school. The scourge of YA series that were so popular during that time (Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Divergent, etc) really started to put me off reading because it felt very commercial without much substance.
With some age and time, I have gotten over this hate and I was really hungry for a YA around that time anyway (I can't remember but I believe I'd just finished something dark and adult and was in need of a change in pace). I'm probably very late to the train on these books, but I was suddenly hearing about them everywhere and I decided to try them. I remember seeing Stiefvater's work when I was in school but I think it was only the Shiver series, and I'm afraid I've yet to get into werewolf books.
This series has been fun. I'll admit, there isn't a single book in the series that I outright hated and Stiefvater does a really good job of making them all significant in some way or another. That being said. I was super sick of reading them and they are not as fulfilling as a standalone book where I can get that connection and the magical reading moment where the book speaks directly to me and changes me as a person in some fundamental way. I think series books might just not do this as much for me. They're basically a prolonged book so the time it takes to get to life-changing places takes longer. I really like the tone of these stories. I didn't overly love the characters at first but they've grown on me and I did enjoy the story/adventure they go on so that helped.
The Raven King in particular had some of the best moments in character development. I think the shifts in POV and the way Stiefvater unwound events and opened chapters in this story were purposeful and almost expert-level at points. I did not expect where things went, and while that's not a requirement for me, it was enjoyable to continually be surprised. And, the magical moment finally happened in this book! I can't remember (plus it'd be spoilers) what it was in particular but I know it was something Blue-related and I just felt I finally got her and her motives and perspective and could say, 'yes, this makes sense to me and I love it.' I was very happy once I got there and the rest of the book was a breeze from then on.
These books take a little while for me to get going with them. This is something I think might be with most series that you sort of get more of a roller coaster effect than a single slow build and then drop. The starts of each book felt long but once they get momentum they get going pretty darn fast. They're fun, fairly quick, and easy to read, and definitely great fantasy with familiar elements but funky enough to be something all their own as well. Another part I loved with these books, completely unexpected, was that people knew these books and would share things about them with me. I don't know if it's the YA-ness or their general popularity, but these books are better known than most of what I usually read. I got lots of little sweet tidbits from other students and strangers: stuff about their experiences reading these and I treasure those the most!
With some age and time, I have gotten over this hate and I was really hungry for a YA around that time anyway (I can't remember but I believe I'd just finished something dark and adult and was in need of a change in pace). I'm probably very late to the train on these books, but I was suddenly hearing about them everywhere and I decided to try them. I remember seeing Stiefvater's work when I was in school but I think it was only the Shiver series, and I'm afraid I've yet to get into werewolf books.
This series has been fun. I'll admit, there isn't a single book in the series that I outright hated and Stiefvater does a really good job of making them all significant in some way or another. That being said. I was super sick of reading them and they are not as fulfilling as a standalone book where I can get that connection and the magical reading moment where the book speaks directly to me and changes me as a person in some fundamental way. I think series books might just not do this as much for me. They're basically a prolonged book so the time it takes to get to life-changing places takes longer. I really like the tone of these stories. I didn't overly love the characters at first but they've grown on me and I did enjoy the story/adventure they go on so that helped.
The Raven King in particular had some of the best moments in character development. I think the shifts in POV and the way Stiefvater unwound events and opened chapters in this story were purposeful and almost expert-level at points. I did not expect where things went, and while that's not a requirement for me, it was enjoyable to continually be surprised. And, the magical moment finally happened in this book! I can't remember (plus it'd be spoilers) what it was in particular but I know it was something Blue-related and I just felt I finally got her and her motives and perspective and could say, 'yes, this makes sense to me and I love it.' I was very happy once I got there and the rest of the book was a breeze from then on.
These books take a little while for me to get going with them. This is something I think might be with most series that you sort of get more of a roller coaster effect than a single slow build and then drop. The starts of each book felt long but once they get momentum they get going pretty darn fast. They're fun, fairly quick, and easy to read, and definitely great fantasy with familiar elements but funky enough to be something all their own as well. Another part I loved with these books, completely unexpected, was that people knew these books and would share things about them with me. I don't know if it's the YA-ness or their general popularity, but these books are better known than most of what I usually read. I got lots of little sweet tidbits from other students and strangers: stuff about their experiences reading these and I treasure those the most!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Murder, Gore, Death, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
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