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sam556889's review
3.0
I don't know what made me feel like this book wasn't as connected to the rest of the story but I think because the first three books were tied together so strongly that it was hard to follow them up when concluding the story. That being said I am not disappointed with how the story ended but would suggest not reading the extra portion titled "Opal" only because it took away from the ending of the book. I am sad to be parting from the characters in this series but definitely will suggest this for everyone to read.
k_winchester's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
I've been trying to think of how possibly to review this for a day after finishing and I still really don't even know. ๐
On one hand, it was the gorgeous, lyrical, super unique style of the other books, which I really love. So many phrases are just gorgeously done. I didn't know where this book, or series really, was going to go - I mean, yes, a few certain Big Plot Things that have been set out from the beginning were sure to come to a head or conclusion here, and I was dying to find out how it may or may not go down. I really enjoyed reading this pretty well whole through, and the added story about Opal at the end was really sweet, kinda (but appropriately) weird and reminded me A LOT of Patrick Rothfuss's little book about Auri. And I did get pretty emotional when a certain character went down.
But on the other hand I feel like on the whole, it created more questions than answered or resolved much of anything. I feel like there was virtually no resolution - or very very VERY little, and even that was mostly glossed over. It's really hard to feel much satisfaction when there's been a very specific build up of a couple things in particular that just ended/happened in basically an instant in the last 12 pages, the end. Even within that super abruptness there was some stuff I really liked, but there just feels like there's soooo much stuff left majorly unresolved. :/
I ultimately rated it pretty high because it was beautiful and unique like the other books, and I really enjoyed reading pretty much all of it. But it's complicated because of the huuuge pile of questions and unresolved-just-about-everything. ๐
On one hand, it was the gorgeous, lyrical, super unique style of the other books, which I really love. So many phrases are just gorgeously done. I didn't know where this book, or series really, was going to go - I mean, yes, a few certain Big Plot Things that have been set out from the beginning were sure to come to a head or conclusion here, and I was dying to find out how it may or may not go down. I really enjoyed reading this pretty well whole through, and the added story about Opal at the end was really sweet, kinda (but appropriately) weird and reminded me A LOT of Patrick Rothfuss's little book about Auri. And I did get pretty emotional when a certain character went down.
But on the other hand I feel like on the whole, it created more questions than answered or resolved much of anything. I feel like there was virtually no resolution - or very very VERY little, and even that was mostly glossed over. It's really hard to feel much satisfaction when there's been a very specific build up of a couple things in particular that just ended/happened in basically an instant in the last 12 pages, the end. Even within that super abruptness there was some stuff I really liked, but there just feels like there's soooo much stuff left majorly unresolved. :/
I ultimately rated it pretty high because it was beautiful and unique like the other books, and I really enjoyed reading pretty much all of it. But it's complicated because of the huuuge pile of questions and unresolved-just-about-everything. ๐
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Blood
cmdufresne's review
2.0
I don't understand what people like about this series. I kept going thinking, "this has such high reviews, and everyone loves it, maybe it gets better." It does not.
juulws's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
xenchiaa's review
4.0
I donโt think I can put into words how these books made me feel so have these quotes instead
"In that moment, Blue was a little in love with all of them.
Their magic. Their quest. Their awfulness and strangeness.
Her raven boys."
"You can be just friends with people, you know," Orla said. "I think it's crazy how you're in love with all those raven boys."
Orla wasn't wrong, of course. But what she didn't realize about Blue and her boys was that they were all in love with one another. She was no less obsessed with them than they were with her, or one another, analyzing every conversation and gesture, drawing out every joke into a longer and longer running gag, spending each moment either with one another or thinking about when next they would be with one another. Blue was perfectly aware that it was possible to have a friendship that wasn't all-encompassing, that wasn't blinding, deafening, maddening, quickening. It was just that now that she'd had this kind, she didn't want the other."
"In that moment, Blue was a little in love with all of them.
Their magic. Their quest. Their awfulness and strangeness.
Her raven boys."
"You can be just friends with people, you know," Orla said. "I think it's crazy how you're in love with all those raven boys."
Orla wasn't wrong, of course. But what she didn't realize about Blue and her boys was that they were all in love with one another. She was no less obsessed with them than they were with her, or one another, analyzing every conversation and gesture, drawing out every joke into a longer and longer running gag, spending each moment either with one another or thinking about when next they would be with one another. Blue was perfectly aware that it was possible to have a friendship that wasn't all-encompassing, that wasn't blinding, deafening, maddening, quickening. It was just that now that she'd had this kind, she didn't want the other."
margotgabriella's review
4.0
Finally, I finished The Raven Cycle. I want to be very, very honest with this review. I was kind of dissapointed with the ending. Since the series took 4 books of around 350 pages to get to this point and I felt like that was unneeded. I loved the romance in this book, even though I still struggle with the writing format of this series.
SPOILERS FROM NOW ON
These are some problems that I found in this book:
Okay, so Gansey dies (that was expected with Blue's prophecy and all that) and I guess I was a good dead. But why, did they have to resurrect him? I felt like his death was a good closing point.
Blue's father is a tree, are you kidding me? That's hideous and unneeded.
The King we've been searching for for 4 long books is dead. Like, he has been dead for centuries. So the whole purpose of his legacy was very unneeded and I was so disappointed with it.
The demon? Come on, that was a very unneeded aspect and kind of boring.
That's all I can think of right now. But after that, the book was good and I liked it!
SPOILERS FROM NOW ON
These are some problems that I found in this book:
Okay, so Gansey dies (that was expected with Blue's prophecy and all that) and I guess I was a good dead. But why, did they have to resurrect him? I felt like his death was a good closing point.
Blue's father is a tree, are you kidding me? That's hideous and unneeded.
The King we've been searching for for 4 long books is dead. Like, he has been dead for centuries. So the whole purpose of his legacy was very unneeded and I was so disappointed with it.
The demon? Come on, that was a very unneeded aspect and kind of boring.
That's all I can think of right now. But after that, the book was good and I liked it!
babs_samper's review
2.0
The ending was seriously awful.
The author started a new tedious plot with new characters and suddenly they were forgotten. At the very end some plots remained unaddressed and some main characters were also forgotten. The ending was really predictable and it felt unfinished.
The author started a new tedious plot with new characters and suddenly they were forgotten. At the very end some plots remained unaddressed and some main characters were also forgotten. The ending was really predictable and it felt unfinished.
eileenthecrow's review
5.0
five stars.
i gave all the other books five stars despite my problems with them and this shouldn't be the exception even though i was very frustrated with a lof things toward the end.
i have some problems with it. i didn't like so many things. so many things just felt out of place. unnecessary. so many things were left unanswered. but these are not perfect books and i'm okay with it. i loved the characters so much to care about all the rest. i normally don't read YA books either and i would have given all of them three stars if it weren't for these characters and maggie's beautiful writing.
anyway. like i said. i loved the book despite its flaws. it could have been better but this is how it ended up being. i'm sad that this is the last book in the series and i hope maggie decides to write new stuff with these characters in them. i'm still not ready to say goodbye.
*I HAVE TO SAY THIS THOUGH*
some of the things people said about the book (regarding ronan & adam) are NOT TRUE. read it for yourself before getting angry about it.
i gave all the other books five stars despite my problems with them and this shouldn't be the exception even though i was very frustrated with a lof things toward the end.
i have some problems with it. i didn't like so many things. so many things just felt out of place. unnecessary. so many things were left unanswered.
Spoiler
ronan and adam didn't have a scene together in the epilogue. that bummed me out. though maggie did hint at adam staying with ronan (or at least spending time at the barns) and he was driving ronan's car anyway. also. noah. his ending was not satisfying at all.anyway. like i said. i loved the book despite its flaws. it could have been better but this is how it ended up being. i'm sad that this is the last book in the series and i hope maggie decides to write new stuff with these characters in them. i'm still not ready to say goodbye.
*I HAVE TO SAY THIS THOUGH*
some of the things people said about the book (regarding ronan & adam) are NOT TRUE. read it for yourself before getting angry about it.
Spoiler
their kisses are mentioned. adam literally says "i was about to kill the guy i only started making out with" or something like that. he also talks to gansey about it after their first kiss. their relationship is (for me) the heart of the book. they have more intimate scenes than blue and gansey ever had. i don't know why people are saying the "hetero" couple got the spotlight and the "gay" couple was sidelined. they weren't. if anything, i think their kiss had much more impact than blue and gansey's. stop being unfair to maggie, she did a great job with their relationship. as i said before, their relationship isn't mentioned at the end of the book and that upset people (well. it upset me too) but i can live with that. there is so much possibility surrounding these characters and i'm sure adam and ronan are somewhere, together and happy.liindsc's review
5.0
this book is so insanely confusing to me but i loved it so much like the way the relationships were wrote? like cmon henry?? blue?? each character seems so real and has so many real teenager qualities they seem as if you could find someone like them at your school. all the characters have pros and cons which are written in a way where you can see each side.