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A review by alysynhardt
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
5.0
For the writing style of a YA novel that everybody seems to think is "unique" I think it was absolutely conventional. Right down to the Writing 101 tip: Give your character a signature scent (in this case it's mint).
However, the storyline was a juxtaposition of the most popular YA genres. It was romance, prep-school-boy, paranormal, thriller, amazingness. I may be biased because I love Gansey. But it's not just him, all the characters are so lovable. The main protagonist Blue isn't just a Plain Jane female for you to plop your own image on & live vicariously through. She's an actual defined character. It's very clear how the author intended the reader to feel about each character, but in a natural style that's not forced at all.
Before I even finished this one I ordered the next two in the series. It's simply addicting. The plot is paced well, speeding up a little at the end, but keeping pace with the action of the narrative. There were many questions at the end that may confuse the reader, but all are touched on in the second installment. The little quirks in this book are what make it stand out from other YA reads. It's also particularly skilled at surprising the reader, without the shocks seemingly coming out of nowhere. It had me questioning why I never bothered wondering how I missed such obvious logic before the turns.
I could not put this book down. This is my new favorite YA series, so it's not long before they adapt it into a movie version! Plus Maggie Stiefvater has a sick
Instagram.
However, the storyline was a juxtaposition of the most popular YA genres. It was romance, prep-school-boy, paranormal, thriller, amazingness. I may be biased because I love Gansey. But it's not just him, all the characters are so lovable. The main protagonist Blue isn't just a Plain Jane female for you to plop your own image on & live vicariously through. She's an actual defined character. It's very clear how the author intended the reader to feel about each character, but in a natural style that's not forced at all.
Before I even finished this one I ordered the next two in the series. It's simply addicting. The plot is paced well, speeding up a little at the end, but keeping pace with the action of the narrative. There were many questions at the end that may confuse the reader, but all are touched on in the second installment. The little quirks in this book are what make it stand out from other YA reads. It's also particularly skilled at surprising the reader, without the shocks seemingly coming out of nowhere. It had me questioning why I never bothered wondering how I missed such obvious logic before the turns.
I could not put this book down. This is my new favorite YA series, so it's not long before they adapt it into a movie version! Plus Maggie Stiefvater has a sick
Instagram.