Review by so_many_books - The Golden Raven

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so_many_books 's review for:

The Golden Raven by Nora Sakavic

5.0

dark emotional hopeful 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

I didn't think another book could destroy me so fully after The Sunshine Court, but here we go. Jean continues his journey to become a Torjan while we get to know more about Jeremy's struggles and see the aftermath of Rico and Coach Moriyama unfold.

Jeremy becomes such a layered and rounded person in this one. From the very beginning, he had this golden boy persona. He's kind, he's charismatic, he's loyal and generally a good person. But he also has a grey side of him. It's a past that haunts him to this day. A past that he can't move past from because of his family. His flings, his inability to stand up for himself to his family, his weak moments. They all add up to show us a more detailed and clear picture of who Jeremy is. I loved to see it. Especially because all these revelations into who he is do not change how good he is. They actually reinforce his good qualities, extentuating how they came to be through willpower. Jeremy always stands up for his friends, wanting them to be happy. And it's all the more powerful because he can't do the same for himself in front of his family. I admire him a whole lot.

Jean's story in this one gives the meaning of the title. He is a golden raven. Most of the book is about him dealing with and unlearning everything that was instilled in him as a Raven. From his exy style, through his behavior with his teammates all the way to his many many traumas he suffered in the hands of Riko and more recently the news about his family who he hasn't spoken to since they sold him. It is a work in progress. A lot like taking a few steps forward and then a giant step back. But what is powerful in his story is his determination. He moves froward from his terrified broken self in The Sunshine Court to something a little bit better. He's still not healed. He's still not ready to let go of everything. But he has chosen the Trojans and his friends. He has chosen to continue and fight for his life. Which is the biggest step he could have ever taken.

My favourite quote from the book sums up Jean's progress in The Golden Raven:

"How Jean’s kind heart had survived a place like Evermore, Jeremy wasn’t sure. It was bruised and bleeding, but it wasn’t broken."

One aspect about Jean I absolutely loved to witness is his slow acceptance of people caring about him. He's still dumbstruck whenever someone does something remotely nice to him, but he also thrives because of it. Because deep down he is also a kind and loving person. He was just not allowed to care and love for the past five years. It's absolutely heartbreaking, and I applaud every single one of his friends who does not give up on him. Jeremy, Cat, and Laila are obviously at the forefront. But also, his other teammates get more time with him, showing him even more of how real, healthy, and kind relationships should work. We also have Kevin as an unexpected soft light in Jean's life. Unexpected but not surprising.

I loved to see Jean's aggression and lashing out be tamed slowly. He lets go of so much of his instinctual anger, which he used as a coping mechanism. He shows glimpses of a man who cares deeply, who wants his friends to thrive, who loves to see them smile.

A darker aspect of the story is the aftermath of Rico and Coach Moriyama within the remainder of the Ravens. They implode in the most heartwrenching fashion, showing their aggression, viscousness, and trauma to the world. What they do is unforgiveable. But after seeing into Jean's past, it's not surprising at all. They are all victims to two men and a system they built in the darkness of Evermore. Clearly, they do not have the support system that Jean gained when he transferred to the Trojans.
Not only do they not have a support system, but they also have fanatic Raven supporters who have no idea what actually went down in Evermore. Fanatics who don't shy away from retaliating in their stead whenever the Foxes or Jean say something critical of their beloved Ravens. Causing so much more harm and sadness.

We also get a few sneaky cameos from the Foxes. An unexpected sweet little moment is Kevin showing up for Jean as a brother. Yes, Kevin is a prick in general, but he's also the only one who has a true perception of what Jean went through. He also carries guilt from leaving him. I hope their tentative, stumbling friendship after all that went down can go on.

In true middle book in a trilogy fashion, this book ripped my heart out in whole by the end of the book. Not necessarily in the same way as TSC did. But the healing that goes down in this book is so very heartbreaking. The friendships, the care, and the love that goes on in this book despite all the trauma and tragedy are a devastating force. It brought me to my knees. And I actually had to take a break in the middle of the book to be able to breathe a little.
And the ending? That last chapter with Jean and Jeremy and you know what... that is the sweetest thing I have ever read.

I. Need. More. Now.

Content Warnings