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A review by queer_bookwyrm
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

adventurous hopeful inspiring 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? No

4.0

 4 ⭐ CW: death of a parent, violence, child abuse, human sacrifice/murder, gun violence, death by trampling

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater is the first book in the Raven Cycle series, and was recommended to me by a friend who adores this series.

I loved this cast of characters right away! Blue is smart, funky, and perceptive as well as the daughter of psychic. Blue herself doesn't have psychic powers, but she tends to act like an amplifier of things that need energy, like ghosts. I also loved how many women were in Blue's life and that they were all delightfully weird and mysterious in their own ways. I liked Calla the best.

Then we have the titular Raven Boys. We have Ronan, the grumpy tough guy more likely to use his fists than words (he's secretly a softie, I know it!). Then we have Adam , the scholarship student at Aglionby who is poor, abused, and has a giant chip on his shoulder. Next is Noah, who is kind of the Eeyore of the group, but they always include him. And finally, we have Gansey, the ringleader who doesn't understand money and its affect on other (poorer) people.

Gansey is on a mission to find the Welsh King Glenbower along a ley line in Virginia. Creepy stuff happens in the gang's search, plus they unexpectedly uncover a murder. Some wibbly-wobbly stuff happens along with a lot of Latin. This was a fun read, with a great cast of characters. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. 

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