The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

            I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of The Raven Boys from Scholastic last week.

Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Expected Publication Date: Sept. 18th, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 408

From Goodreads:
“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I've gotten used to a certain formula in books: girl falls for boy[or boy falls for girl], drama, obstacles, and the ever obvious happy ending. The Raven Boys was surprising. This was not a book that followed the same old formula. This book was about the quest. Don't get me wrong, there is a tension that got my heart in a flutter, but it's not the center of the story. It was very refreshing.

I spent the first part of the book asking "why?" a lot. Then the pieces began to fit together, some in ways that left me shocked. I love a good twist, and I got more than one.

The characters were real, they all had their flaws and weaknesses. Blue is brave, yet sensible and very easy to like. Her odd psychic family is funny and a little bit scary[in a good way]. And I found myself falling in love with all of the raven boys. They were so different from one another, yet made complete sense as a group.

The Raven Boys was magical, mysterious, and suspenseful. It kept me wanting more until the very last page. I can't wait to see where the quest will take Blue and the raven boys next.

As a little bonus teaser Maggie Stiefvater created an awesome animated trailer for The Raven Boys.   I dare you to not fall in love.

-Kait