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Though she is from a family of clairvoyants, Blue Sargent's only gift seems to be that she makes other people's talents stronger, and when she meets Gansey, one of the Raven Boys from the expensive Aglionby Academy, she discovers that he has talents of his own--and that together their talents are a dangerous mix.Tags
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humouress College kids in America involved with a king who will come again from British myths.
Member Reviews
Blue Sargent is an appealing character: a sixteen-year-old girl who lives with her mother, a psychic, and several other psychic women, Blue is accustomed to being around the supernatural without ever actually seeing it herself - for she is the only person in the house who isn't a psychic. Blue's gift is slightly different: she magnifies others' powers and energy.
The other main characters are the "raven boys," boys who attend Aglionby, an expensive prep school in the Virginia town of Henrietta where Blue lives. Blue has always ignored the raven boys, but when several of them land on her doorstep for a reading with her mother, she can't help but become involved with them - especially since her fate is tied to one of them already.
Gansey is show more a boy obsessed with a quest to find the burial tomb of the ancient Welsh king, Glendower. After years of research, he believes that Glendower's tomb is somewhere in or near Henrietta, on a "ley line" from England. Whoever wakes the king will be granted a wish, but Gansey doesn't want the wish; he just wants to prove it can be done.
Gansey's friends - Ronan Lynch, Adam Parrish, and Noah - accompany him on his quest mostly out of loyalty to Gansey. Along the way, Adam falls for Blue, but Blue is wary: it has been prophesied that if she kisses her true love, he will die.
The book gains momentum and builds to a very strong but abrupt ending, with no denouement; readers just have to wait for The Dream Thieves to be published (and maybe another after that?). It's enough to make me consider Hannah Gomez's pledge not to start any trilogies, quartets, or series until all the books in it have been published ("Too Many Trilogies," YALSA The Hub, July 12, 2013).
Overall, however, The Raven Boys - like Maggie Stiefvater's other books - belongs to the "paranormal" genre, but is set apart from many of its companions in that genre by her exceptional imagination, originality, and very good writing (though there are a few too many adverbs for my taste). I am quite eager to read more...I just wish I didn't have to wait.
Quotes:
The key, Gansey found, was that you had to believe they existed; you had to realize they were part of something bigger. Some secrets only gave themselves up to those who'd proven themselves worthy.
The way Gansey saw it was this: If you had a special knack for finding things, it meant you owed the world to look. (24)
Gansey and Adam sought Glendower for different reasons. Gansey longed for him like Arthur longed for the grail, drawn by a desperate but nebulous need to be useful to the world, to make sure his life meant something...by some complicated longing to settle an argument that waged deep inside himself.
Adam, on the other hand, needed that royal favor. (51)
At night, Henrietta felt like magic, and at night, magic felt like it might be a terrible thing. (90)
Sometimes, Gansey felt like his life was made up of a dozen hours that he could never forget. (91)
The fact was, by the time she got to high school, being weird and proud of it was an asset. Suddenly cool, Blue could've happily had any number of friends. And she had tried. But the problem with being weird was that everyone else was normal. (104)
Rags to riches isn't a story anyone wants to hear until after it's done. (Adam, 131)
So many things survived here without really living. (133)
...there was something in [Ronan's] antagonism that made her want to court his favor, to earn his approval. The approval of someone like him, who clearly cared for no one, seemed like it would be worth more. (146)
She recognized the strange happiness that came from loving something without knowing why you did, that strange happiness that was sometimes so big that it felt like sadness. (223)
"Once Arthur knew the grail existed, how could he not look for it?" (Gansey, 272)
People shout when they don't have the vocabulary to whisper (Gansey's mother, 350)
They were always walking away from him. But he never seemed able to walk away from them. (351) show less
The other main characters are the "raven boys," boys who attend Aglionby, an expensive prep school in the Virginia town of Henrietta where Blue lives. Blue has always ignored the raven boys, but when several of them land on her doorstep for a reading with her mother, she can't help but become involved with them - especially since her fate is tied to one of them already.
Gansey is show more a boy obsessed with a quest to find the burial tomb of the ancient Welsh king, Glendower. After years of research, he believes that Glendower's tomb is somewhere in or near Henrietta, on a "ley line" from England. Whoever wakes the king will be granted a wish, but Gansey doesn't want the wish; he just wants to prove it can be done.
Gansey's friends - Ronan Lynch, Adam Parrish, and Noah - accompany him on his quest mostly out of loyalty to Gansey. Along the way, Adam falls for Blue, but Blue is wary: it has been prophesied that if she kisses her true love, he will die.
The book gains momentum and builds to a very strong but abrupt ending, with no denouement; readers just have to wait for The Dream Thieves to be published (and maybe another after that?). It's enough to make me consider Hannah Gomez's pledge not to start any trilogies, quartets, or series until all the books in it have been published ("Too Many Trilogies," YALSA The Hub, July 12, 2013).
Overall, however, The Raven Boys - like Maggie Stiefvater's other books - belongs to the "paranormal" genre, but is set apart from many of its companions in that genre by her exceptional imagination, originality, and very good writing (though there are a few too many adverbs for my taste). I am quite eager to read more...I just wish I didn't have to wait.
Quotes:
The key, Gansey found, was that you had to believe they existed; you had to realize they were part of something bigger. Some secrets only gave themselves up to those who'd proven themselves worthy.
The way Gansey saw it was this: If you had a special knack for finding things, it meant you owed the world to look. (24)
Gansey and Adam sought Glendower for different reasons. Gansey longed for him like Arthur longed for the grail, drawn by a desperate but nebulous need to be useful to the world, to make sure his life meant something...by some complicated longing to settle an argument that waged deep inside himself.
Adam, on the other hand, needed that royal favor. (51)
At night, Henrietta felt like magic, and at night, magic felt like it might be a terrible thing. (90)
Sometimes, Gansey felt like his life was made up of a dozen hours that he could never forget. (91)
The fact was, by the time she got to high school, being weird and proud of it was an asset. Suddenly cool, Blue could've happily had any number of friends. And she had tried. But the problem with being weird was that everyone else was normal. (104)
Rags to riches isn't a story anyone wants to hear until after it's done. (Adam, 131)
So many things survived here without really living. (133)
...there was something in [Ronan's] antagonism that made her want to court his favor, to earn his approval. The approval of someone like him, who clearly cared for no one, seemed like it would be worth more. (146)
She recognized the strange happiness that came from loving something without knowing why you did, that strange happiness that was sometimes so big that it felt like sadness. (223)
"Once Arthur knew the grail existed, how could he not look for it?" (Gansey, 272)
People shout when they don't have the vocabulary to whisper (Gansey's mother, 350)
They were always walking away from him. But he never seemed able to walk away from them. (351) show less
Aglionby Academy was the number one reason Blue had developed her two rules: One, stay away from boys, because they were trouble. And two, stay away from Aglionby boys, because they were bastards.
What you'll get:
Found family
Magic
Ghosts
Deaf rep - Adam's left ear
TW/CW: Adam loses hearing in one ear in a domestic violence incident
Setting: Virginia
This was one of the books that set my love for found family in stone. Every single character could have easily been the main character in their own book. I read this originally in 2016 and Ronan was my favorite and that still stands in 2023.
Gansey has been looking for a lost Welsh king for years and he's absolutely convinced that he is somewhere near Henrietta, VA where he goes to school. He has show more his three best friends dialed in on this quest and against all odds, gets Blue, a local who hates the boys who attend this fancy private school, to join them.
Blue is the daughter of a psychic and saw Gansey die in a vision so she wants to keep an eye on this giant peacock and try to save him if she can. She fits in like a missing puzzle piece for this group.
Adam is the scholarship kid at this fancy school who is keeping hold of everything by the skin of his teeth. He desperately wants to get himself out of his surroundings by being successful when he graduates. His father is violent and his mother doesn't care enough to do anything about it.
Noah is mysterious and Ronan is angry and self destructive. They round out this rag tag band of people who go into the woods to look and find the woods look back. show less
What you'll get:
Found family
Magic
Ghosts
Deaf rep - Adam's left ear
TW/CW: Adam loses hearing in one ear in a domestic violence incident
Setting: Virginia
This was one of the books that set my love for found family in stone. Every single character could have easily been the main character in their own book. I read this originally in 2016 and Ronan was my favorite and that still stands in 2023.
Gansey has been looking for a lost Welsh king for years and he's absolutely convinced that he is somewhere near Henrietta, VA where he goes to school. He has show more his three best friends dialed in on this quest and against all odds, gets Blue, a local who hates the boys who attend this fancy private school, to join them.
Blue is the daughter of a psychic and saw Gansey die in a vision so she wants to keep an eye on this giant peacock and try to save him if she can. She fits in like a missing puzzle piece for this group.
Adam is the scholarship kid at this fancy school who is keeping hold of everything by the skin of his teeth. He desperately wants to get himself out of his surroundings by being successful when he graduates. His father is violent and his mother doesn't care enough to do anything about it.
Noah is mysterious and Ronan is angry and self destructive. They round out this rag tag band of people who go into the woods to look and find the woods look back. show less
It's been no secret that I haven't been a fan (at all) of Maggie Stiefvater's books. I haven't read the Wolves of Mercy Falls series yet, but the others just really haven't done it for me. I couldn't stand the Lament/Ballad series, and absolutely yawned during The Scorpio Races (it was SO boring!). I was starting to be convinced that her books just weren't for me and I was ready to give up completely.
You guys.
I LOVED The Raven Boys.
It was one of those books that captured me from the first word and never let go.
I loved the pacing, the characters, the story, the intrigue...everything. I was completely hooked on the story and couldn't wait to pick it up again when I had to put it down for the night. I'll even confess to several nights show more staying up WAY later than I should have, just to get to that next chapter. You should know, sleep is at a premium right now and I'm very loathe to lose any of it. So when a book makes me want to read it rather than get that very precious sleep, you know it's a keeper.
There were times when I figured I had it all worked out and a curve would be tossed in. There were connections I thought I'd made and then found out I'd been WAY off the mark. It kept me guessing right up until the end and now I REALLY can't wait for the next installment.
Also, it's made me kind of anxious to start the Wolves series. This is a big deal, guys, because I was at the point where I was going to get rid of my copies without ever having read them.
Hurrah for having my mind changed!! (And hopefully the Wolves series is as awesome for me as The Raven Boys...)
4 Eiffel Towers and a promise that I'm picking up a hard copy as soon as my budget allows it! show less
You guys.
I LOVED The Raven Boys.
It was one of those books that captured me from the first word and never let go.
I loved the pacing, the characters, the story, the intrigue...everything. I was completely hooked on the story and couldn't wait to pick it up again when I had to put it down for the night. I'll even confess to several nights show more staying up WAY later than I should have, just to get to that next chapter. You should know, sleep is at a premium right now and I'm very loathe to lose any of it. So when a book makes me want to read it rather than get that very precious sleep, you know it's a keeper.
There were times when I figured I had it all worked out and a curve would be tossed in. There were connections I thought I'd made and then found out I'd been WAY off the mark. It kept me guessing right up until the end and now I REALLY can't wait for the next installment.
Also, it's made me kind of anxious to start the Wolves series. This is a big deal, guys, because I was at the point where I was going to get rid of my copies without ever having read them.
Hurrah for having my mind changed!! (And hopefully the Wolves series is as awesome for me as The Raven Boys...)
4 Eiffel Towers and a promise that I'm picking up a hard copy as soon as my budget allows it! show less
Confession – this is the third time I’ve read The Raven Boys in less than two years. Obviously, I really love this book.
Going in, I was dubious, mainly due to the misleading cover blurb which contains several phrases that tend to make me steer away from books:
“Either you’re his true love… or you killed him.”
“But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain.”
The words “true love” and “inexplicably drawn to” tend to make me drop books and run the opposite direction in fear of Twilight clones or insta love. Basically, it looked like all the other “star crossed true love” paranormal YA stories out there, which I generally detest. However, I’d previously enjoyed The Scorpio Races by Stiefvater, show more so was willing to give The Raven Boys a try.
I am so glad I did.
I often see The Raven Boys classified as paranormal romance, and I’d have to disagree with that. The plot actually focuses on ley lines and trees that speak in Latin and the hunt for an ancient Welsh king. While there is a romantic plot thread, it’s a minor one compared to all the other events and relationships in the book. Really, I think The Raven Boys is centered around the friendships of all these different, complex characters. Blue and the Raven Boys (Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah) are obviously the crux of the book, but I found Blue’s family, the psychic ladies of 300 Fox Way, to be very entertaining as well.
Gansey’s filled with a desperate desire to make his life worth something, which in turn fuels his desire to find the sleeping Welsh king, Glendower. He has the tendency to come across as callus or entitled (much to his distress), but he’s also deeply devoted to his friends and is constantly worrying about them. Possibly for this reason, the TV trope “Team Mom” fits him pretty well. Unfortunately, there’s not always much he can do to help his friends.
“They were always walking away from him. But he never seemed able to walk away from them.”
Ronan’s bitter and troubled, the student who’s always cutting class and on the verge of expulsion.
“Gansey had once told Adam that he was afraid most people didn’t know how to handle Ronan. What he meant by this was that he was worried that one day someone would fall on Ronan and cut themselves.”
I was worried that Ronan would fall into the stereotypical YA “bad boy” trap, but Maggie Stiefvater’s much too good of an author for that. The sequel, The Dream Thieves, put those fears to rest for good and made Ronan my favorite character.
Adam’s a scholarship student from a poor and abusive background who has to work hard to have even a fraction of what the others take for granted. He’s determined to succeed on his own merits without being beholden to anyone, which can lead to conflict when Gansey tries to help him out.
Noah, the last of the boys, is quiet and tends not to have much of an impression. But if you’re wondering why he’s included, just hang on for the first half and you’ll soon find out.
What’s unusual about my complete love for the series is that female characters are not a big factor. Don’t get me wrong – Blue isn’t badly written or aggravating. She’s probably better than most other YA heroines, and I might like her a lot better in another book. It’s just that she’s outshone by Raven Boys. Analyzing it, I think it’s because, well, Blue has the best life and least conflicts and worries out of all of them. She also doesn’t seem to have any of the hidden depth that makes the others so appealing.
Lastly in regards to characters, I love that Blue’s family plays a significant and sympathetic role in the book. It’s so different than how the typical YA story goes, and her mother and the other psychics have some truly hilarious moments.
Before I wrap up this review, I have two farther points to make. Firstly, the writing is excellent, never clunky and sometimes beautiful. The scenes in Cabeswater are particularly enchanting. Secondly, the plotting is very twisty. By the end of the series, I’m betting that the plot line’s going to end up looking more like a Celtic knot. I love this, but other people may find it confusing or annoying.
I have trouble thinking of a specific sort of person to recommend The Raven Boys to, mainly because of my desire to hand it enthusiastically to everyone I meet. But if you like YA fantasy set in the current day, you should really try this one. Even if you aren't a huge fan of the genre, you might want to give it a go anyway.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page. show less
Going in, I was dubious, mainly due to the misleading cover blurb which contains several phrases that tend to make me steer away from books:
“Either you’re his true love… or you killed him.”
“But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain.”
The words “true love” and “inexplicably drawn to” tend to make me drop books and run the opposite direction in fear of Twilight clones or insta love. Basically, it looked like all the other “star crossed true love” paranormal YA stories out there, which I generally detest. However, I’d previously enjoyed The Scorpio Races by Stiefvater, show more so was willing to give The Raven Boys a try.
I am so glad I did.
I often see The Raven Boys classified as paranormal romance, and I’d have to disagree with that. The plot actually focuses on ley lines and trees that speak in Latin and the hunt for an ancient Welsh king. While there is a romantic plot thread, it’s a minor one compared to all the other events and relationships in the book. Really, I think The Raven Boys is centered around the friendships of all these different, complex characters. Blue and the Raven Boys (Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah) are obviously the crux of the book, but I found Blue’s family, the psychic ladies of 300 Fox Way, to be very entertaining as well.
Gansey’s filled with a desperate desire to make his life worth something, which in turn fuels his desire to find the sleeping Welsh king, Glendower. He has the tendency to come across as callus or entitled (much to his distress), but he’s also deeply devoted to his friends and is constantly worrying about them. Possibly for this reason, the TV trope “Team Mom” fits him pretty well. Unfortunately, there’s not always much he can do to help his friends.
“They were always walking away from him. But he never seemed able to walk away from them.”
Ronan’s bitter and troubled, the student who’s always cutting class and on the verge of expulsion.
“Gansey had once told Adam that he was afraid most people didn’t know how to handle Ronan. What he meant by this was that he was worried that one day someone would fall on Ronan and cut themselves.”
I was worried that Ronan would fall into the stereotypical YA “bad boy” trap, but Maggie Stiefvater’s much too good of an author for that. The sequel, The Dream Thieves, put those fears to rest for good and made Ronan my favorite character.
Adam’s a scholarship student from a poor and abusive background who has to work hard to have even a fraction of what the others take for granted. He’s determined to succeed on his own merits without being beholden to anyone, which can lead to conflict when Gansey tries to help him out.
Noah, the last of the boys, is quiet and tends not to have much of an impression. But if you’re wondering why he’s included, just hang on for the first half and you’ll soon find out.
What’s unusual about my complete love for the series is that female characters are not a big factor. Don’t get me wrong – Blue isn’t badly written or aggravating. She’s probably better than most other YA heroines, and I might like her a lot better in another book. It’s just that she’s outshone by Raven Boys. Analyzing it, I think it’s because, well, Blue has the best life and least conflicts and worries out of all of them. She also doesn’t seem to have any of the hidden depth that makes the others so appealing.
Lastly in regards to characters, I love that Blue’s family plays a significant and sympathetic role in the book. It’s so different than how the typical YA story goes, and her mother and the other psychics have some truly hilarious moments.
Before I wrap up this review, I have two farther points to make. Firstly, the writing is excellent, never clunky and sometimes beautiful. The scenes in Cabeswater are particularly enchanting. Secondly, the plotting is very twisty. By the end of the series, I’m betting that the plot line’s going to end up looking more like a Celtic knot. I love this, but other people may find it confusing or annoying.
I have trouble thinking of a specific sort of person to recommend The Raven Boys to, mainly because of my desire to hand it enthusiastically to everyone I meet. But if you like YA fantasy set in the current day, you should really try this one. Even if you aren't a huge fan of the genre, you might want to give it a go anyway.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page. show less
“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve, Blue.. Either you’re his true love,” Neeve said, “or you killed him.”
In my years as a bookworm, I’ve read many YA novels, but I’ve never read anything quite like Maggie Stiefvater. Even though The Raven Cycle didn’t have as much action as I thought it would, it became a novel I obsessed over fairly quickly. The writing is mysterious and gothic, and incredibly riveting. I woke up the morning of determined to get things done and before I knew it, I spent the whole day in bed, starting and finishing this novel...I pretty much read it all in one sitting. Nothing was more important than figuring out what was going to happen to my new favorite show more characters!
Blue
“She wasn’t interested in telling other people’s futures. She was interested in going out and finding her own.”
Blue is the only “normal” in a family full of psychics. She doesn’t have the sight, she can’t see or speak to ghosts, all she can do is amplify the gifts of seers around her. To make matters worse, she can’t even act like the teenage girl she is, because she’s been prophesied to kill her to kill her one true love by kiss. . . (what a way to die, though!) and now that she knows the identity of her ever-mysterious “true love,” the danger of causing his death is more present than ever. But when she is given the opportunity to help him and the Raven boys find Owen Glendower, a lost noble from medieval Welsh whom some say is still alive by magical means, how can she say no to the only magical adventure she’ll ever experience firsthand?
Can you imagine knowing that the first time you kiss your true love, you’ll cause his death? That would put me off kissing (boys) forever! Blue’s character was a lot of fun. She’s quirky and unique in her own ways, but also the same as most teenage girls. Everyone at some point has desired to be like everybody else. Blue sees herself as the black sheep of the family, the only female in her family to be born without seer abilities. Though she may have no ability to see the future, she can amplify the seer’s gifts and I think that's pretty cool, too!
Gansley
Gansley is a student at Aglionby Academy, an all-boy school for the rich. He spends most of the time with his head stuck in books, and doesn’t understand how much emphasis most people put on money. . . and how offended they get when he offers to pay their way for them. He’s spent his whole life searching for treasure of a lost Welsh noble who fought against England during the medieval times. I had a great time learning about Gansley’s past and what made him so determined to find the treasure of a man who may never have existed in the first place. Not only is he a romantic at heart, but he’s also the glue that holds the Raven Boys together. The groups’ dynamic is so interested to learn about, and it’s interesting to note they are all so different from one another that they probably shouldn’t even be friends. Hell, most of them act like they don’t like each other, but some how they came to care for one another. Its a complicated relationship. . . thank goodness I like complicated!
Adam
All the Raven Boys are interesting, but Adam is one mystery I can’t wait to dig more into. He’s a scholarship with a severely abusive father. He wants to leave home so bad, but he can’t stand up to his father, and he wants to leave home on his own. He won’t accept the “handouts” Gansley offers him, and he won’t even think of moving in with him. . . and yet they are best friends? Hummm. Like I said, complicated.
Ronan
I didn’t learn nearly enough about Ronan to appease my curiosity, and most of it I can’t share or my review would be riddled with spoilers, however I will say I didn’t much like him in this book. I’d say he’s the anti-hero, and I’ll be interested to see if Stiefvater redeems him in the next story, which I’ve heard is pretty much all about him.
Noah
I just knew there was something up with Noah ever since he was introduced into the story. He’s a hermit, practically never leaves the house unless forced to, and yet he’s a student going to a rather strict private school for rich young boys? There was always something fishy about him, and I think it’s funny his own friends didn’t realize! I will say he is adorable and one of my favorite characters. I hope he makes an appearance in the new couple of books, because he is just so damn cute!
With every chapter of this book I read, I gained a new question. While The Raven Cycle didn’t have much going on in the way of action until most of the book was finished, Stiefvater leans heavily on the development of important characters (not just the main characters, either!), and in doing so, deepening the intrigue. I can’t wait to see how Dream Thieves plays out - if my friends are right, the series only gets better!
Thank you too ALL the fans of The Raven Cycle series who encouraged me to read this! Everybody else who is dragging at the heels to pick up this book, I dare you to buy, steal, or borrow a copy now! (just kidding, stealing is bad! don’t do that!) show less
In my years as a bookworm, I’ve read many YA novels, but I’ve never read anything quite like Maggie Stiefvater. Even though The Raven Cycle didn’t have as much action as I thought it would, it became a novel I obsessed over fairly quickly. The writing is mysterious and gothic, and incredibly riveting. I woke up the morning of determined to get things done and before I knew it, I spent the whole day in bed, starting and finishing this novel...I pretty much read it all in one sitting. Nothing was more important than figuring out what was going to happen to my new favorite show more characters!
Blue
“She wasn’t interested in telling other people’s futures. She was interested in going out and finding her own.”
Blue is the only “normal” in a family full of psychics. She doesn’t have the sight, she can’t see or speak to ghosts, all she can do is amplify the gifts of seers around her. To make matters worse, she can’t even act like the teenage girl she is, because she’s been prophesied to kill her to kill her one true love by kiss. . . (what a way to die, though!) and now that she knows the identity of her ever-mysterious “true love,” the danger of causing his death is more present than ever. But when she is given the opportunity to help him and the Raven boys find Owen Glendower, a lost noble from medieval Welsh whom some say is still alive by magical means, how can she say no to the only magical adventure she’ll ever experience firsthand?
Can you imagine knowing that the first time you kiss your true love, you’ll cause his death? That would put me off kissing (boys) forever! Blue’s character was a lot of fun. She’s quirky and unique in her own ways, but also the same as most teenage girls. Everyone at some point has desired to be like everybody else. Blue sees herself as the black sheep of the family, the only female in her family to be born without seer abilities. Though she may have no ability to see the future, she can amplify the seer’s gifts and I think that's pretty cool, too!
Gansley
Gansley is a student at Aglionby Academy, an all-boy school for the rich. He spends most of the time with his head stuck in books, and doesn’t understand how much emphasis most people put on money. . . and how offended they get when he offers to pay their way for them. He’s spent his whole life searching for treasure of a lost Welsh noble who fought against England during the medieval times. I had a great time learning about Gansley’s past and what made him so determined to find the treasure of a man who may never have existed in the first place. Not only is he a romantic at heart, but he’s also the glue that holds the Raven Boys together. The groups’ dynamic is so interested to learn about, and it’s interesting to note they are all so different from one another that they probably shouldn’t even be friends. Hell, most of them act like they don’t like each other, but some how they came to care for one another. Its a complicated relationship. . . thank goodness I like complicated!
Adam
All the Raven Boys are interesting, but Adam is one mystery I can’t wait to dig more into. He’s a scholarship with a severely abusive father. He wants to leave home so bad, but he can’t stand up to his father, and he wants to leave home on his own. He won’t accept the “handouts” Gansley offers him, and he won’t even think of moving in with him. . . and yet they are best friends? Hummm. Like I said, complicated.
Ronan
I didn’t learn nearly enough about Ronan to appease my curiosity, and most of it I can’t share or my review would be riddled with spoilers, however I will say I didn’t much like him in this book. I’d say he’s the anti-hero, and I’ll be interested to see if Stiefvater redeems him in the next story, which I’ve heard is pretty much all about him.
Noah
I just knew there was something up with Noah ever since he was introduced into the story. He’s a hermit, practically never leaves the house unless forced to, and yet he’s a student going to a rather strict private school for rich young boys? There was always something fishy about him, and I think it’s funny his own friends didn’t realize! I will say he is adorable and one of my favorite characters. I hope he makes an appearance in the new couple of books, because he is just so damn cute!
With every chapter of this book I read, I gained a new question. While The Raven Cycle didn’t have much going on in the way of action until most of the book was finished, Stiefvater leans heavily on the development of important characters (not just the main characters, either!), and in doing so, deepening the intrigue. I can’t wait to see how Dream Thieves plays out - if my friends are right, the series only gets better!
Thank you too ALL the fans of The Raven Cycle series who encouraged me to read this! Everybody else who is dragging at the heels to pick up this book, I dare you to buy, steal, or borrow a copy now! (just kidding, stealing is bad! don’t do that!) show less
(First of 4:The Raven Cycle Urban fantasy, paranormal)
I borrowed this book from the library on the enthusiastic recommendations of several LTers and it took me a long time to finish it because I kept it as my book to read while waiting for my kids to finish classes. I never considered abandoning it, though, because the story engaged me; in fact I started it twice more from the beginning because the details were becoming disjointed between the times I was able to give to reading it. This time I was determined to finish it and once I got further into the book, it was one of those that I wanted to know what came next so I made time to read it.
And before I’d even finished it, I went out and bought the whole series for my own shelves.
The show more story begins with Blue Sargent who has grown up in a family of psychic women (her mother Maura and various aunts and cousins) in Henrietta, a not so well off town in Virginia which happens to have Aglionby, a private school for the sons of very rich people, whose emblem (for reasons unknown) is a raven. Thus ‘raven boys’. Blue has grown up with the 'them and us' attitude resulting from this social divide.
When we are introduced to Blue, we immediately learn that various members of her family have prophesied that her true love will die if she ever kisses him. We also learn that Blue herself has no psychic abilities although, unusually, she amplifies the powers of those around her.
Ravens are known as creatures of omen and prophecy and are associated with the Welsh god Bran.
The four 'raven boys' we are concerned with are Gansey (Richard Gansey III), Ronan, Noah and Adam (who is actually a local Henrietta boy at Aglionby on partial scholarship; he is conscious of the difference in status even if no one else is). They are bound together and driven by Gansey's need to find Owen Glendower; most of them live in an abandoned factory called Monmouth Manufacturing which Gansey has bought. (Monmouthshire is a Welsh county on the English border; thus the link back to the legend.)
Owain Glyndwr was the last Welsh prince of Wales. He led a rebellion, beginning in 1400, against Henry IV and later Henry V to gain Wales's independence from England. When it was quashed, Glyndwr disappeared and the myth grew up that he (like Arthur) was a hero in waiting; not dead, but waiting for the call from his countrymen to return in time of need.
According to Gansey's research, Glendower's body was spirited away to the west - which could mean all the way to America, probably Henrietta. To the person who finds him, he will grant a wish. And Gansey needs that wish; but there are others on the trail who want to find Glendower and claim the wish.
Despite their social differences and Blue's dislike of raven boys, in a town the size of Henrietta their paths eventually cross and she is intrigued enough to join them on their quest.
I like the way Stiefvater writes; the pacing is good, her characters are engaging, she doesn't talk down to you and you want to follow the quest with Blue and her raven boys. I like the touches of humour
Gansey had once told Adam that he was afraid most people didn’t know how to handle Ronan. What he meant by this was that he was worried that one day someone would fall on Ronan and cut themselves.
and the way that, although there are touches of paranormal, suddenly and unexpectedly - you're right in the middle of it. The characters have real world problems and rich kid problems and teenage problems; as an adult I can be amused that some of these don't matter while appreciating that, to a teenager, they all matter in a life-changing way. In spite of the myth they are chasing, the characters are real.
And then there's the mystery of Blue's father.
Captivating. Well worth the read.
4.5 stars***** show less
I borrowed this book from the library on the enthusiastic recommendations of several LTers and it took me a long time to finish it because I kept it as my book to read while waiting for my kids to finish classes. I never considered abandoning it, though, because the story engaged me; in fact I started it twice more from the beginning because the details were becoming disjointed between the times I was able to give to reading it. This time I was determined to finish it and once I got further into the book, it was one of those that I wanted to know what came next so I made time to read it.
And before I’d even finished it, I went out and bought the whole series for my own shelves.
The show more story begins with Blue Sargent who has grown up in a family of psychic women (her mother Maura and various aunts and cousins) in Henrietta, a not so well off town in Virginia which happens to have Aglionby, a private school for the sons of very rich people, whose emblem (for reasons unknown) is a raven. Thus ‘raven boys’. Blue has grown up with the 'them and us' attitude resulting from this social divide.
When we are introduced to Blue, we immediately learn that various members of her family have prophesied that her true love will die if she ever kisses him. We also learn that Blue herself has no psychic abilities although, unusually, she amplifies the powers of those around her.
Ravens are known as creatures of omen and prophecy and are associated with the Welsh god Bran.
The four 'raven boys' we are concerned with are Gansey (Richard Gansey III), Ronan, Noah and Adam (who is actually a local Henrietta boy at Aglionby on partial scholarship; he is conscious of the difference in status even if no one else is). They are bound together and driven by Gansey's need to find Owen Glendower; most of them live in an abandoned factory called Monmouth Manufacturing which Gansey has bought. (Monmouthshire is a Welsh county on the English border; thus the link back to the legend.)
Owain Glyndwr was the last Welsh prince of Wales. He led a rebellion, beginning in 1400, against Henry IV and later Henry V to gain Wales's independence from England. When it was quashed, Glyndwr disappeared and the myth grew up that he (like Arthur) was a hero in waiting; not dead, but waiting for the call from his countrymen to return in time of need.
According to Gansey's research, Glendower's body was spirited away to the west - which could mean all the way to America, probably Henrietta. To the person who finds him, he will grant a wish. And Gansey needs that wish; but there are others on the trail who want to find Glendower and claim the wish.
Despite their social differences and Blue's dislike of raven boys, in a town the size of Henrietta their paths eventually cross and she is intrigued enough to join them on their quest.
I like the way Stiefvater writes; the pacing is good, her characters are engaging, she doesn't talk down to you and you want to follow the quest with Blue and her raven boys. I like the touches of humour
Gansey had once told Adam that he was afraid most people didn’t know how to handle Ronan. What he meant by this was that he was worried that one day someone would fall on Ronan and cut themselves.
and the way that, although there are touches of paranormal, suddenly and unexpectedly - you're right in the middle of it. The characters have real world problems and rich kid problems and teenage problems; as an adult I can be amused that some of these don't matter while appreciating that, to a teenager, they all matter in a life-changing way. In spite of the myth they are chasing, the characters are real.
And then there's the mystery of Blue's father.
Captivating. Well worth the read.
4.5 stars***** show less
(First of 4:The Raven Cycle Urban fantasy, paranormal)
I borrowed this book from the library on the enthusiastic recommendations of several LTers and it took me a long time to finish it because I kept it as my book to read while waiting for my kids to finish classes. I never considered abandoning it, though, because the story engaged me; in fact I started it twice more from the beginning because the details were becoming disjointed between the times I was able to give to reading it. This time I was determined to finish it and once I got further into the book, it was one of those that I wanted to know what came next so I made time to read it.
And before I’d even finished it, I went out and bought the whole series for my own shelves.
The show more story begins with Blue Sargent who has grown up in a family of psychic women (her mother Maura and various aunts and cousins) in Henrietta, a not so well off town in Virginia which happens to have Aglionby, a private school for the sons of very rich people, whose emblem (for reasons unknown) is a raven. Thus ‘raven boys’. Blue has grown up with the 'them and us' attitude resulting from this social divide.
When we are introduced to Blue, we immediately learn that various members of her family have prophesied that her true love will die if she ever kisses him. We also learn that Blue herself has no psychic abilities although, unusually, she amplifies the powers of those around her.
Ravens are known as creatures of omen and prophecy and are associated with the Welsh god Bran.
The four 'raven boys' we are concerned with are Gansey (Richard Gansey III), Ronan, Noah and Adam (who is actually a local Henrietta boy at Aglionby on partial scholarship; he is conscious of the difference in status even if no one else is). They are bound together and driven by Gansey's need to find Owen Glendower; most of them live in an abandoned factory called Monmouth Manufacturing which Gansey has bought. (Monmouthshire is a Welsh county on the English border.)
Owain Glyndwr was the last Welsh prince of Wales. He led a rebellion, beginning in 1400, against Henry IV and later Henry V to gain Wales's independence from England. When it was quashed, Glyndwr disappeared and the myth grew up that he (like Arthur) was a hero in waiting; not dead, but waiting for the call from his countrymen to return in time of need.
According to Gansey's research, Glendower's body was spirited away to the west - which could mean all the way to America, probably Henrietta. To the person who finds him, he will grant a wish. And Gansey needs that wish; but there are others on the trail who want to find Glendower and claim the wish.
Despite their social differences and Blue's dislike of raven boys, in a town the size of Henrietta their paths eventually cross and she is intrigued enough to join them on their quest.
I like the way Stiefvater writes; the pacing is good, her characters are engaging, she doesn't talk down to you and you want to follow the quest with Blue and her raven boys. I like the touches of humour
Gansey had once told Adam that he was afraid most people didn’t know how to handle Ronan. What he meant by this was that he was worried that one day someone would fall on Ronan and cut themselves.
and the way that, although there are touches of paranormal, suddenly and unexpectedly - you're right in the middle of it. The characters have real world problems and rich kid problems and teenage problems; as an adult I can be amused that some of these don't matter while appreciating that, to a teenager, they all matter in a life-changing way. In spite of the myth they are chasing, the characters are real.
And then there's the mystery of Blue's father.
Captivating. Well worth the read.
4.5 stars***** show less
I borrowed this book from the library on the enthusiastic recommendations of several LTers and it took me a long time to finish it because I kept it as my book to read while waiting for my kids to finish classes. I never considered abandoning it, though, because the story engaged me; in fact I started it twice more from the beginning because the details were becoming disjointed between the times I was able to give to reading it. This time I was determined to finish it and once I got further into the book, it was one of those that I wanted to know what came next so I made time to read it.
And before I’d even finished it, I went out and bought the whole series for my own shelves.
The show more story begins with Blue Sargent who has grown up in a family of psychic women (her mother Maura and various aunts and cousins) in Henrietta, a not so well off town in Virginia which happens to have Aglionby, a private school for the sons of very rich people, whose emblem (for reasons unknown) is a raven. Thus ‘raven boys’. Blue has grown up with the 'them and us' attitude resulting from this social divide.
When we are introduced to Blue, we immediately learn that various members of her family have prophesied that her true love will die if she ever kisses him. We also learn that Blue herself has no psychic abilities although, unusually, she amplifies the powers of those around her.
Ravens are known as creatures of omen and prophecy and are associated with the Welsh god Bran.
The four 'raven boys' we are concerned with are Gansey (Richard Gansey III), Ronan, Noah and Adam (who is actually a local Henrietta boy at Aglionby on partial scholarship; he is conscious of the difference in status even if no one else is). They are bound together and driven by Gansey's need to find Owen Glendower; most of them live in an abandoned factory called Monmouth Manufacturing which Gansey has bought. (Monmouthshire is a Welsh county on the English border.)
Owain Glyndwr was the last Welsh prince of Wales. He led a rebellion, beginning in 1400, against Henry IV and later Henry V to gain Wales's independence from England. When it was quashed, Glyndwr disappeared and the myth grew up that he (like Arthur) was a hero in waiting; not dead, but waiting for the call from his countrymen to return in time of need.
According to Gansey's research, Glendower's body was spirited away to the west - which could mean all the way to America, probably Henrietta. To the person who finds him, he will grant a wish. And Gansey needs that wish; but there are others on the trail who want to find Glendower and claim the wish.
Despite their social differences and Blue's dislike of raven boys, in a town the size of Henrietta their paths eventually cross and she is intrigued enough to join them on their quest.
I like the way Stiefvater writes; the pacing is good, her characters are engaging, she doesn't talk down to you and you want to follow the quest with Blue and her raven boys. I like the touches of humour
Gansey had once told Adam that he was afraid most people didn’t know how to handle Ronan. What he meant by this was that he was worried that one day someone would fall on Ronan and cut themselves.
and the way that, although there are touches of paranormal, suddenly and unexpectedly - you're right in the middle of it. The characters have real world problems and rich kid problems and teenage problems; as an adult I can be amused that some of these don't matter while appreciating that, to a teenager, they all matter in a life-changing way. In spite of the myth they are chasing, the characters are real.
And then there's the mystery of Blue's father.
Captivating. Well worth the read.
4.5 stars***** show less
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Author Information
71+ Works 52,856 Members
Maggie Stiefvater is the author of the bestselling Shiver Trilogy (Shiver, Linger and Forever) and The Raven Cycle Series. She is also the author of a book in the Spirit Animals Series (Hunted). Her title Sinner made The New York Times Best Seller List in 2014. Maggie attended Mary Washington College, graduating with a B.A. in history. She is also show more an artist, equestrian, musician, and technical editor. She enjoys writing full time from her home in Virginia. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Raven Boys
- Original title
- The Raven Boys
- Original publication date
- 2012-09-18
- People/Characters
- Blue Sargent; Maura Sargent; Neeve Sargent; Orla Sargent; Jimi Sargent; Richard Gansey III (show all 25); Ronan Niall Lynch; Adam Parrish; Declan Lynch; Noah Czerny; Barrington "Barry" Whelk; Jonah Milo; Cialina; Ashley; Owain Glyndŵr; Dr. Roger Malory; Persephone; Calla; Robert Parrish; Helen Gansey; Mrs. Parrish; Artemus; Chainsaw (Raven); Mr. Pinter; Mrs. Gansey
- Important places
- Virginia, USA; Henrietta, Virginia, USA (incl. Aglionby Academy | 300 Fox Way | 1136 Monmouth | St Agnes Church); Henrietta ley line, Virginia, USA; Cabeswater (incl. Dreaming Tree); Wales; Nino's (pizza parlour) (show all 7); United Kingdom
- Important events
- St Mark's Eve; The Welsh Revolt
- Epigraph
- Deep into that darkness, long I stood
there, wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever
dared to dream before...
~Edgar Allan Poe
A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.
~Oscar Wilde - Dedication
- For Brenna, who is good at looking for things
- First words
- Prologue: Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she'd been told that she would kill her true love.
Chapter 1: It was freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrived. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)“I guess now would be a good time to tell you,” he said. “I took Chainsaw out of my dreams.”
- Original language
- English
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 813.6
- Canonical LCC
- PZ7.S855625
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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