Book Review Club ~ October 2012
After a several month hiatus, I am delighted to be back, participating in Barrie Summy’s monthly (mostly) Book Review Club.
book review blogs
@Barrie Summy
For this month’s pick, I chose the first book in a new series from an award-winning, best-selling author whose books had yet to cross my path. I chose THE RAVEN BOYS by Maggie Stiefvater, book one in the Raven Cycle series, and now I am hooked.
From Amazon:
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.
From me:
I can definitely see the appeal of Maggie Stiefvater. The premise of this story alone was enough to prompt a Kindle impulse buy, which is pretty rare for me. I read a sample and by the end of the first chapter, I was completely hooked. The storyline is pretty outlandish (no spoilers!), but the characters make it seem plausible. They are immersed in their ‘quest,’ and they carry you along in their wake, making discoveries, connections, and often mistakes. They feel utterly genuine. Blue has a romantic interest–you know I love that!–but to me it’s really more of a triangle. I feel like things could change direction for her in the space of an afternoon. And I will admit it–I hope they do! She may not be feeling any romantic tension yet, but I was!
There is an underlying thread of danger, of suspense, of creepiness, and there are surprises. The story could have been heavy and oppressive, but Ms. Stiefvater achieved the perfect balance of light and dark. The humor between the characters set off the threatening tone of the novel perfectly. I knew when I bought the book that this was the first in the series, and I wondered what would be resolved in this novel. Intriguingly enough, almost nothing was, and yet, I felt that it was a very strong start to the series. I admit, the last line floored me and had me urgent to read book 2.
I’m tempted to seek out Maggie Stiefvater’s other novels, despite not being a huge fan of traditional paranormal or fantasy novels. Her voice is captivating. Strongly recommended!
10/03/2012 at 8:03 am
I just read about this book and added it to my TBR list. It does look really interesting.
10/03/2012 at 10:35 pm
It is, Chelsea. Very. 😉
10/03/2012 at 12:00 pm
I loved her Scorpio Races (stand alone) and liked Shiver, but not enough to read the rest in the series. I sampled the first chapter of Raven Boys online and was underwhelmed (felt too similar to other books) but after reading your review, I’m tempted to take a second look. Great reveiw!
10/03/2012 at 10:36 pm
Thanks, Sarah. I think I will give Scorpio Races a try next (I remember your review…)
10/03/2012 at 1:54 pm
The last line floored you!! Yikes! I have to know it! Thanks for reviewing. She certainly has a following. And this series looks good.
10/03/2012 at 10:37 pm
I had to know what I was missing, Barrie, and this series seems to be a good fit for me.
Perhaps I’m easily floored…
10/03/2012 at 9:17 pm
I loved THE SCORPIO RACES, Sarah! This one sounds like an intriguing premise, but I have to admit I get a little annoyed when nothing gets concluded at the end of the first book in a series. That’s what I loved about the Harry Potter books–there were always mysteries left to be solved, but a major plot thread got resolved in each book. Gives you a sense of accomplishment!
I’ll probably give this a try, though…just to get to that last line!
10/03/2012 at 10:39 pm
I felt that it was simply a break, like the book didn’t really end at all. I just had to wait for the next pages. Maybe that’s weird.
I’ll be interested to hear what you think of the last line if you do read it.