The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Cycle #1

Published July 30, 2013 by Scholastic Books

Paperback, 409 pages

Borrowed from library

(from Goodreads because I don't know how to summarize this book.)

“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.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

The Raven Boys was not a book I was in the least bit interested in picking up at all. I'd always seen it around the blogosphere - multiple bloggers raving about it but all of that flew way over my head. My friend convinced me to read it though so I was like "Okay, why not? I don't really know what it's about so why don't I give it a shot?" And now here we are... This might be the start of something new, you guys.

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I love the clairvoyant/psychic aspect.

So our main character, Blue, comes from a family of psychics. She herself is not a psychic but her family is and one of my favorite parts was being able to get acquainted with all her family and their line of work. I find psychics so interesting and while I don't believe it 100%, I'm not a total skeptic either. Like I wouldn't rule out its existence. The general idea though of being able to be in touch with a person's future and to know the unknown is so fascinating to me and also quite spooky, regardless of whether it's true or not and The Raven Boys didn't help to quench that fascination. If anything, I'd say I'm even more interested especially after learning about things like ley lines and St. Mark's Eve which I had no idea was even a thing. Very, very interesting and definitely one of my favourite parts of the book. 

This book was so gripping.

Usually it takes me a while to really get into a book and determine whether I'll like it or not but the first page for The Raven Boys and BAM I was into it. I could not stop reading after that. Maggie's writing is so wonderful and clear and the story is so interesting. Everything just works so well together that I couldn't help myself. I just had to read on and find out what would happen to the Raven Boys. This book was 400 pages long but honestly it felt like 100 because I was so enamored in it!

I wish there was more development of the characters.

I loved what we saw of the characters. I loved Blue and the Raven Boys and Maura but I also felt like there needed to be more focus on developing those characters. Truthfully they were very one-dimensional for me and while I still adored them, I feel like if there was even more development and exploration of their personalities, it would have made the book even better. I would have beyond loved it!

It took me a while to understand exactly what was going on.

The whole Welsh mythology thing was really interesting but it was so confusing. I felt like it wasn't really explained in a clear way and it took me a really long time to figure out what was going on. Honestly even now, I'm not quite sure why Gansey was on this hunt and why it was so important to him and how he came about it in the first place. Maybe these aren't questions with answers that would be relevant to the story but I'd like to know even for some a greater grasp on Gansey's character.

A solid first book in a series! There was enough about it that I liked and enough about it that was interesting that urges me to continue with the series but there were a couple things that I felt like were missing too. The characters felt a little flat for me and it took me really long to catch on. I also wanted to see more of the Welsh mythology and the whole Blue-Gansey ghost thing which I felt like wasn't even touched on in this book. Really excited to get to the next book though and perhaps get to find out more about everything that was introduced in this book!

people who enjoyed Anna Dressed in Blood or The Archived. It's a paranormal-fantasy book set in real time so if you like those type of books, you'll like this! Also if you like slightly spooky books, this is a good one for you.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy #1

Published November 2013 by Razorbill (Reprint)

Paperback, 332 pages

Borrowed from library

In the world Vampire Academy is set in, humans live among vampires. There are three types of vampires: Moroi, Dhampirs, and Strigoi. Moroi are pure vampires while dhampirs are half-human, half-Moroi. And as for Strigoi, they're dead vampires turned immortal when they kill another being. And they're out to kill more...

So because of the threat of Strigoi, all Moroi royalty need guardians. Rose Hathaway is her best friend Princess Lissa Dragomir's guardian. They've been on the run together since escaping their school St. Vladimir's but when the book starts, are seen being taken back to the school. And even though THEY should be safe there, what with all the guardians stationed around the school, peculiar things start to happen... DUN DUN DUNNN

The main thing I have to say in regards to this book is WHY DID IT TAKE ME SO LONG TO READ IT?? I must be the last person on Earth to have finished this book and even though this review is wayy overdue (I finished Vampire Academy back in April), I still have so many FEELS and THOUGHTS because this book is FABULOUS and I want to shout it from the hilltops because yeah, it's just amazing.

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Vampire Academy takes vampires and totally turns the idea of them on its head.

Ever since reading Twilight, I've stayed away from vampire novels and not because I thought Twilight had a horrible depiction of vampires (though I have to say, the glamorization of the vampires was sorta hilarious). I just wasn't really more novels about vampires which was why I was super hesitant to read Vampire Academy. OH MY GOD THOUGH because Vampire Academy takes all my opinions of vampires (those glittery creatures, anyone?) - mostly formed by Twilight - and flips it on its head. Vampires in this book are stronger, faster, bigger, cooler and way, way more scary. 

I thought the details of the world in which the vampires existed here were much more fleshed out too.

Here I go, comparing it to Twilight even though I said I wouldn't. But let me just say this real quick: the world-building in Vampire Academy was fabulous and thought out really well. I felt like all the little details were considered and that really was what helped make this book such an engrossing read. In Twilight, the world wasn't nearly as interesting or captivating which is okay because I liked Twilight for other things. But if you want to see strong world-building, check out this book!

Rose is a strong leading female character.

Enough said. But if you want more, how about this: Rose is one of the most interesting and strongest heroines that I've ever read and I love that about her. She isn't scared to say what she thinks and while bad things happen to her, she holds her head high and treks through each day like a warrior. 

Rose and Lissa have a great friendship and I loved reading about the two of them!

Friendship is something that I always say I would love to see more in YA and I definitely got that in this book! There is a really strong focus on Lissa and Rose's friendship in this book and while they certainly aren't your typical BFFs, I thought it worked superb and maybe even helped elevate their relationship dynamic.

DIMITRI BELIKOV. 

Yes, it had to be in all caps because Dimitri, DUDE. OH MY FREAKING GIBLETS. DIMITRI. I GET IT NOW. EVERYONE WHO WAS SCREAMING ABOUT HIM. I GET IT. I GET IT. Even if I didn't like everything else about this book as much as I did, I think I would still continue the series because Dimitri was fabulous. Yes, that is how much I liked him. 

I liked this book a whole lot more than I thought I would! Seriously one of the most captivating, amazing books I've read in a long while. Every single minute I was away from this book was HORRIBLE because all I wanted to do was read, read, read. You will get hooked by this series once you start but it's not a bad thing at all because it is FANTASTIC so if you haven't read it yet, go read it now.

I'm going to say it: I think fans of Twilight would really love this book. And I think if you're in a search of a fun book to read, this is so made for you too!

The Diviners by Libba Bray

The Diviners by Libba Bray

The Diviners #1

Published September 18, 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Hardcover, 578 pages

Borrowed from library

Evie O'Neill has a strange talent that allows her to look into someone's past by touching one of their possesions. And it's this talent that gets her sent from her home in Oklahoma (or Ohio?) to the fascinating city of New York City to live with her uncle when her parents have finally had enough of her antics. It's supposed to be a punishment but honestly, Evie could not be happier! As she arrives in New York though, something deeply sinister has started targeting seemingly random victims and murdering them in the most gruesome way. The police are on a desperate hunt to catch the killer and turn to Evie's uncle, Will to help them decipher the strange symbols branded on each victim's body. Evie can't help but get herself involved as she realizes that her talent could help catch the killer and in doing so, learns the true and terrifying identity of the killer and what it means for the world.

I am so happy I finally got to reading this book because I really enjoyed it! I had previously read A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray and really liked that too so I was happy to find that her other historical fiction/paranormal/mystery series was even better for me! 

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This book and I had a pretty anticlimactic relationship.

I just felt like I should get this straight out because it wouldn't be fair to ignore it. I had to take a break from reading this book while I was halfway because I had to send it back to the library. I'm sure you guys get the frustration I felt but it had to be done unless I wanted to add ten more dollars onto the current eight dollars I owe in fines to the library (yeah, I should get that sorted out soon). So there was just this long time when I didn't read this book at all. And when I finally picked it up again, the charm that I initially felt wasn't there any more. It's probably more the fact that I HADN'T read it for so long more so the fact that the book itself got worse but it sucked nonetheless because I had a few hundred pages to go and it was supposed to be climaxing for me, but just wasn't. (Only now did I realize how that sentence may send a different message. Let's just move on, please)

Libba Bray rocks at crafting really authentic historical settings as per A Great and Terrible Beauty, and the 1920's New York scene was wonderfully done in this book!

I've always been really interested in the Roaring Twenties for some reason. To me, it just exudes sophistication and luxury and I KNOW this was most definitely not entirely the case for many people in the 1920's, but it is NOT my fault The Great Gatsby makes it seem fabulous (and I mean the new Baz Luhrmann film because I know how the book is supposed to be a criticism of the changing of society but WHATEVER. LET'S NOT GET INTO THAT RIGHT NOW. I KNOW THIS MAKES NO SENSE SO LET'S JUST STOP.) Anyway, even though I do not live in the 1920's so cannot attest to the accuracy of portrayal in The Diviners, judging from how much attention Libba Bray pays to the little details like the slang they used and the larger, historical movements that were taking place then, it seemed like everything was done very well. At least, as a reader who doesn't know better, I could really imagine the scene very well.

Evie was fabulous!
Seriously, I loved this gal. She just seemed like a really fun person, and I have to say, her word choices started to make their way into my vocabulary while I was reading this book! And even though she is our heroine (with the help of her wonderful friends as well!), she wasn't all shades of perfect which made her so relatable and authentic. Evie makes rash decisions a lot of the time, she can't keep her nose in her own business and often gets waaay ahead of herself but in the end, you know that she's just a regular teenager trying to be the best she possibly can and help others. And the fact that even though Evie makes a lot of mistakes, underneath it's obvious that her intentions are pure is what made me love her so much.

The romance: it's not the main focus, nor is it the secondary focus.
I love a little romance in my novels and sometimes, I find myself missing it when there isn't much in a book but there was so much else to occupy me in The Diviners that I didn't mind at all. The romance in here is a bit confusing anyway. There seems to be two potential love interests for Evie but it's not a love triangle at all and one of them is being set up with Evie's best friend Mabel by Evie and... yeah, it's just really not the main focus of the novel at all. Which was so refreshing because there's so much happening in this book anyway that anything else would have been too much. I won't say who Evie ends up with (though seriously it won't make a difference if you know) but I will say that out of the two main male characters in this book, I was always partial to Sam, the mysterious thief who is just SO CHARMING. I was super suspicious of him at the beginning because reasons but I'm not so much any more. I feel like he has his own backstory of why he did what he did that's really intriguing so I'm interested in seeing more of him in Lair of Dreams!

Yes, this book is long but it flew by for me!
I was really so enraptured by the writing that the 578 pages did not seem at all like a daunting task. This book was just THAT good. I mean, besides the whole break I mentioned in the first paragraph.

The Diviners is such a layered novel with so many dimensions that I think anyone can find something they'll like in this.
Seriously. You get historical fiction, touches of mystery and paranormal situations. You have relatable teen problems and a wonderful cast of characters. It's heartbreaking and funny. It's intense and heartwarming and JUST SO GOOD. I recommend this for everyone.

The one thing I regret is that I didn't run to the bookstore to get this book the day after I had to return it. Because that break really killed the mood for me. I mean, I still really enjoyed this book but GOSH, if I didn't take that five-month long break from The Diviners, this book would have gotten a Badge of Honour hands down. I still really enjoyed it though. I thought everything was really well done and yeah, overall just a really fantastic book! Huge fan!

If you haven't read this yet, you really really should.

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Rachel @ Read. Write. Ramble says: "The Diviners is a lot creepier than I expected. In a good way! The supernatural elements are so thorough and detailed and genius, and I couldn't see any of the plot twists coming. The murders scared the crap out of me."

Ana @ The Book Smugglers gives it a 6/10: "The irritation comes from its excesses – and if there is ONE word I could use to describe The Diviners it would be just that: excessive. This is an incredibly bloated book."

Thea @ The Book Smugglers gives it a 7/10: "Thankfully, The Diviners is saved by two things: the strength of Libba Bray’s writing (which is, as always, engaging and effortless), and the appeal of the novel’s main characters."

Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

Published September 2011 by Tom Doherty

Hardcover, 316 pages

Borrowed from library

The main character in this story, Cas, is a ghost hunter. He's taken on the job since his father died in a gruesome fight with a deadly spirit. Armed with the all powerful athame his dad used, Cas moves from town to town with his mother, following leads from trusted sources to defeat the ghosts. After hearing about a deadly ghost in Thornhill, Anna, that kills anyone who steps into her house, Cas relocates there to finish her off. But when he steps into her house to investigate and observe the ghost he's to kill, Cas realizes that Anna is unlike any other ghost he's ever hunted. She's tremendously powerful and comes so close to killing him...but doesn't. She spares him but Cas knows that he's going to have to do a lot more research before he can think of killing her again. He's wholly unprepared for Anna but the thing is, there's something far, far worse and more powerful than Anna...and it's out for Cas.

WARNING: CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS

(ie. it's not something that, once you know, will ruin the book for you)

I'm definitely a horror gal. I actually get scared so easily but I love it! So when I heard that this book was scary SCARY, I knew I needed to pick it up. And Anna Dressed In Blood just sounded too perfect for me! I love reading about ghosts, especially human-killing ghosts.

And when I picked up the book and started reading, I was immediately hooked by the ghosts which is for sure, definitely, ABSOLUTELY  great sign. It's just so great to know that a book finally matches your expectations! So many books have left me disappointed and I almost feel like I have no chance in ever getting what I want. But with this book, I expected good, creepy, interesting ghosts and got exactly that! Blake made them so realistic that they seemed to pop out of the pages. I don't think I can confidently say that I don't believe in ghosts any more!

What didn't match my expectations was the fear factor of this book. From everything everyone had said, I went into this book totally thinking that my socks would be knocked off over how terrifying this book was. And then I read this book without anything as big as a jaw-drop. Which by the way, happened when we learned about Anna's backstory. (If you've read this book, you know what I'm saying! My jaw literally hit the floor. It was so unexpected and made me overcome with fury. I mean, can you imagine that?) I've been waiting for a good horror for SUCH  a long time and while this book definitely brought it in the supernatural game, personally I found the scariness was lacking a bit for a book I totally expected was going to be scary and for one that classified itself as horror. 

I also didn't fancy the characters too much. They weren't outstanding and I'm not going to lie, I'm definitely not going to remember any of them. They were all rather dull and didn't really make the book any better for me.

But now can we talk about the Anna and Cas romance? Like man, was it weird! I think it kind of worked though because I totally forgot for around a quarter of the time that Anna was a ghost. But I'm not sure what to make of that: is it a bad thing because her ghost-ness was lost or is it a good thing because it made the relationship make sense? I know I shouldn't be prejudiced against this - after all, everyone can love whoever they want, even if it's a ghost - but for me, I just didn't feel it was necessary to this story. But it did add some interesting dynamics to the end, knowing that Cas and Anna both like each other. 

Anna Dressed In Blood had a great premise that really piqued my interest (ghosts!) but it sounded better on the flap than it really was. This, by no means, MEANS I didn't like the book. It just wasn't as I expected. I did love the supernatural aspect but really wanted more from the book when it failed to scare me. I also didn't like the characters too much and some parts of the book didn't make sense/weren't explained very well. A good start to the series though and I would endeavour to read the next book because I'm actually really curious to see what happens to Anna and the rest of the gang. Also because it gets WAY better so excited to see that!

people who like ghosts or the supernatural. If you like the show Ghostbusters, this might interest you because it's also about a ghostbuster (though I really wouldn't know - I've never watched the show).