The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, Book 1)

By: Maggie Stiefvater

Narrated by: Will Patton

"There are only two reasons a nonseer 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 best-selling 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.

©2012 Maggie Stiefvater (P)2012 Scholastic Audio

Fascinating and Rich

I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of depth and wasn't simply an excuse to pair a girl with a harem of rich handsome boys.

Blue Sargeant is the daughter of a psychic and has lived with the supernatural all her life. But mysterious occurrences are starting to happen in Henrietta Virginia. And her fate appears to be inexplicably linked to four mysterious boys from the local elite academy.

I really like that the author delved into the background of each of the characters. As well, there were quite a few surprises as the plot unfolded and I found myself eagerly looking forward to each page of the story. Blue was an interesting character, well developed and plucky without being illogical about it. The boys were also interesting - not the knight in shining armor heroes but rather driven and haunted individuals looking to make sense of their lives.

This is definitely not a romance in the traditional YA sense. I eagerly look forward to where the author will take the storyline from here.

Good story but ending did not resolve plot.

It was a really good book but it stopped without tying things up neatly in the end as most books do. It felt like a part one, as opposed to a whole book

Good But...

I loved Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races, so when I saw this under suggestions for me I grabbed it up. The story itself is interesting, but it is very hard to follow. Everything starts slowly and can be a little confusing with the back and forth from one character's view to another without any explanation of the back story. That being said, as soon as you get a few tidbits of how things were connected before everything falls into place and the story loses its stale confusing air. I will listening to the second book in the series shortly to continue in the story line.

Engaging and Extremely Entertaining

This is an exceptionally entertaining story that includes a girl whose kiss is going to kill her "true love," a "corpse road," and a character who has been dead for seven years. The characters are multidimensional, complete with baggage. Ms. Stiefvater manages to make us believe the paranormal bits which on the surface are beyond bizarre. I loved it!

Wow!

This was an awesome book and I'm looking forward to hearing more in the series. I loved all the characters and it was narrated perfectly. I can't wait to listen to book 2.

My new fave Stiefvater!

With this series, I would definitely rank Maggie Stiefvater as one of the best YA writers today. I'm writing this review after relistening to the first 3 books in the series -again-x3?- and just before #4 comes out. Can't wait!!! Book 1: the group is complete with the addition of Blue. Backgrounds on Blue, Gansey & Adam. Revelation about Noah. Things start to happen with the discovery of Cabeswater; Nemesis #1 dealt with. Ends with a surprise by Ronan, which starts Book 2.

Love it!!!!

Would you listen to The Raven Boys again? Why?

Yes... The raven boys is one of those books u can read over and over and caught something new each time u read it.

What did you like best about this story?

The way each character was different

What aspect of Will Patton’s performance would you have changed?

Maybe have a girl narrator

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Money is the root of all evil

Any additional comments?

Can't wait till the second book

Fascinating.

This has all the elements of the cliched young adult madness going around right now, but it stands apart as a downright good story. There is a heavy supernatural theme, but Stiefvater imagined a surprisingly interesting and believable world that Patton's gritty twang perfectly narrates. It kept me listening very intently, and I look forward to the sequel. I'd check the audio sample to make sure Patton is your cup of tea, other than that I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this. Think gritty southern Goonies with a strong heroine.

A Fantastic Supernatural Quest Novel

Would you listen to The Raven Boys again? Why?

Absolutely. There are so many clues and so much mystery tied up within this story, that I suspect I will want to go back and re-listen once I finish the other books in the series just to understand them all. Spectacular, fast-paced read.

What other book might you compare The Raven Boys to and why?

It has the vibe of some Neil Gaiman books - the creepy magical realism of it all. It also reminded me a bit of Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising.

What does Will Patton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I loved his pacing and Southern drawl. He brought the many characters in this story to life.

Any additional comments?

I'm a sucker for a quest novel, but this one is particularly well done. The mystery, the clues, the creepiness and the narrator all come together to create a very good audio book. I can not wait to listen to the next one in the series.

Extremely Pleased!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Raven Boys to be better than the print version?

Yes, due to Will Paxton's great narration.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Raven Boys?

Adam's pressing charges against his abusive father. The other was learning the truth about Noah.

What about Will Patton’s performance did you like?

Everything. Paxton is one of my favorite dramatic performers and he nailed this book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but I had to force myself to split it into two sessions at work.

Any additional comments?

While I was somewhat disappointed with the suddenness of the ending, I highly recommend this book.