The novel I will review next is Timeless by Alexandra Monir. Due to the immense load of homework ominously hanging over my head, I haven't gotten around to actually reading it, but luckily, it's a shorter novel, so I should have a review going soon.
In the meantime, comment any book recommendations you have for me. After all, might as well hoard more books, am I right??
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Monday, August 11, 2014
FABULOUS BOOK IS FABULOUS
I APOLOGIZE BUT SOMETIMES THE CAPS LOCK IS NECESSARY.
... I read The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. Technically, this was a reread, but, yeah. I read it. And it was utterly majestic. But before I explain, here's pictures of the book. I included both covers because both are gorgeous in their own right:
(First photo from www.goodreads.com; second from www.maggiesieifvater.com)
Description:
"There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve. Either you're his true love... or you killed him." Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them- until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her. His name is Gansey, and he's 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 is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.
My Thoughts (Small spoilers ahead; you have been warned):
For starters, this is one of those books where I literally love almost all of the characters. They're so very complex and interesting to read about, and Maggie Stiefvater's writing style really makes them come to life. They don't feel or seem flat/2-Dimensional; more like someone you could easily bump into in real life. Here's my (not very analytic) analysis of the characters mentioned in the description, minus Blue's mom:
Blue: sassy, amazing, eccentric, and definitely doesn't fit the damsel-in-distress stereotype that is sometimes used for female protagonists (I'm lookin' at you, Twilight).
Gansey: may be rich, but has an almost literal heart of gold. He's also a huge nerd about Welsh history and it's pretty adorable.
Ronan: about as vicious a person can get, but a master of the sarcasm and has a secret soft side for baby ravens. He's very tough and I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley.
Adam: rather stubborn about succeeding in life on his own, yet a really nice guy. He also has this not-so-secret secret that's really depressing and makes me want to give him a huge hug and protect him from the world. (Cries a little)
Noah: pretty much a puppy in human form.
I love the little twists and turns in this story, and it held my attention the entire time. The setting, Henrietta, Virginia, has such a ordinary yet intriguing atmosphere. This is not a typical young adult novel; it's entirely unique, and I can't wait to get around to reading the second book in this four-part series, The Dream Thieves.
Overall Rating:
The Raven Boys is perfect for you if you want interesting characters, a dash of the unknown, and quite a lot of history and mythology. I would absolutely read this again (rereread?). I also think it would be a great movie or TV show, as long as it goes by the book.
I rate this book five out of five ravens.
Note: I will try my best to post more often, and I apologize for the delay.
"There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve. Either you're his true love... or you killed him." Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them- until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her. His name is Gansey, and he's 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 is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.
My Thoughts (Small spoilers ahead; you have been warned):
For starters, this is one of those books where I literally love almost all of the characters. They're so very complex and interesting to read about, and Maggie Stiefvater's writing style really makes them come to life. They don't feel or seem flat/2-Dimensional; more like someone you could easily bump into in real life. Here's my (not very analytic) analysis of the characters mentioned in the description, minus Blue's mom:
Blue: sassy, amazing, eccentric, and definitely doesn't fit the damsel-in-distress stereotype that is sometimes used for female protagonists (I'm lookin' at you, Twilight).
Gansey: may be rich, but has an almost literal heart of gold. He's also a huge nerd about Welsh history and it's pretty adorable.
Ronan: about as vicious a person can get, but a master of the sarcasm and has a secret soft side for baby ravens. He's very tough and I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley.
Adam: rather stubborn about succeeding in life on his own, yet a really nice guy. He also has this not-so-secret secret that's really depressing and makes me want to give him a huge hug and protect him from the world. (Cries a little)
Noah: pretty much a puppy in human form.
I love the little twists and turns in this story, and it held my attention the entire time. The setting, Henrietta, Virginia, has such a ordinary yet intriguing atmosphere. This is not a typical young adult novel; it's entirely unique, and I can't wait to get around to reading the second book in this four-part series, The Dream Thieves.
Overall Rating:
The Raven Boys is perfect for you if you want interesting characters, a dash of the unknown, and quite a lot of history and mythology. I would absolutely read this again (rereread?). I also think it would be a great movie or TV show, as long as it goes by the book.
I rate this book five out of five ravens.
Note: I will try my best to post more often, and I apologize for the delay.
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