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Oct 27, 2019onepandella rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blue Sargent is prophesied to kill her first love when she kisses him. She meets a group of raven boys from the rich private school; Gansey, the privileged leader searching for a greater purpose, Adam, the scholarship kid who wishes he was born into a better life, Ronan, the rebel who says whats on his mind, and Noah, the shy quiet kid with a dark past. Together, they look for a dead king. 3.5/5 : It surprised me to find so many people who absolutely adore this series. I'm not saying it was bad, but personally this was an average book to me. However, I absolutely love the characters (Adam is my favorite <3). Each character was charming in their own way yet they had flaws and insecurities that made them feel real. This first book is VERY character driven for a fantasy/supernatural story and slow-paced, so if you're willing to read 200 pages of character development before the plot starts, then this is for you. I'm not sure I'll continue the series. The beginning dragged on for forever because none of the main characters had really met yet? They all kind of ran into each other occasionally, then they went their separate ways, until eventually becoming friends. I don't even remember the first half of the book because the writing felt dense and I was waiting for something to happen with the characters. However, once they all became friends, I couldn't put the book down. I enjoyed the character dynamics between them all. I also just enjoy the characters, period. Blue was probably my least favorite; she wasn't that interesting of a character. I loved Gansey's struggle of trying to find a purpose in his life. I liked how Gansey was conflicted with being the perfect ideal guy born into money, and how he overthought his words to the point where they lost their meaning. I also loved Adam; how he tried so hard to belong in the Raven Boy uniform and title. Ronan and Noah were cool too, although not much was explored with them. The plot was engaging, and the plot twist were good. It picked up the pace in the last 100 pages. Whelk was a sad and pathetic villain, which I appreciated. I've tried reading other books by Maggie Stiefvater, and I've concluded that her writing style isn't for me. It's very slow burn and wordy, which is what some people like, but personally, I don't. My favorite chapter was when Ronan fought Adam's dad. I was so happy Adam stood up for himself, even if it wasn't by a lot. I loved his character growth and his interactions with Gansey; how they're both opposites who want what the other wishes they could change. I would have enjoyed this book more if the writing style wasn't so dense, and if the POVs weren't so melodramatic. There was a lot of 'dancing around the topic' before the book actually got to the point. What I Take Away From This: Searching for a greater meaning to your life isn't worth it at the expense of the meaningful things in your own life. Fate has plans for you, so good luck with that. I can't think of any other themes, but I'm sure the series explores them in later books. I don't like slow burn novels.