Review Detail

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvatar is a must read for the fall. The lore is unique and the plot will keep you turning the pages late into the night.


The Raven Boys is unlike any book I’ve ever read. The lore starts out similar to things we have read in the past, psychic family with the one girl who doesn’t have any power, the fact her family has seen her future and it’s not pretty. Then it becomes something completely different about long lost princes who will grant a wish to the one who finds them and the mystery surrounding the legend of Glendower.

Blue is the only non-psychic is a family bursting with them. Blue is also destined to kill her true love with a kiss. So her life is a complicated to say the least. Even though Blue can’t connect with the spirits her presence enhances other psychics’ abilities. Every year Blue helps her family watch over the soon-to-be dead but never actually sees anyone until now.

“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.”

Blue doesn’t worry too much about her future until she meets The Raven boys, a group of friends who attend the local private school that caters to the rich. Gansey is clearly the leader who holds the group together and the one on a mission to find Glendower, a Welsh Prince with a mythical story. Then there is Ronan, who is angry at the world due to the loss of his father. Adam is the local boy masquerading as a Raven Boy. Adam’s home life is not pleasant and being a poor Raven Boy isn’t always easy. Lastly there is Noah who observes everything and only talks when it is really important. The group of boys are so well written and while on the surface appear very different Stiefvatar finds a way to make them work as a group.

All of the characters are so richly drawn and believable. Blue’s family which consists of not only her mother but aunts and cousins adds a rich layer to the story. While the main characters are teenagers the story doesn’t feel like it is written for any age range. It is just an incredibly unique story that keeps you guessing to the very end.

Maggie Stiefvatar has written a story that is fascinating and unique. It takes a legend not known to many and adds layers of mystery and science that take the story to a different level. Her writing is so well paced you won’t be able to put the book down. While the story may seem like a romance with the whole kissing and true love aspect it is at its heart a mystery that isn’t bogged down by the romance aspect. It is definitely a story that has something for everyone.

This story is like few others out there. If you like mysteries with incredible characters and a plot that constantly keeps you guessing this book is for you. The Raven Boys releases on September 18, make sure to pick up your copy.