Title: The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Synopsis: "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.
(from Goodreads)
Why did I pick it up?: I liked the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy and this was available as an audio book at the library. It was a good length for my drive to and from Boston while I was apartment hunting.
Favorite Lines: “The journal and Gansey were clearly long acquainted, and he wanted her to know. This is me. The real me.”
“How do you feel about helicopters?"
There was a long pause. "How do you mean? Ethically?"
"As a mode of transportation."
"Faster than camels, but less sustainable.”
A Quick Review: I was surprised by how much I liked this book. Not that I had any negative expectations. I had enjoyed her Wolves of Mercy Falls series and The Raven Boys sounded interesting, but I was unexpectedly caught in the clutches of the story. I love when that happens, which is why it's getting ridiculous that I haven't picked up the sequel which just came out in September. I'm sure I will soon, I'm just trying to put a dent in the stack of books waiting to be read on my desk.
Despite the prophecy about Blue's true love in the synopsis,she is not love-obsessed. In fact, Blue tries to stay away from any temptation that she fears could lead to love as she doesn't want to be the cause of anyone's death. A lot of characters, particularly teenage ones, would be intrigued and eager to find love more so because of the danger involved. The prophecy is mentioned throughout the story and as you might expect weighs heavily on Blue's shoulders. I think her decision early on in life-to never fall in love and therefore never be the cause of her loved one's demise-leaves her free to be more practical about romance and the Aglionby boys, who she joins forces with.
I loved how the story moved between characters and I particularly loved Gansey's voice. His passion for his quest is contagious not only for other characters but for the reader. I was rooting for him the whole time. The quest, which involves finding the tomb of an ancient king requires magic, science, a wealth of historical knowledge and it seems a decent amount of luck. Gansey's approach to the mystery is methodical and not nearly as crazed as he may seem to others who heard about his plans. He breaks the stereotype of the rich, white, prep school guy and earns your respect for being a solid human being, a loyal friend, and an interesting character. I still don't know what he's all about, but I'm eager to find out.
Recommendation: YA Fantasy fans. Fans of Beautiful Creatures will probably enjoy this.
For Next Week: The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf
Title: Perfect Ruin (Internment Chronicles #1)
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Synopsis: On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 15-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.
Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.
(from Goodreads)
Why did I pick it up?: I enjoyed Lauren DeStefano's Chemical Garden Trilogy. And her cats are pretty adorbs.
Favorite Lines: "For a moment I envy his blindness. I want to curl up in that darkness and have the city disappear around me. I want to be in a place where awful things are never seen and never known, and there's only the whir of the transcriber as the paper fills with fiction."
"He says there's nothing wrong with me, but it's entirely possible he hasn't been paying enough attention."
"I want the world that was promised to us when we were small. Uncomplicated and nonviolent."
My Review: Perfect Ruin is even better than The Chemical Garden trilogy and I really liked that series. I fell in love with DeStefano's short but profound and often lyrical sentences. Many of her passages remind me of Alice Hoffman, but that may be because of the way they make me feel, almost weightless like I'm not even aware that I'm on the couch or the train while reading them. Perfect Ruin retains that quality, but both the story and characters are noticeably more complex. It's not that I found Wither to be full of simple characters or to have a weak story. It's kind of like, when you didn't realize you were hungry until you took your first bite. I thought her other books had given me plenty, but then she gave me more. (I hope you know what I mean, otherwise someone is bound to have me classified as irrational.) Most writers continue to improve as they hone their skills more with each project. And Lauren DeStefano has obviously been honing.
Morgan Stockhour is loyal and trustworthy, the kind of character you can support right away. Still, at times she's awkwardly fifteen, she's independent despite being betrothed since birth, she's generally happy despite being shunned by most of her classmates because of her brother's actions years before.
One thing I really liked about her was her awareness. Morgan's convinced there's something wrong with her but also she seems to know there's something wrong with Internment. I read a lot of YA and a decent amount of that is Dystopian and it's a common theme for the main character to be totally shocked that the ruling body might be wrong. Morgan isn't an angst-filled rebel on page one and she is shocked by the murder, but she's smart and observant. She knows everything isn't as perfect as it seems and that there are things you don't say, because the people in charge would punish you for saying them and she seems to know to be wary of them.
Another refreshing change is the lack of romance as a theme. There is some, as I said, Morgan is betrothed. Her relationship with Basil is well developed and really sweet. They're best friends who grew up knowing they'd be married one day. And while they have some adorable moments, this story isn't a love story. I don't have anything against YA Romance but it's nice to read YA with less of a romantic focus.
As someone who strives to be earth conscious, I had a lot of questions about life on a floating city. With limited resources, no substantial bodies of water, and I imagine some kind of weight restriction to prevent the whole city from just sinking to the ground, they obviously can't have waste piling up. I was happy to learn about those pieces of life on Internment throughout the story. That might just be because I'm green and nerdy about it, but I was happy to have my questions all answered.
Recommendation: If you liked her last series, I'm sure you'll love Perfect Ruin. Also anyone who liked the Matched series by Ally Condie, is waiting impatiently for Catching Fire to hit theaters or who appreciates beautifully crafted sentences.
For Next Week: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
