2014 has already come and gone and I have yet to share with you my favorite reads of the year. For those who don’t follow me on social media, the answer as to why is simple: I was dying of the plague. Okay, not really. I REALLY had the flu. And not just one. I had TWO different strands. So for my Christmas vacation, I spent 16 days in bed. Sleeping. Barely moving. Barely reading—which is the real tragedy. But now that we have enjoyed a full two weeks of 2015, let me share with you my favorite reads of 2014. First, I met my Goodreads goal of 115 books. As a matter of fact, I didn’t meet it—I spanked it. By year’s end I read 144 books (mostly YA and mysteries). I really like rounded up numbers, so I am bummed I didn’t reach 145, but hey, since I spanked my original goal, I will take it. Of those 144 boys, below I am sharing with you 15 of my favorite tween/YA reads in no particular order. Enjoy! ‘The Impossible Knife of Memory’ – Laurie Halse Anderson I did...
Title and author: The Raven Boysby Maggie Stiefvater
Pages: 408
Date:September 18, 2012
Publisher:Scholastic
ISBN: 9780545424929
Source: NetGalley
Summary (from Goodreads):
“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 Shivertrilogy 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.
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 Shivertrilogy 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.
My Thoughts:
This is another favorite read of 2012. I have one word that describes this novel: WOW!
Seriously, there is no other word for it. The book itself is near impossible to review without giving away major plot points, but I will do my best.
First, hats off to the author for keeping me guessing throughout the reading of this novel. I thought I had everything figured out, until the very end.
With that out of the way, I want to focus on her characters. Blue and Gansey, an unlikely pairing, quickly find themselves a part of one another’s world. No matter how hard Blue tries, no matter how many times her mother warns, she is drawn to Gansey. She must know him, help him, figure out what will bring about his death. This must be the boy she was warned about, right? The one she was told would die if she were ever to give him a kiss. Or is he, because if there is one thing Blue knows, it’s that she doesn’t plan on kissing him. EVER.
While Blue and Gansey were the two driving forces behind the storytelling, it is the minor characters that steal the show, in more ways than one. It was a joy to experience the interaction within this circle of friends – Aglionby boys and Blue. We experience their highs, their lows, their triumphs, their discoveries. And we learn the value of loyalty and friendship, and the true meaning of betrayal.
Without giving too much away, Stiefvater’s plot is nicely executed. The pacing will keep readers enthralled, turning the page, and hungering for more.
This novel will appeal to ya lovers, especially those of the paranormal variety, but also Neil Gaiman fans. This is also a great hooknovel for teen boys.
Have you read this novel? What were your thoughts? What kind of reader(s) would you recommend it to?
Have you reviewed it? Share your link below.
Happy reading all!
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