Anyway, this month's book, The Raven Boys, is one I've already reviewed, and I'll repost my review at the bottom of this post. BUT I am bringing something new to the table.
I was reading an article today about the propmaster on Dexter (a show I do not watch and which, after reading about some of the things this guy has had to create, I am pretty sure I will not be watching any time soon). He noted that one of the ingredients in his recipe for blood (!!!) is peppermint--because the blood has a syrup base, which I guess is sweet, and might attract bees--and bees hate peppermint. I immediately thought of Gansey chewing his mint leaves and wondered if that was the reason for his habit. (I wonder if it applies to all mint? Or is it specified which kind of mint leaves he's chewing?) Anyway, that kind of blew my mind. Plus: helpful information!
Anyway, here's my review.
The Raven Boys by Maggie StiefvaterMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Well, I'm gonna go ahead and make it official: Maggie Stiefvater is my favorite author. This book took me a whole week to read because it was so rich with detail and life and I didn't want it to end. Reading a book by Maggie Stiefvater is like watching The Wire--you may start out a little disoriented because the world you're dropped into has so clearly been existing without you forever, but you slowly get acclimated and sucked in and by the end it feels like you've always lived there. Every sentence is its own tiny beautiful thing, which makes the experience of reading very different from a book like The Hunger Games where every sentence is sleek and trim and pushes the story ahead faster and faster. I don't think either is better than the other, but I think it's hard to do either very, very well. Maggie Stiefvater does her thing very, very well.
But what is it about? Blue, daughter of a psychic (properly, the child in a family of psychics, although not a traditional nuclear family) doesn't have power she can use herself, but she does amplify the energy around her. She's also the subject of a persistent psychic reading: if she kisses her true love, he will die. Gansey, wealthy private school student, is hunting for a Welsh king rumored to be in a magical sleep; whoever wakes him will receive a favor. The rest of the Raven Boys--so called because of the Raven crest on their school sweaters--have formed a family of their own, largely because of Gansey's inimitable something that holds them together. Adam is doing his best to get by on his own terms in the world he aspires to earn a place in. Noah is quiet, shy, and seems uncomfortable in his own skin. And Ronan is desperate and angry after his father's sudden and mysterious death. When Blue becomes entangled with the Raven Boys, all of their lives suddenly become amplified in ways they never expected.
This is the first book in a planned series, so while there's a ton of mystery, excitement, suspense, and world-building, there aren't a ton of answers. There's also not a ton of romance, although some groundwork is laid. Since Blue really can't kiss anyone without being worried about killing them, things move pretty slowly. I think, though, that if you go into this book expecting a well-told, well-crafted story, with characters you won't soon forget, you'll enjoy this one and look forward to the rest. I probably wouldn't recommend it to a struggling or reluctant reader, but for my students who are on the cusp of being ready for adult literary fiction, this would be a really good read (Hey former students reading my reviews: I mean you guys. READ THIS.)
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That bit about bees and peppermint is fascinating! If she included that detail about Gansey chewing mint for that reason, she's even more awesome than I already thought.
ReplyDelete"I think, though, that if you go into this book expecting a well-told, well-crafted story, with characters you won't soon forget, you'll enjoy this one and look forward to the rest." Exactly! I'm normally a big sucker for a good romance, but the tightly-knit group of boys in this story was compelling enough that I didn't feel like romance was missing. Plus, we've been promised more swoon in later books (I think). Can't wait to keep reading! :)
Right? I so want to know if that was intentional! And I'm actually kind of in the market for non-romantic YA, if only because I'm curious about what it looks like :)
DeleteI love how you applied Blue's gift for amplifying psychic abilities to the way she amplifies the lives of the Raven Boys. I hadn't thought of it that way, but you're absolutely right. I also like how you've pointed out that Gansey is essentially the glue that holds them all together. He's the leader of the quest for Glendower, but it goes deeper than that. The relationships largely center around Gansey and he seems to feel responsible for everyone. That worries me because it makes me wonder what this might drive him to do in the end. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI know--I love Gansey so much, which is exactly what I am supposed to feel about him (everyone does in their way!) And so I also worry. I mean, because it seems like we know what he does. But maybe not? Eeek.
DeleteI love your write-up, Jess! I hope you'll continue to book-club with us. :) I love Maggie Stiefvater for all the reasons you do. She makes storytelling seem effortless, which makes her work a joy to read. And I'm fascinated by your tidbit on peppermint and bees! I'm allergic to bees, but I did not know about their aversion to mint. Totally seems like something Gansey would know and take advantage of though! (Incidentally, I watch (and love) Dexter. It's crazy-graphic, but if you can get past all that, the storytelling is superb.)
ReplyDeleteI know, I know, I know...people keep telling me how good it is. But apparently first I have to watch Breaking Bad...and we still haven't finished The Wire...there just aren't enough summers to catch up on all the shows we didn't squeeze in during the regular season! (And really all I want to do is watch Friday Night Lights again--that was this summer's show and I'm already throwing on episodes to rewatch while I do housework!)
DeleteLove the bee/mint fact - I did not know that! And, yes, there was SOMETHING about Gansey; I think I could read 10 books about him and never get bored.
ReplyDeleteThat's tough to do on the page, too--on screen, you can always just find an actor with a lot of charisma, and let that do the work. Somehow Maggie managed to put that on the page.
DeleteVery interesting about bees and mint! I loved how slowly the romance(s?) are/were being built up. It's the antidote to InstaLove!
ReplyDeleteYes! I love that as well. It's a great model for series authors, especially.
Delete"The world you're dropped into has so clearly been existing without you forever, but you slowly get acclimated and sucked in and by the end it feels like you've always lived there." <---YES! That's exactly what it's like! I'm glad you were able to participate this month. :)
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