Synopsis: Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, 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 is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher 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 doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Release Date: September 1, 2012

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Page Count: 409

Genre(s): Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

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But recently, it was recommended to me, and so I decided maybe it was time to just read it and get it out of the way. I've always liked Stiefvater as an author despite my torn feelings about her two previous series.

My friend told me that The Raven Boys was going to be a book I couldn't put down. I was excited, as I haven't read anything in a while and thought it would be a nice way to get myself back on the "book market" considering how short (by my standards) it is; and that it would be an easy, quick read. But I had to keep reminded myself not to get my hopes up after my previous experiences with Stiefvater's books. However, my friend wasn't kidding.

I literally could not put the book down. The only thing that finally made me put it down—with three chapters left, nonetheless—was the fact that it was four in the morning and I had to go to work later that evening.

The Raven Boys really is the kind of book that you can't put down. The characters are all unique and raw you in. They each have their quirks, their secrets, and the downright sexiness that comes with having four of the main characters being attractive males. Blue is also my kind of girl. She doesn't put up with the Raven Boys' crap, she knows how to stand her ground—but she's sensible, she has soft spots, and she feels real. Not only those things, but the sarcasm that the characters spew out in this book gave me life and laughter. It was sassy and made for an amusing read.

I have also been slowly shying away from young adult novels. They're filled with awkward romance mixed with fantasy, secrets, and mysteries. While I loved those mixes of genres growing up, they're becoming tiring and overused lately. I was absolutely dreading reading this book as more and more time passed for another reason, as well—the romance. But guess what? The little romance their is, isn't overbearing. Despite the use of Blue's love life being an important plot device, it doesn't really pop up in any spectacular way in this first book. The romance here is fleeting, barely tangible. It's cute, it's enjoyable. It's not your overused, overrated teen fantasy romance between the awkward but "special" girl and the handsome, untouchable, "gifted' and powerful guy. Which is quite refreshing.

The book is written a bit choppy, in my opinion. The flow between scenes and chapters isn't always the smoothest. The switch in point of views between characters is mostly done between chapters, but sometimes it isn't extremely obvious that you're in a new character's point of view or mind. It takes a few sentences, maybe even a short paragraph in, to finally figure out whose point of view you're in. But despite that bumpy road, the book is still written in an engaging way. Although choppy, it's fast-paced and definitely a page-turner.

While I would've enjoyed a few slower moments in the book, simply for a bit more plot depth, I also didn't mind the fact that it moved so fast. It had my heart pounding and me wanting more with every page I turned. In this book in particular, I especially enjoyed Stiefvater's little hints she threw about. A few times, it was quite easy to guess where the plot was going, but despite how easy it was to figure some things out, Stiefvater still used this device in a way that kept me wanting to read more and see if I was right about what I had guessed.

I honestly can't wait to read the rest of the series and find out where the Raven Boys and Blue go from here on out. I'm starting the second book, which I also bought at the same time as The Raven Boys, immediately after I finish writing this!