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| maggiestiefvater.com |
I have never read a single
book by Maggie Stiefvater. To be honest, I'd never heard of her before I ended
up getting my hands on this book. And after reading the book, I have realized what
a shame that is, because Maggie Stiefvater is a superb writer of YA fiction.
Her newest book, The Raven Boys, tells the story from
multiple viewpoints of a few characters, but mostly from the viewpoint of Blue.
Blue is the daughter of a psychic; yes, one of those reading-your-palm,
pick-a-card kind of psychics. However, Blue herself lacks all psychic ability.
Her only strange attribute is her ability to amplify the psychic abilities of
those around her. However, she always ends up going with her mother to church
on St. Mark's Eve to watch those who will die in the next year walk past. Blue
had never been able to see these spirits pass–until the time she sees just one.
The boy that she sees,
Gansey, ends up becoming a main character in the story. He is on his quest to
discover ley lines; lines of powerful magical energy that are rumored to cross
near the town that they are in. He is rich, powerful, and attends Aglionby. He
and his rag-tag team of friends are about to discover much, much more than they
bargained for.
Stiefvater tells the story
from the viewpoint of three main characters—Blue, Gansey, and Gansey's best
friend, Adam. All three weave together this intricate story that is full of the
supernatural and the incredibly realistic. Stiefvater touches on so many subjects,
ranging from the psychic to class structure and economic issues, domestic
violence, and maybe even a hint of romance. As the novel progresses, you slowly
but surely lose your will to put the book down, hoping for a new development, or
a new break in the case. The reader will feel for Blue and her struggle to
understand her role in the world—and what her friendships with Adam and Gansey
in particular mean; for Gansey, who is struggling to find the path to happiness
that money can't buy; and for Adam, who is just struggling to keep his head
afloat in a world that seems too wealthy for the likes of him.
The story builds in such a
marvelous way that when the last page of the story is reached, you're instantly
ready for the next book. The awful part? This book was just released on the
18th of September! Looks like we're in for a long wait, eagerly awaiting the
outcome of those Aglionby boys and the girl named Blue.
By Natalie Hamil
