June Wrap-Up 2016

In My Life

June 1st was my last day of school! YAYAYAYAY!! Being on summer break has been amazingly relaxing, though I can’t believe a month of it is gone already! I haven’t really been productive yet. Whoops…

I took another online poetry workshop with the University of Iowa (more on that later) and I started a photography class. I’ve been hanging out with friends and generally relaxing, reveling in the glory of not having any responsibilities. 

The one sad part is that my sister left for a five week summer program at the Savannah College of Art and Design. FIVE WEEKS! We’re twins, and we’ve never been apart for more than a night, so being twin-less for over a month is very weird, but we’re surviving. She’s doing amazing stuff and we’re actually managing to keep in touch, despite being on other sides of the country (oh, the wonder of technology).

On This Blog

I had 14 posts this month! After two months of barely posting anything, I think I’m finally getting back into the habit of blogging.

I took part in three Top Ten Tuesdays:

• Top Ten Reasons I Love Contemporary Romance
• Top Ten Favorite 2016 Releases So Far This Year
• Top Ten Books that Ended Their Series Well

I also did the 3 Days, 3 Quotes Challenge (day 1, day 2, and day 3) and joined the Make Me Read It Readathon, which will happen in July. You can still vote for which books I should read!

If you guys don’t know, I started a bookstagram account (@52lettersinthealphabet) last month. This month I took part in my first bookstagram challenge and it was really fun! I’m really glad that I expanded this blog into that social media space and that I’ve gotten to connect with so many amazing bookstagramers and bloggers!

In Reading and Reviewing

I set myself the goal of reading 20 books this summer and I’m doing pretty well. I read 8 books this month and they were all amazing. If I reviewed them, they will have a rating and you can follow the link to my review.

• Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3) by Maggie Stiefvater — 5/5 stars
• The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater — 5/5 stars
• Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
• Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson — 3.5/5 stars
• A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACO #1) by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Mist and Fury (ACO #2) by Sarah J. Maas
• The King of Attolia (Queen’s Thief #3) by Megan Whalen Turner
• The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

ACOMAF was definitely my favorite book of the month (of 2016 really)! I will have a very fangirlly review coming soon, once I can get my emotions in order.

The only books that I read for the first time this month were TRK, SCS, and ACOMAF. The rest I reread either to continue series or because I needed to heal emotionally after a heart-wrenching book. Not all of the rereads will get formal reviews, but I have some discussion posts planned that tie into them.

I also caught up on some reviews for books that I read in May…and then fell behind again (as you can see).

• The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater — 5/5 stars
• The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater — 5/5 stars
• Their Fractured Light (Starbound #3) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner — 5/5 stars

In Writing

Though I didn’t post any poetry on this blog, I was actually working on it. I took another Flashwrite poetry workshop from the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program and loved it again. This one was more focused on peer workshops and it was really helpful.

I started a third draft of my WIP! I had an idea that fixed a lot of plot problems and made the story more exciting, but that forced me to rewrite most of what I’d already written. Luckily, I’ve actually gotten into a habit of writing (nearly) daily, and I’ve already written 18,000 words!

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How was your June? Did you read any great books?

Top Ten Books That Ended Their Series Well

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

It’s an awkward title but bear with me. This week’s TTT them is FREEBIE, which is kind of a nightmare for me because I suck at coming up with topics, but I came up with something!

Here are my favorite last-books-in-a-series. Books that managed to maintain the awesomeness that was the previous books in the series and to give their readers a worthy ending. I won’t give you any spoilers for the series, don’t worry.

1. The Hero of Ages (Mistborn #3) by Brandon Sanderson

I didn’t know how the Mistborn trilogy could ever end, but The Hero of Ages pulled off a surprising, but satisfying (and heart-wrenching) ending. (My review of the series here.)

2. The Sweet Far Thing (Gemma Doyle #3) by Libba Bray

I haven’t read this book in ages, but I remember bawling at the end (so much that someone actually asked me if I was okay). I love this series a lot and the ending totally did it justice.

3. Their Fractured Light (Starbound #3) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

AHHHH!!!! The ending of this series saw all of my favorite characters unite in an epic battle against evil and it was AMAZING. (My review here.)

4. The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater

SO GOOD. So painful. So perfect. (My review here.)

5. United We Spy (Gallagher Girls #6) by Ally Carter

These books are my comfort books. I read them during finals, or whenever I need a pick-me-up. Having to see the series end was painful, but Ally Carter wrapped it up in a way that put a smile on my face. (My review for the series here.)

6. Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking #3) by Patrick Ness

As you can tell from the cover, this isn’t exactly a happy book. But it wasn’t a happy series, and this book blew me away with the character and plot development.

7. Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna #3) by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss will always be my favorite book in the series, but I loved Isla and the Happily Ever After for bringing us back to the beginning while spinning a new story of love and self-discovery. (My review here.)

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Bonus: Books That Better End My Favorite Series Well

8. The Rose and the Dagger (TWATD #2) by Renée Ahdieh

I’m about to start this and I’m TERRIFIED. I know that it’s going to break my heart…I just hope that it puts it back together as well. 🙂

9. Calamity (Reckoners #3) by Brandon Sanderson

Unfortunately, I’ve heard mixed reviews for this book, but I still hope that it delivers a satisfying ending to what has been an action-packed adventure so far.

10. Always and Forever Lara Jean (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #3) by Jenny Han

I am conflicted as to whether this story even needs a third book, so I hope that Jenny Han does her story justice with it. I’m ready to see more Lara Jean and Peter K, and I trust that there will be lots of swoony and adorably awkward scenes for me to fall in love with.

Book Review: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

This book surprised me with its handling of grief, friendship, and love, but it left a few things to be desired.

3.5/5 stars

Goodreads Description

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

Add it on Goodreads

My Review

After reading Since You’ve Been Gone last year, I knew that I had to read more of Morgan Matson’s novels. Second Chance Summer is definitely worth reading, but I didn’t fall in love with it the way I did with SYBG.

Second Chance Summer tells the story of Taylor as her family returns to her childhood lake house to have one last summer as a family before her father succumbs to his chronic illness. Her father wants his children to be able to enjoy their last summer with him. Taylor wants to do anything but return to the lake house, haunted by past mistakes.

I really related to Taylor’s character. She responds to any awkward, emotional, or confrontational situation by running away—a strategy whose consequences finally catch up to her at the lake house. She doesn’t know what to do with her free time, or how to face the fact that her father is dying. She just doesn’t want to face anything that this summer will bring, but of course, she has to.

I enjoyed the way that Matson wove flashbacks into the story, slowly shedding light on the summer five years ago that somehow left Taylor with a former best friend and an ex-boyfriend who hates her. The flashbacks never broke up the flow of the main story, and they did a good job characterizing Lucy (the ex BFF) and Henry (the ex BF).

I was pleasantly surprised when we finally found out what Taylor did to screw everything up. It fit her character well and wasn’t overly dramatic; it was realistic, while still explaining the lingering tensions between the characters.

Taylor’s dad’s illness dominates a lot of the plot of Second Chance Summer. By the end of the book, I felt like I should be mourning one of my own family members—that’s how palpably I felt Taylor’s grief. Thankfully, though, Second Chance Summer also made me laugh, and we get to see Taylor share happy moments with her father in spite of the depressing situation.

Most of all, Second Chance Summer is a book about personal growth. Over the course of the novel, Taylor learns how to interact with her father on an emotional level, something she hadn’t even realized she didn’t do until his diagnosis. She has to face the consequences of that fateful summer, but she deals with them well, bringing Lucy back into her life and finding a place for herself in the lake town.

Surprisingly for me, Second Chance Summer is light on romance. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. Because the book isn’t dominated or driven by romance, Taylor’s personal growth feels natural and honest. It is refreshing to see a YA character discover themselves largely outside of the context of romance. Matson achieves a nice balance of romance to plot, still making sure that the book has some sweet moments without overshadowing the more poignant parts of the story.

However, because the romance is put on the back burner of the plot, it isn’t very satisfying or exciting. Most of the romantic build-up between Henry and Taylor happens in flashbacks when the characters first meet. The rekindling of their relationship begins in a series of awkward chance encounters that made for funny scenes but a poor foundation for a relationship. I believed that Taylor and Henry had feelings for each other and that they were a good couple, but I never got that excited, gut-tingling sensation that I expect from romances.

All in all, I wanted more from Second Chance Summer. I felt like Lucy’s character could have been given more depth, and Taylor’s relationship with Henry needed a little more “swooniness.”

If you’re looking for a toe-curling, awkwardly adorable romance, Second Chance Summer probably isn’t for you. But if you want to read a complex and touching story of personal growth during a time of loss, then this book will be perfect.

Book Review: The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater

OH. MY. GOD. This book destroyed me! It was the perfect ending to one of my favorite series EVER.

5/5 stars

Goodreads Description

For years, Gansey has been on a quest to find a lost king. One by one, he’s drawn others into this quest: Ronan, who steals from dreams; Adam, whose life is no longer his own; Noah, whose life is no longer a lie; and Blue, who loves Gansey… and is certain she is destined to kill him.

Now the endgame has begun. Dreams and nightmares are converging. Love and loss are inseparable. And the quest refuses to be pinned to a path.

Add it on Goodreads

My Review

This is a really hard book to review for me, because half of what I want to say is spoilers, and the other half is basically “oh my god” over and over. But I’ll try 😉

Reading The Raven King (TRK for brevity) is like voluntarily handing your heart over to a butcher while simultaneously having all of your wishes granted at once. Lots of pain and suffering and tears. Lots of happiness and YES YES YES moments.

It’s…a lot.

By the end of TRK, all of the characters are leaps and bounds away from who they were at the beginning of the series (at the beginning of the book, for that matter). Each character’s growth and transformation is palpable and powerful. They grow into deeper, stronger, realer versions of themselves—and do it at a realistic pace.

The relationships between the Raven Boys (and Blue) grow in the same way, knitting them together, becoming the epitome of friendship. Every character transforms on their own, yes, but their transformations also tie them closer and closer to the group as a whole.

Even the new characters got folded into the plot without a hitch. Introducing new characters in the last book of a series seems crazy, but it just worked in TKR. I’m particularly in love with Henry Cheng, who brought so many layers to the plot while also providing some of the happiest (and funniest) scenes in the book.

By the end of TRK, I loved every character so much that I couldn’t stand it. They were all so real and alive—how could you not fall in love with them?

Speaking of love, the romance in TRK was PERFECT. All of it. I don’t want to say more and give anything away, but no matter your ship, you’ll get some happiness 😉

I could not stop reading TRK. The book throws you from happy scenes to terrifying scenes to horrifically sad scenes to hilarious scenes, with no stopping points, ever.

I loved how a series of chapters would fit together (like the 6:21 chapters), as well as the “depending on where you began the story” motif. The whole book had this feeling of putting the final pieces of a puzzle together—everything worked together perfectly, and you could suddenly start to see the entire picture at once. And of course, the writing was drop-dead, how-can-anyone-write-this-magically gorgeous.

If there was a sense of impending doom in BLLB, there was even more of one in TRK. Every time Gansey wore his Aglionby sweater, I freaked out. I just knew that the plot was going somewhere it could never come back from, and I both really wanted and never wanted it to get there. The entire book was surprising and tear-jerking and just really freaking emotional.

I’ll just say it: I SOBBED at the ending. And then I finished the book and just sat there in emotional shock for a little while longer, tears dripping down my face.

But it was the perfect ending for the series. It wrapped up the story, left no loose ends to wonder about, and got in a few last surprises on the way out. It was beautiful and painful. It was everything I needed it to be.

Make Me Read It Readathon: What Should I Read?

Hey everyone! One of my goals this summer is to take part in a readathon, so when I saw a ton of bloggers posting about the Make Me Read It Readathon, I decided to take part! I’m really excited because this is my first readathon (during school I have no hope of being able to take part in them).

The Make Me Read It Readathon is hosted by Val @ The Innocent Smiley and Ely @ Tea and Titles. It runs from July 9th to July 16th. Here are the rules:

Look at the books you own, either physical, e-book or ones you’ve borrowed from the library and pick out a few you really want to read, or feel like you should read. It’s up to you how many you pick, personally I’d pick a few more than you expect to be able to read in a week. Example: if you think you’ll only read two, pick out five books or if you think you can read seven, pick out ten.

Make a list of these books on your blog, or make a video, or a Goodreads shelf or post a picture on Instagram—whatever is easiest for you. Then get friends, other bloggers/booktubers etc. to vote on which books you HAVE to read.

When the readathon comes along, you read the books in the order of most votes. For example, if one book gets 10 votes—you read that first, then the one that got 7 and so on. If there’s a tie, then it’s your preference. The goal is to read as many as possible.

I have chosen a mix of books that I have had on my shelf for a while now and recent (or planned) purchases. For a lot of these books, I don’t know how much I’ll like them, which is why I have put off reading them, but I hate owning unread books, so I hope this readathon forces me to clear off my TBR shelf!

I need your help to decide which books to read! Please vote 🙂

You can choose up to 3

 

Book Review: Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3) by Maggie Stiefvater

Part three of the Raven Cycle does not disappoint. Actually, it rips your heart out and slowly tortures it with magic, realism, and impending doom.

5/5 stars

Goodreads Description

There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.
Mothers can disappear.
Visions can mislead.
Certainties can unravel.

Add it on Goodreads here.

My Review

Blue Lily, Lily Blue (hereafter BLLB because that is such a long title) continues the magic of The Raven Cycle, with a side of heartbreak.

In BLLB, shit starts to get real. You can tell that the series is building up to the climax. Gansey’s death stops being a far-off possibility and takes on an imminent feeling. Magic starts to go off the rails, trampling into the real world. There is a nervous excitement on every page that makes you want to read faster to rip the bandaid off. The plot is no longer messing around and is now playing for keeps.

And it’s really, really painful to read. But also gorgeous. GAH Maggie Stiefvater will destroy me.

At this point, it feels redundant to say that the characters are still living, breathing, and growing. All of the Raven Boys (and Blue) are well in the middle of fighting their demons, finding themselves, and rearranging their lives around the truths they keep uncovering. Once again, it feels more like a collection of simultaneous stories woven together than one dominant plot—which I love. It wouldn’t do the characters justice to leave out their individual plot lines for the sake of a more unified story line.

There are a lot of new characters in BLLB, but somehow it works. Some of them are minor characters and just add some humor to the story (I LOVE JESSE—see what I did there?), but others are key players in the plot. Gwenllian, Greenmantle, and Piper all helped move the plot in new directions (even if I wanted to scream at all of them).

The main plot of BLLB surrounds Marua’s disappearance and the presence of three “sleepers.” The sleepers plot was really freaking creepy, because you never knew if the characters were taking the right steps or if they were going to destroy themselves. Coupled with the vague sense of impending doom, BLLB had me on edge of my seat.

But BLLB still has strong “real world” subplots. I loved learning more about Aglionby, both about the students and the classes. Seeing Gansey’s cohorts interact with the rest of their school made me see them in a new light (even three books into the series).

And FINALLY, we get to see Blue and Gansey’s relationship develop. I loved (and hated) how tentative and guilt-ridden they were as they carefully left friendship behind and moved onto something more. There are moments of complete happiness, but they are always tempered by lingering fears and worries. They are the perfect couple, but they don’t get the perfect relationship, and though it broke my heart, it also made the story that much more real.

It’s impossible to describe how powerful the writing is. No longer is it just beautiful; now there is an energy to it that promises more secrets, more pain, more everything. Try to reread one scene and you’ll want to reread the entire book. (I know, it happened to me while writing this review.)

In closing, this is the kind of book that sucks you and and doesn’t let you go until the last page (and then only so that you can go pick up the next book). 

Top Ten Favorite 2016 Releases So Far This Year

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely The Broke and the Bookish.

Okay, here is my problem: I haven’t read very many 2016 releases yet. So if I made this list based on books I’ve read, it would be three books long…and that would be sad. So this list has two parts: 1) books I’ve read and loved, and 2) 2016 releases I plan to read and love.

Read

1. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

This book destroyed me!! It was exactly the heart-wrenching, amazing, incredible ending to the Raven Cycle that I needed it to be.

2. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

My favorite book of 2016, hands down. This book is so good there aren’t even words for how good it is.

3. The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson

Everything Brandon Sanderson writes is amazing, but this book was especially incredible. I need the next book NOW!

TBR

4. The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

I actually plan to read this book soon! I love that this is a duology, so I won’t have to wait for another book (because I think another cliffhanger like the end of TWATD might kill me). I can’t wait to read more Shazi!

5. The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

I am officially a fan of Morgan Matson. Both Second Chance Summer and Since You’ve Been Gone were amazing, so I can’t wait to read her latest book!

6. Calamity by Brandon Sanderson

I am loving the Reckoners series so far, so I can’t wait to read the next book. I just bought this and will probably read it soon, though I’m not sure when.

7. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

I loved Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys, so I’m really excited to see what her next book is like. It will probably destroy my heart, though, so I haven’t bought it yet.

8. Firsts by Laurie Flizabeth Flynn

I got this book right when it came out. I am in love with the premise (and the cover), but I’m waiting for the right moment to read it.

9. The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Anderson

The description of this book really grabbed me. It combines Doctor Who and the competitive side of high school, two things that aren’t mentioned in YA enough 😉

10. Starflight by Melissa Landers

The cover of this book is gorgeous and the plot sounds awesome. I don’t own this yet, but I wish I did!

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Have you read any of these? Which 2016 releases are your favorites?

Reread Review: The Dream Thieves (Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater

This is my second favorite book in the series (behind The Raven King). I love the darkness of this book and the way that all of the characters continue to grow and weave together.

First reviewed: November 2014

Initial Rating: 5/5 stars

Reread Rating: 5/5 stars

First review here.

Goodreads Description

Ronan Lynch has secrets. Some he keeps from others. Some he keeps from himself.

One secret: Ronan can bring things out of his dreams.

And sometimes he’s not the only one who wants those things.

Ronan is one of the raven boys—a group of friends, practically brothers, searching for a dead king named Glendower, who they think is hidden somewhere in the hills by their elite private school, Aglionby Academy. The path to Glendower has long lived as an undercurrent beneath town. But now, like Ronan’s secrets, it is beginning to rise to the surface—changing everything in its wake.

Add it on Goodreads here.

My Review

I LOVE this book! I’ve now read it three times and it only gets more intense, more real, more captivating.

As always, the characters are the defining magic of The Dream Thieves. Even more than in the first book, the characters feel like living, breathing people who could walk off the page and into real life. And where The Raven Boys (TRB) sought to establish an overview of the relationships between the characters, The Dream Thieves (TDT) delves into the specifics of their friendships and rivalries.

None of the characters are static. Every character is at some point focused on in the narration, giving the reader a strong sense of who that character is and how they are developing. Because of that, this book is not so much one story, but half a dozen stories woven together. While shifting POV narration can break the flow of some stories, it actually enhances the power of this book.

As you can tell from the description, Ronan plays a much bigger role in this story than in the first book. I loved this. Ronan isn’t a cheery character, but he is a painfully real character. Stiefvater captures his anger and frustrations and joys beautifully, giving Ronan depth and life that few other characters achieve (in any book).

Ronan’s dreams also come to the forefront of the story. If the sparsity of paranormal elements in TRB frustrated you, don’t worry, because TDT is undeniably magical. I loved the dream world (and dream logic) that Stiefvater created. It seems like such an obvious concept—he can bring objects he dreams to the real world—but Stiefvater takes it to a new level, adding darkness and horror to the magic. 

Adam’s character also gets more layers in this book as the deal he made with Cabeswater starts encroaching on his life. Things start to unravel, and Adam’s previously stoic character starts to fray at the edges.

I’ll admit, I don’t love Adam’s character in this book, but I really appreciate that Stiefvater let her characters fall apart instead of only giving them positive growth. Adam’s actions always feel “in character” for him, even when they send him on a negative path—and break the reader’s heart in the process.

New characters are introduced, adding to the story without overpowering the original cast. I especially love The Gray Man, who could have been an incredibly one-dimensional character but who is instead given a dry sense of humor and a love of poetry. (I also love that this YA book still has autonomous adult characters who have their own scenes and plot lines, separate of the teens.) I also love hate Kavinsky, but I don’t want to spoil anything.

As always, Gansey and Blue are amazing characters. They face trials and frustrations both in the real world and the paranormal one, and the attraction between them grows (*helpless fangirl squealing*).

TDT is addictive; I always wanted to turn the page, discover the next secret, see the next wonder (or horror). The writing that was so gorgeous in book one is still just as poetic and masterful. But where TRB had only a few creepy moments, TDT is full of darkness.

This is probably what makes this my (second) favorite book in the cycle. The darkness doesn’t come just from the magical elements, or Ronan’s nightmares, or Adam’s deal, or Cabeswater itself. There is also real world darkness—fist fights, grief, drugs, enemies. It is both a contemporary and a fantasy/paranormal novel—realism is not sacrificed so that magic can occur, it enhances the magic.

Basically, I’m in love with this novel, these characters, this series, this author. I LOVE EVERYTHING. If you read The Raven Boys and weren’t convinced, you should definitely still pick up The Dream Thieves. The series only gets more gripping and more fascinating.

Reread Review: The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Oh my God I love this series so much!!! This is the perfect first book in one of the most emotional series ever.

First reviewed: November 2014

Initial Rating: 5/5 stars

Reread Rating: 5/5 stars

First review here.

Goodreads Description

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.

Add it on Goodreads here

My Review

The Raven Cycle has always been a favorite of mine. I most recently reread The Raven Boys when Blue Lily, Lily Blue came out, but I had already read it twice before I started this blog. So though this is my first reread review for this book, it was actually my fourth time reading it. Needless to say, I’m in love with this book, but I’m trying to put my fangirling into words so that you can understand where I’m coming from.

The first part of this book that ensnared me is the characters. Each character—not just Blue and the Raven Boys, but also Blue’s relatives and other players in the plot—is given complex emotions and a tangible personality. The entire story comes alive, no matter who the narration is focusing on at a specific moment, because of how realistic each character feels.

Blue is my favorite character, of course. She’s spunky and brave and I love her for it, but I also connected with her frustrations about her future and her present. She has a wonderful home life, but she is also inherently set apart from her family because she isn’t psychic. Getting swept up in Gansey’s quest gives Blue a chance to find magic herself; watching her character transform as her world opens up before her is gorgeous and touching.

Gansey’s character is a force of nature. He’s the kind of character who you instantly know has a million layers and nuances, and you just want to read about him until you’ve discovered and understood all of them.

Adam, Ronan, and Noah complete Gansey’s Raven Boys, each adding their own complexities to the group’s dynamic. I’ll admit that I find Adam’s character frustrating in this book (I’ve shipped Bluesey since page one), but I can’t deny that the way his character deals with pride and poverty is fascinatingly real.

Not only does each character come alive, but the friendships that they form are nuanced and realistic. Within the Raven Boys—especially once Blue joins them—their are smaller, tighter bonds between some of the characters. Some characters understand each other better than others, some characters don’t really know what to do with each other. Instead of creating one big happy family from page one, Maggie Stiefvater chose to put natural roadblocks in the way of this goal, intensifying the already emotionally charged atmosphere of the book.

The second part of this series that I fell in love with is the writing. Maggie Stiefvater is a freaking poet. The writing of this series is magical and fascinating. Somehow, she always finds a new (but impossibly perfect) way to describe her characters and her world. I know some people have found the writing to be over-done and frustrating, but especially having read the story so many times already, I was really able to get caught up in the beauty of the prose this time around.

Finally, there is the actual plot of The Raven Boys. On the surface, the plot is simple: Blue gets caught up in Gansey’s quest to find an ancient Welsh king, so that they can wake him up and be granted a magical favor. But the beauty of this series is that the plot is so much more complex than that, and where you expect the story to go on page one is not where the story ends up by the end.

I love the way that Maggie Stiefvater weaves fantasy and contemporary worlds together. Normally, I am frustrated by cross-genre stories, finding it impossible to balance real and fantasy elements in a story. Of course, this book proves me wrong, and if you are a fan of subtle but intricate fantasy worlds, you should absolutely read this book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who admires subtlety in storytelling. This isn’t a fast-paced book that will grab you and never let you go. You’ll get caught up in characters instead, and gorgeous turns of phrase, and hours later, you’ll realize you’ve been entranced by the story all day. The Raven Boys is clearly the foundation of a series that will (and does) go to even more amazing places.

3 Days 3 Quotes: Day 3

I was tagged by Sam @ River Moose Reads to do the 3 Days, 3 Quotes Challenge.

The Rules

1. Thank the person that nominated you

2. Post a quote 3 consecutive days

3. Nominate 3 new bloggers every day

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“I didn’t know,” I start truthfully, “that it was the hard way when I started on it.”

― The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater 

Add it on Goodreads.

GAH! I love this book soooo much. Sean and Puck are two of my favorite characters in the world. And I love this quote because it both captures the feeling of this book and I think has something that we can all connect to.

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I nominate:

• Baillee @ My Day’s Booked
• Lola @ Hit or Miss Books
• Lila @ The Bookkeeper’s Secrets

You’re under no pressure to accept, but I hope you do!