The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

 Series: The Raven Cycle #1
409p.
Published: Sept. 18, 12
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Source: Library

“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.

My thoughts:
I have to admit it took me a while to really get involved in this book. The beginning was a bit slow, but I did enjoy Blue the psychic's daughter. The only non-psychic in the family but gives them a boost in their powers. I did like the raven boys in the tale, even Ronan the one that would have been hardest to like. I didn't fall for Gansey for quite a while as it seemed as if he was disconnected with everyone and everything even though he cares so much for his friends. It was this caring that finally drew me to him.

There are confusing parts to the story, but although I believe this was entirely intentional, it felt that it was unintentional at times. Some of the plot holes seemed to be reasonable since the world of the psychic is filled with 'maybe' and 'might happen' and is rarely specific. Still, sometimes it felt as though some of the characters fell through that plot. Despite this I did find myself engaged in the characters and what is going to happen to them. While the ending of the book isn't a cliffie, per se... it does end with an enigma. I think why these things didn't bother me as much as it might with other books because I've read Maggie's writing and I tend to trust more that answers will come in further books.

There is one issue I did have problem. I admit it is small, but it did bother me because it should have been better researched. It was the issue of Gansey's EpiPen. First, why did he only have one EpiPen? He was rich and those come in packets of 2. His parents weren't terribly involved, but involved enough that they would have made sure that he would have several around him. It is also recommended to have 2 because many people need 2 doses. It is NOT a solution for his allergy. It is only for emergency use to give him time to get to the ER. That is the ONLY purpose for the EpiPen. At one time Blue thought it was something that would restart his heart after exposure to his allergy. That is something entirely different that is injected into the heart. If you are using the EpiPen for that reason, call the undertaker. You are dead. Yes, I know this is a small issue in the book, but since it was repeated several times, I would like to have had better and more accurate information about it. It would have benefitted other people in his position. Gansey would have been informed by his doctor even if he didn't take the doctor's advice.

In the end I do give this book 3 1/2 stars. Despite my problems with this book, I'm actually quite excited in starting the next.