Good for Reading? ∣ The Raven Boys Honest Review

What makes a story, a good story?

Some may say it’s the characters, some say the plot or theme, and some may argue it’s the message. Maybe the ending, the beginning, or the middle. The voice, the style or the prose. But, what about how it all fits together? How everything combined can make it feel like a perfect game of Tetris?

Let’s dive in to find an answer.

That said, let me welcome you to this spoiler-free review series where the best of the best will be ranked as ‘Tetris-style’—What can I say? Gaming has a big chunk of me.

Note: I don’t intend to say that the parts make the whole. Sometimes, many things converge and end up producing a much greater result—or worse, for that matter. So, stay tuned!

W H A T I S T H E R A V E N B O Y S ?

Blue Sargent, a quirky girl belonging to a family of psychics, has long lived disappointed about her strange ability to be normal. Being unable to witness anything supernatural, she is surprised when she meets a ghost on St. Mark’s Eve for the first time. From this moment onwards, she determines she only knows three things. One: she is no longer that jealous of her family. Two: she will need more answers than she has questions for. And three: that she will kill someone before the end of the year. Unluckily for her, the unfortunate victim is none other than her true love.

**

Having heard ugly things about Young Adult (YA) and love stories, I wasn’t certain of diving into a series sounding too much like a romance (and little else). But my inexperience, and curiosity around books and fantasy in general, led me to it sooner rather than later.

Not knowing exactly what to expect, I was surprised to find what I found.

Thus, me having to check my sanity more than once. If things were as grim as painted, then I would definitely be crazy. But maybe, just maybe, a YA romance wouldn’t be the death of me.

And maybe it won’t be the death of you either.

C h a r a c t e r s

I was vastly mistaken about one thing along my ride. I had expected a YA novel to paint a story with clichés and flat characters—why, oh why, would I have this notion of YA, I wonder—but I was immensely wrong. Not only was this the best feature of the book, but it was also done seamlessly, to my amazement.

One after the other, the characters came alive in ways I hadn’t predicted; the voice in each perspective, their backstories, reactions, emotions, and issues… All left me wanting more of them and their interactions. They all had wants and needs, fears and conflict, surrounding them in intrinsic and complicated ways; it was easy enough to get inside their shoes and experience the plot firsthand. And the ride was enjoyable, to say the least.

…Even when those characters themselves were cliched, for the most part.

Though I don’t want to be objective—because I did fall for them and all—, I have to be. Looking closer, the characters themselves belong to a stereotypical cast for a teenage romance. The gang of friends has each a characteristic that determines them; the leader, his rival, the bad boy, and the shy kid, not to mention the I’m-different-from-the-rest protagonist. And when you look through the soap opera lens, there’s more to find; the love interest is rich and handsome, and the protagonist can potentially go from rags to riches.

Essentially, there’s nothing new about the formula.

However, the magic of the book is precisely that. It’s how it turns these archetypes into characters we can care for. And that is mostly done by their interactions with each other.

Never once had I seen a group of friends I would love to belong to, but this exact one. They banter, laugh, and fight with so much personality and humor, that not one of them can be left out. Even side characters have their unique interaction with the main cast.

If you need only one reason to read the book, this would be it.

Verdict? W O R K S F O R M E

P l o t

Considering that the blurb only mentions the romance part of the plot, I thought the romance would be the whole of it. Surprised I was when I read the second or third chapter and saw that this story was more than just that. A quest to find a paranormal entity was surprisingly simple and effective to grab my attention and peer it over to more interesting matters—in my opinion.

If a slow-burn mystery is what you like, this book has got you covered.

True, this is not a plot-driven story, so it might not advance as quickly as some may want, but it’s enough to keep it flowing naturally. It’s evident that this first book was created for the sole purpose of making you care for the characters, which isn’t at all bad but… If building relationships is something you may call filler, this book is plagued with it.

Being a matter of taste, I leave it at that: the book concludes with satisfaction, but it doesn’t close up entirely. Which is hard to grasp because it is a series of four books. Yes, four.

Can the plot be that complicated?

Verdict? W O R K S F O R M E

R o m a n c e

I have to disclose that I love romance, but I hate it at the same time. It’s often filled with predictable turns and twists; a structure that never changes; and the same love interests we have been told to adore. The dynamic, if not done right, can turn to insta-love for inspiration too; the feelings one is encouraged to have, can melt into nothing with a flick of a finger.

This was not what happened in this novel.

I enjoyed the progression—and lack thereof—of the whole affair. With a few romance scenes sprinkled here and there, feelings evolved in an organic matter. I knew why the characters felt the way they felt, and not once questioned their reactions or conclusions.

I do confess, too, that my heart did race from time to time. Or maybe all of the time, and you may never know because I won’t admit it.

…With that said, it still has the clichés of a romance story, some of which I mentioned above; like the rags to riches sort of feeling to it. Also, it does have some other recurring tropes too—I’m looking at you, love triangle—, but, at this point, what story doesn’t include at least one?

Still, a fresh perspective on romance is something we all might need for the future when we begin to grow tired of the same old, but for now, this might suffice.

I'm down for it, however cliché it might be.

Verdict? W O R K S F O R M E

W r i t i n g

With a characteristic voice for a YA audience, this writing style fits like a tailor to a dress. It sounds and thinks like the target audience, and it presents itself in an easy way to boost. Not under descriptive or its opposite, the story moves when it has to and slows when it needs to.

With a varied array of funny one-liners, there was no single moment left without something amusing happening. Being the character’s peculiar thoughts, or the witty dialogues between them, this style isn’t one to go unnoticed.

I am not an expert on writing styles, but I know some might dislike this type of writing, as anyone has the propensity to dislike something or another. In short, it’s unique and funny, and mostly, very, very young.

Or appropriate?

I don’t know, I’m not so young anymore.

Verdict? W O R K S F O R M E

T h e m e s

Is it fair to say that friendship could be the main theme of the book? No?

Well, in either case, the world was real enough to grip me and the characters enough to make the theme worth reading about. Even if I do have small comments on the themes, it’s nothing major, and nothing worth mentioning just now.

If you want to know more about my thoughts on the themes, watch out for my analysis of the series coming soon!

Verdict? W O R K S F O R M E

To make a long story short, this book is:

Tetris-style!

F i n a l t h o u g h t s

Going into a series with bad expectations can be utterly rewarding when proven wrong. This book was a treat to read, and though it’s still too early to tell how it fares, it’s one I recommend. Things are woven neatly, and in the most engaging way I’ve read in a while; mystery, paranormal, romance, friendship… they all fit to create something that can’t be told any other way. If you enjoy character-driven novels, this one you cannot miss.

Or maybe you should, because your friendships might turn stale after reading this.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

**

If you do take the risk, buy it here. I hope not to disappoint!

And follow me here, or else—

This is not blackmailing, I swear.

Thanks a bunch!