I decided to pick this book up after a recommendation from a friend. I've heard some pretty incredible reviews of things from the online book community, so I decided to see what the fuss was all about. For majority of the novel, I found myself rather de-attached from the story. But once I reached the turning point of the novel half way through, I found myself feeling drawn into the mystery and suspense of the story. While The Raven Boys has some enjoyable moments, - I'm sorry to say fans of the book - I found myself far from impressed with it. This book did not live up to its hype at all, and was overall pretty disappointing.
----- Spoiler Alert! -----
If you haven't read The Raven Boys, come back and read this later ...
It's discussion time ...
Thoughts...
It definitely took me a while to get into The Raven Boys. The second half of the novel was by far the most exciting and thrilling aspect of the novel - it's best feature. After almost 250 pages or so, things finally took an interesting turn when certain truths were revealed. In that turning moment, - for the first time - I found myself feeling drawn to the story. I was curious about the upcoming events of the novel. In those moments, I found myself coming to care for the characters in the novel - especially Noah. After reading about the adventures of Blue and the Raven Boys, you can't help but - as a reader- form an attachment towards these characters by the end of the novel, especially considering all the events they've faced and suffered through!
The Raven Boys had a unique perspective on past mythology and historical adventure, from other young adult books I read. It has potential to become an intriguing series with further mythological and intrigue surrounding the search for Glendover and Blue's heritage.
As mentioned previously, The Raven Boys had the most misleading synopsis and tagline. I was excited to read a story where forbidden love would be at the forefront. I thought I would be reading a story full of romance and magical mythology surrounding a curse placed on Blue's ancestry. But instead, I got a magical based adventure to find a long lost king that I was by no means invested in. I really didn't care for Glendover . I've never found any personal connection to the king or his history, which was literally the motivation behind everything in this book! As if that wasn't bad enough, I found myself rather detached from the story and its characters for the most part, especially throughout the first half of the novel. I believe that is down the writing style, which I felt was too simplistic and left very little room for imagination or captivation.
Although I enjoyed the last half of this book, I felt like it relied too much on the anticipation than the execution. As a first book in this series, this book should have been able to stand its own, as well as selling the series itself and the richness of the world. Instead, the novel was building to climax that never truly came.
Although I enjoyed the last half of this book, I felt like it relied too much on the anticipation than the execution. As a first book in this series, this book should have been able to stand its own, as well as selling the series itself and the richness of the world. Instead, the novel was building to climax that never truly came.
In Conclusion ...
The Raven Boys was an enjoyable read once you get into its hook. It's not a book I really loved, and nor one I absolutely loathed. While I can imagine this series becoming better with time, I wonder if it's really worth it. If the first book didn't grab my attention, then should I really commit myself to the rest of the series?
If you've read The Raven Boys, let me know what you think in the comments below! ^_^
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