ARC Review: The Raven Boys

The Raven Boys
Maggie Stiefvater
Young Adult/Urban Fantasy
Raven Cycle Series/Book 1
Scholastic Press/September 18, 2012

“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.

Ms. Stiefvater knows how to set the scene.  She also knows how to write a story that pulls the reader into the world she has created, making us believe in this world and the beings who live there. The Raven Boys is that type of story.

Blue Sargent comes from a family of clairvoyants. She is surrounded by magic but without any of her own, or so it seems.  Blue's mother doesn't provide a structured environment so Blue must create her own structured life. Blue is easy to related to which in a way came as a surprise since she comes from such a unique background.  But she has many of the problems, worries and fears any teenage girl would have.  Plus a few very unique ones.

The boys are an odd collection of teens on the edge of adulthood with adult responsibilities.  At first sight they don't seem to go together except for the one commonality of all attending the same school, Aglionby Academy.  But when we get to know these boys we see how they are drawn together through their friendships.   The boys provide a interesting contrast to Blue and her less than privileged life.  But going to Aglionby Academy doesn't equal having a perfect, privileged life.  Stiefvater shows the similarities not only with the boys but with Blue and how they are all reaching for very similar goals.

The magic and mystery within The Raven Boys is both enthralling and chilling.  I loved not only the journey the kids take in discovering the mystery but the way it's all tied together at the end.  It's one of those ending where you can look back and see the clues to the questions that are finally answered in the end.  But, a word of waring, there are a few unanswered questions that will leave readers wanting more. 

Rating: A-

Review: The Scorpio Races

The Scorpio Races
Maggie Stiefvater
Fantasy/Young Adult
Scholastic Press/October 18, 2011

From the inside cover ~

Some Race To Win
Others Race to Survive

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.

Some riders live.
Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition – the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

When I was a kid I loved horses, was a bit obsessed with them even. I would save my money and buy Breyer collectible horse figures. If there was a chance to go riding, I was there. So when I heard that Stiefvater's next release involved horses I knew I had to read it. Plus, the teen read it before me and gave it a thumbs up. Which was saying something since she didn't like Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy but I did.

The races take place on an small island where everyone knows everyone. That is except when the tourist come for the races. Then the population swells and the money flows into the island. The races are big business for this small, fairly poor community but it's the final race that everyone is anticipating. It's the most exciting and the most dangerous. Stiefvater does an exceptional job building that excitement leading up to the finale.

Puck Connolly loves her horse Dove. Dove is not only a wonderful horse, she's Puck's best friend. When Puck's life takes a dramatic turn, she needs money fast. The upcoming excitement for the races pull her in and she suddenly finds herself stating that she will ride. The only problem, she doesn't have a capaill uisce, a water horse and no chance of catching and training one by race day. Puck is stubborn and fierce in her convictions to not give up. Her choices are few and when everyone tells her she doesn't belong in the race, well that just makes her even more determined. I adored Puck. I loved her stubbornness, her kindness and her love for her family. It would have been hard not not to cheer her on.

Sean Kendrick is a celebrity on the island, having won the last four races. He doesn't revel in his popularity but keeps to himself. He's a hard worker, has no family and his only companion is his horse, Corr. Corr is the water horse that Sean has ridden in the past races and plans to run in the upcoming race. Sean understands Corr and would do anything to keep him. He doesn't think Puck should be in the race either but as he gets to know her, he comes to care for her. They have much in common, both orphans and both love their horses, treating them like family.

The story is told in alternating POVs between Puck and Sean. I liked that we got the two perspectives of the same events. Even though Puck and Sean have grown up on the island, they don't really know each other. The preparations for the race allow them the time, placing them together on the beach for training. In Puck's view we see the rookie rider, inexperienced in the challenge but making up for her inexperience with guts, bravery and her knowledge of horses. In Sean we see the veteran rider, a bit jaded with the experience but still holding on to the love of the race.

The way Puck and Sean's relationship develops, both wary of the other but drawn together by their love of horses and their love of the island, gives the reader insight to why they make the decisions they do. Due to circumstances both Puck and Sean face far more hardships in addition to what they will face on race day.

There are a few secondary characters have a profound impact on the lives of Puck and Sean. The way Stiefvater wrote them, you can easily see how the lives of the residents of the island are intertwined. Not only did I come to care about Puck and Sean but also about some of the other residents on the island.

The people are not the only inhabitants who make their presence known. The personalities of the horses, mainly Dove and Corr, shine through. They are as much a part of the story as the people. The capaill uisce are as beautiful as they are dangerous. They are alluring in their promises of fame and fortune. They are fascinating in their savagery, scary in their determination to dominate their riders and their surroundings.

The Scorpio Races, per Ms. Stiefvater, is intended to be a single title with no plans for a follow up book at this time. And I'm fine with that. The ending felt complete even though there is certainly more story that could be told about Puck, Sean and the island. So either way, if there is a sequel, I would definitely read it. If not, I'll hold fond memories of this beautifully written story.

Rating: A

Review: Forever

Forever
Maggie Stiefvater
Young Adult Paranormal
Wolves of Mercy Falls/Book 3
Scholastic/July 12, 2011

*Spoilers for previous books*

From the inside cover ~

then.

When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their love moved from a curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives.

now.

That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be killed in one final, spectacular hunt.

forever.

Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment - a moment of death or life, farewell or forever.

The final installment to this fascinating trilogy. When I started reading Forever I had a difficult time getting into it, knowing it was the last time I would read about these characters. (I'm still hoping for more books). I read a few pages then put it down. Once I did finally allow myself to read it, it went very quickly. There are some slow points to the story when I couldn't help but think "come on guys, you don't have much time" since that bastard Tom Culpepper was on the hunt again. But other than a few slow moments, the story arc continued, giving Grace and Sam a sort of happy ending.

Sam is holding on, barely. He's lost without Grace and he doesn't know when he'll see her again, if he'll see her again. Their positions have shifted with Grace the wolf and Sam the possibly cured human. Sam is questioning his position in life. He no longer has the pack to give him that sense of place but being human without Grace has left him adrift. I liked that Sam didn't slide easily into his human role but struggles with it. If he had made the adjustment easily, it would have lessened the importance of his wolf. Sam's wolf is still with him, under the surface, dormant until the right trigger occurs.

Grace is not the girl we first met in Shiver. She still has some of the same characteristics but she has also made some changes, and not just the fury kind. She's becoming less concerned with what her parents think of her and with trying to please them. She's always been portrayed as being mature for her age but now she's taken that maturity and used it to help herself and the people closest to her. I like how she's become the adult Grace and left the insecure Grace behind.

Cole is playing mad scientist, turning Beck's house into his chaotic lab. Cole's experiments are dangerous with possible fatal outcomes. Cole uses himself as the guinea pig with his usual recklessness. He's not this pampered rock star anymore but has morphed into a man driven by desperation to find the cause of the werewolf virus. I loved when Cole was on the page. He could be harsh and impulsive but it didn't come from being self-centered but rather from his need to know and to prove to his father that he could do this, could be more than a irresponsible rock star. Cole definitely brought a much needed edge to the story.

Isabel is the only one of the main four characters that is not a werewolf. That doesn't mean that she doesn't play an important role in the lives of Sam, Grace and Cole. She's still has an odd relationship with Cole. In another world where things were normal, they might have dated but in the world of Mercy Falls there is not room for normal. Still, I liked Isabel's role and how she finally stopped worrying about the consequences of her actions, how it would affect her, and did the right thing.

We learn more about Cole and Sam's backgrounds and what got them to this point in their lives. We also learn more of both of their relationships with Beck and how each saw Beck. There is something similar to sibling rivalry between these two when it comes to Beck. I found the dynamics of the four (Sam, Grace, Cole & Isabel) interesting in how they worked together towards a single purpose, setting aside any distrust or hurt they might have felt. It made the story far more interesting than having them cheerfully working together towards that goal.

As this is the final book in the trilogy, it didn't have that feeling of finality. It felt more like the end of a season, with a long wait until the return. I hope there are more books about these characters, there are certainly more stories to be told about them. I would say Forever gave us a for now ending with the potential for more.

Rating: B+

Books in the Trilogy

Shiver
Linger
Forever

Best Of...

Finally!!! I know I'm very late with this, a couple weeks at least. In choosing the top ten, I selected not necessarily the books with the highest grades but the ones that stood out and stuck with me. These are the books I can see myself re-reading or the ones that made the biggest impact, eliciting the strongest emotions. So, in case anyone is interested in my favorite books published in 2010, here you go in no particular order.


Now, I said all the books on the list were published in 2010. That was purely for selfish reasons, to make it easier on me to pick a top ten. But, rules are made to be broken and I'm breaking that rule. The first book on the list was technically published 29 December 2009. Close enough, I say.

A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh

The story of a forced marriage gets the Balogh treatment with a delicious spin. The romance of Annabelle and Reginald was a lovely treat to read. The flashbacks were well written and didn't annoy me in the least.

My review for A Matter of Class.



Silver Borne By Patricia Briggs

Mercy and Adam finally solidify their relationship and Mercy's place in the pack. Sam goes a little wild and gets saved from someone from his past. Briggs writes one of the best, well-developed UF series out there and I have no doubt I'll continue reading her as long as she is writing.

My review for Silver Borne.


Roadkill by Rob Thurman

Oh boy, do I love this series! I love Cal. I love Niko. I love Goodfellow. Yep, lots of love for this series. And Roadkill was another joy ride of an addition. The brothers, Cal & Niko, are such a dynamic duo with their snarky brotherly love.

My buddy review with Nath & Hils for Roadkill.



Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt

The beginning of a new series by Hoyt is always something to get excited about. Wicked Intentions is no exception. Not only do we get an exciting romance, we also get the story-within-the-story and some wonderful secondary characters that are crying out for their stories to be told.

My review of Wicked Intentions.


Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

The second book in Stiefvater's Young Adult trilogy has Grace and Sam trying to build a relationship while nature is determined to pull them apart. With well developed secondary characters and a major cliff-hanger ending, made me wish I had Forever ready and waiting.

My review of Linger.



My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

This is another Young Adult series that has completely captivated me. It's not only the world in which Kaylee, Nash and the Scooby gang live but the Netherworld - the mirror image of ours with its distorted imagines and beings.

My review for My Soul to Keep



Chimera by Rob Thurman

This isn't related to her Cal Leandros series but it still had that close knit brother relationship that I so enjoy. Stefan and Michael go on a road trip, getting to know each other while being chased by the evil monster that wants Michael back.

My buddy review with Nath for Chimera.



The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

I read so many good YAs last year. I think I could have easily come up with a top 10 YA list. If I did, this would be at the top. The adventure Meghan Chase finds in Faery with Ash and Rob kept me spellbound.

My review for The Iron Daughter




A Wild Light by Marjorie M. Liu

This is such a unique UF series. The tattoos that come alive. Heroine and hero whose goals, at times, seem at odds with each other. And the world building that pulls me in and doesn't let go.

My review of A Wild Light.




Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis

Three sisters with little in common, forced to work together. Add in a sexy man with a tool belt and that Shalvis humor that I love and you've got a winner.

My review for Simply Irresistible.





So that's it! It wasn't easy to pick ten, I certainly could have made a longer list. How many on my list made it on your list? Are there any on your TBR pile? I always love seeing books on my TBR pile make someone's best of list. It just reinforces my choice in picking it up.

Review: Linger

Linger
Maggie Stiefvater
Young Adult Fantasy
Wolves of Mercy Falls/Book 2
July 2010
Library Book
*Spoilers for 1st Book*

From the inside cover ~

the longing.

Once Grace and Sam have found each other, they know they must fight to stay together. for Sam, this means a reckoning with his werewolf past. For Grace, it means facing a future that is less and less certain.

the loss.

Into the world comes a new wolf named Cole, whose past is full of hurt and danger. He is wrestling with his own demons, embracing the life of a wolf while denying the ties of being human.

the linger.

For Grace, Sam , and Cole, life is a constant struggle between two forces - wolf and human - with love baring its two sides as well. It is harrowing and euphoric, freeing and entrapping, enticing and alarming. As their world falls apart, love is what lingers. But will it be enough?

I really enjoyed the first book in the Mercy Falls series, Shiver so I was happy to get Linger from the library. The way Shiver left off felt incomplete. I knew it wasn't the end, both because it's a trilogy and because it just didn't feel finished. Grace and Sam were at the beginning of their story and we still had to find out how it would all play out and how it ended. Linger is a continuation of Shiver so you definitely need to read this trilogy in order.

The story opens with Sam and Grace adjusting to Sam being human - all human, all the time. It's written is four different POVs. Each time the POV changes, it is noted which characters POV it is at the being of that chapter/section. I liked how Stiefvater wrote the different POV, sometimes giving more than one POV for the same scene. We find Sam working at the bookstore again and simply enjoying being in his own skin. Grace going to school and basically raising herself because of her absentee parents. Sam does spend his nights at Grace's house. They are only sleeping together - strictly sleeping. With everything they've been through they need that closeness.

It's still cold enough that the wolves are still wolves but the newer wolves could start changing into humans at any time. I liked how Stiefvater had Grace and Sam in a sort of us-against-the-world situation. The only other person that knows about the wolves is Isabel and she's not going to tell anyone. And Isabel is sort of on Sam and Grace's side but I think it would be going too far to say that they are friends. It's more of an association due to circumstances. The circumstances being that Isabel's brother had been infection with the "wolf virus" and that's how Isabel found out about Sam and the wolves.

One thing about Linger is that it's sad. There's some happiness but it's fleeting, small moments in between the growing unease that has settled over Sam and Grace. In spite of that I liked it and understand why everything happened the way it did. Why Grace and Sam must go through so much pain and sadness before they can get to anything close to a happy ending. But even in that sadness Stiefvater's lyrical prose comes through to lighten the mood. To give such beauty to such sadness.

Graces' POV ~

When I was younger, I had imagined being a wolf. Running away with Sam the wolf into a golden wood, far away from my distant parents and the clutter of modern life. And again, when I'd thought I would lose Sam to the woods, I'd dreamed of going with him. Sam had been horrified. But now, finally, Cole had told me the other side of the coin. All that matters is that moment, and being with the other wolves, and just being a ball of heightened senses. page 284

Sam enjoying cold weather ~

This time I locked the back door, picked up my guitar case, and went out the front, sliding a little on the ice coating the threshold. I pulled on the skullcap that Grace had bought me in a failed attempt to make me look sexy while keeping my head warm. Stepping out into the middle of the sidewalk, I watched tiny flakes float down onto the abandoned street. As far as I could see,there were banks of old snow pressed into stained sculptures. Icicles made jagged smile of the storefronts.

My eyes smarted with the cold. I held my free hand out, palm up, and watched as snow dissolved on my skin.

This was not real life. This was life as watched through a window. Life watched on television. I couldn't remember when I hadn't hidden from this.

I was cold, I had a handful of snow, and I was human. pages 54-55

All four main characters: Sam, Grace, Cole and Isabel are well developed and give different perspectives to the story. Isabel is a character with that dry, snarky humor that I adore. She's not a happy camper since her brother Jack died. She really wasn't exactly happy before that but now she's got this huge load of guilt dragging her down. Her parents are jerks and she blames herself for her brother's death and... well, that's enough! But I do like her so very much. She's taken up the task of trying to find a cure for the werewolves. She's smart and at times, comes off as cold, but she does have feels, she just has a hard time showing them. I think she's afraid of showing any vulnerabilities because of this feeling of aloneness that sits with her. It's like she can't depend on anyone but herself. We should get to see more of her in Forever.

Since this is a trilogy, you should read the books in order and Linger does end with a cliffhanger so consider yourself warned. And one cool thing - the text is in green. It's very easy on the eyes. I'm completely enjoying this trilogy and can't wait to read the final book, Forever, next summer. *sob*

Rating: A-

My review of Shiver

Review: Shiver

Title: Shiver
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Young Adult
Series: Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy/Book 1
Published: August 2009

From the author's website ~

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl.

In summer, a few precious months of being human... until the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Maggie Stiefvater puts a different spin on the werewolf - wolf during cold months, human during warmer month. Interesting... I have to say I was pulled into the story pretty quick but I did have a few problems with it. And since I haven't read that many Young Adult novels or at least current YA novels I wonder if it's common to make the teens seem at times more mature than the adults.

The story is told in both Grace and Sam's POV. Each chapter is titled with either Grace or Sam's name. I liked the way the POVs shifted by chapter. I think the story would not have had the same effect if it had only been told in Grace or Sam's POV. Also includes in each chapter title was the current temperature is which I thought added an element of suspense. The temperature plays a major role in the story. It works as a time clock, counting down the amount of time Sam and Grace have together. It became something to dread with no way of holding it back. Knowing that Sam was destined to change back to a wolf definitely added tension to the story. This was far from your typical teenager problems of girl dating guy parents wouldn't approve of.

Grace and Sam first meet not as Grace and Sam but as Grace and her wolf. When Grace was 11 years old she was taken from her backyard and dragged into the woods by wolves. This is the first time she sees Sam. In the years following Maggie watches for "her wolf" from her backyard which borders the woods where the local wolf pack lives. I loved the way Grace thought of Sam as "her wolf." She makes a connection with him when she's still a child and that connection carries over into her teen years. They do become romantically involved. Grace probably thought she was in love with Sam all along and Sam was always out there, looking out for Grace. I don't think they really fell in love until they got to know each other once Sam became human and they met.

The first time Sam sees Grace in public when he's human. ~

The day I nearly talked to Grace was the hottest day of my life. Even in the bookstore, which was air-conditioned, the heat crept in around the door and came in through the big picture windows in waves. Behind the counter, I slouched on my stool in the sun and sucked in the summer as if I could hold every drop of it inside of me. As the hours crept by, the afternoon sunlight bleached all the books on the shelves to pale, gilded versions of themselves and warmed the paper and ink inside the covers so that the smell of unread words hung in the air.

First, I just love the imagery here. You can feel Sam's love for the summer heat. The need to not miss one moment of that heat and what that warmth represents to him. He says how it was the hottest day of his life meaning this is when he is the most human. The way Sam reacts to being near Grace is so much like a teenage boy, not sure what to do, hoping he won't have to talk to her, hoping he will. :) It was a wonderful scene that told a lot about these two characters. And it's it the best that it happens in a bookstore?!

In the fall a boy from Grace's school is attacked by wolves and dies. This causes fear in the population and some people take it upon themselves to hunt down the wolves. Grace is worried about her wolf and can't stop thinking about him. Wondering if he is safe.

When Grace finds Sam on the deck of her home bordering the woods, she recognizes his eyes. His eyes are a very distinct shade of yellow and Grace knows he's her wolf which is impossible since he's a teenage boy. But still, she just knows it. The woods become a symbol of what separates the human population from the wolves. They represent sanctuary to the wolves. Many times Grace or Sam are looking towards the woods, lost in their thoughts or looking for answers. Sam is looking for his pack mates. He's also sets out looking for his mentor, Beck.

Grace and Sam spend a bunch of time together and really get to know each other. Grace still has to go to school but they spend their free time together with Sam even sleeping in Grace's room. There is definitely a physical attraction, they are teenagers! LOL And their bond that was made six years earlier only strengthens with time. I liked their romance and watching how their relationship developed from a girl more or less obsessed with a wolf to a young woman falling for a young man. They made a unique but believable couple by the end. I could totally see how they fell for each other. It was quick but they had that time clock ticking away and that was always foremost in their minds. How much longer will Sam have as a human? Yeah, I can see how they're not going to go slow with the whole dating thing.

Grace's parents inadvertently helped Grace and Sam be together because they (the parents) were so absorbed in their own lives and so accustomed to Grace more or less raising herself. There were times when I could only shake my head and wonder ~ are these parents clueless? Do they not realize that their daughter has a boy staying in her room? Overnight? And it's not like they had other kids to take care of, Grace is an only child. Yeah, the parents bugged me. And Sam's parents weren't any better. No spoilers, but I will say that they didn't deserve him and I'm glad Beck took responsibility for Sam and took him in.

The secondary characters other than the parents were mainly Grace's friends and Sam's pack mates. Okay, Grace's friends were teenagers and for the most part acted like teenagers except towards the end when I couldn't help but think that one in particular was acting very adult and it just felt a bit off. But I went with the "fix" to the problem and got past that bit of WTH. The pack macks I found very interesting. They were such a mix of characters with human and animal traits and not just when they were in their human or wolf forms. These werewolves, when they are in their wolf form, are essentially wolves, not humans in a wolf's body. They think like wolves and act like wolves. When they are human they act like humans but with some wolf like mannerisms. It gave them that extra "umph" that kept me curious as to what they would do next.

I could say more but I think I've gone on long enough. Even with the few bumps in the road I found myself not only liking Grace and Sam but involved in their story. I wanted them to get a HEA. I also felt this need to know what happens. I just knew they had to be together somehow and I needed to know what that somehow was.

The second book in the trilogy, Linger, is due out fall 2010. Also, Ms. Stiefvater announced the movie rights to Shiver have been bought. I will definitely be reading Linger. I have to find out what happens next to Grace and Sam. They certainly left an impression on this reader.

Rating: B+