I read this back in February but (ten months later) suddenly decided to review every book I’ve read this year. So, here I am.
I said this in my review for the first book, but I am still hopelessly in love with all of the Raven Boys. As someone who has finished reading the entire series before writing this review, I can say that Stiefvater’s foreshadowing is phenomenal.
The review…
+ R O N A N
Ronan is my favourite Raven Boy by far, so this being the Ronan-centric book of the series means that it is my favourite one. He’s falling deeper and deeper into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding into his life, and I just love all of these ideas so much. This book is 100% Ronan’s story and his character development and it’s nothing less than beautiful.
+ The writing is stunning
I’ve always been someone who loves full paragraphs of description, and Stiefvater’s descriptions are so subtly woven in that I almost didn’t notice they were happening and I could visualise everything perfectly in my head, just like watching an extremely long movie that played in time with the book (side note that’s a dream).
+ So many themes
I mentioned in my review of the first book that I originally thought that this series was going to focus more on the supernatural aspects like the ghosts and curses and prophecies. This book definitely aligns more with my original idea, but it’s still so much more than that. It’s the identity of all the characters: what does Adam want, what can Ronan do, what makes Blue different from the psychic family? It’s about controlling and being controlled. Gansey is anxious when he’s not in control of a situation. Adam wants to be in control of himself and hates it when he can’t. Ronan searches for control over his dreams.
Some assorted thoughts:
- Even after reading the entire series at this point, looking back, I’m still not sure how I feel about Adam. He’s not a bad character, but he not the kind of person I’d like in real life
- But I still really feel for him?? There’s a quote somewhere in this book (that I no longer remember) about him being broken and it breaks my heart
- I fully believe in the fan theory that time in circular, so Gansey could be Glendower
- Gansey is the mum friend. As soon as he goes away, all Hell breaks loose
- Like Blue, I am also a little in love with all of these adorable messed up boys
Some quotes:
- “While I’m gone,” Gansey said, pausing, “dream me the world. Something new for every night.”
- He was brother to a liar and brother to an angel, son of a dream and son of a dreamer.
- You really didn’t see the sadness or the longing unless you already knew it was there. But that was the trick, wasn’t it? Everyone had their disappointment and their baggage; only, some people carried it in their inside pockets and not on their backs.
- His eyes were frighteningly alive, the curve of his mouth savage and pleased. It suddenly didn’t seem at all surprising that he should be able to pull things from his dreams.
In that moment, Blue was a little in love with all of them. Their magic. Their quest. Their awfulness and strangeness. Her raven boys.
TandeWrites 