Why THE RAVEN BOYS stole my heart.

I'll always have a certain affection for writing recommendations for Maggie Stiefvater's books because one of the very first reviews we wrote on this blog was for SHIVER, Maggie's first "big" book. I've developed so much as a writer, reader, and blogger in those years, and it's been so much fun watching Maggie's books and career evolve as well.

Maggie has a way with character and atmosphere that gets you totally invested and drawn into her books, and THE RAVEN BOYS doesn't disappoint.

Summary from Goodreads:

“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.
     From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

I became so fascinated by Blue's story and the strange way of living that's normal for her and her clairvoyant family. I loved the small-town feel and the distinction between the locals and the Aglionby students. Blue starts off an outsider when she meets Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah. The boys have a familiar, nuanced dynamic that just enchanted me, and when they welcomed Blue into their inner circle, it's like they welcomed me into it as well.

As for the paranormal part of the story, THE RAVEN BOYS is a lot less about the whole "you'll cause your true love to die" thing and way more about awesome old legends and the hunt for ley lines that leaves this series open to some very, very cool sequels. Without a doubt, I'll follow the Raven Boys wherever they go.

Though THE SCORPIO RACES is still my favorite of all of Maggie Stiefvater's books, THE RAVEN BOYS is quite the contender, and I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

I received an ARC at BEA, but my copy had already been pre-ordered. Lucky for you, THE RAVEN BOYS is available now from Scholastic!

Have you read THE RAVEN BOYS? Link to your review in the comments!