The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, Book 1)

By: Maggie Stiefvater

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

"There are only two reasons a nonseer 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 best-selling 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.

©2012 Maggie Stiefvater (P)2012 Scholastic Audio

VERY GOOD STORY, AMAZING PERFORMANCE !

As an audiobook listener, surely you must have had that feeling that a narrator is just right or not for an specific book.

In THE RAVEN BOYS the performance is so right that gives the characters a kind of depth, it takes you into the story and makes you jump or sight with relief.

The story itself is good, an interesting and new approach to magic and to the supernatural interweave with the protagonists mundane thoughts, feelings and lives. Always good and evil fighting to prevail in the human soul.
The combination of the story itself and its masterful performance kept me a bit anxious and not being able to stop the listening unless absolutely necessary till the end !

I know my review is over simplified but others before me have already said a lot with which I agree.I only want to insist that it is a very enjoyable production and worth your time and credit!

Aahh and a very nice surprise is the music, which i liked it, is composed and executed by Maggie Stiefvater.

11/10

Anyone that knows me really well... know that I have an unhealthy passion for books... In particular”audiobooks”... I think it’s a very “base” thing... storytelling, it’s how our personalities, wants, desires, and many other things are developed... from when we were very young we were told stories and those stories shape us.... humble opinion as always... If you’re looking for a book, and truly love words... the kind of writing that allows you to feel a breeze or smell something that manifests itself from your innermost memories or dreams... THIS book is for you... rarely does a book give me goosebumps as the words tumble out... A bit of a warning... I listen to books to accompany me throughout the day... so I can essentially do multiple things at one time... HOWEVER... not the case with this writing... one of the very few books I will buy in paper form... it deserves, actually demands my total attention. Hope you glean it’s subtle truth and smell the moss, and pie...

Sometimes...

Sometimes I hate the times we live in. And then sometimes Will Patton reads me stories.

Prediction: Top Contender for Odyssey Award...

If you could sum up The Raven Boys in three words, what would they be?

Atmospheric, original, literary

Have you listened to any of Will Patton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

My first Will Patton audio, but not my last!

Any additional comments?

Stiefvater's writing is as compelling and evocative as ever in this highly original psychological thriller. The narrator of this audiobook, Will Patton, is masterful at communicating each of Stiefvater's intricately drawn characters. The audiobook is atmospheric and beautifully dramatized, and, having attended the Odyssey Awards ceremony this past June at ALA in Anaheim and witnessing the caliber of the books and narrators who won recognition, I predict that Patton and Stiefvater will be among the top contenders for The YA Odyssey Award for excellence in audio production of a YA book.

A pleasant surprise

Any additional comments?

This book came as a pleasant surprise to me. I picked it up on a whim despite not seeming my usual style, but figured for the sale price I had nothing to lose.
To my pleasant surprise I was instantly taken by the storyline. The characters were believable and I was instantly attached to certain characters because of their background or personality. The tale flowed easily and smoothly, and the narration served as a beautiful enhancement!
Highly recommended.

Have a care listening to this while driving!

Will Patton's voice with its soft Southern drawl is perhaps not the best thing to be listening to while on a long distance drive.
While I really enjoyed this book (Although there were so many questions left hanging! Darn you, Maggie Stiefvater!), I caught myself drifting off a couple times during my 8 hour drive. His is a voice that is much better to listen to on short commutes....which is definitely what I'll do when The Dream Thieves is released!
Otherwise, I very much enjoyed listening to this. Ms Stiefvater has a lovely way with a phrase, the characters were intriguing (both the teens and adults). There were many, many things left unexplained, but I understand this is the first book of a 4 part series, so I'm willing to wait and see what happens next to Blue, the ladies at 300 Fox Way and The Raven Boys.

BREATHTAKING EXPERIENCE

Would you consider the audio edition of The Raven Boys to be better than the print version?

I have no idea, as I've only listened to the audiobook lol

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Raven Boys?

Is "all of the moments" a good answer? If I had to select just one, I think when they discovered what happened to Noah, and how it actually affected Noah's presence in the book, affected me a lot and will always stick with me.

Which character – as performed by Will Patton – was your favorite?

Wow, that's hard. But I might have to go with Adam. He really, really makes you "feel" Adam, ya know? It's amazing

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YESSSS!! I practically did, save for needing to sleep at one point. Finished in less than 24 hours

Any additional comments?

BUY THIS. IT IS AMAZING

Amazing start to my new favorite series

This series is where I really fell in love with Maggie Stiefvater's writing. Her prose is colorful and unique and often has a quirkiness that makes me smile. Like wise, her characters are just as colorful and really make this series for me. Will Patton does an amazing job narrating this series, regardless of the age or gender of the character--he manages to give unique voices for just about everyone and they all felt "right". All of Maggie Stiefvater's books are amazing, but this is definitely my favorite from her.

Love those Raven Boys!

Blue Sargent feels so alone living at 300 Fox Way, in a house full of psychics, all of them her own family, and she's the only one who isn't psychic. Until she meets four Raven boys, four boys who go to Aglionby Academy, four boys she's told over and over again to stay away from, but she just can't. Gansey is obsessed with finding the ley lines, so he can find the resting place of the legendary Welsh king Glendower and have his favor granted. They discover a forest called Cabeswater, where the trees speak Latin, and for some reason, they are able to understand the trees when they talk, and they can speak Latin while they're in Cabeswater. This story, all 4 of these books, are so incredible and filled with so much amazing magic, your head will explode! Maggie Stiefvater has the most incredible imagination, and just wait until you meet Chainsaw. You think, "Oh, he's just a cute little raven." Until you find out where he came from! That's some pretty forking awesome magic, guys! I high recommend these books if you're into folklore, some of it's even real. Glendower was a real dude! If you're into magic, talking trees, parallel worlds, psychics, spirits, and just amazing stuff. This is probably one of my top 5 favorite series, ever!

Inventive and enthralling

Maggie Stiefvater is a beautiful writer. The characters in this series are deep and complicated. After listening to the whole series I can think of many times I was completely surprised by what happens. Great series, highly recommended. Also, Will Patton is an awesome narrator.