The Raven Boys

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

Character driven and deliciously spooky

I am not drawn to books about the paranormal, but like many other adults I have enjoyed high quality books categorized as young adult, such as Hunger Games and Harry Potter. Having spotted this on a best of 2012 list, I downloaded it before a long drive. The writing is lovely, with such care and precision paid to descriptions of mood and feeling that the result is deliciously spooky. Serious and thoughtful, the author explores friendship, fate of birth and consequences. The paranormal events are used effectively, not to evoke disgust/fear or otherwise titillate (my general criticism of the genre), but to add gravity to each character's actions and to their relationships to each other. Understanding this makes it a little easier to accept the slow-ish pacing as you take time to get to know the principles. It ends satisfactorily but clearly is the first leg of a longer journey these characters face.

In the Raven Boys world, it is easy to believe in ghosts and magic in part because they are introduced so naturally and matter-of-factly that they lay beside the greater meaning of characters working hard to identify their moral compass and reconcile their values and actions with the circumstances of their lives.

Surface cliches - rich boy/poor girl - are freshened by insights into each character's inner thoughts which are complex and considered. Blue's cursed fate to kill her one true love felt like contrived drama when first introduced, but the question of how and who she will love does not at all. I find I want to read more not to see what happens in a plot-driven sense, but to find out what happens to these characters. How do they grow up? Who do they love? What becomes of their friendships? For me, that makes this a five-star story. I have no idea whether those looking for innovations on the paranormal genre will find what they are looking for here. But if you love characters full of youth and potential, you will enjoy this.

The narrator does a great job, inserting gentle southern drawls at just the right moments. Characters voices are distinct. The reading as a whole creates the feeling of a great campfire story. Please, Ms Stiefvater and Mr Patton, continue!

I loved this

I really enjoyed the characters, the story and the writing. I fell in love with each character slowly, but completely.

A great start to another interesting series.

Where does The Raven Boys rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Among the top ones.

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

When the group realize the truth about Noah.

Which scene was your favorite?

As above.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Adam's home situation.

Any additional comments?

This is a book meant for a young adult/youth audience, but I rarely let such classifications put me off, even though I am far from a teen myself. I've read all of this authors other books and find them to be very refreshing. They offer Supernatural fiction with a nice twist of darkness. The stories have a fairy tale type quality that I find hypnotic and some truly interesting characters. I love the way the author let's us learn about her characters, and am already in love with these boys, although each of them is totally different.This tale is no different from the others in that it has several layers to it which I can't wait to unfold. Looking forward to the next. Will Patton is a great narrator for this story.

Mesmerizing Storytelling; Disappointing Narration

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

I usually prefer print versions of books unless the narrator(s) are excellent. In this case, Will Patton does a mediocre job and I would have enjoyed the book more had I read it instead of listened to it.

What three words best describe Will Patton’s performance?

Inconsistent and dragging.

Any additional comments?

Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favorite authors despite the fact that I'm not a young adult. Her words flow like poetry and her stories may not be unique ideas, but they are told in such a way to stand out from the crowd.

And while I loved the story, the narration dampened my enjoyment quite a bit. The story flowed very smoothly in first half of the book and I was thoroughly enjoying everything about it. However, at the halfway point when I switched to the second download, Mr. Patton's pace seemed to slow considerably and there were more than a few times when I wondered if the man was drunk. (As an actor, I have always enjoyed his performances, so I didn't have any hesitation when ordering this book.) I seem to be the only one to have less than glowing reviews for him, but the difference was significant enough to cause me to even write this review (which I almost never do).

If you're a Maggie Stiefvater fan, this book should not be missed. My only word of caution is the inconsistency of the narration.

Enchanting and haunting

Bravo. Just fabulous. I couldn't "put it down" as it were. Enchanting, and haunting, just right for Halloween.

Raven Boys

A thrilling and spooky tale. High prose mixed with common language. Blue was my favorite character, though Noah was the most spectacular and Gansey the anchor of the whole.

Ravens ?

it was great I loved it from the beginning I couldn't wait to see what happened next it was just amazing try to finish all the way through

Fantastic Narration

Loved this book. Excellent storyline and characters. Narrator is excellent! So excited to find out there are more books by this author for me to enjoy!

A beautifully written fantasy/suspense story

What did you love best about The Raven Boys?

After reading the first book in the series, I can't wait to download the rest of them! The premise of the story is really different, really fascinating. I wouldn't have imagined, from the description of the book, that it would be this impressive. The combination of fact & fiction (and the fact that I am not SURE which is which) is wonderful. The characters are so well conceived, backstories revealed, and the dialogue grabbed and held me. The poetic descriptions of places and moments are truly beautiful. It unfolds slowly, thoughtfully, yet never drags. AND, it has encouraged me to do some research into a number of topics that are central to the story, which is the true evidence of how drawn into this story I have become. Looking forward to the rest of the series, hoping it will continue to be this fascinating.

What other book might you compare The Raven Boys to and why?

There are other books/series I have loved AS MUCH....but I can't really put my finger on anything in this genre that is quite so nicely written.

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

He always gives a good performance, he is subtle, and has a very nice range of dynamics to suit characters, and, even more important, the MOOD of the scenes. I am usually not aware of him changing gender, it's done very subtly, unnoticeable, natural. I like him quite a bit.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The scenes that involved the character of Noah....when his identity and nature were revealed. That gave me goosebumps!!!

Any additional comments?

Low-key "epic fantasy", if there is such a thing....historical, heroic quest, supernatural, ghost and romance all rolled into a lovely package. Very likable, hate-able characters.

Entertaining read - great narrator.

Will Patton is a great narrator. I have enjoyed this book. Rereading so I can pick up on small details that point to the larger plot. 4 rather than 5 stars because I felt the story line was a bit expected.