The Raven Boys - Ashley's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Scholastic Press on NetGalley in exchange for a fair review*

Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Year Published: 2012

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Synopsis: “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.

Why?: I'm all about creepy books, and this one sounds like it's right up my alley. I've also heard really good  things about it, so I've been wanting to read it for quite some time.

Expectations: I expect an adventure story filled with mystery and action. I think Blue will turn out to be a strong heroine, even if she doesn't expect to be. And probably quite a few very creepy scenes involving ghosts and such, especially if the characters are somewhere they aren't supposed to be.

Judging a book by its cover: The cover has a raven that seems to have painted feathers and a glowing chest. While it is striking, I'm not sure that I would pick up this book based solely on the cover. I might, but it would depend on what other books were around.


--Ashley