On Rereading The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

 

There are so many new releases and backlist titles I want to get to in a given year, I rarely have the time to reread books as much as I would like to. But, in December, I took the time to revisit Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Boys.

I first read The Raven Boys in September of 2013. So it’s been just over a full decade since I first picked up this book, at the time of writing this in December of 2023. So fast forward to November 2023, I’m going through some of the older titles on my bookshelves, and I decide to spontaneously reread the first four pages—the prologue—of The Raven Boys. And I was, to say the least, very intrigued.

Granted, it’s been a very long time and, while I remembered some details of the plot, my recall of the majority the story was…vague. Back then, I liked The Raven Boys, but it wasn’t a favorite novel of mine. But I was also a very different reader then than I am now. I was less into folklore and mythology; I was still discovering what my reading tastes actually were; and my reading habits depended, in large part, on my mood. Most of those things aren’t applicable now, and I’ve gotten very good at being able to tell which books I’ll like—give or take a few instances when I happen to be wrong.

“It was freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrived.” Pg.1

The Raven Boys is a book about hunts—for Glendower, for the ley lines—and the people who search for them, explore them, or simply seek to experience or just to glimpse something…otherworldly. For Blue Sargent, she’s tired of being the sensible one, and wants a glimpse of what her family of psychics see—and is also involved due to rebellious decisions. For Ronan, Adam, and Noah, they’ve joined Gansey’s quest to find Glendower—and they form most of the friend group, and are often referred to as the titular Raven Boys.

Knowing (vaguely) what happens didn’t change how much I enjoyed my reread of The Raven Boys. I took my time with it, just appreciating the details. There is a lot of context and clues to keep track of, some of which I know is laying the groundwork for the sequels (the implications were literally everywhere!). I know I must have overlooked some of it before, or it was simply that I didn’t have as much appreciation for what the story was doing—because it has a lot to say.

The Welsh Mythology is one of the key factors of interest for me. Stories that are deeply entrenched in mythology and folklore are some of my favorites. A more recent book that I read that has a similar vibe was Kate Pearsall’s Bittersweet in the Hollow.

This isn’t the kind of story that has hard—almost scientific—rules for its magic. It had a soft, almost murky quality to it, making it feel natural to the nature of the story’s setting of Henrietta, Virginia. Some things just were or were wrapped with layers of mystique.

But The Raven Boys is also about its characters and their nuances. The cast is colorful, troubled, obsessive, and eccentric. Large personalities that, at times, clash, but the friendships were complex as well as enjoyable to read about, as the story explored their corners.

The ending is…a cliffhanger.

As far as I remember, I never continued with this series, but I plan to finish The Raven Cycle this year. That should be easy, since I now have copies of The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily Lily Blue, and The Raven King.

About the book...

“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.

Thought Corner: Dead Voices by Katherine Arden (Reread)

Why hello there. It’s October 20th, and today I’m continuing my reread of the first two books of the Small Spaces series by Katherine Arden. The goal is to refresh my memory of the books before reading Dark Waters, the third installment of the series.

I had a great reading experience with my Small Spaces reread—which I detailed HERE—and was eager to dive into the second book.

A bit of history…

I read Dead Voices not long after Small Spaces, as I started the series a few months shy of when the second book was due to release. As a consequence, I read them both in 2019, and I did go and check my Goodreads to be sure I had the dates right. Of the two, I recalled the least about Dead Voices. I knew it was one of my favorite reads of 2019 and that it had something to do with a mountain, and an isolated ski resort during a winter storm. It was definitely time for a reread.

The rundown…

Small Spaces ends at a place of so much potential. This was due to a couple of unresolved mysteries and an offhanded comment made by the smiling man. And Dead Voices is a fitting sequel for it. The perspective branches out beyond just Ollie’s, to Coco’s too, though the trio is together again and headed off to a vacation at a ski resort on Mount Hemlock that’s yet to open to the public. It’s the perfect sort of isolated set up to get the story rolling toward the inevitably creepy adventure later on. It was all thanks to a bit of luck (?) on Ollie’s dad’s part, though given the context of the series, coincidences are suspicious.

Since this was the second book, there was less time spent introducing the characters, though the story does do a little recap of the events of Small Spaces in an abbreviated fashion. I would still read the books in order though. And getting the second perspective afforded another look at the story outside of Ollie’s view of it, as well as more information about Coco. There was more about her fears and her hobbies and other interests.

Much like Small Spaces, I came away with a greater appreciation for the story, the characters, and the detailed world. It felt lived in, with its own stories within the story—think urban legends, local ghost stories, and unsolved disappearances—that were wrapped up with the clues about the history of the area and the ski resort.

A highlight of the book was the friendship between Ollie, Coco, and Brian. It was a bond that was tested. But there was never any doubt that the three were great friends. They trusted each other. And they often tended to try and stick together to solve their problems, which was just great to see.

Let’s get spooky…

Whether it’s just an ordinary place filled with interesting items, or a bona fide haunting, I love a good house story. These stories can include other places besides homes, of course. But some of my favorites centered on the people while also exploring the places as their own sort of characters—as well as sometimes unraveling a mystery of what haunts the walls. The ski resort finds itself somewhere in there with its long and tragic history. Its story—and that of the people who once and currently know it—was just as relevant as that of Ollie, Coco, and Brian.

Games really took a high stakes and terrifying twist in Dead Voices, where being too trusting and ignoring or misinterpreting warnings could have consequences. It was like a game of chess at times, with the trio having to trust in their skills and in each other. It was far from fun for the characters, but it was such a good story.

In conclusion…

I’m glad I did this reread. I’m prepared for Dark Waters, and I look forward to reading it soon. Until then, happy reading!

Thought Corner: Small Spaces by Katherine Arden (Reread)

Dark Waters was finally released in August. It’s been a few years since I read the first two books, and to prepare for it, I decided to do a reread of Small Spaces and Dead Voices. I figured there was no better time to do it than in October.

A bit of history…

When I picked up the series, I originally read them from the library. It’s been one of my backburner goals to add to my collection of Arden books, and since I liked the series so much, I knew I would eventually end up with copies for my shelf. I didn’t get around to it until August of 2021. But better late than never, right? So it’s been quite some time since I read Small Spaces.

The rundown…

Small Spaces is one of my favorite books, and I wanted to see if my memory of what the story was is actually how it reads. I remember having a lukewarm reaction to the first few chapters. However, upon my reread, I have a much better appreciation for the characters and details. I also noticed how atmospheric the story is. The October scenery in the town, Evansburg, fit well with the earlier chapters, which—initially—seemed quite ordinary, if not a touch eerie with the title incorporated into a warning for Olivia “Ollie” Adler.

In the beginning, Ollie comes off as kind of brash, but I get what’s being portrayed here. I picked up on all the little clues sprinkled in about her character (some of which I missed or just forgot about), and I found her actions—like quitting her clubs and pulling away from people who were just trying to reach out to her—to be refreshingly frank for such a tough topic, but handled in a way that would fit for the target audience. There’s so much I could say about Ollie, but since it’s not alluded to in the synopsis, it would be massive spoiler.

Let’s get spooky….

One of the places where Small Spaces shines is how it creates its own local legends, and ties them into the current spooky happening in the story. Arden submersed the characters in situations where the past (which couldn’t rest both literally and figuratively) and the present collided. The story within the story, also titled Small Spaces, almost acted like a bridge. It was part memoir and part cautionary tale, which also contained some of the much needed answers to the big mystery of the book.

The scares are unique, to say the least. “The world behind the mist,” with the smiling man and his scarecrows, could be downright terrifying. And one of the best parts was how Ollie, Coco, and Brian navigated these challenges while having to face their own fears during a seemingly impossible situation.

In conclusion…

Small Spaces is still one of my favorite stories, and it’s a great read for this time of year. I came away from my second foray into this story with a greater appreciation for it. And now, I’m looking forward to my reread of Dead Voices. Until next time, happy reading!