THE RAVEN CYCLE DISCUSSION | BOOKS I & II

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1)
The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2)
Maggie Stiefvater 

Almost everyone I know loves The Raven Cycle. I tried so hard to get into the series - the first two books. On both occasions, I complained incessantly about the slow plot. When will the action start?! Because I pushed myself to continue, I became bored and unmotivated. Fortunately, the endings redeemed the pain "I suffered" - such a drama queen. By the end of both novels, I found myself liking the characters more. I was very intrigued by their parts in the story and their personality. I know this may be somewhat controversial, but I enjoyed Joseph Kavinsky in The Dream Thieves. He's a terrible individual, but he's so exciting and thrilling to read about. Side note: if you search up his name, there are a lot of Tumblr aesthetics of him portrayed by Ash Stymest, which I find amusing, I don't know why. By the end of the novels, I also wanted more of the overarching plot. The cliffhangers enthused me and drove me to the library, in search of the next book. 

I have issues with the writing and somewhat with the storytelling. I distinctly remember an awkwardness to the first book. It has weird comparisons, the excessive use of former and latter, and "pregnant" as an adjective for something that wasn't human-yes, I know pregnant is NOT limited to describing women with child. As I mentioned in my Goodreads review, Stiefvater (S) probably did this to create an [a mysterious/compelling] atmosphere. It didn't work. Luckily, that awkwardness disappears in The Dream Thieves. The general consensus, according to Goodreads, is that the series gets better as it progresses. I can't wait to see the further growth in the next two books. 

I'm not a fan of the "destined lovers" trope. I am happy that S didn't make the romance too overwhelming, but Maura's budding relationship was unnecessary. I thought there was too much build-up for such a small amount of [plot] action. I understand the necessity of development, but it took up a large portion of each novel. You can omit many scenes to streamline the plot. I wish there were more scenes with the psychics. I love reading their interactions, their readings, and their powers. I loved Calla's confidence and Persephone's eccentricity. The psychics and the paranormal atmosphere added intrigue and complexity to the series. Sometimes the writing doesn't flow well, and sometimes the characters nerves, but it's such a compelling plot. My favorite thing about this series is the Latin. 

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