If you
kiss your true love, he will die. This
is what Blue Sargant, daughter of the town psychic has been told all her
life. Blue is used to living with
predictions, but things change when she meets Gansey, a privileged boy who
attends the prestigious Aglionby Academy for Boys. Gansey and his friends (known as the Raven
boys, because of the Raven crest on their school uniforms) are on a quest find
Glendower, a sleeping Welsh king. Legend
holds that whoever finds him will be granted a wish.
Although
Blue doesn’t have the same psychic powers as her mother, she does have the
ability to amplify the messages that come through for her family. It’s for this reason that she annually
accompanied her mother to an old churchyard on St. Mark’s Eve. where the soon-to-be-dead
spirits would walk past. Blue never sees
the spirits herself – until this year, when a boy steps up to her and
speaks. He tells her his name is
Gansey.
What does
this mean? When will Gansey die, and
will it be Blue that causes his death?
Is he her true love? Why is she
so drawn to Gansey and his friends? Blue
has never really believed in true love and the repeated warning from her
mother. But now she isn’t so sure.
I can
imagine this story being handled really poorly by a not-so-great writer. Thankfully, Maggie Stiefvater has done a
great job in presenting well-drawn characters, in this intriguing mystery. I love
this story because the characters are all so different, and yet so vital. Gansey is determined, has dignity, and really
takes care of his friends. Noah doesn’t
say much, seems vulnerable and mostly observes.
Adam is the scholarship student who resents the wealth around him and
doesn’t like handouts. Ronan is the 'bad
boy,' very cynical and angry. And then
there’s Blue, the quiet girl who lives with her psychic family – all women. I think my favourite scenes were the ones
that involved all these women and their predictions. I loved the complexity of their personalities
and the occasional conflicts between them.
They were strong, funny women, who I wanted to learn more about.
The other
part of the story that kept me hooked, was the question of whether or not
Gansey and Blue were destined to be together.
Was he really her true love? Or
was it one of the other boys? Would she
kiss him and therefore cause his death?
Why did she see him on the churchyard path on St. Mark’s Eve? What was the importance of what he said to
her on that road? These were some of the
questions that kept me intrigued.
Magic is
something that should be treated with respect and integrity, and I feel this
author did just that. I loved being
suspended in this world of unexpected friendships, love and impending doom!
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