Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Format: Hardcover, 408 pages
Genre: YA, Magic, Adventure
Publication Date: September 18, 2012
Published by: Scholastic
Rating: 3.5/5

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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.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling 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.

My Thoughts
I originally gave this book four stars, but after finishing the book and sitting on it for a few days I decided to change it to 3.5 stars instead. Why 3.5? Well first let me you that when I read the synopsis I was very intrigued. Magic, fantasy and mystery are all up my ally and I have read Maggie's work before and loved it.  But this novel left me a little disappointed.

I found the beginning to be very slow, I kept waiting for the interesting part to start, but it took over 150 pages to get there. I found that there were too many characters to follow, and I believe there were around 6 or 7 and I found it hard to keep track of all of them. At times I felt myself confused as to what Ley Lines actually were, and what their importance was. But that became a little clearer as the story progressed.

I found myself really attaching myself to Blue's character because she was such a eccentric person and her story line was the most interesting out of everyone. The other characters added intrigue, especially Adam. His story was heartbreaking at times and I loved the relationship he developped with Blue throughout the book.

Overall I enjoyed the book, at least the later half, and I am intrigued as to what happens later in the series. I have a feeling that these characters will only get more complex and I hope that the next installment will capture my attention right from the beginning. But unfortunately I cannot say the same for this one.