on
3.5/5
Non-Fiction
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Rating: 4.5/5
Pages: 416
Started: 15 July 2022
Finished: 16 July 2022
Summary:
Gansey is determined to locate Owain Glendower, the lost Welsh king. Not only is he smart, rich, and used to getting what he wants, but he also feels that he owes it to the world. Aside from attending school at the elite all-boys Aglionby academy and making sure Ronan also attends classes at Aglionby, Gansey spends all his time chasing leads in books and by helicopter, dragging Ronan, Adam, and Noah with him whenever he can. But progress is frustratingly slow, and Gansey knows he needs something more to find the ley line that will lead him to Glendower.
At 300 Fox Way, Blue Sargent is the odd one out for not being a psychic. Instead, she has the mysterious gift of amplifying her mother and aunts’ readings, including the one about her: If she kisses her true love, he will die. So Blue stays away from boys, but especially the Aglionby boys, because they are the worst kind of entitled.
But the mystery of Gansey and his friends is too hard to resist, and Blue finds herself suddenly among they boys in their hunt for the Welsh king. Though the friends are determined, they are also aware of the dangers of magic, and its consequences.
Thoughts:
Reading this the second time around was SO much better. I got to enjoy the found family without having to get used to the writing or figure out where the plot was going. And the found family was incredible. I wonder what it’s like to be known by someone else like the Raven boys know each other. They have such an intimate bond, and I both adore reading it and am jealous of it at the same time. One thought I had was that maybe Ronan is demisexual: “His code of honor left no room for infidelity, for casual relationships. It wasn’t that he didn’t condone them, it was that he couldn’t understand them.”
I love Stiefvater’s writing, too. After looking through some of her angry tweets ranting about how Blue is white (she’s headcannoned as southeast asian, which makes a lot of sense) I understand she is not a good person, and so I refuse to buy a new copy of her books even though I totally would otherwise. But her writing is gorgeous. She makes everything feel momentous:
“What he meant by this was that he was worried that one day someone would fall on Ronan and cut themselves.”
“Declan’s wide jaw and smile said, Vote for me, while Ronan’s buzzed head and thin mouth warmed that this species was poisonous.”
“‘Coincidence,’ Ronan said, because it wasn’t.”
The writing is so gorgeous I wish I could just swim in it. Unfortunately I can’t, because my hold on the next book won’t come in for forever, but I very much look forward to reading it soon.
Words:
Consternated (adj) filled with anxiety
Camaro
Sanguine (adj) optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation
Incendiary (adj) designed to cause fires; tending to stir up conflict
Indefatigable (adj) persisting tirelessly
Effusive (adj) expressing feeling of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained manner
Discomfiting (v) feel uneasy or embarrassed
Ebullient (adj) cheerful and full of energy
Quiddity (n) the inherent nature or energy of a thing (the "thatness"
Bellwether (n) the leading sheep in a flock, with a bell around its neck
Nonplussed (adj) surprised and confused so much that they are unsure how to react
Cavalier (adj) easy and lighthearted in manner
Asafetida (n) a fetid resinous gum obtained from the roots of an herbaceous plant, used in herbal medicine and Indian cooking
Ignominy (n) public shame or discrace
Excelsior (n) used in the names of hotels, newspapers, and other products to indicate superior quality