Blue Lily, Lily Blue (Maggie Stiefvater)

Hey there everyone! I'm back with a new review (finally) and this time it is the third novel in The Raven Cycle series. Before I begin, however, I wanted to apologize for the lack of reviews being posted lately. I'm currently on co-op as part of my schooling, and often after work I feel too tired to be able to completely focus on the stories unfolding on the page. Without full focus, I feel as though my reviews and opinions would be clouded by my lack of concentration; however, now that I'm one month into my work term, I am more focused and used to the routine. So, without further ado, the review!

Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the book to follow The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves, both of which I gave 5 out of 5 stars; it had a tough act to follow, and I was definitely more critical as a result. The plot continues where it left of at the end of the second, as Blue and the boys continue their work with the ley line. As their efforts begin to reap rewards, those same efforts also reap consequences. With the wakening of one of the "sleepers" comes the disappearance of one, the death of another, and a very close call for one of the boys. As the story approaches the end, the pace of the plot accelerates and I became much more invested in it than I was at the beginning. At the end of the novel, you are left on a cliffhanger - this was something I was extremely upset about!

The Book Cover

Though I was upset about the cliffhanger, since I was not aware that The Raven Cycle series wasn't a trilogy, I did some research to discover there will be another book to follow. Maggie is currently working on Book 4, which is due to release in the Fall of 2015. For me, this is too far away! I'm not a fan of the gaps between book releases, especially when the plot lines are a little more intricate and detail-oriented. I know that when the next book arrives, I will have forgotten many of the details from the previous. But, with that said, I still am very much so look forward to that new release!

Overall, I would rate Blue Lily, Lily Blue 4.5/5 because I did find the first half of the story to be a little slow and disorganized, but the latter half was exception and suspenseful! I can't wait for the true final installment?

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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The Dream Thieves (Maggie Stiefvater)

Another month has gone and past, but I am back from the land of the student zombies! Exams are over and that means I am finally free to breathe and read. The first thing I did was finish reading the sequel to The Raven Boys and I have to say, I couldn't put it down once I truly started it!

The Dream Thieves continues to follow the lives of Blue and the Raven Boys, as they work to repair the ley line that they desperately searched for in the first book. The ley line, which seemed to hold so strong in the first book, now seems to be draining as if an external source is squeezing it dry of all its powers. What is this external source? That's what they are trying to figure out. They need the ley line to continue their initial quest, and without it there is no hope in succeeding. As the story progresses, it seems to that one of the Raven Boys themselves might actually unknowingly have a part in the draining of the energy; but is he the only one capable of such things?

The suspense holds throughout the entirety of the novel and I must say, I didn't think Maggie could write a story better than the first book; but she did and it's incredible! I'm still not sure what it is about Maggie's writing that leaves me feeling completely consumed by the world that she creates, but whatever it is, wow! The characters feel so real when you read about them and they grow and feel just like people do in the land of the reality. This book allows you to really understand the characters and also see them come to terms with various things. I absolutely love it!

Overall, I would rate The Dream Thieves 5/5 because it was perfect! With two out of three books in the series receiving a perfect rating from me so far, I can't wait to begin reading the final installment! Definitely check out this series!

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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The Raven Boys (Magge Stiefvater)

Hey there bookworms! I'm back and here with another review (finally)! I truly am sorry for the slow turnout of reviews on this blog, however I am quite busy with coursework at University - as I am typing this, we are at the one week mark until final exams; I am drowning in assignments and study notes. Despite the hectic environment right now, I have made the point of trying to read every night; only difference from normal is that by the time I get to bed, I just want to sleep - I only end up reading one chapter. But I'm here now and that's all that matters!

The Raven Boys is a supernatural, teen fiction novel by Maggie Stiefvater. She is the author of the Shiver-Linger-Forever-Sinner series that I absolutely raved about and therefore I was quite excited to start this series. And, as expected, Maggie did NOT disappoint! This book, the first of a new trilogy, was absolutely magnificent! The story follows the life of Blue, the daughter to a family of psychics, who doesn't have the ability to see like her family does; instead, she makes the "sight" stronger for those around her. In addition, the story follows a group of school boys who attend the pretentious school of Aglionby Academy; these boys have taken it upon themselves to solve the ancient task of waking a ley line. The two become entwined in the task when Blue experiences something new; something that only happens when those without "sight" are somehow directly tied to that individual.

The Book Cover

I don't want to give away anything to detailed as I enjoyed the suspense and growth that the novel provided to me as a reader. The build-up is really well written, the character development and character relationship growths are phenomenal, and the characters themselves are all very unique. I love when authors make a point of giving each and every character a personality, instead of just "cookie-cutter characters" as I like to call them.

I'm now currently reading the second novel in the series - The Dream Thieves - and am looking forward for the third and final novel - Blue Lily, Lily Blue - to be delivered to my library (it's on order currently).

Overall, I would rate The Raven Boys 5/5 because it was perfect! And I am definitely already feeling the same about the second novel so far!

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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Sinner (Maggie Stiefvater)

Hello there bookworms! Yes, it has been quite some time since I've posted a review - basically a month - but as I said in the update post, I am currently in school. Hopefully you guys are doing well and I hope you enjoy this new review!

Sinner is a follow up novel to the Shiver - Linger - Forever trilogy that I so desperately loved and hoped for more stories from the characters; and now there is! Recently released, Sinner follows the lives of Isabel and Cole as the have left Mercy Falls. Isabel, working in a clothing store, is very much set in her day-to-day routine; that is until Cole shows up in LA. Cole, saying he was there for her, is not quite telling the truth. Having been signed up by reality TV show producer Baby, Cole is set to have his everyday filmed whilst making an album; or so he thought. Could there be more to this show? Will Cole be able to hold onto Isabel at all?

The Book Cover

Ever since I finished reading the original trilogy, I longed for a follow up book and this definitely filled that hole of missing the characters. This book is everything any fan of Maggie's could want because the plot is well thought out and the character development is so pure. If you get the chance, definitely pick up this book to read!

Overall I would rate Sinner 5/5 because there was absolutely nothing wrong with this book whatsoever! Definitely read this, as well as the trilogy!

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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Forever (Maggie Stiefvater)

Forever is the third and final book in the Shiver series, and it is definitely by far my favourite of the three! This one is again a supernatural/fantasy romance novel, however it puts less emphasis on the romance between Sam and Grace and more on the wolves' survival; this is probably why it's my favourite.

The Book Cover

Just as the second book does, Forever alternates between the first-person perspectives of Sam, Grace, Isabel, and Cole; there is an addition of Shelby's perspective during the prologue, but that's the only time you get that. I didn't enjoy the four perspectives in the second book, however I didn't mind it too much in this one. It could be that I got used to it or maybe perhaps I was too quick to judge it badly when I first experienced it. All that aside, I definitely enjoyed having the full round of perspectives in this plot.

As I said in the second book's review, I can't talk too much about the plot - or the characters - without giving it away. So I'm not going to talk about plot!

What I will mention instead is my overall feel for this series and what I got out of it. Upon completing the full series, I feel uplifted in a sense. It could be the experiences that the characters face and how they grew from it, or it could be something entirely different, but I just feel grateful...? I'm not even quite sure if that's the word I want to use, but for me personally (having dealt with a lot of barriers to overcome) this book showed me that they can be overcome if you stick with it. I guess the moral of the story was to never give up on hope or the idea of a better future, because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

I would rate Forever 5/5 because it was by far my favourite of the three in this trilogy and I was never left bored or wanting more. I was fully satisfied with the story and how it ended!

Definitely take the time to read the full trilogy: Shiver, Linger, and Forever!

The Shiver Trilogy

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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Linger (Maggie Stiefvater)

Linger is the second novel in the Shiver trilogy and it was just as good as the first one! After 24 hours, I had already finished half of the book and really had to try to pace myself whilst reading the remainder of the story.

The Book Cover

Much like the first, it remains a supernatural/fantasy romance story. The plot itself picks up where the first left off, not losing any pace, and has the same "feel" to it. There is one big difference between the first and this one:

... there are FOUR first-person perspectives. The first two are the same as the first novel, that being Grace and Sam. The third is the perspective of Isabel and the fourth is that of Cole. 

I'm still not too sure how I feel about the four perspectives. In some cases it added to the depth of the story and the emotions, but in other cases I felt lost or confused as to who I was. That second case was even more true in certain chapters when the perspective changed three times in one chapter. This story really begins to show character development amongst all four of the characters.

I can't really talk too much about the plot or the characters without giving away the suspense that I felt. It's a story that you really need to experience for yourself!

I would rate Linger 4.5/5 because I felt that having four first-person perspectives to be a little too much to follow. Of course, as always, that is only my opinion and you might think differently.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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Shiver (Maggie Stiefvater)

Shiver is a short novel that I came across whilst browsing my library's online database. I had never heard of it before or heard of anyone talking about it. Upon collecting the book from my library, I discovered that it is actually the first novel in a trilogy. I had made a personal decision, after reading many trilogies, that I didn't want to read another trilogy for a little while because I really wanted to a find an excellent single book; however, looks like it's time for another trilogy!

Shiver, like I said, is the first novel in a trilogy. The story is a supernatural/fantasy novel with the main storyline following the developing romance between Sam and Grace. The book itself does switch between first-person perspectives of those two characters, and I think that it is important to the plot and emotions of the characters. Grace is a girl with an unusual past who has a fascination with the woods behind her house, and the animals that roam within. Sam is a boy that is far from ordinary as he is not quite himself through the winter months. Their lives become entwined when Sam is faced with an injury that changes him.

The Book Cover

The characters - and even the story itself - drew me in drastically and had me struggling to put the book down every night. I can't say much about the storyline itself because it would definitely ruin the surprise and suspense of the novel. What I will say is that I found the style of writing (and the story) to be very refreshing and simple. I say simple, but it is also a unique story.

I would rate Shiver 4.9/5 because I am always wary of given a story a perfect rating. There were a couple of spots where I found myself skipping over some paragraphs, but I can't decide whether it was because the story was slow or if it was more just my excitement to get to the end.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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