The Raven Boys: Maggie Stiefvater’s Novel

by Elizabeth Zipf
Richard Montgomery junior, Class of 2014

I’ll admit it. I don’t believe in psychics. I don’t particularly like psychics. And, well, there are a lot of psychics in Maggie Stiefvater’s new novel, “The Raven Boys.” But I loved “The Scorpio Races” to the point where I was willing to brave the psychics. Because hey, anyone who can make carnivorous horses lovable has to be doing something right.

So, I started reading it. Of course, life interfered, and I had to put it down and go to work. At that point, I wasn’t quite sold on the entire concept. Psychics are hard for me to like. And there are plenty of books with private school boys. But what I found, all day at work, was the characters would not leave me alone. I kept worrying about them, wondering where the plot was going to go and wanting to get back to the book.

That, to me, is a sign of a good book.

So I kept reading. And, lo and behold, we got to what is probably one of the most original plots geared at teenagers today. I don’t know what it is about the novels today, but I’m slightly sick of vampires. There’s other stuff out there! It’s even supernatural. Maggie Stiefvater knows what she’s about when it comes to mystical and mysterious phenomena.

Between the fantastically original plot and the surprisingly deep characters, I was sold on this book. I know the library has several copies of it, but I would go buy your own. Then come to the Gaithersburg Book Festival, and see her speak! I think you’ll be surprised, in the best of ways.

Now, I’m not going to spoil the rest of the book for you. But it is a very good book, despite all the psychics. I still don’t like psychics. But I did preorder the sequel.