Review: Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater

Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater 

Release date: 3rd July 2014

Publisher: Scholastic 

Reason for reading: COLE AND ISABEL

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Goodreads synopsis:

Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy. Everybody thinks they know Cole's story. Stardom. Addiction. Downfall. Disappearance. But only a few people know Cole's darkest secret -- his ability to shift into a wolf. One of these people is Isabel. At one point, they may have even loved each other. But that feels like a lifetime ago. Now Cole is back. Back in the spotlight. Back in the danger zone. Back in Isabel's life. Can this sinner be saved?

My thoughts:

I was one of those people that was happy with the end of Forever. I liked not fully knowing what happened, getting to imagine my own reality. But when I heard Maggie was writing this standalone novel focusing on Cole and Isabel, I knew it would be the book I didn’t even know I wanted.

And it is marvellous. It is everything I love about Maggie Stiefvater; it is raw and polished all at the same time, it is full of feeling and heart and soul but it is never cliché, the characters are beautifully imagined and what characters they are. Cole and Isabel were always my favourite, and to have a book focus on their story is such a treat. From the very first page I felt at home in this world, with these characters. I wanted to crawl inside the pages and never leave. I wanted to wrap the story about myself like a comfort blanket and snuggle into Maggie’s beautiful prose.

Isabel is one of my favourite YA characters. She’s prickly and mean, she can’t handle emotions and is so, so broken. She is completely real and mesmerising, she lashes out, she closes down and maybe, just maybe, she’s starting to thaw. Likewise Cole St Clair. The boy with 2 sides: his public persona and his true self and we saw much more of both. Cole’s public self is in LA to record an album while starring in a reality TV show, but his real side is here for Isabel and their relationship throughout this novel is electric, tumultuous, and completely engrossing.

Seeing Cole and Isabel drawn together, torn apart, both of them fighting every step of the way (though fighting different things) was completely mesmerising. The plot was almost secondary to me; I just wanted their interactions. The way everything came together, the way it ended how it began, yet differently, is sheer Stiefvater perfection. That woman is a true artist.

TL;DR: The Wolves of Mercy Falls novel I never knew I needed but fell completely in love with. Cole and Isabel are electric and the story evoked nostalgia and a whole host of emotion. I need to go and reread the trilogy now. 

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater
Released: 19th September 2012 (UK)
Publisher: Scholastic UK
Source: Bought
Reason for reading: It's Maggie Stiefvater, of course I was going to read it
Rating: 5/5

Goodreads description:

“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:

There aren't many authors whose books I would read indiscriminately, but Maggie Stiefvater is one of those authors. She could write a textbook detailing the life cycles of tree frogs and I would probably read it. I always have expectations of what her books will be about, and she always manages to smash those and totally blow me away with her literary offerings. You think you know exactly what to expect from this book, exactly what will happen, but The Raven Boys is so much more than the synopsis suggests.

When Blue's mother forbids her to get involved with the raven boys, that's exactly what Blue decides to do. Because her mother has never forbidden her to do anything before and well, she's as intrigued by their search as she is by her mother's order. The raven boys are looking for a myth, a great king of legend said to reside somewhere along the ley line Blue's sleepy little town Henrietta has been built on, and the more time she spends with the odd group of boys, the more she grows to like them, and the more entwined in their search and their lives she becomes.

Blue was a really down to earth, likeable character which seems an odd thing to say about a girl who lives with a bunch of psychics but it's true. Knowing she's going to kill her true love doesn't lead her to angst and forbidden romances, but a very pragmatic decision to never kiss anyone, just to be on the safe side. Blue's extended family of friends and relatives were a mish mash of personalities that, despite getting little page time, shone out. But it was the raven boys that really captured my attention. Gansey, the leader was in part a rich, self-entitled boy with all the arrogance and self-assurance that comes with that, but for the most part an obsessive researcher, with all the quirks and mannerisms that come with that. Adam was sweet if sometimes a little silly in his decisions, Ronan was a bad boy, the like of which we get in Stiefvater's novels a lot, but each has their own distinctions and Ronan was no exception. He's a lot more dangerous, a lot more unstable than even Cole St.Clair and Sean Kendrick. I'm looking forward to seeing how his character develops. Noah was an interesting one, I didn't expect the character development we got for him at all, literally I was so shocked by it, but it was clever and it worked. 

I loved how the plot had so many aspects to it, Blue's curse, the Glendower myth, what Blue's aunt was upto and all the rest of it, it made the story rich and interesting to read, and I loved how it all linked together to form one cohesive plot. My only quibble was the ending, which I found confusing and not quite complete, but then I discovered this was the first book of a series. I still feel it could have been more polished at the end though, it felt a little sudden, a little abrupt



TL;DR: The Raven Boys is a richly intricate, unique offering from the queen of beautiful prose and diverse characters Maggie Stiefvater. Perfect for fans of her previous books, but great for anyone looking for mythology, magic, adventure and unpredictability in a novel. 

Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Published: 19th October 2011
Publisher: Scholastic UK
Rating: 5/5


Goodreads description:


It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. 


Some riders live. 
Others die. 


At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. 


Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.


My thoughts:

Whilst initially hesitant to pick this up, I think that it's actually my favourite of all Maggie Stiefvater's books. The lyrical prose that haunts the Wolves of Mercy Falls series is present, as are the complicated personal themes, but for me, everything has been taken up a notch in this latest work.

Everything about it is just so desperate; the island, Puck's desire to win, Sean's worries that he'll lose the only thing he cares about, Gabe's need to leave for the mainland. Its's all so desperate, so empathetic and so completely heart-wrenching. Maggie really captured the emotions of every character and put them forward in a believable and utterly convincing way...what do you mean these people aren't real? 

I loved the sense of life of the small island--from the feeling of isolation felt by some, to the feelings of freedom felt by others, and the dynamics across the whole island. This book is about more than just a race with killer horses, it's about human interactions and emotions and reactions.

At first, I struggled to like Puck. I thought she was really stupid entering the race with her non-water horse horse, convinced she was being petty and idiotic. But the longer I read, the more I began to think she was doing the right thing, and I actually became convinced, genuinely convinced, that she could win this, even though the other horses were faster and stronger, more bloodthirsty, and most of the riders had it out for her. Sean and Finn will forever battle it out as my favourite character. Finn reminded me slightly of my own brother, I adored his nature, his little quirks and how sweet he was. Sean was my perfect love interest, mysterious and slightly broken, with a self-assured take-no-prisoners attitude. I loved him, I loved his dedication to the animals in his care, I loved his feelings for Puck and his interactions with those around him. George Holly was another character I loved, he was a perfect device for learning more about Sean, whilst being an interesting character in his own right. All the secondary characters had their own personalities and moments, something which added to the richness of the story. 

The actual race itself was a minor part of the plot, and the events of it were what I expected to happen. Despite that, my heart was in my mouth for the duration, and I had that fantastic moment where you desperately want to find out what happens, and yet are terrified to turn the page. It takes great storytelling to create that for me.  It had to happen that way, really, and I'm glad it did, but it was the events after the race that I loved the most. Puck's stand against Malvern wasn't what I expected, but was a fantastic conclusion to her storyline. I loved how everything ended up for her, it wasn't too unrealistic but it was't too sad either, as I think I would've struggled with that. Sean's conclusion was more bittersweet, but the actual very end of the book was so, so heartwarming. It was the perfect ending in my opinion. 

This is a fantastic addition to Maggie's novels, it's haunting and very introspective and I absolutely adored it. 

Review: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Stiefvater
Published: 12 July 2011
Publisher: Scholastic UK


Goodreads Description:



In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. InLinger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in


My thoughts:


When I read the end of Linger I was heartbroken. I swore I would never read Forever because Maggie Stiefvater was EVIL and how could she do this to me?? But then, as time wore on, I become more rational (or maybe I just forgot how upset I was) and started to wonder what exactly had happened to the wolves of Mercy Falls. So I read Forever after all, and I'm so glad I did.


The characters are some of the most complex and well developed of any book series I've read. Their issues and their struggles to overcome them seem to real and so tangible. You can really empathise with these characters like no others. Cole really came into himself in this novel which I loved, as he's probably my favourite character. It was nice to see him less self-destructive. Sam and Grace's relationship has to be the cutest relationship in the whole of YA. Like the characters it's so real, it doesn't feel forced or included for the sake of a love interest to swoon over. You want them to have a happy ending, no you need them to have a happy ending because if they don't deserve one then who does. I really loved Isabel as well, she's probably my other favourite character alongside Cole. I love their complicated interactions and how they both feel about each other, it's perfect because you're screaming at them to confess their undying love for each other, and yet if they did that the relationship would lose all of it's potency. There's a delicate balance for me between too much and not enough in a YA relationship, and this hits that balance perfectly.


The writing is what I adore most about these novels. It has such a melancholy and introspective feel to it that really sucks you inside the characters heads. The multiple POVs work so well, and the stylistic elements involved are pure genius. I wish I could write like this, it's art. 


I actually really liked the plot, I felt the pacing was no different to the other two novels, though I have seen people claim it was too slow. These books for me focus more on the effects the events in them have on the individuals rather than on the events themselves and it's something I really like about this series. 


The ending however, OMG I was on the edge of my seat, frantically reading, desperate to find out what happened. Again, I wasn't bothered by the simplicity of the solution for the reason I noted above. I thought the very end was perfect, the right amount of ambiguity for me. I don't think I would have wanted it to end any other way. I am sad to see the end of this series, but I felt the last book totally did it justice.


5/5