There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.
Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has found trusted friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own, a fourth to their trio. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs. She has found her place.
Yet her mother is still missing, they still are hunting for Glendower, and are being pursed by friends and foes alike. Will Blue and her Raven Boys be able to stay together long enough to reach their future together, or will fate deal them the nastiest hand yet?
LOVED
OMG, this is one that I could not put down. Maggie Stiefvater is an author that I’ve found I either adore or am lukewarm about- I liked The Scorpio Races but was iffy on The Wolves of Mercy Creek. The Raven Cycle, however, has me hooked, and Blue Lily Lily Blue draws readers even deeper into the mysteries of Cabeswater and the the supernatural abilities of the group. Adam and Blue’s abilities are especially highlighted in key areas, and you get a glimpse of what Blue can become in time, and an inkling of how she connects to the Raven Boys.
More and more otherworldly events happen in Blue Lily Lily Blue than some of the others, and the story really pushes relationships (familial, romantic, platonic, and otherworldly) to the forefront of the book. It’s beautifully done, and readers cannot help but be drawn in to their world.
LIKED
The branching out of characters that readers have become familiar with by name. In Blue Lily Lily Blue we learn more of Gansey’s mentor Malory as well as Blue’s mother and her father. Additionally, the man who hired Mr. Gray to kill Ronan’s father is their new Latin teacher, and he is as desperate to find Glendower as they are, perhaps more so. Readers also get more depth with the sisters than in previous books, and more insight into Ronan’s family.
DISLIKED
The fact that if you aren’t familiar with the series you are going to be seriously lost with this book. And when I say familiar, I mean practically know it inside and out. There are references to events in The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves that make the story, and readers who do not know the books inside and out can be lost- Blue Lily Lily Blue is definitely a book that you need to read the first two before reading the next.
Also, there were some aspects that were just confusing- I’m hoping that these will all be tied up in the fourth and final book, such as Blue’s father and the ties to things I can’t reveal due to it being massive spoilers.
AHHHHHH MOMENT
The last chapter or so. Obviously it’s going to end of a cliffhanger, but SUCH a big one was not in my imagination! And there are so many threads to be tied up in the last book that Stiefvater is going to have to be a master weaver in order to bring it all together.
AGE RANGE
The publisher puts this at 14 and up (high school) and I definitely wouldn’t place it any lower than that. There is violence, death, occult, magic, and sex (consenting, married adults but still pretty graphic) so definitely not for younger readers.
END FEELINGS
