The Raven Boys

I know, I know—this one’s YA urban fantasy. What’s this book doing on this list? It is one of my all-time favorites, and it has the heart of a dark academia story.

It sweeps you up in its magic and doesn’t let you go. The book itself is like a spell. I can’t even fully articulate why I love it so much. The characters are obsessive and flawed and so wonderfully written I can’t get them out of my head. Because of it, I own a version of Gansey’s multimedia, research-driven, Welsh king-hunting journal. Now, if that’s not the spirit… show more.

As a writer, I’m curious about why readers are drawn to certain characters over others. What makes a character cool as opposed to annoying?

I read this book to study the characters and ended up mesmerized by the story. What makes these characters stand out is that Stiefvater allows them to be vulnerable, to say and think and do all the wrong things and struggle to make amends.

Stiefvater goes beyond the exterior to present a group of friends that you want to be a part of, and you keep reading so that you can discover the hidden magic of… show more.

I chose this book because three of its main points of view are from young men. Richard Gansey III goes to a prestigious school in Virginia with his two friends Adam (quiet, smart, reserved) and Ronan (explosive, profane, delinquent).

With the addition of Blue, a girl from a psychic family who’s been told that the first boy she kisses will die, the tension in this book is sharp. I instantly love any book where one of the characters comes from poverty, especially if it’s represented accurately and not exploitative. Adam is that person.

I love how Gansey and Ronan want… show more.

The Raven Boys was a huge inspiration for me and my writing—I love how setting is always used as a character, whether that’s the rural town of Henrietta or the magical, unknowable forest of Cabeswater. It’s about a group of unlikely friends come together on the hunt for a legendary dead king with the power to grant a wish, and is written in a way that feels that something strange is always about to happen (and it usually does). The friend group vibes in this book are top-tier, too!

This is by far one of my favorite YA series due to its strong characterizations and amazing world-building. Stiefvater takes a prep school in a small Virginia town and populates it with psychics, restless spirits, secret societies, menacing professors, and a professional assassin. The titular “Raven Boys” are three students pulled into the town’s supernatural intrigue either by design or necessity. Needless to say, this four-book series provides us with plenty of mysterious places, but Book 1 introduces us to one of the best: the boys’ off-campus home located in a long-abandoned warehouse. The old building is primarily uninhabitable, but… show more.