Maggie Stiefvater is a master story-teller – The Dream Thieves is addictive, filled with mystery and intrigue that will keep you wanting more with every page.

From the very first page, Stiefvater, captured my rapt attention. The Dream Thieves is exhilarating offering a dark and in-depth insight on one of our favorite Raven Boys, Ronan Lynch.

It’s summer in Henrietta, and the Raven Boys (Gansey, Ronan, Adam, and Noah), accompanied by Blue, are on a mission to find Glendower. But things don’t exactly turn out the way they’d expected. First of, Ronan has a secret that no one has every known except for his father. Adam is…different. Ever since he’d made his sacrifice on the ley line things have not been the same. Noah’s presence is slowly dissipating, and Gansey isn’t the only one looking for the mystery surrounding his Welsh King.

Let me just say, that this was absolutely BRILLIANT. I loved every single little thing about this; from the interactions between characters, scenes, and the mystery surrounding Ronan – it was just so well put together.

Let’s face some facts. This book involves a well portion of who Ronan is. For the first time we get an insight into Ronan’s mind. And oh it is GOOD. There’s also a new perspective added onto the mix.

CHARACTERS

Ronan. Dark. Brooding. Cold. Ronan Lynch has officially stolen my heart. There was so much about him that we didn’t know. So much mystery and angst surrounding the Raven Boy that Call referred to Snake. In the sequel, we delve deeper into Ronan’s past, his secrets are revealed along with an ability he’s hidden since he discovered it. He has the remarkable ability to take things from his dreams. Sometimes, he does not get to choose what he can take, but it’s a skill that he hones throughout the novel; ultimately fighting his inner demons.

Adam. Oh, Adam. I feel for him on so many levels. He tries so hard. He wants success, he wants to be someone. But the harder he tries, the easier he’s losing himself. He’s seeing things and the sudden flashes of anger just remind him of his father. The ley line changed him and he’s the only one who can save himself. Truly.

Blue. I absolutely enjoyed seeing Blue develop into a stronger character. I loved her fierceness, especially when it pertained to Ronan. She stuck up for herself and wouldn’t let any of the boys step on her. She’s also very sarcastic and snippy. I couldn’t help saying, “You go, Blue!” at any time she stood up for herself to the boys, which was at least once for every boy. I also liked her inner turmoil about her feelings towards Adam and the blossoming feelings for….well, mum’s the word ;)

Gansey. Gansey boy! I love Gansey. He’s definitely one of my favorite fictional boys. You can see the disheartening disappointment when something horrible and unexpected happens. His anxiety is palpable and his feelings are raw. He cares deeply and it’s definitely one of my favorite things about him. There’s also the fact that he’s different than the cliched version of a “rich guy.” There’s a quote he says to Blue that resonates deeply of who he is:

Because you and I, we’re both…wealthy in love.

Lastly, I can’t forget to mention all the great secondary characters who offer an important role into the whole of the story. There is the new mysterious character known as the Gray Man, who is a hit man. There are the psychics, Maura, Persephone, and Calla who offer an integral part of the story line this time around to different characters. Joseph Kavinsky, who is incomprehensibly destructive and an unforgettable player in this installment. And finally, there is Noah whose fading presence is the result to the disappearance of a place. That’s all I can say to not spoil! Sorry.

WORLD BUILDING

I really loved the further development of the world Stiefvater created. There’s a little bit more knowledge of the inner workings of the ley line. But most of the book is centered around Ronan, his ability and the inner demons that plague him. We discover how he pulled Chainsaw out of his dream, and the secret that got his father murdered (and who murdered his father). We also discover the extent of Adam’s sacrifice and what it entails.

ROMANCE

When it comes to romance, it involves Blue, Adam, and Gansey. Not necessarily together. C’mon people! - Blue’s fate of not being able to kiss her true love complicates her relationship with Adam. Meanwhile, Blue’s inner turmoil over her feelings towards Gansey is a slow progression. At the beginning of this installment she can’t see herself in love with him. But that slowly changes and it’s really nice to see this particular part of their relationship flourish and blossom. This book also contains one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking kisses in the history of literature! The kiss is fueled by longing and is sweet and delicate. It’s also important (in a different way) for both of the characters, which makes it all the more heartbreaking.

WRITING STYLE

I’m a huge fan of Maggie Stiefvater’s writing style. It’s beautiful, lyrical, and filled with symbolism that is subtle and powerful, metaphors that will melt into your heart, and personification that I haven’t read in a story in ages. Some of my favorite quotes entail some of Stiefvater’s beautiful writing.

The gold links of the chain around his neck glittered a grin.

While I’m gone, dream me the world. Something new for every night.

And Ronan was everything that was left: molten eyes and a smile made for war.

His eyes were frighteningly alive, the curve of his mouth savage and pleased. It suddenly didn’t seem at all surprising that he should be able to pull things from his dreams.

It was mint and memories and the past and the future and she felt as if she’d done this before and already she longed to do it again.

I could write an entire essay of how beautiful, cleaver, and captivating Maggie’s writing is, but that would take eons. Eons, I tell you! Trust when I say that it’s absolutely spellbinding and one of a kind.

FINALE

The ending completely blew my mind. I stayed up finishing this book because 1) I couldn’t put it down and 2) I just really wanted to finish and see what was going to happen. I stayed up until midnight knowing that I had to get up in 5 hours for work. Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to sleep so I finished and the conclusion left my mind utterly speechless. Stiefvater does it again with a completely jarring cliffhanger that fuels endless theories of what on earth happened. It was unexpected and I cannot wait to see what Stiefvater has in store in the next installment.

I. NEED. THE. NEXT. BOOK. NOW. LIKE. I. NEED. AIR.

Overall, this book was purely magic. Maggie Stiefvater is a master story-teller - The Dream Thieves is addictive, filled with mystery, one of a kind characters, clever humor, and intrigue that will keep you wanting more with every page. I highly recommend reading the sequel, if you were iffy. If you haven’t read this series, then what are you waiting for?

Simply mysterious.

An ARC was provided from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Lauren Destefano immediately pulls the reader into this world in the sky she intricately crafted.

I was completely shocked and giddy to have found Perfect Ruin waiting for me when I came home from VidCon in August. I didn’t expect to have it, much less be able to read it before the release date. It was, without a doubt, one of the most inventive dystopians I have read this year. Lauren Destefano immediately pulls the reader into this world in the sky she intricately crafted. It’s devastatingly beautiful.

| Characters |

The story is told from sixteen-year-old Morgan Stockhour. Morgan is your average Internment girl. At least, from the outside that is what it seems. Her family is inner turmoil. Her mother is docile, while her brother Lex is a former Jumper. He suffers from restlessness and frantically writes. From the very beginning, Morgan is unknowingly rebellion. It would be a tragedy to be named irrational. But that is what she is. She often wonders what is on the ground and the possibility of something else existing beyond their world in the sky.

I really liked Morgan from the beginning. Her voice was authentic and I found myself easily sharing her wildest daydreams. Everyone wonders what truly is out there, what is true, what is real. I liked that DeStefano was true to these aspects of life. Morgan was the epitome of wonder and question throughout the novel and slowly she begins to disentangle herself from the belief that is shared on Internment.

Other mentionable characters are Lex, who is a recovering Jumper and is disabled. When he jumped off the edge of Internment he suffered permanent damage. Then there is Alice, who is sweet and caring towards her husband Lex. There is also Pen, Morgan’s best friend and Basil, Morgan’s betrothed which by the way I absolutely loved!

Other characters in the story like Judas, Amy, ect. were also integral to the story in ways that perfectly built the story and Morgan’s character development. And that, my dear readers, is what I love about secondary characters!

| World-Building |

The world itself is based off of this excerpt:

The first humans were especially ungrateful. After the birth of the sun and the moon, they asked for the stars. After the crops rose from the ground, they asked for beasts to fill the fields. After some time, the god of the ground, weary of their demands, thought it best to destroy them and begin again with humbler beings. So it goes that the god of the sky thought the first humans too clever to waste, and he agreed to keep them in the sky with the promise that they would never again interfere with the ground.

This reminded me of a story we read in English 10th grade. About how the first humans were made of clay. The foundation of internment is faith-based, as in, a god was the one to have placed their city in the sky. What else would explain their floating city? If the god in the sky did not place the city there then who/what did? Of course, these are the questions that Morgan churns in her mind.

Aside from the history of Internment, there is the incorporation of a King and rules that would be considered archaic. The people of Internment are matched before birth to their betrothals, not to mention that a birth itself is planned years in advance. There is also a specific age where they die.

It’s very different and very controlled. It’s also inventive and fresh. It makes the story exciting!

| Romance |

The romance was oh-so-sweet between Morgan and Basil. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the betrothal aspect in this story, but it works. It works in a way that doesn’t make me hate it. I loved how Basil was loyal to Morgan and how he’d stay with her no matter what. It didn’t matter if she was deemed irrational or if she decided to venture out to the edge. He would stand beside her in everything. That went beyond what it meant to be betrothed to someone. He honestly loves Morgan and in return, she loves him.

I also really love the dynamic relationships between Alice and Lex and Pen and Thomas. We got to see the difference between each relationship and how it wasn’t all rainbows and sugar canes. The difference was obvious, but it also worked. And that, to me, was real and plausible.

Lastly, I liked that the romance wasn’t the direct focus in the story. That did wonders to how incredibly devolved and executed the relationships were.

| Writing Syle |

Lauren Destefano’s writing is brilliant. I loved the easiness and metaphors throughout the story. The writing is engaging and forthright. I loved how easily immersed I became in the book. Once I was held captive, I didn’t want to be let go.

I also really loved how every chapter began with a snippet of an essay written by Daphne Leander. She was a sixteen-year-old girl who wrote about her questions and beliefs. This made the story concrete and I loved that Destefano incorporated this into the story, making it slowly progress with each chapter.

Lastly, my absolute favorite line from the novel is:

I leave her to her ascent for the stars.

I thought that was beautiful and in my opinion, wonderfully incorporates a major theme of the novel.

| Finale |

The ending had me like this:


I desperately need the sequel, which is too much to demand, I know, seeing as it hasn’t even been released yet! But you guys don’t understand….it just ends.

JUST

ENDS.

LIKE.

WHAT.

Lauren DeStefano is evil.

I honestly can’t wait to see what adventure awaits Morgan and her friends in the next installment. It’s too much of a spoiler to talk about what happens, but it’s GOOD.

GOOD, I TELL YOU.

I highly recommend this new series from Lauren Destefano. It doesn’t disappoint whatsoever. If you’re looking for a good dystopian find then this is a book for you.

I get 2 days off a week and I don't like spending them reading all day. But this book was thoroughly addicting. I loved Jacqueline and Lucas. Especially Lucas. This has got to be one of my favorite NA contemporary novels of all time! I'm so thankful for the book rec from my friend, Crystal.

Highly recommend this book to those of you who are +17 :)

I liked this. I loved Tucker and Ellie's banter. I think Tucker was the best part of this book. Though, I did like the Norse mythology immersed in the story.

This was purely magical! I loved the classical modern twist to Greek mythology. I need the next two books in his series. Now.