Review: Blackout (Dhonielle Clayton)

Rating:

What can I say about this collection of short stories? Well, I might just start with the basics and take it from there. 😉 For me this was a really nice collection and I enjoyed reading a different story each night. I loved that there were stories with LGBTQIA+ reps as well and that all of the stories were pretty diverse and varied. They all played during a blackout in NYC that was caused by an extreme heatwave and it was very interesting to follow the characters around while they all tried to make their way to a party in Brooklyn. I suppose NYC truly never sleeps, even when it’s dark. *lol*Anyway, considering the format I decided to talk a little bit about every story so without further ado let’s just jump into them:

“The Long Walk” by Tiffany D. Jackson

”That’s the thing about finding the right person to love. When someone loves you, all their hang-ups don’t really mean much. Because loving that person is a choice you have to make every day, even when that day isn’t what you expect.”

This was a nice tale about Kareem and Tammi who are exes and meet rather unexpectedly before the Blackout begins and throws everything into darkness. Throughout the entire book they try to make their way to the party in Brooklyn and their story kinda functions as the glue between all the other stories. 😉

“Mask Off” by Nic Stone

Tremaine and JJ meet again on the subway train that is stuck in the tunnels during the blackout. They haven’t spoken with each other for years but they went to the same school and JJ knows about Tremaine’s problems. Should he help him or keep his distance?
A really sweet love story about two boys that find each other in the dark. 😉

“Made to Fit” by Ashley Woodfolk

Nella is visiting her grandfather in Althea House, a senior living facility, when the Blackout starts. But she isn’t the only teen. Soon after the Blackout begins Joss and her dog Ziggy arrive in Althea House as well and Nella is forced to spend some time with a girl that is too gorgeous to be true and might be able to steal her heart if only given the chance.

“All the Great Love Stories … And Dust” by Dhonielle Clayton

”The truth: Everything we do together is a memory I never want to forget. Each joke, each touch, each experience. My notebooks spill over. Too big to hold all that is him … all that is me … all that is us together.”

Lana and Tristán have been best friends for ages always teasing each other and trying to win a bet. This time however their bet might turn out to be more than they bargained for. Skimming through the bookshelves of the NY public library during a blackout while looking for the best love story ever written turns out to be quite the challenge, especially with long harboured feelings getting in the way…

“No Sleep Till Brooklyn” by Angie Thomas

”Your heart will never lead you wrong, but it can be hard to hear it. You have to give it space to speak. That’s a form of love, too.”

How do you know you want to spend the rest of your life with someone? Kayla and Tre’Shawn have been long-term sweethearts for ages and are happy together, but Kayla can’t help but feel an attraction towards Micah, another boy in her class. Feeling conflicted by her own heart Kayla has one hell of a bus ride ahead of her.

“Seymour and Grace” by Nicola Yoon

What do you do if you’re on your way to a party and your taxi driver turns out to be a handsome philosopher? Grace has no idea especially because she actually wanted to get to Brooklyn in order to make her ex jealous. To spend some time with her attractive Ryde driver Seymour definitely wasn’t part of the plan, but it might actually turn out to be exactly what she needed. 😉

This said: I really enjoyed all of those six love stories and they all had their own voice. The ones I liked the most were definitely “Mask Off”, “All the Great Love Stories … And Dust” and “Seymour and Grace”. The writing style in “All the Great Love Stories… and Dust” was so beautiful and the other two stories were super cute! =) Also I usually love Angie Thomas’s books but this time around her short story just didn’t work for me. All told I liked reading this short stories collection and had a very good time! Happy reading! =)

Review: Broken Throne (Victoria Aveyard)

Rating:

Book 32 on My Book List 2020

”Perhaps this is my own ignorance, but I cannot fathom the death of millions by the order of one.”

I don’t even know how to start this but let’s just say this was very different to what I expected but it was still okay. I mean I obviously expected a collection of short stories and that’s what I got. Well, that and additional info about the world building which was really nice. The fact that those stories followed a timeline and that we actually got to see some moments that played after “War Storm” was great too. Still, I wasn’t happy that “Queen Song” and “Steel Scars” were included once again because I already read them and would have liked some new short stories instead. I guess that’s just personal preference though so yeah. Also this might be a spoiler now so if you don’t want to be spoiled about Maven you better don’t click that button but for everyone who hopes there will be Maven in this book and doesn’t want to read my entire review to find out: (view spoiler) If you want to read more of my thought on this and the other short stories, feel free to continue to read my review. I’ll try my best to keep the summaries spoiler free. 😉

Queen Song: 4

”Her footsteps were even, not too fast or too slow. How far away must I be?
Farther, said Elara’s sneering purr in her head. She nearly tripped over at the sensation. The voice echoed in everything around and in her, windows to bone, from the chandeliers overhead to the blood pounding in her ears. Farther, Jacos.”

I already said it and I’ll say it again: This short story is amazing and heart-breaking at the same time. It’s about Cal’s mother Coriane and how she got to know Cal’s father and ended up becoming the Queen of Norta. The story itself is pretty slow at the beginning but the ending is… haunting. I have no other word for it so I’ll just leave it at that. This said, “Queen Song” was definitely one of the best short stories of this collection.

Steel Scars: 2

Okay, I’ll be totally honest here: I skipped the entire short story because I already read it back in 2017 and I just couldn’t bring myself to read it again. I didn’t like it when I first read it and I doubt anything would have changed if I would have given it a second chance so 2 stars it is. My opinion still stands.

World Behind: 4

”A silver princess abandoning her kingdom, dead to all who knew her. And wanting to stay that way. I’m intrigued to say the very least.”

I’ve got to admit that this was a really nice short story and I enjoyed it very much. Ashe and Lyrisa were two super intriguing characters and I totally loved their interactions. Also it was nice to see a different POV than the ones we already knew and to experience how the war felt for all the refugees that had to deal with its repercussions. It’s good their POV was told and I also think it’s very important. Usually only the main players in a war write history and get the attention; it’s always the civilians who suffer the most though. So kudos to Victoria for giving them room too!

Iron Heart: 3

”Princess Evangeline. Lady of House Samos. Daughter of Volo and Larentia.
I am none of those things anymore. Not after today. I should be glad – I should be relieved to be rid of the name and the life my parents gave me. And parts of me are. But the rest of me can’t help but be reminded of what I traded away to live as who I am now. What I betrayed. What I killed. What I lost forever.”

I was never Evangeline’s biggest fan so this story was okay for me? I mean I’m happy for her and Elane and I’m glad she finally did what she wanted to do instead of what everyone else expected her to do. It takes guts to go your own way and I really liked that Evangeline was ready to do it. Still, aside from her embracing her new home and status not a lot happened in here so it was just a nice addition to the main story we already know. No more, no less. 😉

”Hereafter, I shall be known as Evangeline Samos of Montfort, and I swear my allegiance to the Free Republic, where I can live and love freely. I renounce my citizenship in the Rift, in Norta, and in any country where people are caged for the circumstances of birth.”

Fire Light: 4

”When we first came here I told myself it was so we could heal and mourn together. And so I could forget. Put aside all the things Maven did to me and I did to him. Instead, barely a day goes by without me agonizing over him and his fate. Whether he deserved it or not. If I made the right choice. If he could have been saved.”

I think of all the new short stories this was my favourite one. And this even though it was about Mare and Cal. *lol* As you all know I was never the biggest fan of this ship so I certainly didn’t expect to like this story as much as I did. I guess what I liked the most about it was that it gave me some sort of closure. I never got that at the end of “War Storm” and somehow this short story was exactly what I would have needed after finishing the last book. It was good to see that Mare and Cal tried to work through their differences and that they still dared to hope for a better future. After everything they went through they were both thoroughly broken and I think Victoria captured this more than just well. Their grief, their guilt and self-hatred, their doubts and fears and – like a thread through all of their thoughts – their still palpable love for Maven. Because yes, those three were messed up and their relationship was more than just dysfunctional but at the end of the day both of them loved Maven in their own way. My heart still aches for Maven and obviously Mare’s and Cal’s hearts still ache for him too. <333

”I thought I’d lost them both, lost them to each other one last time. My brother would have liked that. He took her once before and he would have taken her forever if he could have.”

”I can still hear him in my head. You think I can’t lie through pain, he said when Tyton got too close. You think I haven’t done it a thousand times?
He meant the torture his mother inflicted on him. I knew that then and it haunts me now. Whatever his mother did to him whenever she entered his mind – it was torture. It was pain. And it twisted him beyond repair.”

”She feels the memory as I do, both of us lost to watching the floor. Her smile fades, as does mine, and we weather the storm of loss and regret together. It’s the only way through it.”

Fare Well: 3,5

”My mother gave me so much, but she took in return.”

This short story was just too…. well, short! I really would have loved to get a full short story about Maven but all I got was one chapter and even though this was a great chapter and made me feel all the mixed feels it still wasn’t enough. Victora could have given us a short story about Maven’s past and how he met Thomas. She could have given us a story about Maven as a little boy, but she did none of those things and I’m kind of bitter about it. Yes, “Fare Well” gave us a good glimpse into Maven’s mind and yes, it even managed to kind of redeem his character… but it didn’t give me all the content I was craving for and the knowledge that I will never get more of him is sort of irritating?! >_<

”Cut for cut, my mother whispers, louder now, taunting. The words slice like a razor.
It would hurt him deeply, wound him forever, if I let him glimpse what little is left of me. That I’m still here, in some forgotten corner, just waiting to be found. I could ruin him with one glance, one echo of the brother he remembers. Or I could free him of me. Make the choice for him. Give my brother one last proof of the love I can no longer feel, even if he never knows it.
I weight the choice in my heart, each side heavy and impossible. For one terrifying moment, I don’t know what to do.”

”He is without his title, with little more than his name. But every word on the stone is the truth. We love him – and he strayed down a path no one else should pursue.”

Conclusion:

This collection of short stories kind of started with Elara’s influence and also sort of ended with it which gave this a pretty nice touch. I really enjoyed some of those stories and considering it all it was a nice compilation. The additional info about their world and how it came into being was a welcome supplement and I’m sure if you’re a hard-core fan you’ll appreciate “Broken Throne”.

ARC Review: Boyfriend Material (Alexis Hall)

Rating:

 **I received an advance copy of this book from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you so much for approving me for this ARC!**

I’m aware I rarely say this about books, but this was fantastic! Once I started to read “Boyfriend Material” I couldn’t stop anymore and with every chapter I read, I was drawn even more into the story. The conversations between the two MCs, Luc and Oliver, were so much fun and I found myself clutching the pages while laughing out loud.

Sure, not everything in this book is hilarious and Alexis Hall tackles plenty of serious topics as well. The author always does it with a little humour though and this made this a really enjoyable and entertaining read. For instance Luc’s boss is a horrible person. I mean I get it, beetles are important for the environment but boy, does she lack the finesse of human interaction. Some of the things she said at the beginning of the book were flat out rude and inappropriate and if Luc wouldn’t have been such a nice person she probably would have lost her company a long time ago.

The good thing about those moments is that they were all either called out or challenged by some of the characters and I really appreciated this approach. Alexis Hall deals with prejudices, bias and a good dose of discrimination but the author does it in a healthy kind of way. For such a funny book this is quite remarkable and before I dwell on those topics even more I’ll just go for the good stuff! Namely the easy banter of the two MCs , the fact that Luc (whose full name is Lucien btw and we all know about my weakness for that name! ;-P) is a disaster gay and the amazing portrayal of friendships which gave this all such a wholesome and healthy vibe!

“What if someone asks? I should know for verisimilitude.”
The corners of his mouth twitched slightly. “You can say I’m a gentleman and we haven’t got that far.”
“You” – I gave a thwarted sigh – “are a terrible fake boyfriend.”
“I’m building fake anticipation.”
“You’d better be fake worth it.”
“I am.”

I swear Luc and Oliver were such a formidable couple! Yes, they might have started fake-dating because at that point of their lives they both needed it to save their reputation; they were always honest and forthright though! And this was so, so, so, so refreshing!!! Most of the conflicts in “Boyfriend Material” didn’t come into being because of some miscommunication between the MCs but because the characters were used to deal with their problems on their own. They were stuck in their habits and problems and had a tough time letting anyone in, which considering both of their backstories was actually pretty relatable.

“Are we really bad at this?” I asked.
“We’ve been fake dating for three days and we’ve already fake broken up once.”
“Yes, but we fake resolved our difficulties and fake got back together, and I’m hoping it’s made us fake stronger.”

As were their friendships! I loved Bridge and the funny dynamic between Luc and his other friends. They were exactly like you’d expect good friends to be and their support for Luc was amazing! Funnily enough I even liked Alex, Luc’s gullible, innocent and totally clueless co-worker who wouldn’t even notice if he would put his foot in his mouth. Let’s just hope the Alex’s of this world will never be confronted with harsh reality. XD

This said, the only thing I didn’t like were the two storylines about Luc’s father and Oliver’s family. Whilst the plot that dealt with Luc’s father might have been dissatisfying but realistic, the part that focused on Oliver’s family fell short for me. I really wish we would have gotten more of his storyline throughout the entire book and not only on the last 30 pages. I get why Alexis Hall did it that way and I appreciate the point the author made, but for me this came out of the blue and kind of spoiled the ending. I guess this might be a typical „it’s not the book, it’s me“ situation though. Well, at least so far no other reviewer seems to have mentioned it. 😉

“I’m conscious this could be rather burdensome to hear, but you remain the thing I have most chosen for myself. The thing that’s most exclusively mine. The one thing that brings me the deepest joy.”

All told I really enjoyed “Boyfriend Material” and had a more than just tough time to put it down. The hilarious humour and easy banter made it really addicting and before I even knew it I found myself rushing through the pages. If you’re looking for a sweet rom-com that isn’t afraid to tackle a few serious topics and will make you laugh out loud, this might be exactly the right book for you! 😉 Happy reading!

Review: Beartown (Fredrik Backman)

Rating:

Book 18 on My Book List 2019

”Late one evening towards the end of March, a teenager picked up a double-barrelled shotgun, walked into the forest, put the gun to someone else’s forehead, and pulled the trigger.

This is the story of how we got there.”

WHAT AN OPENING LINE!!!
WHAT A BOOK!!

It’s been two weeks since I finished this book (or did the book finish me?!) and I still haven’t managed to get over the experience of “Beartown”. Truth be told, I think I never will. This is a book that stays with you. It buries itself into your soul, little by little, page by page, word by word. It claws its way into your heart, consumes you, ignites you, sets you aflame just to be able to extinguish the fire once it burns. With kindness, with love, with compassion.
Every single sentence hurt, every page cut deep, and every paragraph let me lose hope in humanity and rebuilt it once again.

I find myself incapable to convey how much this book touched me. I can’t express how badly it hurt, how beautiful it was or how much it made me wish to jump right into the book and to hug some of the characters. There was no chapter that didn’t pack a punch. Fredrick Backman’s writing style… it’s not from this world. There is so much wisdom between the pages, so many gestures and actions that seem to be miniscule at the moment you read them, but in the end they add up and are so much more once you get to that final punchline right between the lines. And once realization dawns on you, once you connect the dots and get aware of the bigger picture, you find yourself gasping for air.

”This sport demands only one thing from you. Your all.”

So what happened after two weeks? I went to the library and saw “Beartown” in the shelves. I had tears in my eyes just looking at the book so my bestie asked me what it is about and I tried to explain it to her. “It’s a book about hockey in a small-town but it’s also about so much more than that”, I said, grasping for the right words to explain the inexplicable. How do you sum up a book like “Beartown”? How do you express the meaning between the lines? The subtle hints, the humanity written on those pages? The good as well as the bad parts of a two-sided coin that’s called humankind?

”It doesn’t take a lot to be able to let go of your child. It takes everything.”

I know I’m being so vague here, BUT BOY, this is a book you better experience for yourself! This is the kind of book you read without knowing where it will lead, the kind of book that’s best read when you go into it blind and have no clue about what you’re getting yourself into. I can guarantee you one thing though, once you start to read it you won’t be able to stop and once you reached the ending you won’t be the same anymore. “Beartown” is one of those books that should be a classic and that, no doubt, will be one day! Some of the characters in here are amazing and each and every one of them is human and has its flaws. They are neither good nor bad, they just are. I loved so many of them and I hated or disliked a lot of them as well. Backman wrote a study of humanity and “Beartown” isn’t just a book about hockey it’s about people and their lives as well. And since I’m already talking about the characters I might as well give you a short introduction:

There might be mild spoilers ahead so if you don’t want to be spoiled you better stop here and don’t continue to read my review. Also the spoilers that are marked are the real deal so you better be careful with clicking those. 😛

Benjamin (Benji):

”Her little Benjamin, the fighter with whom it’s far too easy for the girls of Beartown to fall in love. The boy with the most handsome face, the saddest eyes and the wildest heart they’ve ever seen.”

I loved Benji so much!!! He’s the best and I would die for this boy!! <333 I hated to see him suffer, yet he never gave up. He did what he had to do, he’s the most loyal guy you’ll ever find, but even though he loves his friends fiercely and would do everything for them he also knows what’s wrong and what’s right and it might have killed him… Hell, it DID kill him, but he still decided to do what was right and I’ll forever love him for it! I’d read “Us Against You” just to see him once again! Benji deserves the world!!!

”Here he is burdened with too much that no one sees, and here he has hockey. The team, the guys, Kevin. They mean everything to him, so he is everything they want him to be. And that’s a terrible thing. Having to keep a secret from those you love.”

Ana:

”Ana was a tornado. A jagged, hundred-sided peg in a community where everyone was supposed to fit into round holes.”

Ana was such an amazing friend as well! I loved her friendship with Maya, how they could rely on each other, how she was basically a part of Maya’s family. Those two girls were so different but they were also the same and their relationship was so beautiful to witness.

Maya Andersson:

”I know you’d have killed for me, Mum. I know you’d have given your life for me. But we’re going to get through this, you and me. Because I’m your daughter I’ve got wolf’s blood.”

I’m in awe of Maya! This girl was so strong and Kira has every reason to be proud of her daughter. I don’t know what I would have done… but Maya, she did the best she could do. She even looked out for her brother and her friends and she never backed down. I’ve never seen a braver girl and I swear Maya’s relationship with her parents was one of the best things in this book! ❤

spoiler

She had every freaking reason to go through with it, she could have pulled the trigger but she didn’t. She decided against it and that’s strength!! She gave him a taste of her fear and I think that taught him a lesson he will never forget. To die would have been easy, to live with the consequences of what he did, that’s the really hard thing and I’m sure he’ll never forget it.

Kira & Peter Andersson:

”Not a second has passed since she had children without her feeling like a bad mother. For everything. For not understanding, for being impatient, for not knowing everything, for not making better packed lunches, for still wanting more out of life than just being a mother.”

Kira and Peter were my favourite couple of this book! They’ve been married for years, went through thick and thin together and yet they still love each other so much that it killed me! T_T Their scenes were so amazing and you could literally feel their strong bond. Also the way they interacted with their children, how they would have defended them with teeth and claws (Kira) and how they would hug away their pain (Peter) was EVERYTHING! I swear I strive to be a parent like that! ❤ Kira and Peter are role models and I can only hope that my own kid will love and trust me as much as Maya loved and trusted her parents. Hell, I’d die for both of them too! <333

”That may have been how they survived, Kira realizes: thanks to the ability not to fall apart at the same time.”

”Love me.”
“Always.”
“Love me like you love hockey and David Bowie?”
“So much more, Pumpkin, much, much more.”

”I didn’t want the bastards to see me bleed,” she whispers to her mother.
“Sometimes I’m afraid that they’re going to have to. To understand that you’re a real person,” her mother sobs, clutching her daughter so very, very tightly in her arms.

”Do you think I’m less of a man because I can’t fight?” he whispers.
“Do you think I’m less of a woman because I can?” she asks.

The Erdahl family:

”What did you get wrong? Perfection isn’t a goal in the Erdahl family, it’s the norm.”

I didn’t like Kevin’s father but I liked his mother. She did the right thing even though it must have been so tough for her. Her heart-to-heart with Benji killed me and I was at least as devastated after their conversation as they were. This hurt so much. >_<

spoiler

Gods, this must be one of the worst things ever. To know that your own son raped a girl and to deal with that knowledge. You still love your child and want the best for it, yet you KNOW that it did something horrible and totally wrong. How do you deal with something like that? I hope I’ll never find out. Also her knowing that Kevin could never lie to his best friend and that this is the reason why Benji kept away from her son. Everything about their heart-to-heart broke me! This was such a powerful scene! I think I’ll never get over it. T_T

”Benji tries to light a cigarette. His hands are shaking too much to hold the lighter. His tears extinguish the flame.”

Amat & Fatima:

”He’ll allow her aching fingers to rest and give her aching back a break. He doesn’t want possessions. He just wants to lie in bed one single night without having to count.”

Those two had such a wonderful relationship! Amat loved his mother so much and she raised him well! I loved how Amat made the right choices even though he knew it would cost him everything. He didn’t run away, he faced the consequences and he fought for the truth. I’m sure Fatima is very proud of him because heaven knows, I AM!

”You know that my eyes work better than anyone else’s in here. Because that’s the first thing you learn on the Beartown Ice Hockey Club, isn’t it? You can’t teach that way of seeing. That’s something you’re born with.”

”I only need one man: my son. And you’re not alone. You’ve never been alone. You just need to be better at choosing the company you keep.”

David:

I was so conflicted about his character! At the beginning of the book I didn’t like him, then he started to grow on me, then there was a time I didn’t like him once again and at the ending I still kind of loved him?! AHHH! I didn’t agree with a lot of the things he said and did, but I also loved him for some of the things he didn’t say and didn’t do. Does that make sense? >_<

spoiler

”That’s betrayal. David knows it’s a huge betrayal. There’s no other way to explain how much a grown man must have failed as a person if such a warrior of a boy could believe that his coach would be less proud of him if he were gay. David hates himself for not being better than his dad. That’s the job of sons.”

At first I thought he was disgusted by Benji being gay but then I realized that he was disgusted with himself for making jokes about being gay when he was with the team. That he hated himself for not realizing that Benji was gay and for making him hurt with his words and actions. He loathed himself for not giving Benji a safe enough environment to tell them the truth. I don’t agree with his stance on Peter and the way Kevin was taken away from the bus though and I totally agree with Sune here. One day when his own kid is at Maya’s age, David will feel differently and will realize that there are more important things than hockey. Your own kid always comes first and hockey is nothing compared to the well-being of your child.

 

Ramona:

”This town doesn’t always know the difference between right and wrong. I’ll admit that. But we know the difference between good and evil.”

I ADORE THIS WOMAN!!! <33 She might be grumpy and rough but she has her heart at the right place and that’s everything that counts. In a world dominated by men she stood her ground and forced them to see the truth. I just loved how all those grown men listened to her and acknowledged her opinion. This woman is one hell of a bear and more man than any of them! XD

I’ll never be able to put all of my emotions into words so I’ll just go with my initial thoughts after finishing the book and hope that they’ll give you a good impression of how I feel about “Beartown”:

I’m an emotional wreck.
I’m Backman trash.
Throw me in a dustbin and close the lid.

The end.

Review: Blue Lily, Lily Blue (Maggie Stiefvater)

Rating:

“Humans were so circular; they lived the same slow cycles of joy and misery over and over, never learning. Every lesson in the universe had to be taught billions of times, and it never stuck.”

Oh my!!! She did it once again!
Whenever I’m convinced that Maggie’s last book was already the peak of perfection she always manages to persuade me otherwise! I don’t really know how she does it, but she’s soo damn good at what she does that it’s almost impossible not to love her books!!! ❤
Needless to say that it was exactly the same with “Blue Lily, Lily Blue”!! XD

This book was so marvellous!!
I loved “The Raven Boys”,
I adored “The Dream Thieves”
BUT I was a complete sucker for “Blue Lily, Lily Blue”!!!
If it wasn’t already official, it definitely is now! I’m Maggie Stiefvater trash through and through and I just can’t imagine a world without her books anymore!!! *lol*

They give me LIFE!!! They make me feel! And over those last three months they’ve actually become the air that I breathe!!
I’m IN LOVE with Maggie’s writing AND each and every single one of her Raven Boys! <333
Their struggles, their anger, their pain, their hopes, their fears, their dreams, their vulnerability!!! It all feels so damn real!!! GOSH!!! I can’t even!!! XD
With every single book they’ve become even more palpable and real! I feel so strongly for those four boys it’s like they are actual people, like they are some of my closest friends! =))
And for that I’ll always be grateful!!! Maggie you’re an amazing writer!!! I hope you know that!! ;-P
(Just in case no one ever bothered to tell you… Which I truly doubt, but still!! *lol*)

”The most infuriating part about Maura’s disappearance was that Blue didn’t know if she was supposed to be consumed by worry or anger. She vacillated wildly between the two, occasionally burning herself out and feeling nothing at all.”

As the title of the book already indicates Blue is the focus of the third book! This time around we’re dealing with the troubles of 300 Fox Way and the huge void that was left after Maura’s sudden and completely unexpected disappearance at the end of book two. Of course this wouldn’t be a Maggie Stiefvater book if we wouldn’t get plenty of additional information about the lives of the Raven Boys as well. So don’t worry and be assured that there will be many moments with our lovely and awesome boys. I guess I don’t even need to mention it, but I’m certain you’ll appreciate each and every single one of them! 😉

”Blue was perfectly aware that it was possible to have a friendship that wasn’t all-encompassing, that wasn’t blinding, deafening, maddening, quickening. It was just that now that she’d had this kind, she didn’t want the other.”

This is the moment I make sure to warn you about upcoming spoilers and quotes! 😉 If you haven’t read the book already you better click that tiny “x” button! It’s sound advice, I swear! ;-P

Gansey – The Knight:

”The Camaro was like Gansey tonight: terrifying and thrilling, willing to do whatever she asked.”

I swear, this time around I almost couldn’t bear it to read Gansey’s POV!!! My heart is bleeding for this poor boy and the more I get to know him the more it hurts!!! He’s such a gentle, honourable and delicate soul! If I had to draw a comparison I’d say the Gansey in “Blue Lily, Lily Blue” was like a Chinese Ming Vase: So damn beautiful to look at but so fragile and ancient that you could literally see the fissures spreading in his armour! He is so broken on the inside and I think Blue’s conversation with Malory made that more than just clear. When he told her that Gansey didn’t just claw his face but also was completely traumatized after his incident with the hornets I actually felt a lump in my throat!! This chapter was so intense I almost forgot to breathe and even though it hurts me so much to watch Gansey, I still want to know how it all ends!!! Please Maggie, don’t let him die!!! >_<

”There was another pause, and Gansey realized she’d hung up. He leaned back against the fridge, eyes closed, guilty, comforted, wild, contained. In twenty-four hours, he’d be waiting for this again.

”Gansey didn’t so much visit as get absorbed.
He loved it. He wanted to be a part of this world, even though he understood there were endless reasons why he could never be. Blue was the natural result of a home like this: confident, strange, credulous, curious. And here he was: neurotic, rarified, the product of something else entirely.”

”It’s very decent of you,” he continued, “to not say anything about it to me. It’s more than I deserved. But know that I’ve regretted it, a lot.”

Blue – The Mirror:

”Maura was always telling her, Look at the potential you hold inside yourself!
Potential for other people, though. Not for Blue.

Since this book was rather Blue centred I finally had the feeling that I actually got to know her a little bit better! No matter what I did, I just couldn’t seem to be able to grasp her character in the first two books. But now that I read “Blue Lily, Lily Blue” it was so much easier to understand her motives and the reasons why she’s acting the way she does. I felt so sorry for her because she actually suffered a lot! >_< The situation with her missing mother, her relationship to the boys and her intense feelings for Gansey, the troubles of finding a good college and last but not least Persephone’s unexpected death!!! T_T It’s quite a lot to have on your plate when you’re as young as her and I think she was very brave and strong for keeping it together for so long! ❤

”She was tired of Persephone and Calla and her mother withholding information because Blue wasn’t psychic. Of not being able to daydream of fancy colleges because she wasn’t rich. Of not being able to hold Gansey’s hand because they couldn’t hurt Adam’s feelings and not being able to kiss Gansey’s mouth because she didn’t want to kill him. She was tired of knowing that he was going to die and being afraid that her mother would, too.

Adam – The Magician:

”He knew he was different since aligning himself more tightly with the ley line this summer. He was himself, but more powerful. Himself, but less human.”

I think I am in love with Adam Parrish! Like seriously, completely and utterly in love!!! <333 This boy is soo damn freaking A.M.A.Z.I.N.G and the Ronan in me just can’t stop to love him!!! XD Adam has become everything I wished him to be!!! He’s so strong now and his powers are growing with each and every single day!!! And it’s not just his powers, it’s the person he’s becoming!! Yes, some of his actions might be considered to be on the dark side, but oh damn this only makes him even more intriguing!!! <333 His sharp mind constantly caused me to swoon and his thoughts… OH GOD, his philosophical thoughts were just epic!!! XD I loved that he was the only one who was smart enough to realise that Gansey is on the list and I was so happy that he finally managed to jump over his own shadow and accepted help!!! And the conversation with his father!??!! ARGH!!! It made me so damn angry!!! I hate and despise this man with a fierce passion and I really hope I will never read anything about him again!!! *growls*

”The students kept coming in. Adam kept watching. He was good at this part, the observing of others. It was himself that he couldn’t seem to study or understand. How he despised them, how he wanted to be them. How pointless to summer in Maine, how much he wanted to do it. How affected he found their speech, how he coveted their lazy monotones. He couldn’t tell how all of these things could be equally true.”

”What an impossible and miraculous and hideous thing this was. An ugly plan hatched by an ugly boy now dreamt into ugly life. From dream to reality. How appropriate it was that Ronan, left to his own devices, manifested beautiful cars and beautiful birds and tenderhearted brothers, while Adam, when given the power, manifested a filthy string of perverse murders.

”Adam was quiet as he weighted the options. His face was strange and delicate in the sharp light of Gansey’s head beam. Swiftly, and without explanation, he reached out to touch the cavern wall. Although he was not a dream thing, he was now one of Cabeswater’s things, and it was hard not to see it in the way his fingers spidered across the wall and in the blackness of his eyes as they gazed at nothing.

Ronan – The Greywaren:

”Ronan was always saying that he never lied, but he wore a liar’s face.”

Another thing that’s become official with this book is the simple fact that Ronan and I must be twins!!! I swear, Ronan is so damn relatable and I just love him for it! XD Deep down within him he has such a tender and lovely heart and I know if he’d read this, he’d probably kill me for saying it out loud! *LOL* It’s still true, Ronan!!! DUH!! ;-P Well, anyway! I really enjoyed seeing that he finally opened up to his friends and there were so many beautiful and affectionate moments that my heart literally combusted whenever I read about him. I know some of my friends got slightly annoyed by the many Ronan updates *cough* Maks *cough* but I just couldn’t help it!!! XD I was really surprised when he took Adam to the Barns and actually admitted that Matthew is one of his dreams and it broke my heart to find out how lonely he truly is. “Lonesome.” it was the word that dominated Adam’s thoughts and I really hope that he won’t be alone anymore!!! <333
To sum it all up: RONAN IS PRECIOUS AF!! *lol* ;-P

The smile widened and sharpened yet more. “It’s not your problem, Gansey.”
He was so much more dangerous when he wasn’t angry. And he was right: Gansey didn’t want to know.

”As always, Adam was reminded of how Ronan belonged in this place. Something about the familiar way he stood as he searched for ripe fruit implied that he had done it many times before. It made it easy to understand that Ronan had grown up here and would grow old here. Easy to see how to exile him was to excise his soul.

Ronan scoffed. Him, fear for his own life. But there was something in his eyes, still. He studied his hands and admitted, “I’ve dreamt him a box of EpiPens. I dream cures for stings all the time. I carry one. I put them in the Pig. I have them all over Monmouth.”

Noah – The Ghost:

”Noah sat in the middle of the floor, papers all around him, a mint plant spilling dirt by his hand. He was all hunched over and shadowless, his form slight and streaky, barely visible at all. He was crying again.
In a very small voice, he told Blue, “You said I could use your energy.”

Noah Czerny is so adorable! That boy has such a wonderful character and it makes me so damn sad that he’s a ghost and dead! I love his cheerful and bouncy nature and I adore how tender and caring he is with the others! Unfortunately there is also a lot of anger and sadness in him and I’m not ashamed to admit that I actually sobbed when he had his breakdown at Monmouth. T_T I just want my baby to be happy, but I can’t see a future for him and it breaks my freaking heart to know that his story most certainly won’t have a happy ending! *weeps*

”Noah reappeared. He plucked four and a half oak leaves out of Blue’s spiky hair and blew some leaf crumbs from the bridge of Adam’s nose.”

Mr. Gray:

” ’A cowards’s heart is no prize, but the man of valor deserves a shining helmet.’ “

I love Mr. Gray!!! His conversations with Blue were so sweet and honest and I really liked how their relationship developed throughout the entire book! ❤ Mr. Gray was the perfect father figure and I wonder what will happen in the last book! I mean Artemus finally returned so I guess this will cause quite some trouble between him and Maura. Uh oh! >_<

”In my experience,” the Gray Man said, “the badasses are the most scared. I just avoid being inappropriately frightened.”

The Greenmantle’s:

Afterward, Piper said, “If we had a puppy, it could pick up those beans for us.”
Greenmantle had replied, “And then we could sacrifice it and use its blood to activate the doll.”
“Will you marry me?” she asked.

Whilst I can’t deny that the Greenmantle’s were pretty entertaining I still want to use this space to point out that they were completely crazy!! *lol* I mean Mr. Gray threatened Piper and they were as cool as if they’d only talk about the weather! They were always so composed and nonchalant and this kind of made them creepy! XD I guess the word I’m searching for is “psychopath”! Yep, that’s it! They were both psychopaths! And truth be told, Piper might have even been the bigger one! *lol*

Ronan & Blue:

”Ronan looked at Blue, eyes narrowed. She didn’t look away.
This was a game she sometimes played with Ronan Lynch: Who would look away first?
It was always a draw.”

Aww! Those two! THOSE TWO! I loved how Ronan consoled Blue when she saw her mother in the lake and the fact he handed her the ghost light even though he knew that he would be alone and in the dark!!! OMG! I think this was one of the most precious moments of the entire book and my heart filled with so much warmth when I read it! ❤ I really like that they are finally beginning to trust each other and I can’t wait to see more of their friendship!

”It was amazing that she and Ronan didn’t get along better, because they were different brands of the same impossible stuff.”

”For a moment they remained that way, Ronan holding her as tightly as he would hold his brother Matthew, his cheek on her shoulder.”

Gansey & Adam:

”His noble and oblivious and optimistic friend was slowly opening his eyes and seeing the world for what it was, and it was filthy, and violent, and profane, and unfair. Adam had always thought that was what he wanted – for Gansey to know. But now he wasn’t sure. Gansey wasn’t like anyone else, and suddenly Adam wasn’t sure that he really wanted him to be.”

I was so damn happy that Gansey and Adam actually managed to overcome their troubles! It was awesome to see that their friendship didn’t only survive their problems but also got even stronger than before! The moment when Gansey and Ronan showed up at court immediately caused me to grin like crazy and their gesture made me so happy I almost burst with joy! I loved that they supported him so much and I really don’t want those boys to ever argue again! I’m so glad that Adam finally realised that Gansey is only trying to be his friend!!! <333

”Adam couldn’t remember how they had managed to fight so continuously over the summer. Gansey, his best friend, his stupid and kind and marvelous best friend.”

”Now he could see that it wasn’t charity Gansey was offering. It was just truth. And something else: friendship of the unshakable kind. Friendship you could swear on. That could be busted nearly to breaking and come back stronger than before.”

Gansey & Noah:

”Don’t be afraid,” Noah said unexpectedly. Reaching out, he pulled Gansey’s hand away from his ear. Gansey hadn’t even realized that he was still touching it softly. Leaning forward, Noah blew his cool, corpse breath over Gansey’s ear. “Nothing there. You’re just tired.”
Gansey shivered a little.”

I absolutely adore the relationship of those two boys! They are both gentle souls that try their best to deal with their pain and they seem to understand each other in a way no one else does. Noah knows all of Gansey’s secrets, but he’d never judge him or tell the others. They trust each other completely and even though Noah is a ghost, Gansey always treats him like a normal person! ❤ It’s obvious that Noah cares about Gansey and his tender gestures only seem to emphasise his feelings! XD

There was nothing inherently guilty about the moment except that Gansey burned with guilt and thrill and desire and the nebulous feeling of being truly known. It was on the inside of him, and the inside was all Noah ever really paid attention to.
The other boy wore a knowing expression.
”Don’t tell the others,” Gansey said.
“I’m dead,” Noah replied. “Not stupid.”

Gansey & Blue:

”Casually, out of view of Ronan, making sure Adam was still sleeping, Gansey dangled his hand between the driver’s seat and the door. Palm up, fingers stretched back to Blue.”

Their desperate attempts to keep away from each other literally killed me and their nightly phone calls tugged at my heartstrings! There were so many sweet moments between those two but they both know that it can’t end well and it’s hurting them so much that they can’t even seem to be able to breathe whenever they are in each other’s company! JEEZ LOUISE!!! Their love is so bittersweet it’s tearing me apart!!! ❤

It was so strange to see him without his Richard Campbell Gansey III guise on in public that Blue couldn’t stop staring at his face. No – it wasn’t his face. It was the way he stood, his shoulders shrugged, chin ducked, gaze from below uncertain eyebrows.
“SHE WAS ALL RIGHT,” Jesse assured him.
“My head knew that,” Gansey said. “But the rest of me didn’t.”

”And then we never speak of it again,” Gansey said, mocking himself softly, and Blue was so glad of it, because she had played the words from that night over and over in her mind and wanted to know he had, too.”

Ronan & Adam aka Ronam:

”Maybe I dreamt you,” he said.
“Thanks for the straight teeth, then,” Adam replied.

RONAN FREAKIN LYNCH COURTED ADAM PARRISH!!! <333 OMG!!! I will never get over this!! I mean Ronan dreamed him a lotion for his hands!! He placed a cassette in his car and named it: “PARRISH’S HONDAYOTA ALONE TIME“ AND it seems like he actually paid him nightly visits in his apartment!!! IN ADAM’S FREAKIN APARTMENT!!! ADFSJKLMNÖ!!! Oh my!!! I’m combusting! <333 There were so many awesome Ronam moments in this book and I can’t even explain how happy they made me! *lol* I loved how smug Ronan was about Adam being the magician and my heart melted when he tried to console him when Persephone died!!! Oh and when they blackmailed Greenmantle!? So, so perfect, so epic!!! They are such an awesome TEAM!!! ❤ I CAN’T EVEN!!! *dies of excitement*

”As they moved through the old barn, Adam felt Ronan’s eyes glance off him and away, his disinterest practiced but incomplete. Adam wondered if anyone else noticed.”

He admitted, “Some.”
“A lot,” Ronan translated, and he was right, because, strangely enough, Ronan knew a great deal about how Adam worked.

”Adam and Ronan regarded each other, and then the pit. They looked winsome and brave, trusting of Cabeswater or of each other. They did not look afraid, so Blue was afraid for them.”

Maggie Stiefvater is a poet and a genius!!! I can’t wait to read “The Raven King” and I don’t even dare to say it, but I think I loved this book even more than I loved “The Dream Thieves”! *lol* When it comes to Maggie’s “The Raven Cycle” books there actually seems to be no limit, they only get better and better! ❤

“Once I send the professor off, one of you guys can get into the front. Adam? Unless he’s sleeping.”
“No,” Adam said. „I’m awake.“