The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) Maggie Stiefvater April 26th 2016 Scholastic ******Will probably contain spoilers for this book and the whole series just as a heads up****** I'm not going to try and write a normal review for The Raven King, because quite frankly I don't even know if I'm capable of doing proper reviews any more, and this is not the book or the series where I want to figure that out. That, and my love for this series transcends that of something which I can properly review, as I am completely biased and I *will* fight people about these books. On that note, this is also won't even entirely be about The Raven King on its own. Rather, it's a chance for me to go on and on and on and on and on about how much I love these books and Blue and those darn boys. My biggest fear about The Raven King, as is always the case with final books in a beloved series, was that it wouldn't be a good or fitting ending. I did not need to be worried. Rather than reac...
Then she meets Malcolm Astor, a legacy student, a fellow artist, and the one person who’s ever been able to melt her defenses. Liv’s only friend at Wickham, fellow scholarship kid Gabe Nichols, warns her not to get involved, but life is finally going Liv’s way, and all she wants to do is enjoy the ride.
But Liv’s bliss is doomed. Weeks after arriving, she is viciously murdered and, in death, she discovers that she’s the latest victim of a dark conspiracy that has claimed many lives. Cursed with the ability to see the many ghosts on Wickham’s campus, Gabe is now Liv’s only link to the world of the living. To Malcolm.
Together, Liv, Gabe, and Malcolm fight to expose the terrible truth that haunts the halls of Wickham. But Liv must fight alone to come to grips with the ultimate star-crossed love.
Best Bits: As a reader, I appreciate a spooky mystery/ghost story. Liv, Forever didn't disappoint, and I was totally surprised by the ending. This is a feat in itself, because private school books have become popular over the past couple of years. I know part of the appeal is that many of us didn't go to schools like this, and there are so many things that could potentially happen that probably aren't going to occur at your average high school. In this particular book, I really enjoyed the way that Liv felt out of place because she was there with a scholarship, and not because she grew up with a wealthy family. She knows that she doesn't fit in, yet she doesn't throw in the towel. Yes, it's difficult for her to be an outcast, but she perseveres. Perhaps this is what drives her determination to figure out what's going on at Wickham Hall.
Hurrah for the lack of a love triangle. It's not that a great love triangle isn't appreciated, but lately it's felt like every YA book I pick up has one. I've felt this way since you-know-what series was released. So, it was nice to have Gabe as a male friend, and not have Liv struggling between two guys (even in the afterlife). In a way, it allowed me to appreciate Malcolm a bit more, because he's supportive and not competing for anyone's affections. At the beginning I was a bit skeptical because he's the rich, popular guy...but I'll leave it up to you to decide if he's a good guy deserving of Liv's feelings, or he's her killer.
Nit Picks: I think I would have liked a little bit more exploration into the school itself. We're given bits and pieces of the history, but I'm all for creepy private schools to becomes characters themselves. They have the potential to be ominous, and I felt like I missed a little bit of that here. The ending was left open, so I'm hoping for a follow-up that might explore a bit more of that.
Liv, Forever
By Amy Talkington
280 Pages
Release Date: March 11, 2014
Published by Soho Teen
Received for Review
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