The Raven Boys: The Graphic Novel by Maggie Stiefvater

Blue Sargent comes from a family of psychics. Only, she has never had the same clairvoyant abilities they had and has always felt too ordinary within the magic that surrounded her. Enter Gansey, a rich student from Aglionby, the town’s all-boys private school teeming with wealth, privilege, and trouble. Blue's always made it a point to stay away from its students, the Raven Boys.

 

But when Gansey asks her to join him and three other Raven Boys on his quest to find a long-forgotten Welsh king rumored to be sleeping beneath the mountains of their quiet Virginia town, Blue doesn’t hesitate. She jumps at the chance to finally be a part of something real and full of magic, a world she was born into yet one that always stood just out of reach. Soon enough, she’s swept into a strange and shifting world woven into theirs, one far more dangerous than anything they could have dreamt up.

 

Now reimagined as a stunning full-color graphic novel adapted by Stephanie Williams and illustrated by Sas Milledge, The Raven Boys unravels a thrilling plot around a cast of characters impossible to forget.

 Series: The Raven Cycle: The Graphic Novels #1 | Publisher: Viking |  Length: 256 pages |  Genre: Magical Realism | Source: Publisher | Rating: 4

Every once in a while, I’ll pick up a book that’s out of my comfort zone that I’ve heard raved about and, read it just for me (not to review, blog about, or post on social media) . A few years back, The Raven Boys was that book. At that time, I wasn’t reading magical realism or young adult book and I wasn’t sure if I would finish. or like, the book but I was intrigued, especially since they were searching for a lost Welsh King in the hills of Virginia. I was immediately hooked. The characters were so vivid and unique. It was part magic, part quest, part self- discovery, part dark academia, part found family, part romance, with a little secret society mixed in. I consumed the book and was eager to read more and I ended up finishing the series within a week.

When I heard that The Raven Boys was going to be turned into a graphic novel series, I was more than intrigued and, I was over the moon when I received an ARC from the publisher. As soon as this arrived in the post, I dropped everything and devoured the graphic novel in under an hour.

I was a little worried that I wouldn’t love the graphic novel the same way I loved the book due to the set up. Often times, graphic novels rearrange the narrative to fit the short format and the essence of the book is lost. I’m happy to report that the heart of The Raven Boys is still present in the graphic novel.

We still get to see Blue’s struggle with being the only non-psychic member of her family. The heavy weight she bares regarding the prophesy that if she ever kisses her true love the boy will die. The Raven Boys are still the Raven Boys. Gansey is the leader and caretaker of the group. He’s the one leading the quest to find Glendower. Ronan is still blunt, secretive, not one to run from a fight, and will be there when you need him. Noah is sweet, quiet, and loved by all who know him. Then there’s Adam, the boy with the chip on his shoulder who’s having a tough time in life and my heart still breaks for him. All of their unique characteristics remain.

While this is a quest book and Gansey and the gang are determined to find Glendower, the Welsh king, there is more to the story. We see Blue finding a place to fit in where she can find magic and people who accept her. The Raven Boys are also discovering more about each other and accepting who they are.

Stephanie Williams did a fantastic job adapting the book. Did the graphic novel contain every single scene? No. Did it contain a few ‘trivial’ bits? Yes. While there were a few scenes I wished they had included, leaving them out didn’t change the story. If you enjoyed the heart of the story, you’ll enjoy the graphic novel.

I also think that Sas Milledge did a fantastic job with the illustrations. Each character looked just how I pictured them. As the ARC was printed in black and white, I’m not able to comment on the crispness of the images, but from the few color images that were included on the inside cover, I think this will be a gorgeous book.

While I highly enjoyed this book, I can’t give it a 5-star rating for a few different reasons. I do believe that a few parts could have been explained differently as I have a feeling some readers, especially when it comes to the introduction to Gansey and his quest, could be lost if this is their first introduction to the book. My major issue is the size of the book. Personally, I would have preferred a larger size book as it would have allowed larger font. I think the size is going to be difficult for some to see.

I think this would be the perfect introduction of the series to younger readers, especially those who are reluctant readers. Diehard fans of the series are going to be split due to certain scenes that are missing. If you’re someone who appreciated the meaning/essence of the book, I think you should give this one a go.  

Overall, as a fan of the series, I enjoyed this one. It’s very rare that I enjoy graphic novels but they did an amazing job with this one. I’m eager the rest of the series in graphic novel form.