The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle, #2)

by Maggie Stiefvater

[violetpeanut]

I have to admit that I was a little bit disappointed. I was hoping that the story would be a little more fleshed out in this sequel, but I found the same kind of disjointed and slow moving plot that was in the first book. Lots of little things happened, but I never really felt like the story as a whole was moving towards any kind of climax. I was hoping more pieces would fall into place along the way and that there would be some kind of a buildup of suspense but I never really got that. Sure, some of my questions were answered, but I didn't really get the "Ah ha!" moment I was hoping for, and I never really felt blown away by any of the answers.

There were a few things that I really liked about this book, though. The writing itself is beautiful. The author has a way with words that really makes you feel what the characters feel and really evoke a mood. She doesn't just describe things - she makes you really see and feel and hear them. The character relationships are also written very well. The bonds between these boys are so strong and their emotions are so raw that it's easy to feel.

The whole idea of the ley lines and psychics and dreaming are all things that are familiar but not to YA fiction (as far as I know) so it's refreshing to read a paranormal series that doesn't deal with some kind of supernatural being. I just wish I understood the world a little better. Sometimes the paranormal aspects of the story were a little hard to follow. Then again, that could have been purposeful on the part of the author because the characters don't really understand it all, either.

Overall, this was generally entertaining but it left me a little bit disappointed. Will I read the next in the series? Probably. But, I won't be rushing out to the store to buy it on release day. Would I recommend it to others? Absolutely. Especially to readers looking for paranormal that's not bogged down by romance or creatures. This series may also hold more appeal for male readers than others because three of the main protagonists are teenage boys. There's also quite a bit of violence and some action.