Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle, #3)

by Maggie Stiefvater

[girlinthepages]

I think I am about as short as Blue and this makes me identify with her on a spiritual level (no pun intended). That's the beauty of this series: Maggie makes you feel so intricately connected to the characters in small, intimate ways, and sometimes silly ways, whether it's through a Ronan's cynicism and snarky remarks, Gansey's obsessive behavior and paralyzing fear of bees, or Adam's deep and dark desire to be better, stronger, to matter. While I'll be the first to admit that I really struggled with The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily, Lily Blue appeased any doubts I had that I may not get along with Maggie's writing, as I felt as though I was deeply and emotionally connected with these Raven Boys, with their strange jokes (The murder squash song, anyone?) and eerie quest. BLLB creates one of the most intimate reading experiences between characters and readers that I've ever encountered, coupled with some of the most unique and stunning writing I've ever come across in YA.

While The Dream Thieves took a stark turn away from the main focus of The Raven Boys (centering Ronan and Adam at the center of the novel and delving into the dream creations and focusing less on the search for Glendower), Blue Lily, Lily Blue really brings the first two installments together into a cohesive plot. There's a cohesive meshing of everyone's unique power or calling, especially between Ronan's dream creations and how it impacts the search for Glendower. Without mentioning any spoilers, it's so nice to really see some progress made in this novel with the search for Glendower, seeing some fruition come out of Gansey's chronic obsession. I felt like this novel made me understand the ley lines, psychic occurrences, and mythology much more as well, partially due to the arrival of Gansey's old English anthropologist/scholar/professor friend Malory, who serves not only as a hilarious side character but also fleshes certain topics out under the guise of explaining and reminiscing on his previous time spent with Gansey to the other members of the Raven Crew.

The main strength of this book lies in its character development, especially with the boys and Blue. There's such an intimacy, almost a romance, between so many of the characters. They're all so important to each other and have such deep affection for each other that I can't help but call it anything BUT a romance even if it's not in a typical "lovers" sense (Blue & Gansey, Adam & Ronan, Ronan & Gansey, etc.). The depth of emotion the core 5 characters have for each other is enough to make your heart burst, and I'm not one to usually get so emotionally invested in FEELS when I read (I'm sort of a hard audience that way). The secondary characters were also spot on, with the introduction of several new ones that really enhance the narrative rather than make it feel cluttered. Greenmantle (the guy who initially hired the Grayman? Remember him?) becomes a living, breathing presence, and with true irony it turns out that his wife, Piper, is really the bad ass in the relationship (their banter is hilarious). Jesse Dittley is my new favorite character, a seemingly redneck near-giant who is surprisingly observant and speaks in all caps:

“It kills Dittleys and does terrible things to my friend."

"YOUR DEAD FRIEND."

"That's not his fault. Why didn't you say you could see him?"

"I DIDN'T SAY I COULD SEE YOU, EITHER."

"But I'm not dead."

"BUT YOU ARE PRETTY SHORT.”


I literally could not. Stop. Laughing. Whenever Jesse talked it was such a treat, especially considering he is always more perceptive about things than people give him credit for.

The fact that BLLB is such a character driven novel helps make up for the fact that the plot can sometimes get crazy and muddled or just downright confusing. I'll admit, I finished this book about 5 days ago and some of the plot elements are already fading because there is just so much going on: ley lines, missing mothers, psychic predictions, dream-thieving, Cabeswater's power, prophecies of impending doom, dead kings and deadlier romances...I could go on and on. The depth of relationships in this book helps anchor readers when the plot is spinning out of control, and the stark normalcy of certain actions and conversations (such as Piper's complaints about her book club or Blue and Gansey's sweet and awkward late night phone calls) help along the idea that all of the paranormal elements exist and really help suspend readers' disbelief. The happenings in this book are either breathtakingly strange or hilariously normal, and the juxtaposition somehow works perfectly.

Overall: I can't properly explain to you how much I loved this book. Was it flawed? Of course, but those flaws really just added to the quirky, eerie, and inexplicable magic that perfumes off of the pages of this novel. With outrageously strong character development, progress made in the plot, and a faster pace that the first two books in the series, Blue Lily, Lily Blue solidifies this series, for me, as one of the best out there. If The Dream Thieves didn't convince you, please please please give the third book a shot.This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages