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

SQUASH ONE, SQUASH TWO (sorry I am tormented by not being able to actually listen to this song) Somebody on Twitter, I think it was Gillian, referred to this book as Blue Feels, Feels Blue and yes yes very much agree. THIS BOOK PUNCHED ME RIGHT IN THE FEELS YOU GUYS. Days later I am still reeling from the sheer emotion it pulled out of me (THIS IS NOT AN EASY THING TO DO. I have a cold black heart). Somewhere in the midst of reading Dream Thieves I became emotionally invested in these characters in a way I haven't felt since Harry Potter (or that vampire series none of us want to admit we loved). The kind of deep attachment that lets me know I will be haunted and wishing for more from them for years and years after their story concludes. Blue Lily, Lily Blue only served to solidify those feelings in the best way possible. Everything about this book was sheer perfection. The writing is gloriously beautiful and just speaks to my soul. There is really no other way to describe how perfect and engrossing it is. Maggie Stiefvater's prose is just utterly masterful. And the plot? The plot is insane. SO. MUCH. HAPPENS. I obviously can't go into specifics without spoiling it but SERIOUSLY I JUST. HOWWWWWWW???? HOW DOES ANYONE'S MIND CREATE SUCH A WONDERFULLY DETAILED STORY AND JUST KEEP MAKING THINGS EVEN MORE EXCITING AND TERRIFYING AND JUST. I honestly have no idea what to expect from book 4. I have lots of theories (most of them the wild conjectures brought on by an insane mind) but really just no idea how it's all going to end and that is both terrifying and exhilarating. As wonderful and creative the writing and plot are, the characters are everything. I cannot talk about them enough. They have taken over my life. I am pretty sure they are all me and the BFF have talked about via text for the last week. Seriously. My phone even autocorrects Gansey and Ronan's names to all caps. Even the mere mention of Ronan anywhere causes me to go into a rabid frenzy of glorious feels and capslock. He is my everything. Of course to say that Ronan is my favorite is only to mean that if he were to suddenly die in the final book I would be 0.000000000000001% more saddened than I would be if Blue, Noah, Gansey or Adam were to die. (GANSEY IS NOT DYING OKAY I DON'T CARE WHAT STIEFVATER SAID I REFUSE TO ACCEPT SUCH A REALITY). These characters are just so REAL. Even the secondary characters are gloriously developed and full of spark and personality. Calla is just a treasure. AND JESSE AND THE GREY MAN AND MAURA AND PERSEPHONE. I just can't with this series and these characters. THEY ARE LIFE. My favorite part about the characterization in <strong>Blue Lily, Lily Blue</strong> is how much these characters grow in this book, and how we see that growth through the way the other characters observe this, especially Blue and Gansey &amp; Adam and Ronan. We see the best and worst of these characters through the lenses of their friends eyes. Really, Nikki put it so much better than me when she said in her review: &quot;One thing I love about all of them is that we learn about them through each others&rsquo; eyes  &mdash; not our own eyes, not really from some third-person describing them to us, but we learn the most telling things about them as they learn about each other.&quot; The friendship these five characters share is just so perfect you guys. They have the kind of bond amongst them that everyone dreams of having with another person. I think Ronan broke my feels the most when he says &quot;...Do you understand? If they die, I die, too.&quot; BECAUSE IT'S JUST SO ACCURATE. (also if any of them die I will die too okay shhhhh I am not being melodramatic). Of course the paragraph that starts out with &quot;But what she didn't realize about Blue and her boys was that they were all in love with one another.&quot; is also great and perfect and probably my favorite paragraph in the entire series. These five characters share such a glorious all-encompassing friendship that it becomes as consuming for the reader as it is for them. Even the tiny insignificant moments involving Ronan and Blue, Noah and Gansey, or Adam and whoever had me falling apart with the glory of their love for each other. WE CAN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT RONAN AND GANSEY BECAUSE UGH MY FEELS AND THEY ARE THE CUTEST BFFs OF ALL THE BFFs. AND MY SHIPS OMG YOU GUYS MY SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPS. They each have so many great moments together and I JUST. I CAN'T WITH THE CAN'T AND THE FEEELS AND IF I DON'T GET FACE SMOOSHING IN BOOK 4 I WILL DIE FROM DROWNING IN MY OWN TEARS. I can't say anything too specific about them because SPOILERS but lets just say all my favorite moments involve late night phone calls, undrinkable teas, Pig and mint leaves and mountain drives and hands on knees and secret plots and The Barns and casual looks filled with practiced disinterest that is incomplete and shopping carts and churches and JUST MY FEELS CANNOT HANDLE HOW MUCH I NEED THESE SHIPS TO SAIL. This book made me laugh and cry and scream OMG literally out loud and frantically text Nikki incessantly about all of the feels. GUYS THIS BOOK EVEN MADE ME FINALLY LOVE ADAM. He is finally starting to get it and grow up and now I just want to hug him. ALSO NEED MORE NOAH OKAY. These books never have enough Noah. So basically if you love gorgeous prose, amazingly developed characters, and shippy feels this book/series is for you.

Everything supernatural seems perfectly plausible when placed next to such real, flawed, perfect, realistic characters that I love and miss terribly when the story is over. Maggie Stiefvater never disappoints.

Lots and lots of stars and a spoiler free review: Blue hasn't looked back since taking up the strange quest that has consumed four Raven Boys. Since then Gansey, Adam, Noah, and even Ronan, have amazingly become her best friends. What first seemed like disparate priorities and an absurd alliance has since blossomed into the strongest friendship Blue has ever known. Their friendship isn't the only thing to have changed since the search started. Some bonds have strengthened while others have threatened to break. Dreams have offered as much wonder as terror. And family, it turns out, can mean all kinds of things. But as Blue, Gansey, Adam, Ronan and Noah come closer and closer to the end of their search all of them have to wonder what will come next. With so much to gain from finding what they are seeking, none of them--maybe especially Blue--has thought hard enough about how much there is to lose in Blue Lily, Lily Blue (2014) by Maggie Stiefvater. Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the third book in Stiefvater's widely acclaimed Raven Boys Cycle. It is preceded by The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves. Although this book is the third in a four book series it works surprisingly well on its own with references to key events in previous books and a larger focus on both old and new characters. This story picks up about a month after the events of The Dream Thieves. Stiefvater offers another atmospheric fantasy filled with wry humor and unforgettable characters ranging from the protagonists readers have come to love to antagonists who are indecently likable. Lyrical, spirited prose moves along this character-driven story as we learn more about all of the major (and even some of the minor) players in this tale. New problems--and losses--ensure that Blue Lily, Lily Blue will stand on its own merit outside of the (many) strengths of the Raven Boys Cycle. This installment also continues to keep the ongoing plot of the series fresh and exciting as nothing in this story is quite what readers will expect. Blue Lily, Lily Blue also reaffirms the ties between these unlikely friends and the strength that can be found in such powerful bonds. While all of the characters grapple with what they know and do not know, both about themselves and their search, this novel cleverly celebrates the hidden depths to be found in all of their relationships. This book goes in unexpected directions and circles back to events from the first book in a seamless manner that highlights how carefully this cycle is plotted. While Blue Lily, Lily Blue necessarily leaves unanswered questions it is a satisfying novel that strikes just the right chord between forward plot development and closure for this installment. *This book was acquired for review from the publisher*

I can always count on the books in The Raven Cycle series to take me on an exciting adventure, spend some time with wonderful characters that feel like friends, have some laughs, and be completely enchanted by the writing.  As I finished this book I was beyond excited to realize there would be another!  Guess I got so used to trilogies, I just expected The Raven Cycle would be also, but as long as Ms. Stiefvater keeps wring these books, I'll be there to read them because I'm totally enamored with every character in this series, not just the Raven Boys. Our characters are still continuing their quest for Glendower, with the help of Gansey's friend, Malory,  and dealing with the disappearance of Blue's mother, while Ronan and Adam learn more about their 'abilities'.  Mr. Gray, easily the most charming hit man I've ever come across, is also there to lend a hand when needed and provide Blue with some emotional support.  Gansey's fate is still uncertain, as is his relationship with Blue, and the two share some intense moments, but that wasn't the primary focus of this story.   As always, the newest book in this magical series completely captivated me and The Raven Cycle is something I'm sure I'll eventually go back and reread because with at least a year between books, I forget some things; however, I know there will always be an emphasis on friendship, family, loyalty, mystery and wonder - but also a car named Pig, a raven named Chainsaw, and now, a dog named Dog. This review was based on a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.

This book was... not what I expected. I loved the first 2 books of this series, but this one was definitely lacking something. I’m not even sure what, maybe a plot? I don’t feel like anything really happened until the end, and then I remembered why I love this series so much and will read the next one. This book is very character driven, and while I love these characters, especially Gansey, I needed some sort of plot to stay interested. That being said, this is still one of my favorite series. I listened to the audio of the book, and it was amazing. The narrator really brought the characters to life.

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IN AWE of Maggie Stiefvater and the whimsical, magical books she writes. She brings magic into the normal, which is the main reason I have LOVED her Raven Cycle to date. That is, until Blue Lily, Lily Blue. I went into the third book of the Raven Cycle MORE THAN A YEAR after I read The Dream Thieves and I immediately got pulled back into the intrigue, the dreams, the magic and the hunt for Glendower. I couldn’t believe HOW MUCH I’d missed Blue and her Raven Boys and all the whimsicalness that came with them. And yet, about 200 pages into the book, I suddenly found that the pace of the book had dropped radically, and that I was forcing/ pushing myself to read further because this book was DRAGGING. A lot of the sub-plots suddenly felt unnecessary (a whole murder set up? Really?) and I honestly didn’t know what to make of it. So, let’s split this up: THINGS I LIKED: 1. THE WHIMSICAL WRITING STYLE: If you’ve read a Maggie Stiefvater book, you KNOW her writing style is unlike anybody else’s. A story like The Raven Boys wouldn’t work if her writing didn’t personify every magical and strange thing happening in the book and I will FOREVER be in awe of how Maggie Stiefvater writes. 2. BLUE AND HER RAVEN BOYS: I AM OBSESSED WITH THESE FOUR TEENAGERS, their friendship, their loyalty and their devotion all while being such different people by themselves. I absolutely loved this one phrase Blue used to describe their friendship, because I FEEL THE SAME WAS WHEN I READ ABOUT THEM: ‘Consuming.’ This series and this friendship is consuming and I can’t wait to read the final part. 3. THE ANGST: Like I kept saying (yelling, really) on Goodreads, ALL THE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK DESERVE TO BE KISSED. There is so much angst, and I absolutely love the build-up but I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE DAY THAT ALL OF THEM JUST. KISS. THAT. PERSON. THEY’VE. BEEN. WANTING. TO. KISS. THINGS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER: 1. THE PACE: Like I mentioned in the very beginning, as I reached the end of this book, the face fell, and it fell RAPIDLY. It couldn’t shake the feeling that nothing was happening, and that things we’re just being dragged out until The Raven King. I liked the book, but I WISH IT HAD BEEN PACED BETTER. 2. WHERE WAS NOAH, EVEN? I couldn’t shake the feeling that Noah was MISSING through the course of the book. While we focused so much more on Colin Greenmantle and his wife (WHAT WAS THAT ENDING? I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THEM) and the ladies of 300 Fox Way and there was a certain death which I DON’T UNDERSTAND EITHER (How? Why? WHAT?) because it was too whimsical but I felt like we lost out on so much Noah Czerny, one of my favourite Raven Boys. Do I like this book and this series? HECK YES Will I be reading The Raven King? As SOON as I possibly can. I only wish that Blue Lily, Lily Blue was better paced and had more Noah.

The writings the book is really good, but it skips around a bit. Sometimes it feels rushed. Overall I liked it, and I will read the next one. The characters are pretty well developed and their interactions are thought out and natural. I recommend the series.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue was another great addition to The Raven Cycle! It was an amazing novel filled with fantasy, magic and adventure! Picking up after the events in Dream Thieves, Blue and her friends are getting closer to finding Glendower while they also try to find Maura. Adam learns more about his powers and his connection to Cabeswater. I truly like Blue, Ronan, Adam, Gansey and Noah. They are a really tight knit group of friends! Calla and Persephone are there for Blue and even Mr. Gray. I really loved the plot, the narrative and how the novel was written in such a way that draws readers in for hours! I love where the series is headed and can't wait for the final installment of The Raven Cycle!

Gansey. Adam. Ronan. Blue. #SquadGoals

The things these teenagers face can easily be assimilated into the trials and tribulations of typical teens. Very enthralling conquest. It is easy to throw yourself into any of the characters and see life through their eyes.

kgg res 5

I think this is so far my favorite book (Haven’t finished the series), in this one I felt a lot more connected with the characters, I got to know Blue a little better and I really liked that because so far I wasn’t really invested in her journey with Adam and the way Miss Stiefvater writes their scenes together is just poetry, you can feel the tension and the desire to touch, kiss and to be close and the desperation and anger at not being able too. Adam’s character also grows a lot in this book, at least in my perspective. Before I just saw him as this really annoying guy and now I saw a different side of him, one that I actually liked. Ronan as always so perfect in his apocalyptic way and Gansey as endearing as ever. I did miss Noah, it seemed like we didn’t get enough of him. At the end we had some pretty interesting developments so I’m going straight to The Raven King.

I could not put this third installment of The Raven Cycle down. Maggie Stiefvater’s writing is just so amazing to me and unique. I know I’ve said it in my other reviews but it keeps being true. Her characters and story continue to astound me. I am so in love with these characters. They are real and raw. Blue and Gansey feel so perfect together. I know that a lot of readers can’t stand Blue, but I really like her. I just want them to have a happy ending, although we all know that may not be the case. Also, can Ronan and Adam kiss already?! I just want them together so badly. For the most part this novel was told from the POV of Blue. The boys and her are still on the quest to find Glendower, although in this novel the search feels heightened. I can’t wait to see what is in store for these characters in the final novel, The Raven King.

I just couldn't submerge myself too much on this one. Yet, I am in love with Gansey's and Blue's growing relationship

About: Blue Lily, Lily Blue, 391 pages, is a fiction novel written by Maggie Stiefvater. It was published in 10/21/2014 by Scholastic Press. The genres are fantasy, paranormal, young adult, and magic. There are 4 books in The Raven Cycle series: 1. The Raven Boys, 2. The Dream Thieves, 3. Blue Lily, Lily Blue, and 4. The Raven King. This author lives in Virginia and has written a few other books. The book setting is also in Virginia. She won awards for these books. My Experience: I started reading Blue Lily, Lily Blue on 8/2/16 and finished it on 8/7/16. This book started out interesting, up until half of the book and then it gets boring. Truly boring because I just read for the sake of reading. It gets boring by dragging out about the search, introducing new characters, and things happening without evidence. As pointed out, Gansey has lots of books and the professor complimented him of being a good researcher, so then why Gansey and his friends go waking up sleepers without knowing who they are before they are woken up. Piper, a stay-at-home and not a model wife, why is she playing any role in searching? Guess we’ll know about her in the final book of the series. I feel the events in this book just go on and on without planning and then the characters just know what it is when comes to it rather than strategizing ahead of time. The cover of the book is cool, like the first two books, but this book fail to interest me more than the first two. As much as the friends analyze each other, they sure don’t analyze their search as much this time around. The romance is bland and humor is hardly there. The ending of the second book about Ronan’s secrets toyed with us that there may be something more in this book, but there isn’t. This book lack excitement. Sometimes I read through paragraphs and had no idea what I was reading. Nothing jumps out and grab me. Pro: the title of the book is mentioned in the book, which is nice Con: dull moments, dragging, lack of research and planning, ***Disclaimer: I borrowed this book from my local public library and my opinions are honest. xoxo, Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com

The Good This one provided a closer look at Blue. I think she's the character that makes the others see the truths in themselves even when they don't want to. They all think about what Blue sees when she looks at them. In a way, this has made us able to know the other characters more clearly, but Blue was a little more shielded from us. I'm really glad we got a more in depth look at Blue and what motivates her. I also enjoyed seeing Gansey lose his cool. Gansey is this character that is so hard to describe. Everyone likes him and everyone trusts him. They all look to him to have the answers, and while he's generally a solid presence, he has an absolute freak out moment. I was happy to see him effected so much and have to rely on the others. It was also nice to see the action move up a little and the search for Glendower get more underway. It's starting to feel more real and intense and you can feel that the prophecies from the first book are just around the corner. They find out about three sleepers and one they must wake and one they must not. Why can't they wake them? What will happen if they do? The little mysteries inside make the story that much more interesting. The Bad Stiefvater doesn't write something without a meaning behind it, but I can't for the life of me figure out what purpose Gansey's old professor friend Mallory and his Dog served in the story. I guess we'll figure that out more later. The Greenmantle couple that comes along as well are so odd and contradictory, and calling a character 'odd' in this book is saying something as they are all quite unique. While that's not 'bad' none of these characters grew on me yet. The Romance Oh there's quite a bit of want all around and on different fronts, but there's nothing being attained at the moment. Conclusion This series is like nothing I've ever read. I never know where it's going. Even if I do have a hint, there are always little surprises and mysteries hidden within. I am a big fan of the in-depth look at such great characters. I look forward to seeing where this series goes from here. *Originally given 4 1/2 stars at JC's Book Haven

That ending?! I need The Raven Kings like yesterday. Maggie keeps drawing the reader into her books even deeper with each book she writes in The Raven Cycle series. Her writing is impeccable and the world she weaves with her stories is amazing. I didn't think it was possible to love the characters even more with each book. This is definitely my favorite in the series so far!

To call this series Young Adult must mean I am still young at 56. I have read almost all of Maggie's books and each one is better than the last. Make sure to read them all. Brilliant Maggie, Maggie Brilliant! ~*~LEB~*~

I’ve been a big fan of author Maggie Stiefvater ever since I read her Wolves of Mercy Falls novels. Her Raven Boys have been characters who have always managed to be trapped in the back of my mind. The storyline that makes up her Raven Cycle novels is one filled with the supernatural and adventure. Blue Lily, Lily Blue takes place exactly where The Dream Thieves left off as Blue and the Raven Boys delve deeper into their pursuit of Glendower. As a new figure enters Aglionby, it’s made evident to both the Raven Boys and Blue that as a the school year begins again, things will never be the same. With Blue’s mother still missing, it becomes increasingly difficult to track her down while also focusing on the undefined relationship between both she and Gansey. One that could most likely end in Gansey’s death. As Blue and the Raven Boys uncover new information, they begin to question all that they have. Betrayal lurks nearer than they know. And Glendower is closer to them now than ever before. Right off the bat, what I loved most about Blue Lily, Lily Blue was finally getting to see more Gansey/Blue moments. I’ve shipped these two together ever since reading The Raven Boys. The forbidden flare to their relationship is expanded on and (more importantly) the will they won’t they tension grows. Readers who are big fans of the Blue/Gansey dynamic and who are dying to find out if Gansey will make it out of the series unscathed will die while reading Blue Lily, Lily Blue. Not to mention there are more Ronan/Adam interactions that left me feeling completely elated. Love those two. By far, Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the best novel in the series. The entire story is fast-paced and leaves readers wondering what will happen next. More supernatural elements are implemented into the story and the plot most definitely thickens. A new antagonist is thrown into the mix in the form of Greenmantle. However the question behind who the real antagonist of the story is isn’t answered until the novel reaches its climax—and leaves us with an ending that has readers hanging off the edge of their seats. Greenmantle is a force to be reckoned with and his history and interactions with the Grey Man are intriguing beyond all belief. As always, Stiefvater’s prose in the Raven Cycle novels is heavy with descriptions. In the past novels I found that typically it slowed down the pacing of the novel and left my attention wavering. While there were still instances of that in Blue Lily, Lily Blue I will say that the way that the novel is written has gotten better. It got me invested in the story. It made me emotional. It left me flipping pages desperately to find out what’s happening next to Blue and our Raven Boys. And that ending! A series of cliff-hangers that are certainly going to keep me waiting for more. I think everyone who has read Blue Lily, Lily Blue can agree that whatever comes next for Blue and the Raven Boys is definitely not going to be good. I feel that the series story is finally unfolding and preparing readers for another epic installment that will blow our expectations away. I would recommend the Raven Cycle novels to readers who are fans of the supernatural, readers who are fans of Stiefvater’s previous novels, and to readers who are looking for a world that you can drown in.

I absolutely loved it! It had all the same magic, adventure, and creepiness as the first book. I was pretty unimpressed with The Dream Thieves at first (took me a while to appreciate and like it), but this one immediately had my attention, and I was addicted. Many of the scenes were intense with high tension, and even more, our characters are changing/growing even more. I cannot wait for the next and final book. Things are leading up to a very exciting conclusion.