Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Young Adult (or New Adult) - Fantasy/Romance
Synopsis (from Goodreads.com): Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after...
Review:
The Dream Thieves. What can I say about you?
I’ve been holding off on writing a review for this book because, well I’m torn. I loved it, and I hated it. For two different reasons.
I love this book because Maggie Stiefvater is a master of storytelling. Her writing has always captivated me, from the minute I picked up Lament I knew I’d found a gem of an author. She grabs you in an creates these worlds you could live in…or actually, sometimes I don’t really want to live in them, but I can for sure believe they exist. I love that about these books. When I read The Raven Boys I was so wrapped up in the characters, I had a hard time believing she was writing in the current time period. My mind wanted to place the entire story back in the 50’s for some reason, and I’ve maintained that visual throughout The Dream Thieves. Obviously, this isn’t true, but I can’t let the image slip.
I enjoyed getting to know Ronan more, and figuring out the things that make him tick. I must admit, there are many qualities I like about him now that I just didn’t see in him during The Raven Boys. I’m sure this was purposeful, but I’m glad for it, because I really didn’t care much for him before at all. I’ve already read this book through twice. This is very surprising considering what I’m going to say below. I wanted to give it a second chance because I felt like my opinion had become colored by my emotions about some of the events, and I missed some things. I will say the second time through I enjoyed the book more. I came to appreciate Blue and Gamsey’s careful relationship, and although he made me love him and hate him in the same book, Adam’s nature. There is so much information to glean from this book, and I’m looking forward to the conclusion of this story – because I just know it’s going to be good.
I will say, especially the first time through, I felt like this book was doing a whole lot of not moving forward. It felt slow paced – if you don’t count the car racing, which I have to admit made me want a slick sports car, and I’m an avid car-hater. You’ll never catch me ogling a car, as the four wheeled creatures have given me nothing but trouble in my life. Outside of that, I kept hoping for a little more action. And there is a bit, but it still was just a bit slow.
Okay, now for the bad part. I cannot condone or like a “young adult novel” that has drug use in it – especially when it is described. I tolerate the mention of it, or if it’s eluded to. I know that it is real life, this stuff happens…trust me I grew up around this stuff. I’ve seen way more of it than I care to divulge. It is not pretty. Nothing about it is good or right or should be…I can’t say glorified, because it makes it sound like that was what happened in the book – in reality it even leaned in the direction of a negative light. But not enough. It made it seem normal, or casual or something. It left such a bad taste in my mouth I had a very difficult time finishing the book that first time around. The second time I was listening to it via audio, and it was over quicker that way, since the first I kept putting the book down – it dragged on. I still didn’t like it. It still hurts my heart that it was even there, because I love Maggie Stiefvater’s books and writing so much. I wish, wish, wish she had found some other way to do that whole scene/character, etc. I will leave it at that.
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