This is, so far, the best book by Maggie Stiefvater that I've read. I've read her Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy and The Scorpio Races. The Raven Boys had my attention from the first page. 
 This is the story about many things, and I don't know if the book blurb on the jacket really does it justice, but if I sit and think about it, it would be difficult to sum up what this book is about. Stiefvater really takes the book in many different directions, which for me was not a bad thing at all. This is the first book in what I believe is a four book deal, but Stiefvater does a good job of introducing us to the world she's created yet also giving this book it's own story, all while leaving us with things to carry over into the next books. 
 Mainly this story deals with Blue who has lived in a house of psychics her whole life, yet who doesn't possess the ability herself. Her "ability" if you want to call it that basically magnifies others' abilities. She makes psychics read clearer, among other things. I liked Blue from the beginning. She doesn't have the most normal or easy life (her mother has predicted that Blue will kill her true love if she kisses him), but she doesn't dwell on this fact. She accepts it for what it is and is cautious, but she doesn't let it keep her from interacting with others. On St. Mark's Eve (I think April 25th they said) Blue and her Aunt are sitting in the cemetery waiting to see the spirits of those people who are fated to die withing the next year. It's here that Blue sees the spirit of one of the "Raven Boys". Normally not one to be able to see the spirits, Blue questions what makes this one different. Her Aunt tells her that he is either Blue's true love or she is going to be the one to kill him. In Blue's case it may be both. 
 The story also mainly deals with Gansey. Richard Gansey III to be precise. One of the titular Raven Boys, Gansey has been on a quest for over a year to find the tomb of Glendower "The Raven King". Legend has it that whoeve finds his body will be granted a favor. Gansey along with his friends Ronan, Adam, and Noah all believe that Glendower is somewhere in the Henrietta, Virgina town where they attend their elite school. 
 Blue and Gansey are definitely focal points in the book, but the other boys are no less compelling. I thought that Stiefvater did a wonderful job of creating each character with their own unique situations and their own unique personalities. There is more to them than meets the eye and it's only through the reading that we can truly figure out what each one of them has. 
 I liked all the unexpected twists that Stiefvater wrote into the story. It really kept my attention and kept me guessing. As I said before, this is the first book in a series so there was plenty left to ponder and think about before the next book comes out. 
 I liked that the romance aspect of the book really took a backseat or second place to the mythology behind everything. Yes it's there but not the focal point, but something that I assume will be addressed as the series progresses. I will admit there were times in her Mercy Falls Trilogy that I thought things between Sam and Grace were too mushy, and then in the Scorpio Races I just thought that it didn't progress quick enough. Here, I think Stiefvater has found a good balance. 
 I highley recommend this book / series. I can't wait to find out where Stiefvater plans to take us next. Until Then!