Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

THE DREAM THIEVES BY MAGGIE STIEFVATER
Publisher: Scholastic
Format: Paperback
Series: The Raven Cycle #2
Pages: 450
Date Finished: 07.10.15
Rating: 4/5
Summary: 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…  

“In that moment, Blue was a little in love with all of them.
Their magic. Their quest. Their awfulness and strangeness.
Her raven boys.”  

I have been completely and utterly sucked into the world of The Raven Cycle. I can't stop thinking about the characters and the world and the mystery even when I shouldn't be (basically I daydream instead of pay attention in class). To put it simply, I've found a new series to get addicted to.

Side note: do you think there's a rehab for book addicts?

I really, really liked The Dream Thieves. The tone and the atmosphere of the book is a strange blend of edginess, magic and wonder. Stiefvater's writing style really is beautiful, and I'm at utter awe about how well paced her writing is, and how beautifully all the different POV's weave together.

The Dream Thieves has a slight focus on Ronan, one of my favourite characters. We're invited into his strange world where his dreams come true as well as shown the reality of his dark, haunted past. I loved it. I love him. Through Ronan and the rest of the characters, Steifvater deals with some really serious issues that compliment the fantastical backdrop perfectly. She doesn't force anything down your throat, but the way the characters and their issues The Dream Thieves are presented is nothing short of realistic.

“And Ronan was everything that was left: molten eyes and a smile made for war.”    

I loved Ronan's interactions with Kavinsky, one of the most interesting characters in his book. If I'm honest I worked out his secret the same way I did with Adam's in The Raven Boys--I thought it was a detail that I missed, not a real secret. That aside, Kavinsky was like Ronan's mirror reflection. He was what Ronan could become, and seeing the parallels were a great and somewhat alarming addition to the book.

Like with the first book, I love exploring the tensions and relationships between our core cast of characters. In The Dream Thieves they get even more developed. I can't wait to see how things unfold in Blue Lily, Lily Blue. Yet again I want to use the world realistic. There isn't any melodrama--Stiefvater ups the tension without sacrificing the rawness and the humanity of her characters.

 “She wore a dress Ronan thought looked like a lampshade. Whatever sort of lamp it belonged on, Gansey clearly wished he had one. 

Ronan wasn't a fan of lamps.”  

Just as much as I love Ronan, this book made Gansey quickly become my favourite. There's something wonderful about him that I can't quite explain. I hate to say it but Adam is beginning to annoy me. His character is fantastically developed and well written, but his actions are a tiny bit frustrating.

Perhaps my major criticism with this book is that although the climax was big enough, I wanted more. When I wanted dynamite I got fireworks--everything was well done and beautiful, but I just wanted more. Also, there were points where I felt a little confused about the plot, especially about Adam and Cabeswater.

“I wish you could be kissed, Jane,' he said. 'Because I would beg just one off you. Under all this.' He flailed an arm toward the stars.”      

Romance is only a very small subplot in The Dream Thieves but I thought it was handled perfectly. From the outside you could dismiss it as yet another book with a love triangle, but in reality it's a lot more than that. Blue makes her choice and she doesn't hang indecisive between two boys. The friendships are not put after the relationships. And, more importantly, the slow building romance between Blue and Gansey is just amazing to watch unfold.

I said exactly the same thing in my review of The Raven Boys. I enjoyed reading this enough to warrant it five stars, and it was only a few elements that made me give it four instead. I probably should, considering that I can't stop thinking about these damn characters. I don't really think that I want to stop.

“While I'm gone," Gansey said, pausing, "dream me the world. Something new for every night.”