*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Title: The Ravens
Author: Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: November 3, 2020
ISBN: 9780358098232
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Kappa Rho Nu isn’t your average sorority. Beneath the veil of Greek life and prestige, the sisters of Kappu Rho Nu share a secret: they’re a coven of witches. For Vivi Deveraux, being one of Kappa Rho Nu’s Ravens means getting a chance to redefine herself. For Scarlett Winters, a bonafide Raven and daughter of a legacy Raven, pledge this year means living up to her mother’s impossible expectations of becoming Kappa Rho Nu’s next president. Scarlett knows she’d be the perfect candidate — that is, if she didn’t have one human-sized skeleton in her closet…. When Vivi and Scarlett are paired as big and little for initiation, they find themselves sinking into the sinister world of blood oaths and betrayals.
Alas, The Ravens was quite a letdown for me. I don’t love to give bad reviews, because I know it’s an extraordinary effort to write a book and have it published. But this one just fell flat on so many accounts. It feels like it is trying too hard to be the cool, mainstream YA book that 2020 needed, and in trying to be trendy, it forgot what is important: strong world building and robust and likeable characters. What it does have going for it? It does have an engaging plot with unforeseen twists and turns. It is full of sinister and creepy elements that’ll give you shivers. And there are many surprises in store throughout. However, in many cases, the characters’ inner monologues and motivations aren’t very believable, and the writing itself often gets in it’s own way by focusing on details that don’t matter, or are irrelevant to moving the plot forward. These grievous errors, for me anyway, committed the greatest failure of all: pulling me straight out of the book in frustration and disconnecting me from whatever tenuous connection I was forming with the characters. There were a few instances that I almost threw the book across the room.
I wanted to like this book. Truly, I did. I heard great things about it, and my hopes were high heading into it. But, it was not to be. The Ravens and I are to forever be at odds. Kass Morgan fans may be thrilled, and I sincerely hope this book is everything you’ve ever wanted. But I’m going to pass on this one. It just wasn’t for me.
Happy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 