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Discuss chapters 1-8 only. Please do not discuss later chapters here!

I actually started this book at the end of August, before I knew we were going to read this as part of the Random Readalong.

It really took me a while to get into this book. Especially the first few chapters.
We are introduced to all the characters. Blue on her and her family. The Raven Boys as individuals but in relationship with Gansey.

Did any one else have the same trouble getting into the story? And how do you over come that?
Because when I'm not reading this book, I feel like I would love it. It's got the whimsical quality of October and Halloween. It kind of reminded me a little of the movie Practical Magic.

I completely agree with Jane. For the most part, I pretty much agree with the masses that this is isn't the easiest book to get into. And again, like Jane, I started this book towards the end of August, so I figured I would join in the readalong.

As I mentioned, it took me a while to really get into the story. Frankly, it probably still is taking me some time to adjust to The Raven Boys. When I picked up this book, I did not know what to expect, and I'm still in the dark as to what Stiefvater has in store for this novel. However, while it seems a little slow thus far, my interest in the book got me through the first part because of my curiosity on how the book will develop its characters and its plot, though I feel a lot of that will more likely have a greater focus in the later books to come.

While there hasn't been any moment that I particularly enjoyed, one thing I will say that the chapters that have Whelk as the focus do tend to slow things down for me. I personally am just not all that interested in Whelk's part of the story so far.

It sounds like I'm not liking this book whatsoever, but truthfully, I am enjoying The Raven Boys thus far. I'm interested in what direction this book decides to go. The setup is there, now all I await is how the story will continue to unfold and for the pace to start picking up.

Agreed Mac.
This book was really slow for me too. It's not just the pace, the content is really heavy. Some of the topics Stiefvater decides to focus on - the Raven boy's personal and family troubles, Blue's queer aunt that I haven't decided is a good person or not, and Whelk's past - really slows the story down for me.

The characters have depth and the story is definitely character driven, but I don't know if I care enough about them at this point to really get into the story. Maybe because I don't find any one of them truly relatable.

But I am fascinated by the plot too. The lay line, the prophecy, the banter between Blue and Gansey at the dinner really made me laugh. I want to see how everything develops. I want to know what it is that really goes on in Herietta.

So I'm still in the story, I still want to continue.

Wow, this book is really hard to get in to. I feel like the author just thinks that we all know a lot about her characters since ever. The writing prose is very interesting, but the skill when introducing the characters needs to be looked a wee bit more.

Nevertheless, since I read the title I've been looking for some E.A. Poe relevancy. Something that says, "yes I am a fan of Edgar Allan Poe".

I hope the writing gets a bit better throughout the book.

That's so funny,because I can't put this book down! I picked it up on the train today and I found that I'm really enjoying it. The plot is pretty slow but I am loving the characters, I have a soft spot for Ronan the troubled one - of course I do. But I'm really loving it!

Very intrigued about these ley lines and stuff, and I really like that Blue already knows who she is, it sounds like her abilities will develop more as the story goes on but it's refreshing that she knows who she is, what she is.

That's so funny,because I can't put this book down! I picked it up on the train today and I found that I'm really enjoying it. The plot is pretty slow but I am loving the characters, I have a soft spot for Ronan the troubled one - of course I do. But I'm really loving it!

Very intrigued about these ley lines and stuff, and I really like that Blue already knows who she is, it sounds like her abilities will develop more as the story goes on but it's refreshing that she knows who she is, what she is.

That's so funny,because I can't put this book down! I picked it up on the train today and I found that I'm really enjoying it. The plot is pretty slow but I am loving the characters, I have a soft spot for Ronan the troubled one - of course I do. But I'm really loving it!

Very intrigued about these ley lines and stuff, and I really like that Blue already knows who she is, it sounds like her abilities will develop more as the story goes on but it's refreshing that she knows who she is, what she is.

Sorry about the mass comment guys ^^ it looks like it posted three times, I'm on the train! X

I'm beginning this book right now and I'm quite excited about it! I don't know what to expect though, but that's all part of the excitement.

I'm happy to be joining in on this readalong with you guys!!

I have to agree with you guys that this book is really hard to get into. The first few chapters just confused me, and the introduction of the characters and the world in general just felt much too rushed for me. I would have loved it if the author slowed things down a little bit.
I don't know what to think of the writing itself either. I guess I just have to go on with the book in order to get used to it.

The Characters however are quite interesting. I really like Adam so far, but Gansey and Ronan also seem to be interesting characters overall. Blue and her family (especially her aunt) are kind of a little "too much" for me, if you know what I mean, but I am sure this will get better as the story progresses.

Nevertheless I am really interested to see where the story goes and what happends to the characters next.

I just completed chapter 8 and I'm enjoying the story so far. I agree that these chapters are slow but I like that. I prefer when the author takes her time to familiarize her readers with the world she's trying to create. I'm always thinking about it when I'm not reading. I love the mystical atmosphere of the story.

However, I got a little confused when the boys were introduced since there are four of them I confused the names and the personalities. That's the only downside so far. I like the issues introduced and that nothing is clear right now, which makes me Oh So Curious!!!

As Sarah said, I wonder if Neeve is evil too. She creeps me out a little. And what a way to make sure your kid stays away from boys. It's as if Blue kisses a boy, he will die. Gosh that sucks.

I started this book last week while I was away on vacation and was struggling a bit to understand what was going on. I thought it was me and the fact that I wasn't in my normal reading environment, but after reading everyone else's comments I can see it wasn't me. I'm definitely intrigued. I like Blue so far and find her story interesting but haven't really fallen in love with it yet. We'll see where this goes.

I'm knees deep in lay lines, ravens, kings, mysterious boys and this incredible psychic family, and I love it! I understand how people might find it slow, but this is completely up my alley. I'm so glad I'm finally reading this!

Okay so I'm just shy of 100 pages in and I must admit, I'm hooked! The start was slow for me but now it's all happening!

I like Blue as a character, but I'd like to learn more about her. I'm confused by all the boys, I get them all mixed up. I like Ronan so far, maybe because he seems a little rough around the edges, and I like the bad boy type characters.

Jane wrote: "I actually started this book at the end of August, before I knew we were going to read this as part of the Random Readalong.

It really took me a while to get into this book. Especially the first f..."

Yes! i had trouble at first getting into it because I couldn't imagine blues family characters! but now that I am a little further along it is making more sense!

So the first 8 CHAPTERS!

I agree! The story is slow and the characters are little vague to me. The pacing I feel does match the tone of the book which I do love, but if this had been a book I didn't push through a bit, I could have put it down.

I like Blue so far and the boys, particularly Adam! That southern charm....

The beginning of this book is slow, I agree with all of you who had already said that before me.

I do have a tip though: it's much easier to get into it, when listening to it as an audiobook! :D
Besides, the narrator's voice fits the whole mysterious setting perfectly and he does such a great job! (only the voice he has for Blue is a little weird, but it's not that bad)

I'll be listening the whole book as an audiobook, so I'm going to share my experiences from a slightly different view than the readers :)

Glad I'm not alone!! It took me almost 20 chapters to really get hooked. I wasn't hating it, it was just moving super slowly for me. Loving it now, though :)

First off....this book has gotten me out of my reading slump...so yay. Second, I didn't really find it hard to get into it, I mean I was hooked after the first chapter. The only time I got confused was when Blue saw the boys for the first time and her interpretation of them but it was just minor. I loved the first interaction between Gansey and Blue, it was hilarious.

I really love how we get different perspectives in the different chapters. And the Whelk chapters, I've dubbed the 'forshadowing' chapters, a link to the past to see what's going to happen in the future.

So, I'm on Chapter 23, but I still remember what I was going to comment on for this section.

I actually didn't have the problem of it being slow in the beginning, I was hooked right away! I didn't expect to be, since usually if a book is way hyped (like this one is right now on Tumblr) I don't like it. Thank goodness I'm liking this one!

One problem I did have in the first 8 chapters is that every other character is fleshed out, and then there's Noah. What is up with Noah? Is he supposed to be scarce on purpose? It just felt off to me that we get a lot about the other characters except for him, especially since he is supposed to be one of Gansey's best friends.

Waffle wrote: "So, I'm on Chapter 23, but I still remember what I was going to comment on for this section.

I actually didn't have the problem of it being slow in the beginning, I was hooked right away! I didn't..."

I'm on chapter 11 at the moment and I agree! I've loved everything so far, but I keep forgetting he's there...

I'm so glad I started this on a rainy and chilly day!

I didn't find it particularly slow, but I tend to enjoy really slow reads so I probably didn't pick up on it. I find that I'm much more intrigued by the characters than by the ley line quest. I love Blues family, and the Raven boys. I cannot wait to learn more about them.

It's adorable how Blue and Gansey's first interaction was so awkward! I love how feisty she is and how he's an oblivious nerd.

Also, I'm going against the grain and saying I love Adam the most at the moment. He's a precious cinnamon bun.

Samantha wrote: "I'm so glad I started this on a rainy and chilly day!

I didn't find it particularly slow, but I tend to enjoy really slow reads so I probably didn't pick up on it. I find that I'm much more intri..."

YES ADAM! <3 love him!!!

I'm so glad to find that other people were having a hard time getting into this book! I had a bit of a reading hangover when I started it (I had actually just finished reading Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio races and it was EXCELLENT), and I thought that I was having trouble just because of that, but it's lasted a good bit longer than I expected.

I don't think I really started to get invested in anything until Ronan and Declan's fist fight in the parking lot. Now, I'm reading forward as fast as I can to see if we'll meet the third Lynch brother... and maybe a little to see how long it will take Blue and Gansey to realize that they've met each other.