The Ravens by Danielle Paige and Kassie Morgan Review

 Title: The Ravens 

Author(s): Danielle Paige and Kassie Morgan 

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult 

Genre: Fantasy 

Series: The Ravens, book one 

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars 

A friend of mine bought this book for me and I reviewed it—thank you so much, Jade! 

I have a Discord group of friends who all bonded over reading, and every summer and winter, we hold a book swap! I partnered with my friend Jade, and she got me The Ravens and Legendborn. I’m trying to pare down my home library a little, since my local library is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, as soon as I was finished with The Shadow of Kyoshi, I dove in. I just finished this book on Saturday, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it, though I admit that younger, high-school aged me would’ve liked it a lot more. It reminded me of one of my favorite mystery series, Private by Kate Brian. The Ravens is a magical, well-written mystery that was snappy, fast-paced, and emphasized two of my favorite things: girl power and sisterhood! I loved this story of magic, dangerous secrets, and friendship. I will say that this book felt like it was written for a younger audience, even though the book took place on a college campus. I also didn’t like the way that the book pitted young women against each other at first.  But nonetheless, I’m really looking forward to the sequel! 

Vivi Devereaux is used to being the new girl on campus. She and her mother, Daphne, have moved around the United States for most of her life. When she arrives at Westerly, she’s looking forward to being away from her mother and starting a new life by herself. When she’s tapped by Westerly’s most exclusive sorority, Kappa Rho Nu, she realizes that beneath the shiny veneer of Greek life and secret parties, these girls can actually practice magic. Vivi is thrilled to be a part of something bigger than herself, even though her Big Sister, Scarlett Winters, seems to hate her. But when one of the girls goes missing, Scarlett and Vivi must reluctantly join forces to figure out where their housemate has gone, and some secrets are too big and dark to be kept hidden... 

I really liked this book, but I feel like younger me would have enjoyed it a lot more. I mean, a compelling mystery, magic and danger, sisterhood and dark secrets; for the most part, this book was a home run. But I didn’t like the way that most of the book set up the two main characters; I didn’t like that they were competing with each other, over magic and a cute boy. But I really liked this book nonetheless. The pacing was really fast, and I loved the way the point of views flipped between Vivi and Scarlet, who could not be any more different. One of my favorite things about this book was the way it emphasized sisterhood, and I loved the magical aspect. This was also a compelling mystery, and when I finally reached the end, my jaw dropped! I did NOT see that final twist coming! I loved the ending, and I’m so excited for the sequel! The bottom line: Hilarious, magical in more ways than one, and surprising, I loved The Ravens! Next on deck: Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff!