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title: Blue Lily, Lily Blue

author: Maggie Stiefvater

audience: YA

genre: Fantasy (contemporary)

published: by Scholastic, October 2014

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*note: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for honest feedback.

* * * 

There are times when I complain about there being too many series and trilogies circulating in the YA world. And then there are times when I dread mightily the end of a spectacularly good one that should take forever to end. I am pretty sure that once the Raven Cycle comes to an end, there will be thousands of fans wishing they were in fact Greywarens so that they could pull new installments straight from their dreams.

This is the series that, thirty years from now, will probably be remembered as a (then) contemporary version of The Dark is Rising sequence. Blue Lily, Lily Blue was even more beautiful to read than the previous installments. Instead of becoming frustrated by the myriad of characters and the assortment of perspective chapters, I was fascinated by each new addition and each new voice. 

Other points to love:

• the incorporation of characters who love history, and who love the treasure trove that history has there, waiting for us.
• a really palpable setting.
• hopes and fears of the adult and child in all of us.
• quirkiness that is real instead quirk for the sake of quirk.
• I haven't said anything about the cover for about 150 words so I have to say it now: it's stunning.

Blue Lily picks up where Dream Thieves lets off, and once you climb into the Camaro, you don't get out of the Camaro until Maggie says so.

"wow"/"it" factor: • • • • • 

plot: • • • • • 

pace/flow: • • • • • 

characters: • • • • • 

average: perfect 5/5.