If you read as much as I do, it’s likely that you understand how difficult it is to choose which single book is your absolute favorite of all time. How is it possible to choose one book out of so many good ones? I’m sure there are a few people out there who do have that one book that will always hold a special place in their heart, but I, on the other hand, cannot choose one.

Although I have multiple books that I would consider my favorite, there is one series in particular that I will always treasure and that’s The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater. Notice how I said “series” instead of singling out an individual book from the it? See, even when it comes to the books that stuck with me the most, I still can’t choose just one. To some, the series would appear to be like any other average story: A couple of teenagers with an adventure they live through, but for however basic the story might seem to some, the books felt like so much more to me.

The Raven Cycle series consists of four books total: The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily, Lily Blue and The Raven King. I first read The Raven Boys sometime around February 2017. I remember being so in love with all the main characters. They were the type of characters you couldn’t hate.

If you do happen to hate them, though, all I have to say is: are you sure we read the same book? Riley, who reviewed The Raven Boys on Goodreads seemed to feel the same way I felt, said: “Easily the best book I’ve read all year. I’ve never read a book before where I love every single character equally.”

At least now I know that I wasn’t the only one who felt that way toward the characters. Even with their flaws, they were the most easy to love characters.

I love the series as a whole, but a book from the series that seemed to stand out more to me and that I might just consider my favorite out of the entire series is The Dream Thieves. This book is the second installment of the series which seems to revolve more around one of the main characters named Ronan Lynch, who also happens to be my all-time favorite characters.

Just like reviewer Raeleen Lemay said: “The characters feel like actual people, and their relationships develop in a real and natural way, and I can’t get enough. I adore them.”

This sentence alone seems to easily put into words why I adore this series. Everything just feels real and it feels like the author really wanted you to be part of the journey that these characters take on.

Ever since reading The Raven Cycle series, no other book has been able to evoke the same feelings in me. The Raven Cycle series is the perfect example of why we should never judge a book by its cover. When I had first heard of it, I thought it would be a cliche, and boy, was I wrong. Of course there are still a few with that opinion I’m sure, but that’s not how I felt. I’m glad I took the time to read it for myself and it goes to show that different books bring out different emotions in people.