The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Title: The Dream Thieves
Series:  The Raven Boys #2
Publication: September 17, 2013
Publisher: Scholastic Press 
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 416 pp.
Source: Netgalley

The second installment in the all-new series from the masterful, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after...

Ronan seethes with wiry energy and fury that simmers just beneath the surface. This book seems to focus more on Ronan and his otherness. When I read the Raven Boys, I felt that there was more to him and his anger was unusual. He's seems to always be on edge and dangerous even. The story begins with a dream and a memory of his father telling him to keep his ability a secret but there a thing about secrets, they are sometimes hard to keep.

" Anything that didn't impale itself on the sharp line of this sleeping boy's cruel mouth would be tangled in the merciless hooks of his tattoo, pulled beneath his skin to drown" 

It's not all about Ronan and Adam's changing as his tie to Cabeswater strengthens. He's so easily angered and his has this huge chip on his shoulder about his social status. He's so worried about people having pity on him, especially Gansey that he gets blindsided by his emotions. It feels like he pushing further away from Gansey because he is rich and doesn't seem to let that define who he is. I think he has an unnecessary resentment towards Gansey. Adam is a pickle for me and  is not my favorite character, he's allowed his past and feelings about his status dictate his actions. Then there is how he starts to lash out at Blue, the girl he suppossedly likes, to the point that she begins to question what she saw in him. Of course, he doesn't know about the predictions that she will kill the one she loves....that's her secret to keep or not. 

The tension in these relationship aren't the only problems this group has, something has happened to Cabeswater, which halts their quest to discover Glendower and Adam's possibly the key to fixing it. A stranger shows up searching for an object that deals with Cabeswater quest and may mean danger for Blue and her Raven Boys. Another character that shows up a lot is Kavinsky, who is really creepy and has an unnatural obsession with Ronan which leads to an escalating conclusion. 

This is a good story crafted with the diverse intricacies of the characters struggles and their lives. I liked getting to know more about Ronan and his dreams. Also it was nice to see a hint of romance woven within the pages.Overall, this story is all about the boys and how they interact with one another and Blue who is the token girl of the bunch, that fate has dealt a hand to lose the one she loves with a kiss, the big question is which boy and how will it impact the future of the Raven Boys?