The Raven Cycle Series by Maggie Stiefvater

I know, I know. What an obscure rating. But I'll totally explain why.  This would have definitely been 4 stars to me but it was missing a strong relational element to it.FYI SPOILERS AHEAD.Ok Gansey.  How cute is he? He was so great! Blue, also, solid character.  Can we do an air high five for female YA leads who aren't always second guessing themselves and constantly insecure? (insert air high five here).  So why is it that I still wasn't sold on their love connection.  Yes I just said love connection.  There wasn't a spark, or swoon that I really needed from them.  The real spark was between Parish and Ronan.  But that came later on  in the series.  For a relationship that is teased from the onset of the first book, it really needed more.Also, there were a few loose ends.  And let me clarify that when it comes to the end of a book when you should be paying the MOST attention, that is typically when I am speed reading the most because I am just dying to know what happens.  But I totally did not get the whole mattress store analogy that Mr. Grey was talking about.  And can we talk about the random character that was suddenly introduced to the crew with his robo bee? That was not a typo. robo bee.  I know, why do i have such a hold up on the robo bee when there were straight up demons and tarot cards and people pulling a female Mr Tumnus out of their dreams?  Because it was a ROBO BEE.  Back to Henry Cheng... there was nothing wrong with him except he felt forced.  Like we had to say goodbye to Noah because he was a ghost, but did we have to have the place holder that is Henry Cheng?  And was it not weird at all that he was going to be a third wheel on a "find yourself" trip with Blue and Gansey in the end?It's hard to tell but I actually enjoyed reading these books for the most part. I zoomed through them and was totally living in Henrietta, with the accents and the hit men roaming around, for like a full week.  We all know that series novels can have their downsides because there is just so much there.  Overall, I became friends with the raven boys and their girl Jane/Blue.  And you know what they say about fictional friendships... they last a lifetime..Dux.Check out all the books here!