Review: Opal by Maggie Stiefvater
5:14 PM
Opal by Maggie Stiefvater | Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2.5)
"Sometimes bad ideas were so bad they looped right around until they became good ideas."
Let me be honest: I love Maggie Stiefvater's writing and it pains me to give something by her such a low rating. I adore Stiefvater's work, her prose, the characters, etc. The Raven Cycle is one of the most magical YA series I have ever read and the relationship between Ronan and Adam is one of my all-time favourites. When I saw that Opal was, well, a thing, and read the brief premise of the 38 page story, I pounced on it.
I want to make something very, very clear. I didn't hate Opal. Not in the least. I just found myself thinking, in the course of it, "Was this necessary?" Yes and no. As a fan, I always wanted to here more of these characters and Opal is someone, a dream creation come to life, who is just so intriguing. A lot of us wanted to hear more of her, get inside her head a little, see her interactions with Ronan and Adam. While Opal did give us a glimpse into this relationship, it just felt... awkward?
Did it have Stiefvater's signature, enthralling prose? Absolutely. I think one of the problems I had with Opal was in the simple fact that it was merely a short story. Give me a book from her standpoint and I guarantee I'd be fawning over it. There was just so much more than could have been done with Opal, that it felt lackluster in comparison to the magic we know Stiefvater creates.
(I'm very late to the party in knowing that Stiefvater is penning a spin-off for Ronan. I'm ready.)
In short: I just didn't love Opal. Not like I love the characters. Not like I love The Raven Cycle. It just was there for me and felt like it wasn't essential to the stories we've been told, and will be told in the future. It was just OK.
0 comments