The Raven Boys Theme of Friendship

The most iconic groups of friends often come in fours: the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Ghostbusters, and… the raven boys? In The Raven Boys, it's clear that Gansey's foursome of friends (Gansey, Adam, Noah, and Ronan) may bicker and come from vastly different backgrounds, but they're always going to stick together. When he needs someone to hunt for supernatural energy lines, Gansey can always count on one of his friends to lend a hand. That's what bros are for, right?

Questions About Friendship

  1. Do you think any of the other guys would hang out with Ronan if he wasn't Gansey's friend?
  2. How does Blue end up befriending the raven boys so easily?
  3. How would you describe the friendship between Adam and Gansey?
  4. Do you think that Whelk ever considered Czerny a real friend?

Chew on This

Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.

Adam's friendship with Gansey is built on the fact that Adam always owes Gansey, but their dynamic shifts dramatically at the end of the book. Once Adam sacrifices himself, the entire friendship changes.

Barrington Whelk doesn't sacrifice Noah's life because he doesn't care about him; he kills his best friend because it will be a huge sacrifice to lose him.