The Raven Four

The Raven Four #1

by Jessica Sorensen

They call them The Raven Three. They’re the most powerful and dangerous guys in town. Everyone respects them. Everyone fears them. No one ever challenges them until me.

But I have nothing to lose and nothing to fear but myself. So they give me a choice. Learn to fear them, or they’ll make sure I do.

But they weren’t expecting me to be so stubborn. And after a dangerous challenge, The Raven Three become The Raven Four.

There are rules that everyone has to obey, the most important one being we all have to stay friends.

But none of us have ever been good at following rules.

**Recommended for mature readers due to language and sexual content.**

Genres: High School, New Adult, Young Adult, Romance, Dark, Contemporary, Abuse

First published May 16, 2019

About the author

Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.


http://www.jessicasorensen.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica...

Reviews

[Cecilia · Rating 2 out of 5]

this isn't a bad book, but not my fav. maybe its wrong to give two stars for my reason, but thats the only way people/maybe her will notice
I know its a bad reason to give it 2 stars, but I have a love/dont like relationship with JS.
WHY? Because she works on like 50 books series at once without finishing one series and starting another.
I am glad she is successful. I am, and i do enjoy her books. I get she is a creative person, and has stories popping out of head every second.Thats GREAT

BUT, FINISH A DARN SERIES( maybe even 3), BEFORE YOU START LIKE 5 other NEW ONES.
Like I was reading her Capturing Magic( I LOVE IT)/Cursed Hadley, and Guardian Agency series, but I have to wait a year to 2 years for the next books, because she is coming out with 10 other series/books.

Also, I get that waiting at most a year for a next book in a series to come out is the norm. Especially with popular authors out there like Holly Black. I get it! But, usually, those authors aren't working on SOOOOO many other book series.you know?

End of rant. I just find the way the author works on so many series to be frustrating. Anyone else agree.

UPDATE: So recently on her facebook page she said that she plans on finishing all her current RH books and to wrap them up between 1 and 2 books. AND, that she will be publishing her RH with a pen name so they are separate from her other books. which is a super common thing writers do.

[Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

well, I liked this one...

it has a mysterious vibe through and through and it ends in a cliffy...gah

but it has all the right ingredients for a nice, thrillingly entertainment!

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I NEED more!!

[hugsandcookies · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great start.

This is probably my first book by this author and already I am curious about the mysterious Raven everything is changing, and now I need more. The Raven Three, I'm still trying to understand who they are and who will hold Raven's heart. The chemistry is there, but I guess I need more.

[BLuvsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
A good YA book. Mystery, intriguing, entertaining. Ended with cliffhanger. Looking forward to the next.

[Madeleine Knutsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really hope Jessica Sorensen will continue this series

[Melissa H · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick dark “mafia” RH

Honestly got sucked into this one pretty quickly! I found myself reading to find out just why would happen next despite the editing issues.

Raven is a 17 yr old girl that has a dark past that moves to a new town with her bratty cousin and crappy aunt and uncle. She attracts the attention of the Raven Three, Jax, Jay, Hunter. They are the dark punk bad boys that Raven is told to stay away from by a jealous girl who was a castaway.

This is such a short book that if I explain anymore it will spoil the whole thing. All I can say is her bad a** attitude and mysterious past will have me coming back for more when the second one comes out!

#guiltypleasure

[Mandy Sickle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raven has moved to a new town but she doesn’t expect anything to change. She still has her awful aunt and uncle to deal with and spoiled cousin who is determined to make her life hell. She doesn’t expect to make any new friends at school because her cousin in the past has ruined any chances. Raven has gotten used to being alone after what she did she feels it’s all she deserves. However, this year doesn’t seem to go as planned as she draws attention from not one boy but a trio.

Raven has learned to be stubborn and when push comes to shove she doesn’t back down. So when she encounters the Raven three who are the scariest guys in school may be the whole town she doesn’t let them push her. When they kidnap her and threaten her in the woods she does what she has to but now they aren’t the Raven three anymore but they are the Raven four. They all have secrets but some are darker than others.

I picked this one up as a kindle freebie a while back instantly curious based on the synopsis but didn’t happen to get around to it just yet. I picked it up and found it hard to put down. Instantly I loved Raven she’s had such rough life things are awful she doesn’t remember her past but she suspects the worst that she’s been told. I’m dying to know what really happened that she’s forgotten.

The Raven Four is a fast-paced hard to put down a dark young adult. I ended up having a hard time putting it down and finished it only to start the next one because I had to know what’s going to happen. I’ve read several books by the author but this series might be my favorite as I just love Raven and the guys so much. I clearly have my favorite but maybe it’s because they are all so broken. Highly recommend checking it out.

[Anjie Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, Jessica Sorensen is pretty much always a one-click for me, but I've got to train myself to stop until all of the books are out. I've started so many of her series, only to have her start about 15 more and leave me hanging. Also, please, please have your heroines dress in different manners, they're interchangeable. I know that's a small thing, but when so many of them have the uniform of boots, shorts, flannel, tank, it's repetitive. When the stories are good, I don't want to compare the characters in my head.

As for the story, it was good, except for the circular conversations after the "incident." Cut that down by half, and just get on with it. I'm sorry, I still don't see why these stories need to be broken into multiple parts.

[Sláinte Wanderlust · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual Jessica Sorensen ends with a hell of a cliff hanger!
I loathe cliff hangers, I should stop punishing myself.... but I love her books.

I enjoyed this book. There were interesting characters and a lot of mysteries. I didn't find the plot particularly new, I've read similar stuff before - this didn't stop me enjoying it though. I look forward to reading the next book.

Did anyone else notice Hunter refers to the sheriff as her dad at about 80%?

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/13/2019)! 🎁

Blurb:
They call them The Raven Three. They're the most powerful and dangerous guys in town. Everyone respects them. Everyone fears them. No one ever challenges them until me.

But I have nothing to lose and nothing to fear but myself. So they give me a choice. Learn to fear them, or they'll make sure I do.But they weren't expecting me to be so stubborn. And after a dangerous challenge, The Raven Three become The Raven Four. There are rules that everyone has to obey, the most important one being we all have to stay friends. But none of us have ever been good at following rules and one of them is going to complicate things for me.

His name is Zay and he's the most intense guy I've ever met. I also feel a connection to him in a way I’ve never felt before. But can I trust him?

Books in The Falling Series:
The Falling of Everything (now available)
The Falling of Us (coming July 2019)

[Road Noah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this, I really did. But the heroines past and circumstances are hard to belive, she is supposed to be crazy and badass, but what I see is an average rode teen, self-important and whiny. The guys are worse though. They don't seem a bit remorseful, given that they should be the love interest, the things they pulled off makes it easier to hate them, then to love them. But it's okay, our heroine is just fine with their bull**it (she's supposed to have trust issues).
The dialogue makes everyone look awfully slow-witted and argh, the mean foster family is just flat out lame.
The whole mob thing is kinda childish. Sorry, but kidnapping someone because she took your seat in class? 😂 Seems reasonable for kindergarteners. And I JUST LOVE how they blame Raven for jumping, and she AGREES with them. They implied she could get raped or killed and she feels like she is at fault?

I was so angry while reading this, I had to put it down and go for a walk so I could finally stop fuming.
The plot is non-existent, the characters are unlikable and the wittiness I was waiting for just never appeared. I'm disappointed.

[Renada Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good book but too short!

The arthur writes good chapters but the book is never finished. It ended too soon and it's a waiting game now. The arthur writes other series and forgets to finish a complete series. She is a great arthur I just wish she concentrate on completing each series before starting a new book. She never completes them and it will be years before she finishes a series then leaves the books incomplete.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

[Christy Oldham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, but.......

I hesitate to read anything from this author anymore because she typically starts a series and doesn't finish it, and she does not respond on Facebook if you ask anything about her books. At least that's been my experience. But, I will say, she is an extremely talented writer. I've enjoyed anything I've read by her, so that's why it's so frustrating when you get hooked into a series from her and then it just drops off the face of the planet. This particular book drew me in. As most of her work does. I liked the characters and the direction this series seems to be going, so I truly hope she stays with it and completes it. I'm anxiously looking forward to book 2. I gave a 4 star rating only because it's a gamble with this author and her actually finishing up a series.

[Rambling Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now, I've never read anything by this author before, so I hope I'm not setting myself up for disappointment. I don't know about her other series or a reputation for not finishing them, so I'm going to just focus on looking at this particular book.

The Raven Four was an interesting read, but it was definitely a quick one. I'm a fast reader, so this book was more of a little snack for me, and I was disappointed to find out that it only came out this month! On the bright side, it looks like book two will be out in about a week and a half, so not a long wait ahead.

Raven is a bit of a typical dark FMC- she has some sadness in her past, there's abuse going on at school/at home, and she really clothes herself in darkness, giving up hope that being noticed will ever be a good thing in her life. From what I've seen of her in book one, though, I do like her so far. She's a bit sassy, which is usually my style, and even though she's got a bit of hopelessness, she hasn't just totally faded away.

Given how short the book is, we don't get a very deep chance to get to know her and the guys, but it looks like their vulnerabilities are going to be the strong tie that binds them together. There's a bit of the kindred spirit thing going on, no magic included. We're in a contemporary RH setting, without magic, so this is strictly an empathy situation as far as I can tell.

Zay, Hunter, and Jax are the most-feared boys around school, so naturally Raven can't go a single day without getting on to their radar. They come from a complicated "family" situation, and it's clear that there's no way Raven will be kept clean from their drama as well as her own.

Overall, I like the little glimpse that I got into the Raven Four's world, but I really wish the book was longer. When you get hooked into a story, you want a real chance to see character development, and I think we really just skim the surface. I'll definitely check out book two when it comes out, though, so hopefully much more awaits!

[queen_of_the_books_18 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books like this!
Dark, mysterious, intriguing and action packed.

I got sucked into this world of the Raven three who quickly became the Raven four when Raven challenged the guys and wouldn’t back down. Raven had such fight and fire and I love it when a girl is strong and a match for the guys.

I will admit there were some parts that dragged a little but I was too intrigued to find out all of the answers to the secrets.

I need the next instalment now because that cliffhanger...is not ok!!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was soooo good! I loved it, it hooks you right from the beginning. It was very fast paced and easy to read. It took me maybe forty minutes. The characters oh my goodness, I am in love with Hunter. He’s so sweet and charming. And Raven is so awesome! She’s literally my spirit animal 😂. I thought that I might’ve been getting some fantasy from this (I didn’t read the synopsis, I saw it on my kindle and thought it looked good) but I got mafia which was even better. All in all I really loved this book!

[Missy Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!

Wow!! I was so surprised on the darker tone that the Raven Four had, and I loved it. I loved the main character Raven. She has so much she is dealing with. The fire in her drew me to her, she is such a spitfire. And that mouth on her, I was rooting for her from page one. The Raven three, yeah you just met your match.

[JadeShea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book being when Raven moves to a new town and new school. She's always lived a crappy life, and now things may get worse. However, the Raven Boys may soon add a girl to their circle.

This book was okay, it was a little short and left on a cliffhanger of some sort.
I did like Raven, but I just felt so sad for her. And I'm interested in learning more now.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ended too soon

I enjoyed this book and I feel like the plot could be great but it ended too soon. I finished it in less tha two hours and if I didn't get it on kindle unlimited I would be a bit annoyed to be honest. Partly my fault as I didn't look at the page count before I started but honestly less than 200 pages should be listed as a novella in my opinion.

Will read the sequel if there is one but ot wont be high on my tbr pile if it is of a similar length

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing didn’t flow in the moment of each scene , but rather it felt like the story was being told. The plot seemed interesting and a change from the other stories I had been reading. All young adults facing trauma and abuse, the four teens become somewhat of a group. The book ends before she formally agrees to become part of their trio. I’m interested enough to seek out the answer to the question “How does Raven know Zay.” In addition “What happened to her parents, and how is the uncle involved?”

[Beth Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

I wasn't sure what to expect from this in, but it is pretty good. All of her books kind of run together, get renamed, or lengthened, maybe a new cover but I think this one is a new story. It was just really getting into it when it ended. The second book comes out soon, so there is that. I don't really get the reasoning behind the raven four, but I am sure it will be explained in the next book.

[Nancy The book junkie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.25/5

Review coming soon!

[Hanna Rosenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is GOOD, don't get me wrong. I'm constantly looking for things like Boys of Brayshaw and Fallen Crest because those are THE BEST, and this came up on one of those "things like those books" lists. And this was, but I had the same problem here that I did with Enchanted Chaos (didn't realize they were the same author until I was in too deep)

THE ENTIRETY OF THE BOOK COVERS BARELY TWO DAYS!

I loved the plot and the whole initiation, I like the rawness of the main character, loved that she was hurting but also no longer willing to be hurt. But I was waiting for what happens next. The next day at school, the next day with her cousin, just next, and it literally never came.

Le sigh. This book is awesome, and I would recommend a read, but after the initial plot point, there was little forward movement. The MC hadn't even decided if she wanted to be in the group yet. The book alludes to some really cool things, but I'm not sure if we'll ever get there. That's the only reason for three stars.

Give it a read! It's a good one.

[Anna Lynn Portwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always loved Jessica Sorensen's books but it seems lately her books keep getting shorter and shorter. I was so into this book and then it was like over and I was like really???? that's it???? I'm not a fan of the reverse harem genre.... so i didn't really like all the different points of view but at the same time i couldn't tell if that was the way this series was heading or not. I want to know what the boys are going to do when they find out her uncle cut her up again. i want them to protect her and i really wanted her and zay to have some kind of romance in the making. I really want to know how the next book plays out but i can't seem to make myself buy a book for $4.00 thats only 142 pages long. I will literally read that in an hour. And really why not add those 142 pages to the first book???? IDK......

[Tracey Milito · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

This is a great read. I enjoyed the characters and the story. I can’t wait to see where things go from here.

[Cate McCool · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle of the pack

This one fell a bit short for me, however has some potential that I hope gets realised in the next instalments.

First, this needs another read through by a professional (or better) editor. I found the incomplete sentences and numerous incorrect use of words very distracting. I find this surprising from a seasoned author.

Next, I’m struggling to care about a n y o n e in this (short) story. Perhaps I, myself have a cold, dead heart, but I’m struggling to find the characters, and the character’s relationships with each other, believable. The abuse the main female character, Raven, takes and has endured should mean an automatic sympathetic emotion, but I’m struggling to connect with her, and I really, really want to. She’s a bit spunky but has just had a rotten life. Again, she has some great potential but I’m just not convinced. The three main dudes are the same main dudes found in any RH at this point - the goofball flirt, the angry one and the very controlled one. Nothing about them stuck with me.

And then, the fact that zero of the many questions I have accumulated over the expanse of this novella have been answered is deeply frustrating. I understand it’s a trilogy, but this has irritated me enough that I may not care enough to get answers from the second and third instalments. There’s building anticipation and then there’s adding zero value to your story because you’ve left x y and zed for the next book. I feel like Sorensen could’ve made the story into a novel, rather than the novella length it currently stands at, and really fleshed out the characters more. Fleshed out the background out more.

Last, the under lying themes of this story have promise - a lot are tough issues that are not generally explored within the fiction realm, nevermind the romance genre. This easily is why this gets three stars, rather than the two I was lingering on. Sorensen has paved an interesting foundation with the themes that can be executed beautifully if she has the writing chops, however this remains to be widely seen in the current trilogy.

Jury is still out on whether I’m invested enough to carry on.

[CeCe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one, but I think it could have been written better. I have not regrets reading this. I had to know how things would continue. Why were the heroes doing what they were doing. Jessica Sorensen is not a new author. I loved the story. However, I think that some of the writing was awkward/misplaced. It was not a bad read, but it was not amazing either. I will be reading the next book in the series.

I am loving all these reverse harem books. I love how protective these heroes can be towards the heroine. LOVE IT. Give me MORE!!!

Raven moves into a new town with her abusive uncle who is the new sheriff in town. On the first day of school, Raven, smarts off to a boy. She won't move out of his seat. The boy gets mad and at the end of school, he and his two other friends kidnap Raven and drive her to a cliff and tell her to jump into the freezing lake. Raven jumps. The guys did not think the she would jump, so they save her. Since she jumped, this proved something to them so they take her into their group which they call the Raven Three. They accept her and think of her as one of them. These three guys are the scariest guys in school. Their families are all connected to the mob. There are other secrets, but this one ends in a cliffhanger. I love cliffhangers so I was not upset. However, I heard that this author has a tendency of not finishing her series, so I am concerned. The sequel to this book is scheduled for July 2019. I hope that it still true.

[Che is Slowly Getting Back to Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first found Jessica Sorensen reading The Secret Series, but it was The Coincidence series that really drew me in. Callie and Kayden are one of my fav couples. But back to this book. I was a bit hesitant to start this for the simple reason that she has sooooo many series going. Its awesome that she has the opportunity to give a voice to all her characters but still damn....

So below are MY thoughts and feelings regarding the characters and plot

FMC- Raven- She was likable enough. Not the squeaky clean virginal mcs that usually drives me nuts. Shes got the typical "bad" childhood. Her current household situation is pretty shitty, but then again so is the trend in RH. Poor girl has such a shitty home life, who will come to save her?! *eye roll*

Guys:
Hunter- Is the stereotypical manwhore/playboy and funny one
Jax- the leader, likely been the one that will resist the relationship
Zay- the damaged one. he can be a broody asshole ( my fav)

Relationship status:
Sloowwww burn- no romance so far

Friends:
No female friends atm, there might be potential.


Plot:
Decent plot but it does remind me a bit of the Sunnyvale and Bad boys rebels series.
There is mystery which has me curious enough to read next book cause im a nosy shit.
Its a quick read
Really dont have a emotional attachment to any of the characters but hopefully that'll change as the story goes on.
Prologue really drew me in.

Will be reading the next book