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The Ravens
"Moving, magical, and packed with emotion, The Ravens is an empathetic look at the resilience and courage of teen girls and the extraordinary power of female friendships." –Tracey Neithercott, author of Gray Wolf Island
Seventeen-year-old Charley Foster's power of empathy is so strong, it's probably magic. Bullied and labeled a freak, Charley is friendless until she meets fellow empaths Brynn and Joss who, together, create the Ravens, a circle for girls who feel too much, vowing that this is the year they'll rise.
It isn't long before they are given the chance to do just that. When the high school English teacher is rumored to have sexually assaulted a number of girls at school, including Brynn, Joss wants the Ravens to spring into action and expose the truth. The problem? The accused teacher is Charley's father. When Charley chooses to defend him instead of fight, The Ravens disband, leaving each of the girls alone to battle for justice and, in the process, discover the true sources of their magic and power.
The Ravens, told through the rotating points-of-view of Charley, Brynn, and Joss, explores outcasts and friendship, assault and survivorship, the power of raised voices, and the capacity of ordinary magic.
Seventeen-year-old Charley Foster's power of empathy is so strong, it's probably magic. Bullied and labeled a freak, Charley is friendless until she meets fellow empaths Brynn and Joss who, together, create the Ravens, a circle for girls who feel too much, vowing that this is the year they'll rise.
It isn't long before they are given the chance to do just that. When the high school English teacher is rumored to have sexually assaulted a number of girls at school, including Brynn, Joss wants the Ravens to spring into action and expose the truth. The problem? The accused teacher is Charley's father. When Charley chooses to defend him instead of fight, The Ravens disband, leaving each of the girls alone to battle for justice and, in the process, discover the true sources of their magic and power.
The Ravens, told through the rotating points-of-view of Charley, Brynn, and Joss, explores outcasts and friendship, assault and survivorship, the power of raised voices, and the capacity of ordinary magic.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 22, 2022
55 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 8, 2025
Friendship and Trauma
I’m really torn about this book in that it covered important subjects like friendship and addressed touchy topics openly. It also continually talked about the feelings of multiple young women, and made them all sound skittish and mentally unsound, and extremely immature. None of that resolved until the end of the book.
This book dealt with abuse, and that’s a difficult subject. The writing style was interesting, although I didn’t enjoy it was still good writing. Four stars, and could have been five had the characters been developed.
I’m really torn about this book in that it covered important subjects like friendship and addressed touchy topics openly. It also continually talked about the feelings of multiple young women, and made them all sound skittish and mentally unsound, and extremely immature. None of that resolved until the end of the book.
This book dealt with abuse, and that’s a difficult subject. The writing style was interesting, although I didn’t enjoy it was still good writing. Four stars, and could have been five had the characters been developed.
February 10, 2023
This is second book this week, year, and ever that I’ve read by someone I personally know. It is very interesting to see parts of others lives flared through out the pages.
Jackie is an incredible writer and brilliant story teller. I had such a rush going from page to page as the story unraveled. I appreciate in a story having flawed characters, even unlikeable characters. I felt the story tied together realistically!
Jackie is an incredible writer and brilliant story teller. I had such a rush going from page to page as the story unraveled. I appreciate in a story having flawed characters, even unlikeable characters. I felt the story tied together realistically!
July 10, 2025
Didn’t care for the premise of empaths because it wasn’t really developed well n the character building.
Dealt with the topic of abuse and trauma which was hard, but also slightly glossed over at times.
Friendship was the main theme and I enjoyed watching the development of these as they ebbed and flowed between five characters even though there were truly only three main characters
Dealt with the topic of abuse and trauma which was hard, but also slightly glossed over at times.
Friendship was the main theme and I enjoyed watching the development of these as they ebbed and flowed between five characters even though there were truly only three main characters
August 16, 2022
I was provided with a free copy of this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers programme.
This book introduces to three first-person protagonists: magic-obsessed Charley, snarky Joss and anxious Brynn. Together they are The Ravens, although as the book opens the club is already fractured, with two previous members having been excluded for making allegations against Charley’s teacher father.
My favourite thing about these characters was the fact that they were portrayed as realistic teens, not forced into roles where they where they had an improbable amount of agency to service the plot. I felt particularly strongly for Brynn, the need she had to cling to the friendship with Charley at all costs.
I can’t find the original blurb, but I think it perhaps oversold a little on the magic elements. Charley casts spells, yes, but their effects could be real or could be purely psychological. Ultimately it’s a book about friendship, not witchcraft, and it’s also a story about finding the strength to speak out, and about coming to terms with loving someone who has done terrible things. I’d recommend to teens who like quiet, introspective stories where female friendship is centred.
This book introduces to three first-person protagonists: magic-obsessed Charley, snarky Joss and anxious Brynn. Together they are The Ravens, although as the book opens the club is already fractured, with two previous members having been excluded for making allegations against Charley’s teacher father.
My favourite thing about these characters was the fact that they were portrayed as realistic teens, not forced into roles where they where they had an improbable amount of agency to service the plot. I felt particularly strongly for Brynn, the need she had to cling to the friendship with Charley at all costs.
I can’t find the original blurb, but I think it perhaps oversold a little on the magic elements. Charley casts spells, yes, but their effects could be real or could be purely psychological. Ultimately it’s a book about friendship, not witchcraft, and it’s also a story about finding the strength to speak out, and about coming to terms with loving someone who has done terrible things. I’d recommend to teens who like quiet, introspective stories where female friendship is centred.
February 25, 2023
This is probably one of the hardest books I have read in a long time. Charley, Brynn and Joss are best friends. They have formed a group called "The Ravens". They had two other friends who have been banished from the group. Charley has them dabbling in witchcraft to try to help Brynn's mom who has cancer. But friendships are tested when Brynn tells something to Charley that she doesn't believe. Brynn is scared she will be banished from the group like their two former friends so she recants what she has said. Joss knows deep in her heart that Brynn did not lie to Charley the first time. She has decided she must try to make things right not to hurt Charley but to help her. Her actions almost have catastrophic consequences. Her stupid, yet brave attempt to fix things open Charlie's eyes to the truth. But can knowing the truth fix things between her and her friends? One of the best, yet painful books I have read. I could identify with Brynn. I was that shy girl who like Brynn recanted a statement out of fear of losing the love of those around me. This is a must read book about speaking up when you don't feel strong enough to speak up.
June 10, 2025
Had to stop reading
I had to stop reading this book bc the premise of empaths is stupid. Most people do not walk around with emotions so intense they could knock you over. Yet this is what the "empaths" feel. Supposedly from everyone else. I've got news for you girls. If you're constantly being bowled over with powerful emotions, that's not the people around you. That's a you thing. Most people's emotions fall into a rather boring range most of the time. If something extreme happens, there can be periods of extreme emotion. But even in devastating grief, people experience periods of normalcy, or almost forgetting (which they feel guilty about, but which is normal). So these girls walking around just being pounded by emotions sounded like a hormonal problem to me. Which they've tried to elevate by calling it being an "empath." Gag me with a spoon. I'm over it. I've no desire to spend my free time stuck in the quagmire of junior high school girls emotions. Then they try to make the main character 17. I'm sorry, by 17 you need a better grip than that.
I had to stop reading this book bc the premise of empaths is stupid. Most people do not walk around with emotions so intense they could knock you over. Yet this is what the "empaths" feel. Supposedly from everyone else. I've got news for you girls. If you're constantly being bowled over with powerful emotions, that's not the people around you. That's a you thing. Most people's emotions fall into a rather boring range most of the time. If something extreme happens, there can be periods of extreme emotion. But even in devastating grief, people experience periods of normalcy, or almost forgetting (which they feel guilty about, but which is normal). So these girls walking around just being pounded by emotions sounded like a hormonal problem to me. Which they've tried to elevate by calling it being an "empath." Gag me with a spoon. I'm over it. I've no desire to spend my free time stuck in the quagmire of junior high school girls emotions. Then they try to make the main character 17. I'm sorry, by 17 you need a better grip than that.
June 15, 2025
I couldn't finish the book.
The book: Five teenage girls bullied in school, form their own friend group. After a dark secret comes out about Charley’s dad, the group splinters after Charley kicks two of the girls out of the group for lying about her dad.
Charley, Joss, and Brynn are trying to navigate their former friends siding with the school bullies, coming into their witchly powers, and helping Brynn’s mom overcome cancer. And then it happens again, the dark secret. But this time to Brynn. Joss puts her foot down and refuses to let Charley’s dad get away with it.
My personal opinion: I've been struggling to read this book. It's not catching my attention and it feels like a chore to read it. It's very slow moving and sometimes I get lost in what's going on because the character narrative has changed for that chapter. So then I have to go back and see who’s experience I'm dealing with. After struggling to read 47% of it, I'm not finishing it.
The book: Five teenage girls bullied in school, form their own friend group. After a dark secret comes out about Charley’s dad, the group splinters after Charley kicks two of the girls out of the group for lying about her dad.
Charley, Joss, and Brynn are trying to navigate their former friends siding with the school bullies, coming into their witchly powers, and helping Brynn’s mom overcome cancer. And then it happens again, the dark secret. But this time to Brynn. Joss puts her foot down and refuses to let Charley’s dad get away with it.
My personal opinion: I've been struggling to read this book. It's not catching my attention and it feels like a chore to read it. It's very slow moving and sometimes I get lost in what's going on because the character narrative has changed for that chapter. So then I have to go back and see who’s experience I'm dealing with. After struggling to read 47% of it, I'm not finishing it.
August 26, 2022
The Ravens is a very good young adult novel about finding your people, finding your voice, and standing up for what is right. It is not about witchcraft or magic. It has a lot of #MeToo influence throughout the book. It’s told in the alternating voices of the three main characters - Charley, Joss, and Brynn. While I liked the way the author developed these characters, I feel like a lot of their actions were unrealistic. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I received a copy of this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
September 22, 2022
Charley, Joss, and Brynn are teenage empaths, highly sensitive girls who dabble in witchcraft. Their intentions are good while they struggle with family health issues and conflicts, including conflicts with each other. But when Charley's dad is maybe not the man who she thought he was, things get very complicated and the stakes are high. This is a highly relatable story told with elegant prose that is also accessible to teens. I loved the imagery and the themes. Readers will come away feeling that true friendship and kindness can conquer pretty much anything.
December 25, 2022
The Ravens by Jackie Jacobi
She is a personal friend of mine and I was ecstatic she was having her first novel published. In her appreciation she names a number of mutual theater acquaintances.
In essence the story follows a group of teenage girls who feel misunderstood and who choose to dabble in magic (perhaps black magic) Being empaths has left them friendless but they are strong-minded until one emphasis to the others that a high school teacher has molested her. Hardest of all he is one of her circle's father's. Now what to do. I look forward to reading other works as she continues
She is a personal friend of mine and I was ecstatic she was having her first novel published. In her appreciation she names a number of mutual theater acquaintances.
In essence the story follows a group of teenage girls who feel misunderstood and who choose to dabble in magic (perhaps black magic) Being empaths has left them friendless but they are strong-minded until one emphasis to the others that a high school teacher has molested her. Hardest of all he is one of her circle's father's. Now what to do. I look forward to reading other works as she continues
June 23, 2025
interesting story of a group of high school girls
This is the story of teenage girls, a group of girls. At first they try to be witches, studying witchcraft with black feathers. There are rumors that the English teacher is inappropriately touching girls. He is the father of one of the group. It is a trying time—no one turns him in. How can he continue to get away with it? What will happen? Can they give up the witchcraft and tell the police?
This is the story of teenage girls, a group of girls. At first they try to be witches, studying witchcraft with black feathers. There are rumors that the English teacher is inappropriately touching girls. He is the father of one of the group. It is a trying time—no one turns him in. How can he continue to get away with it? What will happen? Can they give up the witchcraft and tell the police?
August 8, 2022
A few things I loved; I loved the character development, the fact that I really understood each point of view, the descriptions of things, the over all plot (I’m a fan of the movie “The Craft” and it kinda had a undertone feeling). Things I did not love; Some of the sentences dragged without saying much, the outcast aspects were total clichés, Joss was annoying. Overall it was a descent book.
August 14, 2022
This book deals with some pretty heavy topics, including sexual assault, anxiety, and depression. While geared towards teenagers, it’s not the normal fairy, happy ending type book.
The writing is a bit amateurish and some sentences do tend to run a long. The progression of the characters is intriguing and perhaps more adult like rather than teenager.
Overall it was a good book.
The writing is a bit amateurish and some sentences do tend to run a long. The progression of the characters is intriguing and perhaps more adult like rather than teenager.
Overall it was a good book.
November 24, 2023
The Ravens
I had no idea that this story was going to touch on such serious issues. I almost didn't read it because the beginning seemed so disconnected, so glad I stayed with it, middle school, a club, trust, helping each other through everything that takes place
I had no idea that this story was going to touch on such serious issues. I almost didn't read it because the beginning seemed so disconnected, so glad I stayed with it, middle school, a club, trust, helping each other through everything that takes place
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews