50 YA Books We Want Adapted to the Big or Small Screen

Cover of The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. Image via Scholastic Press.

31. The Raven Cycle

Although it wouldn’t be hard to recommend Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver series for this list, either, we’re going to go for The Raven Cycle instead since it’s got an even more interesting concept. Basically, we’re here for interesting concepts.

The Raven Cycle opens with The Raven Boys, which introduces our heroine, Blue, who is not actually a clairvoyant. Her mother is. Despite this, Blue stands by her mother as those who will die soon go past. But one fateful year, she not only sees one, he speaks to her. That’s Gansey, one of the titular boys, so named because he goes to the local private school.

There’s just one problem: for her to have seen him means one of two things. Either she’s his true love, or she killed him. The possibilities for angst and tortured feelings are endless, really, but there’s still more fantastical happenings and doings beyond your standard clairvoyants. It may be hard to adapt them all to film, really, but I have faith.

Stiefvater’s own FAQ points out that she doesn’t know anything about when or if a film based on the series will come out, although it’s been optioned at the very least. (Ditto with The Scorpio Races, which also could have appeared on this list.)