Lament (Books of Faerie, #1)

by Maggie Stiefvater

[sstaley]

It is always hard when deciding to give a book a 3 or 4 star rating. After looking at all of the individual factors, it comes down to this for me, what was the over all feeling about this book. I liked Lament. I liked the characters, Dee, Luke and James. When there is a strong, female lead who is scared, but rises to the occasion to save people she loves...she has my vote. Deirdre is not passive, but sticks to what she knows must be done. I like a teen female being portrayed this way.

I also really liked the way the Fey were portrayed in this novel. I liked the authentic depiction of Celtic Faerie Lore. This to me was very refreshing.

One drawback in this book for me was the unnecessary swearing, including the f-bomb. I don't think it was needed in a teen book. There is also the teen "sex" talk about how attracted they are to each other and want things to go further. This is why I do recommend this book for older teens 16+ and adults. The teens in this story are mature and don't have that teeny-bopper feel, so adults will enjoy this book.

I want to read the sequel to Lament, Ballad, to answer some questions about the ending. I have heard from other friends though, that they weren't able to get through the sequel because of various reasons. I am going to give it a try just to see what happens next in the story. I like Maggie Stiefvater's writing. I have enjoyed her books Shiver and Linger. I will let you know what I think of the sequel Ballad.