Mini-Review of Lament

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

Pages: 325

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pub. Date: October 1, 2008

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand - one who can see faeries. Unexpectedly, Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy named Luke, who enters her ordinary life, seemingly out of thin air. But his interest in her might be something darker than summer romance. When a sinister faerie named Aodhan shows up with deadly orders from the Faerie Queen, it forces Dee right into the midst of Faerie. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend.  Deirdre had been wishing her summer weren't so dull, but taking on a centuries-old Faerie Queen isn't exactly what she had in mind."

Deirdre is a character that I liked from the start.  She is a sixteen year old gifted musician that suffers from stage fright.  Even though she is a fantastic musician, she suffers from insecurities and I think most readers will appreciate that.  While dealing with her anxiety surrounding her upcoming performance, she meets a mysterious guy, Luke Dillion.  He literally is the guy from her dreams.  Without giving too much away, Deirdre also realizes she is a cloverhand, which is a person who can see faeries.  With that said, she enters a mysterious faerie world that changes her life forever.  

I love Maggie Stiefvater's writing style.  It's beautiful and how she incorporates songs and poems is brilliant.  I adored how she integrated Celtic lore into this story; it was perfect to read on my flight to Ireland.  Also, it was interesting to read this book after I read Iron King as there are many similarities, which I am sure is true about all stories focusing on faerie myth.   By the way, is it me or have there been a lot of stories about faeries lately?  I'm not complaining--It's a nice break from vampires. 

The only reason I didn't give this book four out of four stars is because of the love triangle. I found it a tad frustrating and the ending made it even more dissatisfying. Now, this may be because I have been really sick lately and lack patience, but I found myself struggling with that aspect of the book.  I definitely will be reading Ballad, which is the sequel, and I'm glad I finally picked up this book.  One thing is for certain:  Maggie Stiefvater's lyrical writing style never disappoints. 

Interested in this book?  Read an excerpt here!

Buy It Here: