All Things Good Books (Lament by Maggie Stiefvater)

I just finished the first book in this series, Lament by Maggie Stiefvater. And I posted my review over on goodreads.com . But it bears repeating here -

"Let's just say that Lament hooked me from the beginning. And that's a little
hard because these days I look for a really well written fairy story not just a
formulaic retelling of folk lore.

So I started Lament and was immediately intrigued by the characters. I liked Dee right away because I could relate to her nausea process before a performance. I figure skated as a kid and remember those feelings a little too well. Then the introduction of both James and Luke pulled me in further. I wanted to understand their relationships with Dee, both so seemingly different and yet similar.

I'm going to attempt to stick to my No Spoiler Policy in the review and
say that the story truly has it all. It has memorable characters that you find
yourself either relating to or rooting for them. It has beautifully woven fairy
lore throughout the plot. And then to top it all of, gorgeously written imagery.
Some of the prose was so well written it literally left me breathless. No truly.
For those of you who are reading this, you need to know that, for me, very few
books rise to that occassion. I won't list them now but let me repeat, very few.

As for the plot itself, it was darker than I expected. And twistier (okay, not a word but work with me). And half way through, I found myself wanting to stay in the dark, murky, dangerous depths as much as I wanted to float up to an ending that had a more positive light. Maggie establishes this longing like (again) very few authors can accomplish. A longing that is so poignant and sad and thoughtful. This feeling threads itself through the natural rise of the plot line and even well past the climactic scene.

I read the book quickly over three days which encompassed a weekend. In
spite of all the planned activities, I found myself wanting to escape to this
world and find out what happens to the characters. That to me is the definition
of a Good Book. That need to find out in spite of Real Life surrounding you.
Such a great feeling. Thank you, Maggie."

I will freely admit that I am anxiously waiting for the sequel. If you like Young Adult Fantasy genre, check out Lament. You won't be sorry.

Now go on, visit the library or your book store and pick up that good book you've been wanting to find time to read. Hurry. There are waiting lists, you know.

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