This book was an incredible, gorgeous surprise. I've read Shiver, and loved it, and I didn't expect to love Lament more--but I did. I did! So excited over here! This book was gorgeous and funny, sweet and heartbreaking, and what I loved most about it all, is that it felt real.

Stepping away from the review for a second: I've read both Wicked Lovely and The Iron King, two of the iconic YA fairy books around, and didn't like either; I couldn't believe a word of them. I thought it's just because that's how people write fey, and so I must not like fey. But then I read Laini Taylor's Lips Touch, and loved it; and read her Dreamdark books, and loved them, and I never expected anyone else to recreate that realistic, gorgeous experience for me.

Back to the book review, Lament had the exact same effect as Laini Taylor's faerie books did: it was fresh, had all the best elements of love and magic and music, and the voice was so honest and fresh, and the romance was perfect. It struck the balance between falling head-over-heels for someone, without seeming like it happened too quickly; it was intense, without feeling melodramatic; and it had to overcome some truly difficult obstacles (not, you know, fake obstacles that were complete misunderstandings.)

Even the climax, which I feared might disintegrate into crazy weird fey stuff that makes little sense, actually maintained a huge amount of believability. I was completely sucked into this world.

So basically, if you've been around the block, are tired of fey cliches but enjoyed the freshness of Laini Taylor's fey or even the realism in Maurissa Guibord's Warped (which also reminded me of this book) then you may enjoy Lament. And if you enjoyed Shiver, felt a little frustrated with the rest of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series and long for the simple, sweet kind of romance found between Sam and Grace, you should definitely read Lament. It's nothing like the cover suggests. It's a million times brighter and better.