Oh, James.I'm happy sighing all over the place. James gets the attention he deserves in this sequel to Lament, as for me he was the most appealing character in the first book, and now I adore this cocky, empathetic, lovelorn boy all the more. This book is simple yet multifaceted, beautiful and eerie, and ultimately satisfying in a way that makes you close the cover, place the novel on your lap, and sigh with happiness, grinning the entire time like an idiot.
Peel back my 28-year-old exterior and you'll find an inner adolescent who read Ballad in one sitting, just like I'd previously done with Lament. And that inner adolescent loved this book in a way that made even my adult self adore it, too, so much so that at this point I have to admit to being a shameless fangirl, not a reviewer. So please, go read it and happy sigh with me, and I'll end by saying:
Oh, James.
