qgg's review against another edition
3.0
In book 1 of Maggie Stiefvater's faerie series, James was a loyal, funny, psychic guy in love with Dee who we don't really get a chance to know well. In book 2, he's one of two voices and we see inside his head. It turns out that he's bitter, deeply sarcastic, bristly, neurotic and cocky. Yes, nearly dying and being stuck in the friend zone could make one bitter, but why is he an asshole to his roommate and the one teacher who cares about him? Add his intense neuroses and a peek inside his head and I really struggled to give a crap about him for the first half of the book.
The second voice of the book was Nuala, the muse. She's a part faerie, part human, ethereal mind reader and dream weaver with a gift for music. She's unable to make music herself or write it down. Also she's a killer and James can see right through her tricks. Nuala was, by far, the most interesting part of this book.
Book one Dee had all sorts of powers, but in this book she seemed to only retain the ability to write texts and not send them. Helpless Dee was no fun to read at all. Plus, it was jarring to read a new female interest while the original was still around and not acting like herself at all.
Then there is Sullivan, the language arts teacher who doesn't act like a teacher at all. He lives in the boys' dorm and seems to be on 24 hour watch over James. I found myself questioning this "school" and it's methods even more than James.
So all of this adds up to a book that I had to finish but a story that I could never sink into. I spent too much time questioning the characters and their motivations. Maggie Stiefvater's writing, mood setting and story weaving are still amazing, but the characters and their changes from book one to two didn't fully work.
The second voice of the book was Nuala, the muse. She's a part faerie, part human, ethereal mind reader and dream weaver with a gift for music. She's unable to make music herself or write it down. Also she's a killer and James can see right through her tricks. Nuala was, by far, the most interesting part of this book.
Book one Dee had all sorts of powers, but in this book she seemed to only retain the ability to write texts and not send them. Helpless Dee was no fun to read at all. Plus, it was jarring to read a new female interest while the original was still around and not acting like herself at all.
Then there is Sullivan, the language arts teacher who doesn't act like a teacher at all. He lives in the boys' dorm and seems to be on 24 hour watch over James. I found myself questioning this "school" and it's methods even more than James.
So all of this adds up to a book that I had to finish but a story that I could never sink into. I spent too much time questioning the characters and their motivations. Maggie Stiefvater's writing, mood setting and story weaving are still amazing, but the characters and their changes from book one to two didn't fully work.
blacksheepdigitalva's review against another edition
5.0
This was a sensational book. Honestly, I loved it. I sort of forgot the exact details of what happened in the first book, but it didn't really matter because Ballad was told from James's point of view. His humor and cockiness is hilarious. Nuala is a great character too. Ballad has a great love story that keeps you reading and leaves you wanting more.
writingwwolves's review against another edition
5.0
I don't know who I fancy more, James or Nuala. Much preferred this to the first book, absolutely in love with this one. I hope Maggie writes more about James and Nuala at some point.
frootjoos's review against another edition
5.0
Oh yeah. Even better than Lament. Love, Love, Love James! I may have to downgrade Lament a star, just to show how much more awesome Ballad is. I actually want to read it again!
in_emmas_library's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked seeing everything from Simon’s perspective and his role in everything. Dee was kinda annoying in this ? I felt like she was more of a background character than anything else. overall I liked the book but I feel like it’s a companion book rather than a sequel to lament
kfpdx's review against another edition
3.0
This was a really good book. I really loved the story. My only complaint is that the personality of the charicters changed way too much. It was like they had thesam e name as the charicters from Lament but they were totally different people in a totally unrelated story.
readerpants's review against another edition
4.0
ETA July '12: Just as good -- probably even better -- upon rereading!
I'm a little embarrassed by how much I'm enjoying this. Reading it makes me feel like I'm back in high school, in all of my unbearably geeky, repartee-laced, Ren-Faire-attending... um, glory. There's an adult, readerly part of me that know this isn't a great book, but my inner adolescent is reveling in the sarcasm and earnestness and celtophilia. I think I would have adored this book when I was a teen; but since I fit a particular mold of geek that's still floating through middle and high schools today, I think it's going to make some contemporary teen readers pretty happy too.
James's voice is a real improvement over Dee's (which made up the last book), and while the text messages are irritating at least there aren't too many of them. The James/Nuala storyline is somewhat compelling, but it's really the voice and the setting that makes the book -- a music nerd boarding school in an idyllic setting with cool young teachers and an inordinate number of witty, deep, teen Celtic folk musicians struggling with love and death (intertwined, of course)? It's like Simon's Rock meets Charles de Lint. My inner 17-year-old is all hot and bothered and totally wants to go. My adult self is completely amused and feeling nostalgic for nerd camp. Both selves think it's kind of awesome.
I'm a little embarrassed by how much I'm enjoying this. Reading it makes me feel like I'm back in high school, in all of my unbearably geeky, repartee-laced, Ren-Faire-attending... um, glory. There's an adult, readerly part of me that know this isn't a great book, but my inner adolescent is reveling in the sarcasm and earnestness and celtophilia. I think I would have adored this book when I was a teen; but since I fit a particular mold of geek that's still floating through middle and high schools today, I think it's going to make some contemporary teen readers pretty happy too.
James's voice is a real improvement over Dee's (which made up the last book), and while the text messages are irritating at least there aren't too many of them. The James/Nuala storyline is somewhat compelling, but it's really the voice and the setting that makes the book -- a music nerd boarding school in an idyllic setting with cool young teachers and an inordinate number of witty, deep, teen Celtic folk musicians struggling with love and death (intertwined, of course)? It's like Simon's Rock meets Charles de Lint. My inner 17-year-old is all hot and bothered and totally wants to go. My adult self is completely amused and feeling nostalgic for nerd camp. Both selves think it's kind of awesome.