Saturday, February 6, 2010

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: December 8, 2009
Source: Around The World Tours
Language: English
 
Synopsis: There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce—and goes out of his way to make that very clear—she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her. Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.
 Lucinda "Luce" Price is sent to the Sword & Cross boarding school after a boy that she liked dies under mysterious circumstances-leaving her as the only eyewitness. Luce can't explain how Trevor died.... just like she can't explain why menacing shadows follow her wherever she goes. At Sword & Cross she feels that life will be bleak and lonely-that is, until she spots Daniel Grigori. Too bad he keeps snubbing her every time she tries to reach out to him. But even though it's obvious Daniel wants nothing to do with her, Luce can't help but feel a flicker of recognition whenever she looks into his eyes. Meanwhile, another boy is doing his best to get Luce's attention: the charming Cam, who doesn't run away every time Luce is near. Although Luce is flattered (and somewhat attracted) to Cam, she can't deny the strange pull Daniel has over her....

After reading so many mixed reviews on Fallen, of course I needed to see why there were so many positive (and negative) things being said about it. Luckily, I ended up enjoying the story. The pace of the novel was slow but it served as a good build-up to the action that the reader is thrown into near the end. It also made Luce's longing for Daniel seem even sharper, drawing more attention to how painstaking it was for Luce whenever Daniel pushed her away. The romantic "triangle" between Cam, Daniel and Luce was well done, giving the reader an excellent glimpse into their personalities; Daniel's icy demeanor was a huge contrast to Cam's open, friendly ways. But as the story progresses, you begin to see the masks slip off for every character, even the secondary ones, and that just added a mysterious, ominous element to the story. I admit, I wasn't sure what to expect when I started Fallen but I ended up being satisfied with what I was given: a good plot, strong characters and a cliffhanger of an ending that has me wanting to know more. There are some questions that aren't explained well enough in this book (like Trevor's mysterious death) but perhaps Lauren Kate will shed further light on them in the sequel; if so, I'll gladly wait for the next book in the series.

Rating: 4.0

15 comments:

  1. I'm glad you enjoyed it! I did too :) And yes, I'm still quite curious about what happened to Trevor. It's sad that I never got to know in FALLEN. I'm looking forward for the sequel, though. :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. Awesome review! I really liked this book too and actually enjoyed the slow pace because it was so well done and shed so much light on the characters. I love that she left so much unanswered and that even at the end, Cam and Daniel still held alot of their own mysteries instead of everything being laid out right in the first book. I am so excited for the new installment in this!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great review! I wasn't the biggest fan of Fallen because I felt that although the end was excellent, the slow pace nearly made me ditch reading it. I'll definitely read the sequel though :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I really enjoyed this book too. I like the slow pace because it really builds up the characters which I think will make the next books in the series even more enjoyable. :)

    Thanks for the great review.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Im reading it right now, and liking it so far, we´ll see what happens next ^^
    Great Review!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great review!

    I'm nearly done reading Fallen so I'll probably be posting a review tommorow. I like Cam better than Daniel so far, that's for sure :D

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great review. I am looking forward to trying this one :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I enjoyed this book. I like mysterious plots and suspense. The romance aspect was really great as well although once Luce gets with Daniel, I didn't like her as much as when she was single. D: Ah well, I'm really eager to see what happens in the next book.

    Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Quiero leer este libro. Por suerte llegará a España prontito ;) y me pasaré para contarte que me pareció a mí, jojojo.

    muá!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book, but I really enjoyed it. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Psh, you write great reviews yourself. I just ramble on-and-on, while yours are concise and to the point. Case in point here; awesome review! :D
    Your review was a 160 degree flip on mine, though you do make some valid points. I actually loved Cam, and next to hated Daniel and Luce. *sigh* Those shallow-minded beings, in my book. I agree with the bam-bam action at end though, and poor, poor Trevor. That's what you call being in the wrong place at the wrong time I guess. :(

    ReplyDelete
  12. Le tengo ganas a este libro... Espero que no me decepcione, como me pasó con Evermore ¬¬

    ReplyDelete
  13. Certain aspects of the story I enjoyed, but I can't say I liked the book as a whole.
    But you do make some good points. I will definitely read the second book to calm my curiousity. LOL
    Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Awesome review! I've got this one on my shelf, and I've been getting a bit nervous...but you're review makes it sound pretty good! :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I just read this book, to be honest, it was kind of disappointing. However, it sets a good starting point for Torment :D Love your blog, btw :)

    ReplyDelete