Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Fallen by Lauren Kate

publisher: Delacorte Press

released: December 2009

hardcover, 452 pages
intended audience: Young adult

rating:


Description for bn.com:
Seventeen-Year-Old Luce is a new student at Sword & Cross, an unwelcoming boarding/reform school in Savannah, Georgia. Luce’s boyfriend died under suspicious circumstances, and now she carries the guilt over his death with her as she navigates the unfriendly halls at Sword & Cross, where every student seems to have an unpleasant—even evil—history. It’s only when she sees Daniel, a gorgeous fellow student, that Luce feels there’s a reason to be here—though she doesn’t know what it is. And Daniel’s frosty cold demeanor toward her? It’s really a protective device that he’s used again . . . and again. For Daniel is a fallen angel, doomed to fall in love with the same girl every 17 years . . . and watch her die. And Luce is a fellow immortal, cursed to be reincarnated again and again as a mortal girl who has no idea of who she really is.

Review: I really liked this one. It was darkly romantic and incredibly edgy, fast-paced and mysterious. In the prologue you meet Daniel and Lucinda for the first time in the past, and it's definitely important because it explains that his cold demeanor toward her when they meet in the present is put on just to keep her safely away from him, otherwise you might think it's not at all romantic, he's just being an ass! (That's not a spoiler! It even says this right there in the book description!) The story gets alot of cool edginess from being set in a reform school rather than just a regular boarding school. With that fact, you get alot of characters with sordid pasts and clashing attitudes, makes for lots of interesting conflicts. My favorite was Penn (Pennyweather Van-Sykle Lockwood..I love it!) and Arriane, who definitely keeps you guessing about her loyalties through the whole book. As a matter of fact, this can really be said about quite a few of the characters, and I love a story that keeps you guessing! Still, while I know this is going to be a series and alot of juicy details have yet to be revealed, I would have like to have a few things explained in this first book---like why the"thing" that happens to Luce and Daniel happens if they end up together. (Sorry for the vagueness--trying not to spoil anything!!) And I will say, the Epilogue left me wondering what the heck is going on???

On a side note: I listened to most of this story on audio book and read the last third of it. I found it a little hard to absorb as much with the audio book. I can't say I particularly like the voice it was read in, especially for this story. The reader's voice seemed a bit unsuited to this story at times. And I haven't listened to many audio books, but I'm finding that it bothers me when a female reader puts on a deeper voice when she's reading the male dialogue. It was also read a smidge on the slow side, which was slightly frustrating. I actually ended up playing it at a higher speed which I thought would annoy me at first, like being read to by one of the Chipettes...but it turned out sounding a little more like the actress Kristen Chenoweth, who I love! So that worked out better and it still is incredibly convenient to be able to listen while driving and while doing my book mending at work. :) So, lesson learned, it the future I will have to be a bit more picky about my audio books. I would hate to think less of an awesome book because I am distracted by the performer!

Anyhow, with all that said and done..I can't wait to read the second book! Torment hits shelves on September 28th, 2010!!