Book Review: Fallen

Fallen
Author: Lauren Kate
Hardcover, 452 pages
Published December 8th 2009 by Delacorte Press (first published November 19th 2009)
Reading Genre: YA Paranormal Romance




Supernatural tales of romance have always fascinated me, and this one certainly does not disappoint! I eagerly followed all the strange, mesmerizing twists and turns of the plot.

The protagonist, Lucinda Price, is a seemingly normal, average teenage girl from Savannah, Georgia, who attends a New England prep school, at which she is a 4.0 student. That is, of course, except for the shadows...which have accompanied her all her life, always showing up at the most unexpected moments...

Luce, as she is known to her family and friends, is doing very well at Dover, the prep school,until the day she and a date get caught in a mysterious fire, for which she is blamed. Since her date, Trevor, is killed, the judge for her case orders her sent to reform school. Poor Luce doesn't even remember exactly what happened. She does recall seeing Trevor's terrified face, and the shadows, looming closer and closer...until she loses consciousness.

It is at Sword & Cross, the reform school, that she meets two gorgeous boys, Daniel Grigori and Cameron Briel. They are as different as the proverbial night and day, one being dark while the other is light. Daniel seems bent on avoiding her, while Cam immediately starts to court her.

The novel's subsequent events are not only magically enthralling, but romantically enticing, as well.

The most compelling theme of this book -- that of eternal love, is depicted in the story of Daniel and Luce. The plot weaves in angels and reincarnation, adding the age-old combat between good and evil. Daniel is an angel who is condemned to fall for Luce, over and over, throughout the centuries. Luce always dies when she discovers that she, too, loves him, only to return every seventeen years.

This time, however, things are different...It turns out that Luce is the pivotal point in a cosmic drama that only begins to unfold in this book, which is the first of a series.

The three main characters, Luce, Daniel and Cam, are very interesting. Daniel and Cam are especially mysterious -- they keep Luce guessing as to their possible ulterior motives.

There are other very memorable characters in this novel, such as Arriane, with her mischievous, smart-punk attitude, and Penn, who helps Luce do some research into Daniel's family background. She also fast becomes Luce's main confidante and friend. Both of these girls were very loyal and helpful to Luce, who sorely needed their steadfast friendship throughout the novel.

There are several beautiful passages in this book, like this one describing Daniel’s wings:

"They came gradually, starting at the base of his shoulders, two white shoots extending from his back, growing higher, wider, thicker as they spread back and out. Luce eyed the scalloped edges, yearning to trace them with her hands, her cheeks, her lips.The inside of his wings began to glow with velvet iridescence."

Romantic, suspenseful, and an absolutely compulsive read, this book will delight anyone who thrills to the fascination of the paranormal combined with a love story!



Author Lauren Kate