Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Title: Fallen (Fallen #1)
Author: Lauren Kate
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 452
Challenge: YA Series

My Rating:

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. -summary from goodreads.com

One word; CONFUSING. I had heard both good and bad things about Fallen. Sadly, I didn't enjoy it as much. In this story we follow Luce, a troubled girl whose ability to see supernatural, terrifying shadow-things has granted her a one way ticket to Sword & Cross reform school in Georgia. I’m usually a big fan of the southern gothic, and the author perfectly described the school atmosphere in a great descriptive, creating and intriguing way … But come on?! How much school ground descriptions can we take? We don’t get into the story itself until like chapter 5. The first 4 chapters were nothing but filler chapters. Daniel (the main love interest) is a jerk! He treats Luce horribly and avoids her like the plague. You'd think Luce would get the point. I kept waiting for something to happen. Waiting for the moment of figuring out what the whole purpose of the book was…. But it never came. Seriously, not even at the end.

On a positive note, the writing style was good and easy to read. Characterization was also good, when it came to specific characters. Personally, I didn’t like Luce, she didn't feel like a worthy heroine. She’s going crazy trying to get Daniel’s attention, when it’s obvious that he has no interest or holds an unknown personal grudge against her. And when he finally decides to talk to her and its time to explain whats going on, we get this lame “Oh, you can’t know the complete truth cause it might ‘shock’ you to death” excuse. COME ON Mrs. Kate, throw us a bone here…. ! 

*spoiler* (HIGHLIGHT if you want to read)  Ohhhh! And how dare Daniel kiss her knowing that it could kill her!? Tsk, tsk… Don’t even get me started on the ending. Daniel takes off to confront the evildoers, leaving Luce behind to fend for herself in the hands of some less-than-competent bodyguards. Aye ya aye! This book is all sorts of wrong. *end of spoiler*

I’m contemplating whether or not I should attempt to read the sequel. Probably will, but not now. I can get lost in a good novel, but Fallen just put me to sleep after a few pages. Another pet peeve of mine; this book was described as an ultimate love story, but it only had ONE freaking romantic scene out of the 400 something pages! Um, hopeless romantic here *raises hand*! If the main theme is romance, I'd like more than one romantic scene…. And people wonder why I loved twilight so much.