Book Review- Fallen by Lauren Kate

I was wandering aimlessly in Borders Books one day (I know, I know- don’t judge a book by its cover, but I like to find jackets that catch my eye) when I happened across Fallen by Lauren Kate.  I was instantly drawn to the picture on the front and flipped it open.  After reading the synopsis I knew that I had to buy this book.

Fallen is an amazingly exciting story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page.  I read the entire 450+ page novel in only three sittings because I couldn’t bear to put it down until I knew how it ended.  Kate uses vivid description and a beautiful style to enhance an already thrilling story.  The book’s main character, Luce, comes to Sword & Cross reform school after a horrible accident kills Trevor, a school-mate of hers where she was the only witness.  Despite being with Trevor during the accident, all Luce can remember from that night are the dark shadows that have seemed to plague and haunt her for her whole life.

Luce tries to move past the dreadful events and settle herself among her fellow ‘trouble-maker’ students at Sword & Cross.  There is the bad-boy-rocker Cam, who flirts with Luce every chance he gets, Arriane who deems herself crazy and Luce her personal ‘pet’ and the inexplicably familiar Daniel, who seems to hate Luce before he even meets her.  But there is something that draws Luce to Daniel- that makes her want to find out more about him, despite his instantaneous revulsion toward her.

Fallen moves at a swift pace that never feels rushed but rather leaves you racing with Luce to uncover the truth about Daniel and the dark shadows that are becoming more frequent and unrelenting.  The entire story is a beautiful melding of excitement, romance and thrills that will leave you eager for more.

All of Fallen’s characters are powerful and unique in their own way, especially the heroine Luce, who is strong but feminine; incredibly likable and easy to root for.  Taking place in a boarding school, readers may be somewhat bothered by the lack of parental figures (the teachers are boring instructors that, for the most part, could care less about their students and the parents are equally absent) but otherwise Fallen delivers an exciting tale about love overcoming all odds.

If you like your supernatural romances to have a healthy dose of thrills, then Fallen is definitely for you.  Be sure to be on the look-out for Torment, the sequel to Fallen out September 2010!

Official 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 Sword & Cross boarding school in Savannah.  He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are screwups, and security cameras watch every move.

Except Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce—he goes out of his way to make that very clear.  But she can’t let it go.  Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, Luce 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.