Fallen

Fallen

By: Lauren Kate

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.

summary from book

My Rating: 4/5

Fallen is one of those novels that you just can't read fast enough. This book had me on the edge of my seat! Admittedly, it starts off at a slower pace (like most novels) increasing steadily until so much is revealed you have to stop reading in between paragraphs just to take it all in.

The concept behind this novel is a very intriguing one. Lauren Kate has quite the imagination. From the initial beginning the author created a world that draws the reader in almost immediately. You're thrown right into this mysterious story that is fueled by interesting characters that keep you guessing. Although I had my suspicions, a lot of what happened at the end I would never had seen coming. Being a frequent reader, I can at times usually predict a lot of what is going to occur but Lauren Kate kept the suspense high and the plot twists coming.

I would say that this novel is more dependent on plot than on character. At times, when that's the case, characters can turn out flat and two dimensional. I didn't find that to be the case with Fallen. Have I read stories where characters have more depth and are easier to relate to-yes although I liked many aspects that the author added to this story that multiple novels in the same category/genre don't include. For example, I liked that Luce's parents played a decent sized role in Fallen. A lot of times, parents are not even mentioned in books like these which I can understand although it's always nice to know more about the character's life before the reader is introduced to him or her. I also liked how mentions of Luce's past were also included, little scenarios and instances that just added to making her character more believable.

That being said, it was Daniel, the lead male character that I found the most intriguing. While I was reading, I kept thinking how fascinating it would be if this story had been told through his perspective. Of course, had that been the case, the reader would know far too much too fast yet still, at many instances I found myself wanting to know what he was thinking. Luce is just waking up to a lot of realizations that Daniel is already very familiar with. Without giving too much away, I think it would be intriguing to see how he was feeling and what he was truly thinking as opposed to the actions he put forth to shield his true emotions.

All in all, Fallen is a very fantastic story that will pull you out of your world and submerge you into its own. If you enjoy novels with fantasy elements as well as mystery, suspense, and romance, then I'd really recommend that you read this book. After reading this book, you will be counting down the days to the upcoming sequel Torment that is set to be released later this year. I myself still have so many questions that I can't wait to have answered.

On a final note, I have to say, I'm really happy that the official summary for this book was changed. The original, although captivating, gave far too much away. I went into this novel knowing things that were not reveled until the later chapters. So just a small word of advice, if you haven't already stumbled across the original summary, only pay attention to the one above that comes attached to the finished copy of Fallen. It's more exciting that way. :)