TheDailySnitcher

FALLEN by Lauren Kate

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (December 8, 2009)

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.

Review

FALLEN, by Lauren Kate, is a masterpiece in the paranormal romance genre. Kate has written a love story that is both epic and filled with supernatural twists and turns that will haunt you deliciously long after you have finished reading the book.  

The story of Luce and her two loves, Daniel and Cam, is beautifully written with gorgeous, elegant prose and realistic dialogue. FALLEN is filled with adventure, mystery and intrigue all wrapped up in a fairy tale of a love story.

The book is wonderfully long, allowing you to really lose yourself inside of Luce’s world. The plot is tightly constructed, and the characters are so well-developed to the point that it is easy to fall in love with all of them. FALLEN is the first in the trilogy by Lauren Kate, and it is easy to see that Luce will have a hard time deciding whom she loves more – Daniel or Cam. Readers will jump to choose their sides – Team Daniel or Team Cam – and eagerly defend them while they wait for the final decision. Some other favorite characters are Arriane, with her feisty and bold personality, and Penn, whose fate brought tears to my eyes.

Kate’s eloquence with words is obvious in the fluidity and deftness with which she writes. She is a master at story-telling. It is clear that enormous amounts of time went into writing FALLEN, from the historical research of the world that Kate writes about to the creation of three-dimensional characters that feel like real people and make you truly care about what happens to them. The suspense of knowing how the story unfolds and what more impossible truths that Luce will discover – and if she will survive to the end of the tale –will make you anxious for the next installment. The second book in the series, TORMENT, hits shelves September 28, 2010.

An added bonus – the cover of FALLEN is absolutely breathtaking, a gorgeous piece of art.

FALLEN is highly recommended to all of you looking to lose yourself in a heavenly romantic mystery.

Purchase FALLEN by Lauren Kate at Amazon.com.