Fallen by Lauren Kate

Fallen by Lauren Kate
Release Date – Dec 8, 2009
Publisher – Delacorte Press
Pages - 452
My Rating- 7/10

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

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

I liked the Gothic, dark feel that the novel has. The author was able to capture that perfectly. The cover is beautiful. It’s very striking. It’s fits the tone and mood of the book perfectly.

The premise of the book is a version of the star crossed lovers story. Our lovers are Luce and Daniel. The typical girl and the angel boy who loves her. I really liked the whole “past lives” part of the plot. It made some of the character’s actions a little easier to accept knowing this information. I found it heartbreaking that both Luce and Daniel were cursed to repeat their story again and again with the same devastating results. I felt for both Luce and Daniel as both of them had horrible consequences resulting from them being together.

I liked Luce for the most part. I felt I could sympathize with her confusion and her wanting to make friends. I had a little bit of an issue when it came to her reactions and actions when it came to Daniel. The first time she sees Daniel he literally flips her off. He is also rude and basically ignores her any other time they cross paths. Luce, instead of doing what she should do and tell him where to go, chases after him. She becomes obsessed. It is explained why Daniel does this and you can understand his point of view eventually but I found it aggravating that Luce was putting up with they way he treated her.

Daniel is what you would expect from the “heart-throb” of the book. Gorgeous, a little dangerous and aloof. I wish we would have found out more about him. We only find out what Luce knows. Daniel isn’t able to share a lot with her so he is still pretty mysterious at the end of the book. I am hopeful this will change in the next two books in the series.

Arriane, and Penn were two of the characters that I ended up really liking. Arriane was fun, feisty and quirky. Penn was my favourite. She was smart, rational and really seemed to want to help Luce.

I found myself drawn into the story and wanting to know what was going to happen next. I am jumping into Torment right away (as they were both ready for pick up at the library at the same time) and hope to get some more answers. I had a lot of questions at the end of the book and I am happy to not have to wait to read the next one.