Title: Fallen
Author: Lauren Kate
Publisher: Delacorte Press, imprint of Random House
Released: 2009
Summary: Ever since she can remember, she has been plagued and followed by dark shadows. Her parents fear for her sanity and shuffle her from one psychiatrist to another. After years of taking the prescribed medication, Luce is convinced that she's not crazy, that the shadows are real, and she convinces her parents to stop making her take the medication. Luce finally feels like her life is back on track. Then one night, she sneaks off from a party with a boy named Trevor. What seems like an innocent rendezvous ends with Trevor dead and Luce in a fog over what really happened. Luce is sent off to a reform school in Georgia called the Sword & Cross, where everything isn't exactly as it seems. While there, Luce makes friends and develops an interest in two boys. As her stay at Sword & Cross lengthens, Luce must figure out the meaning of the shadows, choose between Cam and Daniel, and figure out the truth of her past.
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed Lauren Kate's novel Fallen. I thought the setting of a reform school and Luce's mysterious and deadly incident with Trevor added just the right dark highlight to the story. The subject matter, when it was finally revealed was also interesting.
The setting of a swampy and humid Georgia added a nice touch to the overall mysterious, slightly sinister feeling of the novel.
Kate's characters are also well formed and believable, although they didn't seem like super bad kids to be in a reform school.
The last 100 pages brought everything in the novel together. Kate showed real writing talent in revealing the secrets and truths about Luce, her past, and the other students.
One problem that I did have with the book was that there were sections of it that lagged and really didn't contain a lot of action. I also thought that Luce was just a little too slow on the uptake and didn't really show a whole lot of maturity.
Overall, I really enjoyed Fallen. The love story/ love triangle was engaging, the supernatural element was intriguing, and the secret reveal was fantastic.
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5
Recommended Reading for all YA Book Lovers!
image courtesy of: http://www.tower.com/fallen-lauren-kate-book/wapi/113557247
+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteLuce really annoyed me when I read this! I agree with you about her lack of maturity, but will add that her lack of intelligence didn't help.
My favourite part of the book was the setting. I wouldn't mind being a reform kid in that school. LOL! And I'm still a little upset that Lauren Kate let the War Betweeen the States reenactment happen "offscreen" because Luce finds a way to skip it. That would have been so cool . . .
haha, Luce did have a major lack of intelligence, so true.
DeleteAnd you're right, The Civil War Reenactment would have been an awesome scene to include.
It also would have been cool to see a little more of the battle between Daniel and Cam instead of having Luce just rushed away... idk.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete