Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Jacque's Review:

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. (Goodreads Overview)


When we first meet Luce, she is on her way to Sword & Cross as a last resort.  She was present at the time of a fire that killed Trevor, a student from her previous school, but she cannot recall what caused the fire.  She also has a history of perceived mental illness because she sees unexplainable shadows.  The shadows, along with her inability to explain her lack of involvement in Trevor's death, lands her at this new school.

At Sword & Cross all of the students must wear black, some of the students wear tracking devices that can issue a shock if needed, and they are all under constant surveillance.  The students are allowed one 15 minute phone call per week and the classes are far from typical.  This is the last place Luce wants to be, until she meets Daniel.  There is a bit of a love triangle, but Daniel is the only one Luce is REALLY interested in.  She has an odd feeling that she knows him from somewhere, but she isn't sure why.

It takes Luce the better part of the book to figure everything out, which was a little too much buildup and not enough action for me at times.  I really enjoyed the last third of the book, but I don't think I will rush right into Torment.  While I completely understand the concepts behind Revenants, Demi-Gods, Vampires, Shadowhunters etc...I didn't fully grasp the "shadows", which left me liking this book...but not loving it.  The paranormal elements were interesting and I think there is a lot of potential for this series.  Perhaps with further explanation and understanding from Torment, I will have greater appreciation of the series. 

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