Book Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate

FALLEN BY LAUREN KATE
Publication Date: December 8th 2009 by Delacorte Press

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.

Fallen is a dark, compelling story about doomed love. Daniel Grigori is the boy that captures Luce’s heart on her first day at the formidable Sword & Cross reform school, which Luce is forced to attend under somewhat murky circumstances. Daniel makes it very clear he is not interested in Luce at all and at times is downright rude to her. Despite his demeanor, Luce is still drawn to him. As the intricate plot begins to unfold, we uncover the secrets of why Luce and Daniel’s lives are destined to be intertwined …

Though slow in the beginning to build up, I did find the plot of Fallen interesting and characters fascinating. At first I didn’t understand why Luce would be so enamored of Daniel with how cold and withholding he was to her. I was more drawn to the alluring and charismatic Cam, even though there was definitely an air of danger surrounding his whole persona. As the plot began to unfold and I realized how deep Luce’s connection throughout history was with Daniel, I began to root for him instead though. The secondary characters in Fallen were extremely well rounded and vital to the story. Penn, the closest friend Luce had at Sword & Cross was definitely my favorite. The gothic setting of Sword & Cross added to the tension of the plot as well.

The forbidden love mystery behind Fallen is what kept me coming back for more and there were plenty of twists to keep things interesting and on edge. I am looking forward to Torment, the next book in the Fallen series.


Lauren Kate recently finished her M.A. in Creative Writing at UC Davis, where she also teaches. She lives and writes in an old farm house in Winters, California. Her first novel, The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove goes on sale one month before Fallen.