Fallen

Written by Lauren Kate

Goodreads Synopsis: 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.

My Confession: I, for one, am royally sick and tired of supernatural romances that involve werewolves, vampires, and immortals of any kind. Twilight seemed to spawn some literary phenomenon where, all of a sudden, romances weren't good enough unless one of the amours was undead, and the other was constantly at risk of being killed by said-undead lover. Which is why I initially hesitated when presented with this book. The cover, which is startlingly beautiful despite the darkness, immediately signaled to me that once again, the concept of two normal humans falling in love was not going to be found in these pages. 

And I was correct. Daniel, the gorgeous, unattainable male, is an angel. Yes, an angel. Okay, this was mildly new. And the fact that he spends the first couple hundred pages blowing Luce off and acting like he doesn't give a damn gained him a few points as well. She, on the other hand, basically falls dead at the sight of him (even after he flips her off--a gesture I found wildly hysterical and extremely refreshing) and spends most of the book looking like a psychotic stalker. She just won't leave him alone, despite the fact that he clearly wants nothing to do with her.

Plot Twist: When, of course, he actually is madly in love with her. Well, her soul. See, Luce and Daniel are caught up in a reincarnation problem of sorts. Hundreds and hundreds of years ago, Daniel and Luce fell in love. Only, that love is what killed Luce. But, every seventeen years, she reappears as someone else, and Daniel, happily immortal and unchanging, finds her. But, just like every other lifetime, Luce dies just as she and Daniel are about to get together. And she doesn't just die, she's murdered as some form of karmic payback to Daniel for something he did in the past. Of course, we don't know what that thing is. Got that? Yeah, took me a while too. 

The whole "I need to stay away from you because I'm dangerous" thing has gotten a bit old, hasn't it? The only thing that saves this book from being totally predictable are the supporting cast of characters, and the "bad guys" that aren't so different from the good guys. There's also some really well-placed biblical references throughout the book; they're used as a way of explaining the whole "fallen angel" story. Having gone to Catholic school my entire life, I know the story of Lucifer (aka Satan) pretty well. Putting a literary spin on the battle for heaven was a pretty cool concept. There are some interesting, different moments here, and the fact that Luce and Daniel don't spend the entire novel in a grossly unrealistic love-fest makes this a fairly pleasant read.

Recommendation: I'm not sorry I read it. I was happy to see a female character with a hint of a spine and a boyfriend who actually fights with her and doesn't apologize five seconds later. There are some cool battle scenes and some supporting characters with real depth. The fact that it takes place at a reform school is an added, unexpected bonus. 

Rating: 3.3/5

452 pages, published by Delacorte Press (Dec. 8, 2009)