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outoftheblue14's review against another edition
3.0
I might be a couple of years behind in reviewing this title. To be true, I did read it for the first time shortly after it came out; like many other readers I was attracted by the pretty, melancholic cover. I didn't really like it much, back then. But now that the series is coming to a close with the publication of the fourth book, Rapture, I decided to give the books another go.
Fallen is the story of Lucinda (Luce) Williams, a sixteen-year-old girl who is forced to attend a peculiar boarding school in Georgia, Swords and Cross. Luce has to attend it by decision of the judge, after a strange accident in which her close friend Trevor died in a fire, while she was unharmed. Luca also has the uncommon ability to see "shadows" lurking around her, but doesn't talk about it with anyone in fear of being judged mentally instable.
At Swords and Cross, Luce is immediately attracted to Daniel and has the feeling they've known each other for a long time, even though he denies it and keeps his distance from her. Another student, Cam, seems attracted to Luce at once and they start going out, but then she regrets it as soon as Daniel begins to show interest in her. Meanwhile, dangerous shadows lurk around Luce and the school...
The first time I read this book, I was irritated at how Luce appears stupid. Even with her recurring dreams and visions, it takes her the whole book to guess Daniel's true nature. The reader obviously knows everything since the beginning, thanks to the prologue and the back cover, so it can be frustrating that the main character won't get a clue.
More to that, Luce makes some poor decisions and hangs out with Cam even though he appears dangerous, and then has to be saved like the proper damsel in distress. To tell the truth, on this second reading I almost found Cam more attractive than Daniel. I mean, Daniel is sort of boring. He's another Edward Cullen who leaves his love interest wondering why such a perfect creature would ever choose someone as plain and boring as her. Cam, on the other hand, has more of a "bad boy" allure. While I usually roll my eyes at similar characters, this time I felt like his badass nature compensated his being angelically beautiful. I'm not sure about this, but I almost think I'd root for Cam in future books. Not that it seems he really gets a chance with Luce.
As for the whole "damsel in distress" thing, if you can't stand it, you might have to stay clear of this book. I can think of at least four big moments in which Luce needs to be saved by Daniel. She might not be quite as stupid or as helplessly clumsy like Bella Swan, but really, Luce needs to start saving herself at least once in a while.
I'd recommend you try this series if you're a fan of paranormal romance, especially with angel themes (this was one of the first series about angels to be published, then a whole lot of them appeared.) I've read many not-so-enthusiastic reviews of Fallen, but this series seems to be quite successful all the same, so maybe you'd like it.
Cover attraction: I already mentioned that the beautiful cover was what prompted me to read the book for the first time. The Fallen series is like the poster child for "girl-in-a-beautiful-dress" covers. This one has a melancholic quality that matches the book's mood, even though it doesn't really tell you much about the story. I think it's a good choice for the target readers.
Fallen is the story of Lucinda (Luce) Williams, a sixteen-year-old girl who is forced to attend a peculiar boarding school in Georgia, Swords and Cross. Luce has to attend it by decision of the judge, after a strange accident in which her close friend Trevor died in a fire, while she was unharmed. Luca also has the uncommon ability to see "shadows" lurking around her, but doesn't talk about it with anyone in fear of being judged mentally instable.
At Swords and Cross, Luce is immediately attracted to Daniel and has the feeling they've known each other for a long time, even though he denies it and keeps his distance from her. Another student, Cam, seems attracted to Luce at once and they start going out, but then she regrets it as soon as Daniel begins to show interest in her. Meanwhile, dangerous shadows lurk around Luce and the school...
The first time I read this book, I was irritated at how Luce appears stupid. Even with her recurring dreams and visions, it takes her the whole book to guess Daniel's true nature. The reader obviously knows everything since the beginning, thanks to the prologue and the back cover, so it can be frustrating that the main character won't get a clue.
More to that, Luce makes some poor decisions and hangs out with Cam even though he appears dangerous, and then has to be saved like the proper damsel in distress. To tell the truth, on this second reading I almost found Cam more attractive than Daniel. I mean, Daniel is sort of boring. He's another Edward Cullen who leaves his love interest wondering why such a perfect creature would ever choose someone as plain and boring as her. Cam, on the other hand, has more of a "bad boy" allure. While I usually roll my eyes at similar characters, this time I felt like his badass nature compensated his being angelically beautiful. I'm not sure about this, but I almost think I'd root for Cam in future books. Not that it seems he really gets a chance with Luce.
As for the whole "damsel in distress" thing, if you can't stand it, you might have to stay clear of this book. I can think of at least four big moments in which Luce needs to be saved by Daniel. She might not be quite as stupid or as helplessly clumsy like Bella Swan, but really, Luce needs to start saving herself at least once in a while.
I'd recommend you try this series if you're a fan of paranormal romance, especially with angel themes (this was one of the first series about angels to be published, then a whole lot of them appeared.) I've read many not-so-enthusiastic reviews of Fallen, but this series seems to be quite successful all the same, so maybe you'd like it.
Cover attraction: I already mentioned that the beautiful cover was what prompted me to read the book for the first time. The Fallen series is like the poster child for "girl-in-a-beautiful-dress" covers. This one has a melancholic quality that matches the book's mood, even though it doesn't really tell you much about the story. I think it's a good choice for the target readers.
snoopydoo77's review against another edition
2.0
2★
I always like a good book about angels & demons, and it had okay reviews on Goodreads, plus I liked the cover, so when I saw this book in a used bookstore I had to get it.
It took me a while to get to it and when I finally got to it I was fairly disappointed. I really didn’t see all the hype about this book (I heard the making or made a movie based on the book).
I really liked the idea and concept of the book but not the book itself. I know it is a YA and most of the time I have no problem reading YA but this book made me want to smack Luci all the time. She seemed naïve and very immature and there was way too much teenage angst in this book, even for a YA.
You can find my full review here:
http://snoopydoosbookreviews.com/fallen-fallen-1-by-lauren-kate/
I always like a good book about angels & demons, and it had okay reviews on Goodreads, plus I liked the cover, so when I saw this book in a used bookstore I had to get it.
It took me a while to get to it and when I finally got to it I was fairly disappointed. I really didn’t see all the hype about this book (I heard the making or made a movie based on the book).
I really liked the idea and concept of the book but not the book itself. I know it is a YA and most of the time I have no problem reading YA but this book made me want to smack Luci all the time. She seemed naïve and very immature and there was way too much teenage angst in this book, even for a YA.
You can find my full review here:
http://snoopydoosbookreviews.com/fallen-fallen-1-by-lauren-kate/
argenterie4's review against another edition
2.0
Relatively painless YA romance. Not the best, but hey, I finished it in a day, and it passed the time.
almostarockstarsgf's review against another edition
1.0
I saw a lot of people in the reviews comparing this book to twilight so I thought that I would love it because twilight is a comfort book of mine, but this book wasn’t it for me. The main characters immense obsession with Daniel is just creepy and even though it’s explained later in the book the entire thing about it was just meh. I definitely won’t remember this book tomorrow because overall it was just very forgettable for me.
oxlabyrinthxo's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty good, I liked it, but it got kind of confusing in some parts.
beaktastic's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this book was okay. I could kinda see what Kate was trying to do, making it mysterious but at the same time hinting at the truth, but it was quite obvious to me a mile off who was good and who was bad and what was going on really. I felt like it was just slowly slowly slowly building for ages and there wasn't much of an ending. I dunno. I can see what the author was trying to do but I just don't think it was pulled off in a great or gripping way. I never felt a strong need or desire to continue reading this book.
hasstedtn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
vanikr's review against another edition
4.0
Am Anfang mochte ich es nicht so, es hat sich ziemlich in die Länge gezogen. Aber das Ende ist so toll, das mir das Buch sehr gefällt.
knihomila's review against another edition
2.0
poriadny gýč v každom smere, istým spôsobom uspokojivé.
alliebebbs9's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Cute story that had a lot of foreshadowing while remaining mysterious with loveable characters