Fallen by Lauren Kate
Corgi, 2010. ISBN 9780552561730 .
(Age 15+) A boy seventeen-year-old Lucinda was with has died in
suspicious circumstances. She is sent to the grim Sword and Cross
School, a place for teens who have been in trouble by the authorities.
Across the courtyard she spies a gorgeous boy, Daniel, and is instantly
drawn to him although he rejects her. She discovers that Daniel is a
fallen angel and that they have spent generations loving and losing
each other. Dark forces are at work. Will they ever be able to be
together?
There are all the ingredients in this book that publishers seem to
think that teens want - a three way romance with a happy boy, brooding
boy and passive girl, fallen angels in place of vampires, cheery
friends and boarding school. However after reading a few books with
these ingredients, they begin to feel very stereotypical. Robin
Mckinley and her fabulous vampire book Sunshine is a good
example of an intelligent vampire story for more mature readers.
Luce is a fairly engaging main character. I liked the way she relates
to her family (although I couldn't understand how two loving parents
could possibly leave their daughter in reform school with no contact
with her). I kept hoping that she would show more initiative other than
spending her time moping over Daniel, or going around with Cam, but
that is not the case. Her friend Pen has more going for her, is normal,
intelligent and proactive about making enquiries into Daniel's
background. Neither Daniel nor Cam seemed fleshed out enough for me to
fall for either one, but then I'm not a teenage girl.
There is plenty of action towards the end of the book, although some of
it seems a bit disjointed. I found Fallen entertaining but not
thought provoking. Other than Daniel not being able to kiss Luce, or
she would die, the pair didn't seem to face any real personal or moral
dilemmas, which would have brought the story alive for me.
Pat Pledger