Fallen

Fallen
By Lauren Kate
Delacorte Press, 2009. 452 p. Young Adult

Suspected in the death of a peer after an unexplained fire, Lucinda Price is sent to a reform school to deal with her issues. Haunted by strange, frightening shadows since she was young, Luce finds them to be even more persistently near at the Sword and Cross. After meeting the peculiar and varied students that populate the school, two in particular stand out to her--dark, charming Cam, who shows a definite interest, and the elusive Daniel, who at turns is both hot and cold. As Luce is caught up in the mystery of who Daniel is and why she feels so drawn to him, her life becomes more confusing and complex than ever before.

I felt torn about Fallen. I liked the book and read it quickly, but it definitely did feel like a rehash of other books I've read before, such as Twilight and Evermore. Although better written than the aforementioned books, it nonetheless had a slow, frustrating pace in regard to Luce discovering the mystery involved. It was hard to believe that she was supposed to be intelligent but yet was so painfully slow to understand--when the mystery is blatantly obvious to the reader, it seems that the book character could be a little quicker on the uptake. However, there are redeeming elements, such as the haunting shadows and certain characters, that intrigue me enough to read a sequel. The character development is better in some than others--I am awfully tired of female protagonists who can't believe they're good enough to attract a special guy. Despite its flaws, fans of supernatural romance are still sure to love this novel.