Showing posts with label Fallen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fallen. Show all posts

Friday, November 26, 2010

Book Review : Fallen by Lauren Kate



Fallen (Fallen, #1)
Fallen (Fallen, #1) by Lauren Kate

Product Details
  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 464 pages
  • Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; First Edition/First Printing edition (December 8, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0385738935
  • ISBN-13: 978-0385738934
Available on Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound



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.

Fallen has a promising start - it's dark, mysterious and has a Gothic charm. But somehow, the author fails to present the story well enough to hold my attention. Luce was a teenager who seems normal but actually not. She was sent to Sword & Cross because of an accident that took her (boy)friend's life. I was expecting some explanation about how the fire happened, but the author never satisfy my curiousity. There was no explanation about the other fire accident that happened when Luce was at the library of Sword & Cross that left a classmate dead either.

Daniel Grigori was aloof, cool and distant. Luce had a feeling that she had known him for a long time, and she tried everything to know more about him. But on the other hand, she had some feelings for Cam, a boy who openly showed his interest for Luce. She was treating Cam as if he was a substitute when Daniel is not present. I thought that was really a bad thing to do. And she was so obsessive about Daniel that she wanted to peek through his personal database, but only found a sheet of paper. She constantly whined about how she loved Daniel, how handsome and strikingly gorgeous he was, felt like they've met before and swooned over him. That made her a real shallow person.

Penn was the only character in Fallen that I've grown to like. She was the only one who treated Luce as a real friend. She was supportive and helpful. And yet, her fate was miserable. I wished the author didn't write it that way.

The story was good at first, then getting better and better, although it was really long and inconsequential sometimes. But the ending was really disappointing. It was like a bucket of cold water being doused over my head. It didn't make much sense, nor there is any explanation. I felt lost. And the lines just sounded strange. Read this and you'll know:

"Or this?" Cam asked, shrugging as the hideous, formless darkness settled around him. The insects each began to grow and unfold, becoming larger than an insect could ever be, dripping like glue and growing into black segmented bodies. Then, as if they were learning how to use their shadow limbs as they formed, they slowly hoisted themselves onto their numerous legs and came forward, like mantises grown to human height. Cam welcomed them as they swarmed around him. Soon they had formed a massive army of embodied night behind Cam.

Had Cam just turned into a Digimon Trainer? LOL.

To wrap things up, Fallen has a great premise, but it didn't turn out to be what I expected. I was somewhat baffled. I seriously wanted it to work, but sadly, it didn't. I love the cover, though. It's one of the best I've seen.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Note: This book has some kissing scenes - nothing serious.

I'd like to thank Valorie Ruiz from www.TruthBeToldBlog.com for sending me a paperback copy of Fallen! Thanks, pal!


Lauren Kate
Lauren Kate grew up in Dallas, went to school in Atlanta, and started writing in New York.
She is the author of Fallen and The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove. She lives in Laurel Canyon with her husband and hopes to work in a restaurant kitchen, get a dog, and learn how to surf.


Monday, November 8, 2010

In My Mailbox {8} : Thank You, Valorie!

I can't believe my good luck! OK, be patient! Let me tell you what happened. On July 24, 2010, I received an e-mail from Valorie, saying that I won a giveaway on her blog, Truth Be Told.

Truth Be Told
See this lovely button? Grab it here:


It turns out, I won a $10 off coupon from Bella's Story Bands. BUT, 3 months later, the owner of the shop decided to back out and is not sending anything to any of the 5 winners.
Valorie kindly offered me two options: either to purchase a piece of my choice up to $18 dollars from the shop (Bella's Story Bands) or send me a $10 gift card from anywhere. Obviously, I chose the latter.

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There are three reasons:
1) I love to read books and have quite a lot of books on my wish list.
2) The sponsor backed out of the deal after Valorie has put so much effort into helping her shop getting some exposure.
3) I don't wish to see Valorie spending money to buy an item from someone who is so irresponsible.

So I requested for either one of these two books from The Book Depository. She said that she will be sending me a surprise, that is, she will pick the book for me. I agreed happily because I love surprises.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYMFA3AZJ5w7JRcbXZSJV-KY26z8-QWUpI_q8IDSU2JHGwy9lDciEqPQeWFW6LS0Xm1UVn3779xmGu-blU82zLxDTnv9R3IX3CbJUwf6x-2OmWs-2_-Z9areHFFyc8nAqD3gE8cOymJTR/s1600/City+of+Bones.jpg
City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1) by Cassandra Clare

Fallen (Fallen, #1)
Fallen (Fallen, #1) by Lauren Kate

Today, I spotted two parcels from TBD sitting on the medium-sized boulder near my gate. My sister went to get them for me . (Thanks, Alice!). I unwrapped my presents and TA-DAH! There are two books, City of Bones and Fallen, both ordered by Valorie! I'm literally jumping up and down with joy and kissing the books! Of course, I won't forget to thank her for being so tremendously kind!

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Valorie!

Valorie's Online Connections:
www.TruthBeToldBlog.com
www.Twitter.com/TruthBeToldBlog
www.Twitter.com/TruthBeTold_Nay

Monday, July 12, 2010

Win A Copy of Torment on RCIA

Contest on Reading Cause I'm Addicted
5 winners will get a copy of Torment (amazing right?)!! 3 winners will be from the UK, and 2 International (aka everywhere else). To enter, you must create a blog post (vlogs are smiled upon) saying why you loved Fallen so much. There’s no actual limit on how long or short the post should be, but it shouldn’t be less than 5 sentences, and it shouldn't be as long as an essay. Vlogs can be in between 30 sec – 5min. Contest ends July 22, 2010.

Why I Love Fallen

http://readnowsleeplater.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/fallen.jpg
Product Details:
  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 464 pages
  • Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; First Edition/First Printing edition (December 8, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0385738935
  • ISBN-13: 978-0385738934
Synopsis:
Luce must spend her senior year at reform school after her boyfriend dies in a mysterious fire. She suspects that the dark shadows that have tormented her all her life had something to do with it. When she meets supernaturally gorgeous Daniel, she feels a familiar longing, making her believe they have met before. Although Cam is clearly interested in her, Luce only wants Daniel, who runs both hot and cold. He tries to keep Luce at a distance, telling her that the truth would kill her as it has many times before.

Why I love Fallen:
Besides vampires and werewolves, angels are a leading trend in the YA Literature these days. Notable examples include Hush, Hush by Becca and Fallen by Lauren Kate. There are mix reviews for Fallen, but personally, I think the book was great! First of all, I have to appraise the cover of this book. It has a gothic appearance which is both mysterious and captivating. Lauren Kate’s writing is skillful and flowing and the descriptions are very well-written. My interest was sparked at the beginning, and the intriguing plot urged me to keep on reading. The characters in this novel felt real and alive. I love Luce and Daniel the best! The ending was a real cliffhanger because there were still many unrefuted questions which kept me waiting anxiously for the sequel, Torment. Fallen really made me squeal with delight!