Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Format: Audiobook
Released December 8, 2009 by Listening Library
Originally published by Delacorte Books
More about the author: Website // Twitter
Goodreads // Amazon UK

Seventeen-year-old Luce is a new student at Sword & Cross, an unwelcoming boarding/reform school in Savannah, Georgia. Luce’s boyfriend died under suspicious circumstances, and now she carries the guilt over his death with her as she navigates the unfriendly halls at Sword & Cross, where every student seems to have an unpleasant—even evil—history.
It’s only when she sees Daniel, a gorgeous fellow student, that Luce feels there’s a reason to be here—though she doesn’t know what it is. And Daniel’s frosty cold demeanor toward her? It’s really a protective device that he’s used again... and again. For Daniel is a fallen angel, doomed to fall in love with the same girl every 17 years... and watch her die. And Luce is a fellow immortal, cursed to be reincarnated again and again as a mortal girl who has no idea of who she really is. -Goodreads

Fallen was exactly what I had expected. That gorgeous cover and irresistible premise draw you in only to give you something fairly enjoyable and altogether just okay. I knew it, yet I still wanted to listen to this audiobook and find out what I was missing. I was, in fact, missing a fairly predictable romance set in a fabulous setting with a storyline much darker than I expected.

I absolutely enjoyed the eerie, moss covered setting of Sword and Cross and was literally begging for more information about the angels as I read. It's just that I didn't think the things that happened in the meantime were all that exciting. Personally, I think what kept me from singing this book's praises was Luce herself. While Daniel, Cam, and the other supporting characters all had their charm, Luce didn't do it for me. I know she's had life a bit rough recently but she really needed to stop whining and assuming that Daniel was dating a girl that,  for all Luce knew, Daniel had only met just two or three days prior.

I had come to grips with Luce's obsession-love before I even began this book, so the romance in this story didn't bother me. It was what it was and it wasn't too bad. I often found myself enjoying the scenes where Daniel was present and I understood what Luce saw in him. Their mysterious connection was actually very fascinating to me and it kept me wanting more. To get that, I think I'll have to pick up the other books in the series, something which I just might do.

Overall, this was a really easy book to keep up with. While the romance was predictable, the rest of the book wasn't and it definitely has some potential to keep me happy with the books to follow. I'd recommend it to somebody unafraid of insta-love (though it's with a reason) and intrigued by fallen angels. I think I may have to pick up the second book in the series to satisfy my curiosity of Lauren Kate's angel mythology.

*Audio Review:* This book was narrated by a single female reader with a pleasant voice. It was entertaining to listen to and I'd recommend the audiobook.