Fallen by Lauren Kate

Title:  Fallen
Author:  Lauren Kate
Publisher:  Delacorte Press
Publication Date:  December 8, 2009
Format:  Hardcover, 464 pages
Age Group:  Young Adult
Series:  Fallen (Book 1)

Luce Price has been sent to the Sword & Cross reform school after a fire mysteriously kills a boy she is with and Luce is unable to recall the details of what happened.  On her first day, she spots Daniel who seems instantly familiar and she is quickly intrigued by him.  She is also bewildered as he tends to run hot and cold for no reason, nice to her one minute and pushing her away the next.  Cam, on the other hand, is definitely interested in getting to know Luce better.  Although Luce is drawn to him as well, she is more cautious as something in their relationship doesn't seem quite right.

I greatly enjoyed Fallen.  The setting at the reform school is creepy, complete with swamp and cemetery.  The kids that Luce meets at the school each have their role to play in the story, although it isn't always the role you would first guess.  Kate does a great job of providing the reader with some information that Luce does not know through the prologue to the book but still leaving enough questions that the reader understands Luce's confusion at the mysterious events that are taking place.  There is so much Luce doesn't know and Daniel and the other students cannot tell her until she is able to uncover enough knowledge on her own.

As the first book in the series, Fallen leaves enough open questions to set up the next book but does provide some initial answers.  There were a couple of questions that weren't answered that I fear might become loose ends if not answered quickly in the next book.  I would hate to see the author mar the series by leaving open plot holes along the way.  I also hope that future books in the series have covers as beautiful as this one.  Fallen was a fast read for me and left me wanting to find out more about Luce and Daniel's history as well as their future.

A big Thank You to Mary at BookHounds for sending me this advance reader's copy after holding a contest for it at her blog.  The book was provided with no expectation of a review and all opinions presented above are my own.

Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Links to Amazon.com are affiliate links and I do earn a small percentage for each item purchased through those links. Any other referral or associate links will be noted within the post.