Fallen

BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:

Fallen. Kate, Lauren. Delacorte Press, New York. ISBN: 978-0-385-90760-6

PLOT SUMMARY:

Luce has been sent to the reform school Swords & Cross after there is suspicion surrounding her after the death of one of her classmates at prep-school. She is immediately drawn to Cam, his dark hair and green eyes. But, that is nothing compared to the attraction that she feels for Daniel. His behavior is odd. They first time she sees him they lock eyes, he smiles, and then he gives her the finger. Daniel keeps trying to blow her off, yet he can’t seem to stay away from her. Luce has the feeling that she has seen him before. Luce becomes obsessed about finding out about Daniel. Will the truth be more than she can bear?

CRITICAL EVALUATION:

Within the first few pages of Fallen, I was hooked. Luce is a likeable character; she doesn’t understand how her life got to be this way. She’s a good kid. She most definitely does not belong at Swords and Cross. The fear and anxiety that comes from a new experience are evident, and the meatloaf incident in the cafeteria is every teen’s worst nightmare. Luce is an seemingly ordinary girl in an extraordinary situation. So many teens can relate to her; yet the story of Fallen also has the element of fantasy intertwined onto the real world. Luce is conflicted. She likes the way that Cam’s attention to her makes her feel, loved and attractive. Yet somehow, while reading the book, the reader gets the sense that Cam is the bad boy. However, her connection to Daniel is so much more than that; it is all-consuming love. Luce has also developed friendships at her new school. Penn allows Luce to begin to uncover the mysterious truth about Daniel. Arriene and Gabbe just always seem to turn up when Luce is alone with Cam, leading to the suspicion that everyone is trying to keep them apart. Fallen is filled with secrets, romance and misunderstood teens. The book is very Twilightesque, and the author’s website even has a Team Daniel and a Team Cam. A must read for those that love fantasy.

READER’S ANNOTATION:

Luce is sent to reform boarding school. When she meets Daniel she has the feeling that they have met before. Can she uncover his secret?

AUTHOR:

Lauren Kate is a fairly new author. There is not much information about her, even on her website. Below is the information about Lauren Kate from her website:
Lauren Kate grew up in Dallas, went to school in Atlanta, and started writing in New York. She is the author of Fallen, Torment, the forthcoming Passion, and The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages. She lives in Laurel Canyon with her husband and hopes to work in a restaurant kitchen and learn how to surf. She is currently at work on the final book in the Fallen series, Rapture. (Kate)

GENRE:

Fantasy

CURRICULUM TIES:

New York State: English

BOOK TALKING IDEAS:

Have you ever felt a sense of déjà vu?
Love at first sight.

READING LEVEL/INTEREST AGE:

Age 14 and up

CHALLENGE ISSUES:

Religion.

In order to prepare yourself should this book be challenged you may wish to take the following steps:

•Read the book or familiarize yourself with the book and its contents.
•Refer to the library’s collection development policy.
•Read the book reviews from sources such as Booklist, School Library Journal, Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), Publisher’s Weekly, or BookSpot.com
•Seek the opinion of teen readers that have read the book.

Should this book be challenged you should follow the additional steps below:

•Advise the senior staff of the challenge.
•Let the patron know that their challenge will be filed and that senior library management will review their request and notify them once a decision has been made.
•Offer any further assistance should the patron have additional questions.

WHY DID I INCLUDE THIS BOOK?

I have been seeing it on the shelves in stores and it looked like a good read. I will be going out to get the 2nd and 3rd (when it’s released) books.