Fallen by Lauren Kate

2/5 stars -- just another "fallen" angel book...

This vapid tale goes on for a long, boring time before we realize it's just another fallen angel book. The explanation for how and why Daniel is "fallen" is never detailed nor is anything about the relationships between the good and evil forces in this overly long first novel in a planned series (#2 Torment due out in September of 2010).

Luce is sent to some sort of odd reform school after the unexplained death of her boyfriend in a fire. His death and the death of other "mortals" in the story are not given any weight and no reasons for them are given to the reader. None of the characters in the story have any depth to them and the book seems to be an endless, almost ridiculous, whine by Luce about which of the boys in the school she should like and trust -- she is pursued by the charming Cam and is shunned and stood up by the handsome, mysterious Daniel. Why those two fallen angels are interested in her is also never explained. I found the whole story basically boring and any hoped for interesting details or back story is missing! We are left without finding out why Luce has undergone the reincarnations, why Daniel and Cam want her, and exactly what these two fallen angels and their minions are doing on earth.

The romance seems shallow although the author goes to great lengths to describe the kiss and longing that Luce has for Daniel but again, the many questions the reader might have are never answered and any interest developed in the plot is quickly quashed with only vague hints of what is going on. The story ends with a strange epilogue and the reader is left hanging.

Skip it.

Ms C.