Fallen, by Lauren Kate

Hauntingly fascinating, Fallen written by Lauren Kate not only gives me the chills, but is full of mystery, hearthbreaking love, a war between those its best not to get between, and not knowing who you can or can't trust. Those who loved Hush, Hush, will thirst for this book just how a man who's had nothing but salt thirst for water. Luce Price is sent to Sword & Cross boarding school for those who are a danger to themselves and others. Being watched by cameras 24/7, never allowed to move beyond their classrooms and their bedrooms, and teachers teaching subjects that Luce finds is too strange to be a coincidence, Sword & Cross has more to it than it seems. Luce befriends one of the outcasts who knows the layout of the school inside and out and the two find the rest of the students' files because Luce is bewildered by them. She finds she is drawn to Daniel Grigori, but unlike other teen novels, he has no interest in her whatsoever. Nevertheless, she can't fight the feeling that they have a connection, but so does she and Cam, the one other boy who seems to be a little less than insane. Luce can't decide is she's going crzy or if the shadows she's seeing and dreams she's experiencing are real. Lost and trying to find help, Luce battles her demons...both figuratively and literally. Her questions: what if the person you were meant to be with could never be yours, and what exactly are all the kids at Swork & Cross hiding from her? I thought the Lauren Kate did an amazing job with this book. The book was fast paced and extremely easy to connect to on a personal level. I felt the author really mixed real life thoughts and feelings into a world of fantasy. Overall, the book was so out of the blue and different from all the other teen novels that it made me love it instantly. And perhaps, you will too!

-Reviewed by Nikki, grade 8.