Book Review: Fallen & Torment

Fallen & Torment by Lauren Kate

Summary from Author's Website:

Fallen

Some Angels are Destined to Fall

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Torment

LOVE NEVER DIES

Lucinda is sure that she and Daniel are meant to be together forever. Now they are forced apart in a desperate bid to save Luce from the Outcasts–immortals who want her dead. As she discovers more about her past lives, Luce starts to suspect that Daniel is hiding something. What if he has lied to her about their shared past? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

My thoughts...

I fell in love with Luce and Daniel in Fallen. I was mesmerized by their story and anxious for them. However, unlike most books that I read, my heart was with the heroine rather than the hero. I wanted Luce to find happiness and love. While the idea of their story was romantic, I would not have been heart broken had Luce not ended up with Daniel. He was not an easy hero to love in Fallen.

That chanced for me in Torment. Daniel really got to my heart while reading Torment. While I didn't understand (or agree with) some of the decisions he made, my heart broke for his predicament. I wanted desperately for Luce and Daniel to overcome the obstacles in their path. That being said, I was so proud of Luce for finding the strength to question Daniel and her future with him. Of course, Torment ended with a cliff hanger...leaving me anxiously wanting more...which I expect is the exact reaction that Lauren Kate was going for.

Fallen and Torment are two of the first books I recommend to friends looking for a new YA book to read. I love the paranormal elements and the clean (but sexy and tension filled) romance.