Blog Tour Review: The Long Weekend, by Savita Kalhan

The Long Weekend
Savita Kalhan
Paperback, 192 pages
Anderson Press (Oct. 2, 2008)
Rating: (Avg 4.5)

Sam knows that he and his friend Lloyd made a colossal mistake when they accepted the ride home. They have ended up in a dark mansion in the middle of nowhere with man who means to harm them. But Sam doesn't know how to get them out. They were trapped, then separated. Now they are alone. Will either of them get out alive? This gripping and hypnotic thriller will have you reading late into the night.

This book was delightfully creepy, and I hate to use the word 'delightful' with such a sensitive subject matter - but the creep-factor was incredible in this. It was just the right amount without seeming fake or forced in any way.

As a matter of fact, this whole book flowed perfectly well with no sense of discord or falsehood at all. From the characters to what happens to them... everything connected and flowed perfectly. I think the most shocking part to me was how Savita managed to capture an 11-year-old boy's voice so well. All of his emotions seemed completely genuine. Everything he felt, you felt. Sam and Lloyd are both the "boy next door" types and very easy to relate to. Very easy to empathize with.

From the characters to the actual storytelling, I was absolutely blown away. Somehow, the author managed to leave out graphic details and still be able to give me goosebumps from the creepiness of it all. Coming from someone who's been into horror most of her life - that's no easy feat! From beginning to end, I was on the very edge of my seat eagerly reading to find out what happens to the boys. Because of how easily it is to relate to Sam and Lloyd, you can't help but root for them.

I cannot sing my praises loud enough for this book - it's everything I've always loved in thriller books. If you love psychological thrillers as much as I do, that have a nice helping of the creeps, then I strongly suggest this book.


Find Savita Kalhan Online
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Buy The Long Weekend
Amazon (ebook)| The Book Depository
**Enter to win The Long Weekend! Just click here. (Ends 2/25)**

Blog Tour: Guest Post with Savita Kalhan

Today I'm thrilled to have Savita here guest posting. She's going to be talking about the process from writing a book to its publication. At the bottom of the post is a link to a form to be entered in a chance to win a copy of The Long Weekend. Please be sure to enter. The contest IS international!

The Process Behind The Book: From Writing To Publication

Writing the book, however long that takes, is just the very beginning of a very long process! I like to start writing a new book in the Autumn. It’s something I’ve been doing for a few years now and if I get to Autumn without making a start on a new project I feel at odds! I usually have a couple of ideas, so I start out by thinking about the main characters, finding their voice, and then I write the first couple of chapters of each story to get a feel of where the stories might go. One of the two stories rolls forward, hopefully, and the other will get put on the back-burner for another time.

I started writing The Long Weekend in early Autumn, putting aside a book that I had already started because Sam’s story came to me so clearly and with such urgency that I knew I had to write it then and there. Unusually, the story came tumbling out so fast that it was finished before I knew it. I read it through and had a few friends read it through – they all, unequivocally, loved it! I made a few changes here and there, but not many, and then I sat on it for a few months full of doubt, wondering whether it was good enough – I think all writers experience something like this. Finally, I plucked up the courage to send The Long Weekend to some agents. I used The Writers and Artists Yearbook and picked the agents who were interested in children's and teen fiction. I followed their guidelines and submitted the first three chapters with a synopsis and cover letter, and then I waited. The waiting is the hardest part, so to distract myself I went back to writing the story I had left.

It was a couple of months before I heard back from a few agents who were interested in looking at the whole manuscript. I sent the manuscript off to them, and waited, again, and went back to writing, trying not to be distracted by whether they had read the whole manuscript yet and what they thought of it. Two agents were very interested. One wanted the story to be changed into a simple kidnap story, the other loved it as it was. Guess which agent I went with!

From there, finding a publisher involved more waiting. The subject matter of the book was seen by many publishers as too risky, and although they agreed it was sensitively and appropriately dealt with, they were still hesitant. I was lucky with my publisher, Andersen Press, who loved the book and I signed on the dotted line with them. The process so far had taken over a year.

Most publishers have their lists for the next twelve to eighteen months already planned, but I was lucky that Andersen Press slotted it for publication for less than a year later, which is still a long time to wait as a debut author! During that time, the book was read by proof-readers and the title was almost changed! They had a list of titles and they asked me for a list of possible alternative titles, but in the end, The Long Weekend stuck!

A cover was designed, which they posted to me for approval. I opened the envelope not quite sure of what I would see. The publishers had told me that the art director had read the book to get a feel of it before designing the cover, so I was hopeful that it would be an arresting cover. And it was! I think it captures the feel of the book.

The hardest part of the whole process from writing to publication is the waiting. You have to develop a very thick skin, be able to take comments and constructive criticism. But it’s worth all that to see your book in a bookshop, and to see people reading it and loving it.

To learn more about Savita and her book, you can:

• check out more of the blog tour stops here.
• visit Savita's website here.

The Long Weekend Giveaway

• You must be a follower.
• Contest is international.
• Fill out form completely.
• Contest ends Friday (2/25) at midnight EST.

Good luck!

!! Enter Here !!

Early Review: Legacy, by Kate Kaynak

Legacy (Ganzfield #3)
Kate Kaynak
Paperback, 280 pages
Spencer Hill Press
January 28, 2011

Maddie has more problems than the average seventeen-year-old:

A psychotic killer with superpowers wants her dead.

A serious medical issue makes a "normal" life impossible for her.

And she's about to be introduced to Trevor's grandparents.

Guess which one freaks her out the most?

It feels absolutely wonderful to be able to go back and visit all of my favorite characters from the Ganzfield series! Without being completely spoiler-ish, can I just say that Zack is back! I absolutely adored his snarky attitude in Adversary and was sad to see him go... so, it was a pleasant surprise to have him back in the series. I have to say he wasn't quite as snarky as he was before, but I think he's just calming down from the bold character that he was when we last saw him - when things between him and Maddie got a little out of control.

Along with Zack coming to Ganzfield, we have a new villian as well. Actually, witch with a capital "B" would be a better description, but I am attempting to be nice! There's also all of our other favorite characters making their return to the story as well - including Drew! As if there is any need to point this out ... Kate keeps the characters true to themselves and they never stray from who they truly are.

The story starts out with a shocking scene that makes you go, "Wait! What?! I thought they never..." Leave it to Kate to make me almost have a stroke within the first chapter! But things are resolved and the story continues. Like its predecessors, Legacy is full of internal struggles as well as external, leaving you with no downtime whatsoever. It seems like Maddie just can't get any breaks between figuring herself out and fighting the bad guys - but when she does get a break, she has Trevor ... and we always love to read about those two. They're an adorable couple without being overly cheesy in any way.

Overall, Legacy definitely lived up to the standards that I have now set for the Ganzfield series. It was just as wonderful and emotionally draining (not in a bad way) as Minder and Adversary. As soon as I sat down with this one, it had me and didn't let go until the end. I can't wait for the fourth installment, Accused, that's coming out in August.

Source: Publisher

Avg Rating: 4.5

Ganzfield Week: Author Interview & Giveaway!

Finally, at the end of the road for Ganzfield ... we have an interview with the wonderful Kate Kaynak - the brains behind the books!

For more info on Kate, click here.

Welcome, Kate! What inspired you to become a writer?

I've always loved reading, and I wrote a lot of short pieces when I was in high school and college. Five years ago I became a stay-at-home mom of boy-girl twins...and their "surprise" little brother (13 months younger). Interacting at the preschool level all day was turning my brain to Spaghettios, so I started writing a novel while they were sleeping.


Could you take us through your typical day of writing?

I daydream about the upcoming scenes during the day and put my thoughts on post-its. After the kids go to bed, I herd the little squares back to my computer and write for about two hours every night. I try to write at least 1000 words each day when I'm working on a first draft.


What was the road to publication like for you?

I queried for my first novel, Bagastana, unsuccessfully for months (it's still unpublished). I doubted my writing abilities and stopped writing for more than a year. But two years ago, the ideas for the Ganzfield books began to bubble up through my subconscious, and I felt this...push from within to get their story out. I finished Maddie Dunn (the manuscript that eventually became Minder) in less than two months. After a couple of rounds of revisions, I got a partial request on my first query letter. After another half-dozen rounds of revisions, my editor Debbie got a copy of it. Less than a year later, it was published.


For those out there that have not read the first two Ganzfield books, Minder and Adversary, could you please give a little insight on what it’s all about?

Imagine being 16 and having people try to attack you--and suddenly end up dead. Maddie doesn't know what she did, but within a day she's whisked off to a secret training facility for people like her with special abilities--and it's got rather poor supervision. The "charms" use their mind-control abilities to bully and humiliate the other students--even the fire-starting "sparks" and clairvoyant "RVs." Maddie's skills are pretty rare, and she doesn't know where she fits in the pecking order--or what the telekinetic guy with the kind brown eyes sees in her.


How did the idea of your Ganzfield series come about?

Minder started as a though experiment after I'd read the Twilight saga and the Sookie Stackhouse books. Both have telepathic characters who only can fall in love with the one person whose thoughts they can't read. But what if that wasn't an option? What kind of person would a telepath fall in love with--hidden thoughts and all? And what kind of person would be comfortable in an intimate relationship with someone who knew his every thought? How would their love story develop if they didn't go through the I-wonder-how-much-he-likes-me stage? I have a background in social psychology, and so I drew on that to answer these questions--and also to deal with the daily-living reality being a teenager with special abilities. Would pyrokinetics start fires in their sleep? How would the brain control a skill like telekinesis? Would telepaths accidentally project their dreams?


What was one of your favorite scenes to write in Minder? Your least favorite?

I think my favorite scene is the night of Maddie and Trevor's first conversation. My least favorite is the opening scene--I had to write a terrifying experience from INSIDE the mind of the intended victim. I still get shaky hands when I read it.


Drew cracks me up and has become one of my favorite characters. Who are your favorite characters?

Drew is one of my favorites, too! I love writing from Maddie's point of view, and I have a major book-crush on Trevor, which my husband only tolerates because Trevor's partially based on him.


In Adversary, I could barely breathe during the scene where Maddie told Zack to use his talent on the tree. My favorite quote(s) from the book actually came from that scene. Do you have any favorite quotes from Adversary?

I have several I won't list because I hate to give spoilers, but here are a few spoiler-free ones:

"Drew's new awareness...sent him into a soul-searching mood. Since he was a person with more width than depth of
character, this didn’t take long."
(On Maddie's understanding of the differences in abilities:) "How unique and special. We’re all G-positive snowflakes."

"Trevor carried me in his arms as if looking for a threshold to cross."


Zach is an intriguing character and we’re left with many questions about his abilities. Will we learn more and see more of him in the upcoming Ganzfield novels?

Absolutely. He'll be back in Legacy (book 3), which comes out in January.


Do you know how many books will be in the Ganzfield series?

I'm working on the first draft of book 5 now, and I have notes for book 6. That may be the end of Maddie's story, at least as the main character. I'm considering writing a seventh book from Seth's point-of-view, since his story and Maddie's diverge in the later books. I may also do at least one from another character's viewpoint--but you haven't met her yet; she doesn't come along until book 4.


Any words of wisdom for aspiring authors?

Revise, revise, revise. Get feedback from other writers and/or people in your target demographic, and then revise some more. You know what the scene looks like in your head, but that may bear little resemblance to what's coming through on the page. Seek out blunt critics, since people who tell you "it's great" haven't given you any information that will help you improve.


Lastly, any last words for your readers?

Thank you for reading! I'm delighted that other people are hanging out with my imaginary friends.

And thanks for a fun interview, Missy! I really enjoyed it.

Giveaway!

Kate has graciously offered up a copy of Adversary to one lucky reader! Adversary is the second installment of the Ganzfield series. I strongly urge everyone to put these books on the TBR list ... they're definitely worth it.

Haven't read Minder, yet? No worries! If you win this giveaway, I will have no problem buying a copy of Minder for you to go with your copy of Adversary!!

This contest is International, but if you win and you live in the US then your copy of Adversary will be signed by Kate!

For your chance to win these books, simply click here!

This contest will end Saturday, November 20 at 11:59 pm EST.

*As stated before, if you comment on any of the posts for Ganzfield this week, these WILL count as extra entries. Simply comment under "Links" on the form that you've left comments and include your comment name if it's different from the name you put on the form!

Ganzfield Posts:
Intro to Ganzfield Week
Minder Review
Teaser Tuesday
Waiting on Wednesday
Adversary Review
Ganzfield: The Books
Ganzfield: The Author

Ganzfield Week: Get To Know Kate!

I've talked a lot about the Ganzfield books, but not much about the author. I first talked to Kate when she contacted me about reviewing both of her books. I was ecstatic because I had wanted to read the books for a while. Then after I read, I told her the idea behind the themed week and she seemed to be excited about it. I know it's not much, but I felt as though these books needed more exposure ... and so did Kate, because she is a very talented author. Oh, and so sweet!!

Here is some information on Kate from across the web.

I was born and raised in New Jersey, but I was able to escape. My degree from Yale says I was a psych major, but my true course of study was YPMB.

After serving a five-year sentence in graduate school, I started teaching psychology around the world for the University of Maryland.

While in Izmir, Turkey, I started up a conversation with a handsome stranger in an airport. I ended up marrying him.

We now live in New Hampshire with our three preschool-aged kids, where I enjoy reading, writing, and fighting crime with my amazing superpowers.

From Ganzfield.com. To find more articles and links, click here.

Kate Kaynak's Site
Blog
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository

Review: Adversary, by Kate Kaynak

Adversary (Ganzfield #2)
Kate Kaynak
Paperback, 238 pages
Spencer Hill Press
August 20, 2010
isbn: 0984531122
isbn13: 9780984531127

(Goodreads) The second book of the Ganzfield series

Things are more dangerous than they seem at Ganzfield, and not everyone will survive. Does Maddie have what it takes?

See what happens next in the sequel to Minder.

As I said in the review for Minder, as soon as I was done with it I had to start on this one ... and I happened to finish it before I went to bed! This is the second installment of the Ganzfield series, and it definitely didn't disappoint. We get to see more of our favorite characters as they train as a group to hone in their abilities more. And we're even introduced to some new characters, as well as seeing more of the bad guy that was touched in Minder but not really discussed/seen until now.

Adversary is like Minder in some ways: we witness a tragedy at the beginning, then there's world building, and more action. I think Adversary went more in-depth with the world and character development. Maddie learns she has a huge responsibility of not only protecting herself, but her friends and family as well. She takes this task on exceptionally well, using her "down time" to research and work with her abilities more. I have to say that I wish there wasn't as much of the down time that there was, but you're not bored because you learn a lot within that time - not to mention the random laughs from Drew and Zach. When the action comes, there's a lot going on and I don't know if I agree with all of Maddie's decisions ... but I do understand. She feels a huge weight of being the only one able to beat the bad guy and she doesn't want any of her friends to be hurt in the process. There are consequences, but aren't there always?

Again, we have our favorite characters in this and some new ones that join in the mix. We get a better "look" at Seth, and he's actually really growing on me. Maddie and Trevor are always favorites, but I am so happy that we get to see more of Drew! He's definitely a favorite of mine. Then there's the new guy in town ... Zach. I'm a little iffy about him, though he is an intriguing character and one that I hope we get to learn a lot more about. The evil adversary, Isaiah ... yeah, he's a good bad guy that you love to hate. By the end of the novel, I was ready to jump in and beat him down for a lot of the things that he did!

All in all, Adversary was a fantastic sequel to Minder and I cannot wait to read Legacy which comes out in January.

Review: Minder, by Kate Kaynak

Minder (Ganzfield #1)
Kate Kaynak
Paperback, 264 pages
Spencer Hill Press
June 18, 2010
isbn: 0984531106
isbn13: 9780984531103

(Goodreads) Sixteen-year-old Maddie Dunn is special, but she needs to figure out how to use her new abilities before somebody else gets hurt. Ganzfield is a secret training facility full of people like her, but it's not exactly a nurturing place. Every social interaction carries the threat of mind-control. A stray thought can burn a building to the ground. And people's nightmares don't always stay in their own heads. But it's still better than New Jersey--especially once she meets the man of her dreams...

This book has been on my TBR list for some time now. Unfortunately, requested reviews take priority to any type of pleasure reading that I have. That is... until Kate actually contacted me and requested a review. It just so happened I had finished up some reviews early and had the time ... so I was ecstatic!

Minder didn't even start out slow the way that most books do. From the very beginning, we're snagged into the story when Maddie senses that she is being followed by some boys, with not the most pleasant of intentions. I have to say, I got a little squeamish for a few minutes. Being inside the mind of a victim who knows what she's about to go through is intense, to say the least. However, this is where we find out with Maddie that there's something special about her. After, we get hoisted away to Ganzfield, where we meet even more unique students like Maddie - and we learn more about this little refuge they have to harness their abilities without the rest of the world knowing.

You just can't have a good story without good characters. I loved Maddie. She was flawed, yet a hard-worker and intensely loyal to those who earned her trust. Trevor was on my radar as quickly as he appeared, so it wasn't hard to pull for such a great guy. I think the only part for me that was a little iffy was how quickly the relationship for Maddie and Trevor developed - there really wasn't any development, just the beginning of a very intense relationship right off the bat. But, I do understand why it could develop that fast ... so, it wasn't a mood killer for me. And Drew? Seriously. I know he's not a main character, but I am so in love with him. I don't want him to get with Maddie or anything of the likes, I just want to keep him around for his humor and wit. He is such a fun character!

The history of Ganzfield and character development was a big part of this story, but that didn't slow it down for me at all. I thought I was smart by trying to guess throughout the book what was going to happen next ... and found myself completely wrong every single time, which should say something very good about Kate's writing. Oh, and I also need to compliment that because her writing style is a big part of keeping you entwined in the story.

Minder was definitely a one-sitting read for me, and a pretty quick one as well. Also included at the end of the novel is a preview of the second book Adversary, which will leave you wanting much more. Or, if you're like me and have the second book ... it will keep you up a few extra hours to find out what happens in the sequel!

Source: Author

Review: Torment, by Lauren Kate

Torment (Fallen, #2)
by Lauren Kate
Hardcover, 452 pages
Delacorte
September 28, 2010
ISBN: 0385739141
ISBN13: 9780385739146

How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean - and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future...and that Daniel hasn't told her everything. What if his version of the past isn't actually the way things happened...what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else?

This review in a nutshell, via my inner fan girl: OMG, this was just what I was waiting for and I totally can’t wait for the next!

Torment picks up where Fallen left us - Daniel has to take Luce to her new school. It isn’t just any new school, it’s a school that also houses Nephilim. There, Luce has to stay guarded and under the radar during the eighteen-day treaty between the angels while they search together for others that are hunting for Lucy. Like any girl told to do something without any explanation, Luce doesn’t exactly listen. We’re taken along for the ride while Luce finds out more about herself, her relationship with Daniel and Daniel himself, all while trying to stay safe … and alive.

I have to say that this follow-up didn’t fail its predecessor. It does a great job picking up where the first left off and continues the story, along with filling us in more on the history of the fallen angels, Luce and Daniel, and new character types introduced. There were a few things that made me quirk a brow - like Luce trying to find out if blondes have more fun and her starry-eyed moment with Miles. I understand that she’s left in the dark about a lot of things and she’s also left alone … a lot. That doesn’t mean she shouldn’t listen to the ones that save her life countless times. I’m all for some rebellion, but not when a supernatural being is trying to save me from being killed! But, we have to take the good with the bad. If it wasn’t for her stubborn streak, we wouldn’t have as much adventure as we got in this one … which made it a delightful read!

The new characters introduced in Torment were refreshing. I loved Miles as a character, though I could do without the small love triangle going on. Shelby was a nice little question mark that wasn’t easy to figure out at the beginning, but she came around and turned herself into a big exclamation point - in a good way. I really enjoyed her, and the other two crazy girls thrown in the mix, Dawn and Jasmine. I would have liked a little more time with Daniel and Cam as I wanted to know what they were doing while they were off and away from Luce. Yes, I know they were hunting … but, I wanted in on the action! We also welcome back some of our favorite characters from Sword & Cross, if only briefly.

I only had one moment where I rolled my eyes … and that was when they found out who one of the “bad guys” were. I saw it coming and thought it was obvious, even if the characters were shocked!

This book was definitely a page flipper for me and the end had me screaming for more. I loved it as much as I thought I would and I cannot wait for the next book to come out!

[Review for Fallen here.]

Torment Sneak Peek!

Lauren Kate, being the wonderful author that she is, has posted a sneak peek of her new book, Torment, on her blog. I've read it -- and I must say it's a slight torment in itself to end with just the prologue for now. ;) It IS really good though, and if you're a fan of Fallen, I would suggest going ahead and checking it out.

Read the Prologue »here«.

Etc: www.fallenbooks.com

Review: The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove, by Lauren Kate

Title: The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove
Author: Lauren Kate
Pages: 248
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: November 12, 2009

Genre: Young Adult
Keywords/Themes: death, deception, high school

A steamy Southern beauty makes one fatal mistake

Natalie Hargrove would kill to be her high school’s Palmetto Princess. But her boyfriend Mike King doesn’t share her dream and risks losing the honor of Palmetto Prince to Natalie’s nemesis, Justin Balmer. So she convinces Mike to help play a prank on Justin. . . one that goes terribly wrong. They tie him to the front of the church after a party—when they arrive the next morning, Justin is dead.

From blackmail to buried desire, dark secrets to darker deeds, Natalie unravels. She never should’ve messed with fate. Fate is the one thing more twisted than Natalie Hargrove.

Cruel Intentions meets Macbeth in this seductive, riveting tale of conscience and consequence.

My Review: I'm one of those people that, once I discover an author that has a great book, I like to read what ever else they have available. I had read Fallen a while back, and looked up on Lauren's website to see if she had any other books available. When I saw The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove and read the blurb ... I hesitated.

I'm not a huge fan of the "popular" people, or people that do harmful things to get ahead in life - it's never been my thing. So, I guess it was a blessing in disguise when I won an ARC of The Betrayal... through a blogger contest.

I have to admit, I enjoyed the book than what I thought I would. Lauren Kate made sure that we got glimpses into Natalie's past to show why she acts the way that she does, and I think that helped to make Natalie a more real character that you could actually relate to and empathize. In the end, I still thought Natalie's actions were horrible and definitely something that could have been avoided all together. But, then again, I guess we wouldn't have had a great YA book to read if that would have happened.

Overall, the plot was good. The characters were very real, though I have to say the only one I actually liked was Mike. The writing was wonderful, as it was in Fallen and the ending was kind of expected, but I was still surprised even when I fancied the idea of the ending before I actually read it. Lauren Kate is a wonderful author and I look forward to reading more books by her in the future.

Rating: ½ - I am definitely more of a fan of Fallen, but this one was better than what I expected. I'm not a huge fan of the cover, it's not an attention-grabber like others. The plot is a twist on something we've seen many times before, but it's definitely different enough to keep you reading through the end.

More Books By Author: Lauren Kate is the author of Fallen, who's sequel [Torment] will be released September 28th of this year - which I am too giddy about!

Source of Book: Won via blog contest.

Etc Etc: Read my review on Fallen here.

Review: Fallen, by Lauren Kate

Title: Fallen (Book #1, Fallen series)
Author: Lauren Kate (laurenkatebooks.net)
Pages: 464
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: December 08, 2009

Genre: Young Adult
Themes: boarding school, fallen angels, forbidden love, reincarnation

Synopsis: (From GoodReads) 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.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

Additional Information: Amazon.com's book trailer for Fallen is below.

My Review: The story starts out with Luce being late for the tour of the new boarding school she is attending, Sword & Cross. You're introduced to a few of the characters that become a big part of the story, such as Gabbe, Cam, and Arriane. Instantly, Cam takes a liking to Luce and so does Arriane, volunteering to show her around the grounds then demanding that Luce cut her hair like her own. Soon after, Luce spots Daniel Grigori, who she is immediately attracted to. More odd than that, she feels as though this isn't her first time seeing him. When Daniel spots Luce, he gets wide-eyed right before smiling and gallantly flipping her off. Even though he was rude to her, Luce continually finds herself thinking about him and looking for him. That is until she has a run-in with Molly, who quickly welcomes her to school with a big plate of meatloaf over her head. However, thanks to Molly, Luce is introduced to Penn - the late school caretaker's daughter who decides to stay at Sword & Cross because that's where her father is buried. Although a little eccentric, Penn turns out to be a good information source for Luce. Luce and Daniel talk every once in a while, but each time she's left even more confused than before. A little less than a hundred pages into the novel, you have your first big scene of action that kind of puts the whole novel into swing - before then, it's just a bunch of introductions, Cam flirting with Luce, and you sort of get an idea of why Luce is in Sword & Cross. However, it's never really fully fleshed out in the story, which either may be a hole in the plot or something the author plans on telling in the next book. Either way, you know enough to know there was a tragic accident, she was blamed for it, and now she's in a boarding school with other "troubled teens". I'm going to stop with the play-by-play, but I will say that as the story unravels, you figure out that a lot of people are not what they seem. You also get the whole story on why Daniel seems so familiar to Luce, as well as a big back story on why they may never be able to be together.

Alright, I'll admit ... I judged a book by its cover - bad. Reading the blurb on the back, I didn't really think there would be anything all that intriguing in the book. Why? I thought it would just be a book where you follow a girl who drools over some really hot guy the whole time and that's about it. I have to say that I was definitely wrong. The story is pretty wonderful. As I said in my review for Evernight, the cover would fit better on that. However, not every book has a cover that fits well with the story itself. So, I'll say that, as just a cover, it's an attention-grabber and it's very beautiful. And really, what's better than being a proud owner of a good book with a gorgeous cover? The prologue to the story is actually a flashback, with unnamed characters, but you quickly understand it as the story goes along - and it does it's job as a prologue by catching your attention, making you want to read more. The plot? As mentioned, it does have some holes and you will have some questions after you read the novel. Since it is a part of a series, I am hoping the author will fix that by answering the questions later on in the series. So, I'm going to be lenient on that until I read more of the series. I loved the characters and they fit their persona well - though I do think that Arriane lost a little of her spark as the story went along. I think she faded back a little too much and didn't keep her spunkiness that she originally started out with. There IS an epilogue that goes with the story. After you read it, you'll have a "Whhhhaaaat?!" moment, but it's a good one! It really gets your blood pumping for the next book. The writing is wonderful, as well as the point of view ... which follows Luce in third person, but you do get a grip on the surroundings too. I forgot to mention that the ending is a little heart-wrenching, but it's necessary and gets your hopes up for the sequel.

Rating: - It was a tough decision between three stars and four, but ultimately I do think this book is more of a four star read than three. It has a good plot, good characters, and it's a great read. There are some holes, but not enough holes to question the overall story itself or the characters. At the end of the book, you have a great grip on the story, the backstory, the characters, and a small hint of things to come. It's definitely a book that I would recommend to buy.

Summary: You could say that Fallen is about a girl who starts a new school and instantly falls for one of the hot guys there. However, it's much deeper than that. Fallen is on a whole new level about a girl who is basically re-introduced to someone that she loves, but is really forbidden to love. Once her past is revealed to her, it quickly turns into two forces fighting for the girl and the girl desperately trying to find a way to stay with the one she loves.

Target Audience: Again, this is another paranormal romance novel in the young adult genre. It's not about vampires, but another supernatural force. If you want a book that deals with some biblical themes (don't worry, it's not a Christian book - obviously!) mixed with a little horror and romance, then you'll like this book.

Source of Book: This book was a purchase I made for myself during one of my many bookstore raids.

Other Books By Author: Lauren Kate has another young adult book out called The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove. However, you won't find any paranormal in this one - it's more of the mystery/suspense types. There will also be a sequel to Fallen, it's called Torment - though I don't think it has a release date yet.