 | Title: Falling Under
 Sexual Content:
My Rating:  Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel. |
Description
Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.
As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.
And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.
Review
When I think of the BIG titles that broke out a specific trend in Paranormal YA, I think of TWILIGHT and vampires, SHIVER and werewolves, HUSH HUSH and angels, WICKED LOVELY and faeries, and now I think we’re about to add FALLING UNDER to that list. You’ll have to read the book to find out what new trend it’s breaking.
In the tradition of those aforementioned titles, FALLING UNDER is part gothic romance, part paranormal mystery, and part coming of age story. It’s breathtakingly written in a way that I think will elevate it above most of it’s peers (excepting maybe SHIVER). The characters, even the secondary ones, are all given dimension and distinct motivations. I didn’t necessarily like every character, but I believed they were real.
Specifically, FALLING UNDER is like a mash-up of HUSH HUSH and WICKED LOVEY. Like, Patch, the romantic lead is dark and dangerous and his motives are rarely pure. You’ll hate and love him a dozen times before the book is over. And like the unseen Faerie realm, Theia’s ‘visits’ to Under are fractured and macabre. It frighteningly easy to lose herself there and revel in the dance even while knowing it’s destroying her.
The entire book is surprisingly dark and delightful. Even readers who are growing jaded by this genre should find something to enjoy here. The ending is less of an ending and more of a setup for the next book, but it’s so provocative that I don’t even care that it’s a cliffhanger. All I care about is finding out when I can tumble back down this rabbit hole and fall back Under.
|
I'm so happy to see that you enjoyed this. I've been looking forward to this book for quite some time now.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds SOOOO good, I'm ordering it now!
ReplyDeleteMeaghan - I hadn't heard much about it and it probably would have flown under my radar if NAL hadn't sent me a copy, but I loved it.
ReplyDeleteVampires and Tofu - I think you'll love it!
Glad you liked it, i got a chance to read an early copy of this book, but didn't feel the same way :/. I mean i like the concept, but the characters were bugging me too much. This book also reminds me of Hades and Persephone.
ReplyDeleteVan - I picked up on the Greek mythology link too. Very cool. I really liked the characters. I kept picturing Theia as a young Haley Mills
ReplyDeleteI can see that haha, maybe with a dark shade of blond?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this one. My review gave it an A. I, too, loved how well developed the supporting characters were and how lush and dark the story was. I think Madame Varnie is one of my new favorite characters of the year ;)
ReplyDelete