Twisted fate

When I learned I was scheduled to interview Lauren Kate, I knew I had to read Fallen, not only so I could ask questions about the book, but mostly because I was pressured by the fact that I was going with a 12-year old fan girl who knew a lot more about the series (and Lauren Kate) than I did!

The interview went well; Daniela was over the moon, and Lauren Kate is one of the most down-to-earth authors I’ve interviewed. But because I’m not really a fan  or a frequent reader of the paranormal genre, I decided I needed another book as a counterpoint for my review. I found a copy of Lauren Kate’s first book, The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove, and read it so I could review them side by side in this last installment of a series of posts on Lauren Kate.

In Fallen, 17-year old Luce Price is sent to a stringent reform school after she figures as a suspect in the death of her boyfriend. Luce struggles to fit in at Sword and Cross, but soon gains a few friends that make life a little better for her. Of course, the brightest spot in her new life at reform school is one person that captures her attention from the first moment she claps eyes on him: Daniel Grigori.

As if by some invisible force, Luce tries to get closer to Daniel but he goes out of his way to keep his distance. Luce senses that Daniel is harboring a dark secret, and she is determined to find out what it is.

(So as not to spoil the story, I’ll leave it at that).

I thought Sword and Cross was quite atmospheric — a dark and forbidding setting for a tale that harbors a lot of secrets. And while Luce and Daniel have yet to grow on me, I do like the supporting characters, especially the peculiar Penn (short for Pennyweather Van Syckle-Lockwood), the vivacious Arriane, and the oh-so-charming Cam (I actually like Cam over Daniel — what’s not to like?!?). I also thought the whole library confrontation (with Daniel yelling “I said keep your hands off her, you evil piece of s#*t!” and the messy brawl that follows) was quite entertaining, but it does take a while to get there.

My main dilemma with the book is that while I liked the book’s premise on how Luce and Daniel’s fates are tragically intertwined, it doesn’t quite give me enough material to go on. So many questions hang in the balance, and at this point, I still don’t have a clear grasp on the central mythology of the series. I know, I know, Daniela tells me that more will be revealed in Torment, but I (and I’m speaking as your regular, non-paranormal reader, mind you, so please take this review with a grain of salt) was looking for more of a hook that would make me want to read on in the story.

I’m still making up my mind on reading Torment, but I do think the third book, Passion, which comes out in 2011, will be quite interesting, and has the potential to be the best book in this series.

Meanwhile, The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove is a contemporary teen thriller featuring the titular character who has her sights set on the being crowned as the Palmetto Princess of her high school.

Natalie is beautiful and popular, and she’s dating the school’s prize catch, Mike King. The power couple is all set to take over the Palmetto Court in this year’s Ball, but Justin Balmer appears to be getting an edge in on the votes for Palmetto Prince.

Natalie refuses to share the Palmetto Court with anyone other than Mike, and it appears she has an axe to grind for Justin Balmer. One fateful night, Natalie convinces Mike to assist her in a seemingly harmless prank on Justin, but things get out of hand, and Justin turns up dead the next day.

As Natalie and Mike cover up their involvement in Justin’s death, dark secrets and darker deeds rise to the surface, tearing their relationship apart. Natalie Hargrove is in way over her head, and she stands to lose everything she’s worked so hard for.

Natalie Hargrove is a lot edgier than Fallen, in the sense that the language and themes are more mature. While I’m not a big fan of sexuality in teenage books, I did get into this book faster than I did into Fallen. I thought it would be your basic mean girl novel (i.e. like certain books that feature rich kids who do nothing other than sleep around, gossip, and stab each other in the back), but it’s a lot more complicated than that.

Natalie appears to be superficial and manipulative, but as the story unfolds, more and more pieces of her checkered past fall into place, revealing the complexity of her character and giving her a credible motivation for her actions.

The story is dark, sometimes racy, and deliciously sinister, reminding me strongly of books I read when I was a teen — novels by Christopher Pike, Lois Duncan and R.L. Stine. I think Lauren Kate really does have the 17-year old voice down pat, and for a first book, The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove really exhibits her potential as a writer.

***

Fallen, signed first edition trade paperback, 2.5/5 stars

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove, trade paperback, 3.5/5 stars

Books #169-170 of 2010

K for the A-Z Challenge

[amazonify]::omakase::300:250[/amazonify]