Sam Review's "Fallen" by Lauren Kate - December 2015

Sam's Notes Taken Along the Way

In the Beginning

"This lifeless paper, cruel impostor, was the only way to take her with him."

Chapter One

What kind of school rule is "No one is allowed a car"?  And even if you aren't allowed to have a car on campus with you, that still doesn't justify, in my mind, why they would sell her car just cuz she can't have it at school.

Chapter Two

I wonder if the shocking wristbands would be at all legal to use on minors in a school setting.

I am automatically suspicious of Penn.  Not only that she knows so much about everyone by being an aid, but because she almost brags about it.  And I don't understand what her immune system has to do with her wearing 4 sweaters at once.

Chapter Four

I can't be okay for a school to be so close to a cemetery, and to utilize the cemetery as a sort of punishment.  Just the idea of being forced into a cemetery freaks me out.

"Luce’s wishes felt too heavy for something so light." [speaking of dandelion wishes]

Chapter Eight

I can't get over how weird all the names in this book are.  Luce, Diante, Penn...

"Wicked Witch of the South" [in reference to stiletto boots appearing out from a phone booth] wouldn't the correct reference be Wicked Witch of the West?

Chapter Eleven

Arriane and Gabbe's reaction to Todd's death was super inappropriate.  Sipping on alcoholic drinks in a hospital after a student had his neck broken trying to escape a fire.

Chapter Twelve

When Luce was crying (more over Trevor than Todd) and Cam was just right on top of her, bugging her about the necklace he gave her, and hugging her and telling how everything would be alright, I felt so suffocated on her behalf.

Chapter Fifteen

I'm not a firm believer that most guys are led on and friend zoned by girls, however Luce's behavior bothers me so much.  I really do like she's playing Cam, even if she doesn't understand how she feels about Cam and Daniel and herself, why couldn't she just explain to Cam that he isn't the only guy she's interested in - before he got into the nasty fist fight with Daniel?

Chapter Fifteen

Cam's letter-led rendezvous is way more creepy than it is endearing to me, and there is no way in hell I would have gotten into that sedan. 

"...his face pale as the bloom of a peony." - I just appreciated the simile and tie in to her favorite flower.

Chapter Sixteen

"The only way to survive eternity is to be able to appreciate each moment." - I think this is a really great statement about how to get over grief.

There are parts of Daniel's story I still don't understand:
Is he always the same age or does he age, die, and be reborn with the same memories?  If he doesn't age and just exists as a 17 year old forever - that is true damnation, I cant imagine being 17 forever.  Would you still feel 17 or would you feel older and kind of creepy for being in love with a 17 year old when Luce eventually shows up?
Also, Luce, why is she not condemned?  Or if she is condemned, is her condemnation that she only lives to be 17 and then dies?  If that's the case, why wouldn't Daniel want to take advantage of every moment and be with her as early in her life as he possibly could be?  Is it just because the pain is too great?
Is the only reason why he expected to meet and cause her death so quickly because he avoided her until she found her way to him or do they only ever get a few weeks together regardless of when they find each other?

Chapter Eighteen

Literally stopped and laughed out loud to Miss Sophia's statement of "There's supposed to be an order to things!" when the locusts were appearing.

I don't really care for the implication that most of the important characters are part of this reincarnation thing.

When Cam was summoning the "creatures that embodied night" I was just imagining the Heartless from Kingdom Hearts.

Miss Sophia being a bad guy was an interesting twist, although I don't know why since Cam was "nice" to and ended up being an enemy.
Chapter Nineteen

It's an interesting theory that Luce has to be baptized in order to be reborn considering reincarnation isn't something typically talked about in a Christian bible.  Ironically I was never baptized so I wonder what that would mean for me in this world.

Chapter Twenty

Why could the mortals see the destruction from the battle but no one had been woken up during it?