Book Review: Torment by Lauren Kate

Torment by Lauren Kate

Pub Date: September 2010

Publisher:Random House Children's Books

laurenkatebooks.net

Synopsis-

Hell on earth.

That’s what it’s like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.

It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts—immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn’t told her everything. He’s hiding something—something dangerous.

What if Daniel’s version of the past isn’t actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

The second novel in the addictive FALLEN series . . . where love never dies.

My Review- The book continues where the first book of the series Fallen left off. Luce is whisked away to California and for her protection is enrolled to Shoreline a school for Nephilim's (half angels). We are introduced to some fresh faces, Jasmine, Dawn, Shelby,Miles,Steven, and Franseca. The angels and demons are still trying to kill Luce but we are also introduced to a new set of enemies the Outcasts, a group of very pale,blind, ragged winged,fallen angels who have aquired a very special weapon called the starshot that can kill angels.

There is more of Daniel and Luce, more unanswered questions, alot of fighting between the two due to Luce's frustration of being kept in the dark about everything. We also are introduced to a love triangle of sorts.It seems Luce starts to have feelings - not as strong as the feelings she has for Daniel but enough to where she allows another boy to kiss her. Luce also learns through her new friend Shelby that Daniel has not always been exclusive to her when she was not around which brings up more questions and doubts for her character.

Luce has discovered more about the shadows that have haunted her since she can remember. The announcers, as they are called Luce has learned  that you can control them and that they can provide actual glimpses of the past and also a portal to the past and present. She utilizes the announcers and visits some of her former loved ones from her past lives who are still alive.She sees through the announcers that she had a "life" in all her past lives people who loved and cared for - whom she loved as well. This only made her more frustrated and filled her with more questions about her and Daniel and if all this was really meant to be. There was quite a lot of "what if's."

I loved Fallen and had high hopes for Torment but my hopes were crushed, not much but just enough to where I can't give this book an A+. The book seemed to move alot slower than the first and many parts just dragged. I did love the fact we got to see more of Daniels love for Luce, the heartbreaks,pain and frustration he has went through losing Luce time after time. I really felt sorry for him in Torment. I also grew to like Luce more. She loved Daniel but was not afraid to question if he really is the one? And the ending I loved it. It really made my love for Luce's character grow, she was not afraid to break free and find the answers that no one seemed to want to give to her. I can't wait for book three, Passion. I am eager to learn about the past lives of Luce all while Daniel still fights for her to bring her back to him.