Falling Under

I liked a lot of the concepts, but got annoyed with the plot.

While I was looking for a specific book, I found this book, the cover and title caught my eyes and I bought it; I wasn't sorry, I just opened the first chapter to read it and suddenly I found myself reaching chapter 6, and I couldn't put the book down, or stop thinking about it.

This book will surprise you and will keep you wondering what will happen next, it has everything from great characters to creepy dreams and dark moments. In some ways the book reminds me a lot of Peter Pan and Wendy but in a darker sense and mostly for older people.

The only thing you should know before starting is this:

Down is Up, and Up is Down.

Enjoy!

This was also another book I read all the way through but I did not enjoy overmuch. The imagery and sensuality in this book is palatable. Ms. Hayes has a gift, that I can assure you, but I was not fond of the story in this book. It just seemed to...far out there. I was happy that there was no love triangle though, as are most of the books like this one today. I will try other things by this author, she is an excellent writer...I just hope her plotting becomes more to my taste.

As you can see, after I thought about the book more...I stopped enjoying it.

I have had this book on my to be read pile for quite a while. This book ended up being exactly what I thought it was going to be. It was a very typical YA paranormal romance. The writing was okay and so was the story; but nothing all that interesting or creative. This is the first book of a duology, the second book is called Dreaming Awake.

Theia leads a very sheltered life with a very strict father. However, things start to change when she sees a boy fall flaming from the sky. Then the burning boy Haden starts appearing in her dreams, followed by his appearance at her school. Theia finds herself drawn to Haden but she knows he’s not normal...probably not even human. Haden is determined to protect Theia from the danger he represents, but is he strong enough to push her away?

Everything about this story was very typical paranormal YA. Theia is your super uptight repressed heroine that has a hidden wild side. Haden is your dark and dangerous yet sensitive bad boy. Right away you know he’s not human but has something to do with demons.

The first part of the book was pretty bad; Theia is constantly making puppy dog eyes at Haden even though he is emotionally abusive and a bit of a stalker (super unhealthy relationship between these two). The second half of the book was more interesting, this is the part where they visit Haden’s home...however I won’t say more than that because of spoilers.

I did enjoy the irony at the end of the story (which ends on a pretty bad cliffhanger). I wish I had known that this was the first book of a duology when I started the book.

Overall this is an okay and very typical YA paranormal romance. The first half of the book is flat out bad and boring, but the second half was more interesting. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend reading this book, there is much much better YA PNR out there. I won’t be reading the second book in this duology because I just don’t care.

(Dislaimer-I received an Advanced Readers Copy through Goodreads to review.)

"Falling Under" by Gwen Hayes is a Young Adult story. It is not your typical 'boy meets girl' and they live happily ever after. Though they do have a happy ever after...of sorts.

Theia is a teen age girl living her life with an emotionally absent father. Haden is a teen age boy who comes to school and life changes. Serendipity Falls is where it all takes place.

To say much more is to give away the most important secret of "Falling Under" so I will stop on that note and begin with a different one.


For me personally, I felt that it took far too long to get to the crux of what the book was about. It may simply be that I am a 45 year old woman who does not normally read Young Adult fiction, so I didn't count that too high in my decision to give "Falling Under" a 4 star. I would have given 4 1/2 if that was possible. I think that Ms. Hayes did a very good job on this book and would read more of hers given the change. (I have read "Butterface" and that was an excellent book that I related to)

I definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy Young Adult Fiction. You won't be sorry.

Full review to be posted soon:
Haunting, imaginative and creepy. Falling Under takes on the Hades myth in great style. Although it does have the mysterious boy syndrome - it doesn't fall into the traps of other YA books with this trope. The supporting cast of characters is colourful and witty. I really liked it - although I did think it had a bit of slow start, the second half of the book flows well with a tense and scary showdown of a cliffhanger. Definitely picking up the next book!

2.5 stars

One night Theia sees burning man falling from the sky and her life will never bee the same again. She starts to dream about a boy and is more than surprised when the same boy starts the same school Theia does. Haden seems to avoid her but she can’t help but to be drawn to him.

I liked the idea of the book; The world of Under and how demons traveling between worlds. And for once in YA book there wasn’t love triangle! But I couldn’t connect with the characters.

They fell in love too soon and Haden was all over other girls and still Theia wants him. Seriously? Haden is telling Theia all the time to stay away from him because he’s dangerous but I just couldn’t tell why he’s so dangerous exactly.

Theia was brought up by overprotective father and I didn’t buy how she so suddenly decides to rebel. I liked Haden better but honestly he was total jackass most of the book.

And it really annoyed me how Haden calls Theia “lamb” all the time, And how Haden’s mother Mara calls her “pussycat”, I believe she called Haden that one time too…

I’m kinda torn between giving this 2.5 and 3. In the other hand there were so many things that annoyed me but it was also entertaining and quick read. But I think the annoying winns…

I just finished reading this book and it really captivated me. Even though it starts off a little slow for me but not to the point I wanted to give up on the book…it still held my interest and couldn’t want to see what would happen next.

The story is about Theia Alderson, a seventeen year old girl who tries to be everything her overprotective father wants her to be and Haden Black a new mysteriously handsome newcomer to Serendipity Falls. For someone who’s shy and doesn’t liked to be noticed, Theia finds herself drawn to Haden and wanting to know more about him because there’s something familiar about him. Haden with his own dark secrets is drawn to Theia but knowing he doesn’t want her in his world tries pushing her away. She soon finds out how different Haden really is and is willing to sacrifice everything to be with him.

When I got to the middle of the book, I figured I already knew what the ending was going to be and was excited to know I was wrong. I think the book was very well done and a great way to start a series and can’t wait to see if I’ll get to read more about Theia & Haden…

Thanks for the opportunity to read this book before it is scheduled to come out in March...

Library Summary: "Sheltered, small-town California girl Theia Alderson feels incredibly drawn to a devastatingly handsome new boy at school, Haden, who she has seen before, not in class or the hall, but in her dreams."

I absolutely LOVED this book! I am a sucker for paranormal romance. I have never read a paranormal romance book where a girl falls in love with a half human half demon boy so this is a nice twist. Speaking of twists, I love the twist that is in the middle of the book. If you want to know what I'm talking about, read the book.

I love Haden's character in the book. I have never read of a half human half demon boy that doesn't want to be a demon. I also haven't read of a boy that doesn't want his girlfriend to touch him at all. So this was a nice change for me. I recommend this to all paranormal romance fans.

I was interested as soon as I read about the burning man.....but then I wasn't much after that. All through the book I kept complaining (to myself) about how if a guy is going to treat you like crap WHY are you still pursuing it? This wasn't a bad book. I liked Theia's friend Donnie. Amelia was quiet. I wish that Theia had more....something....to her. I will read book two.

Anyone who follows my status updates on Goodreads (or Twitter) should probably know that I was more than annoyed with this book. It isn't even the plot - which is unique enough, considering many books follow the beaten path of: girl meets boy, girl loves boy more than the world and vice versa, something terrible happens that threatens to destroy the relationship, they overcome it, the end. Falling Under is a little bit differen in that regard.

But! And this is a pretty big but: It's very Twilight-y. Starting with an old dude in a teenagers body, the shy/unknown girl who is of course utterly gorgeous, symapthetic side kicks, Haden calling Theia his "lamb" and when he's questioning whether he has a soul ... I just really couldn't get into it. Maybe I'm just extremely prejudiced when it comes to Twilight. Don't get me wrong, when it was released here in Germany, I breathed those books. I even read the third and fourth books in English, which was a grand thing for me then. But since then I've learned to spot the faults in the books and I just can't overlook them in other books.

The similarities are subtle enough, at that. One thing that gets me all the time (maybe it's a pet peeve in development?) is when two people fall in love at first sight and would immediately die for each other, or take each other's place in hell. I just don't believe in that kind of love. Maybe I'm unromantic, but I think it's unrealistic, let alone healthy! Is this what we want young girls to believe? That it's okay if you can't live without your boyfriend, that - in fact - you need a boyfriend to live? We should encourage girls to be strong and independent and not resort to long since abandoned preconceptions.

So, that's where my two star rating comes from. I couldn't wait to finally finish this book so that I could move on to other things. And as much as it resembles Twilight, the only worse book in that way I can think of right now is apparently Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon, which seems like a complete rip-off judging be the reviews.

I DE-VOURED this book. This book is like a mix between Alice In Wonderland and Romeo and Juliet. It has the scary yet magical upside down world and two star-crossed lovers fighting the odds. The dream sequences were very visual, so easy to imagine. Something i really appreciated in this book is the supporting characters were well developed, they didn't just fill in the gaps of the book they were really a part of it and i became attached to all of them, especially Theia's two best friends Donny and Amelia. It was an amazing read and i am dying for the sequel. It's gonna be a long year. My suggestion GO BUY IT!! This book gets a big 5 stars out of 5.

When this book showed up in the mail, I was so excited about it and immediatly put it at the top of my TBR pile. I'm so glad I did because this book was spectacular and kept me up until the early hours of the morning reading, needing to find out what would happen next.

Everything about this book did it for me. The characters were well developped and I felt connected to them from the very beginning, the plot was gripping and the story was unique and unlike anything I've ever really read before.

Theia is a seventeen year old girl who lives a very shelted life. Her father tries to control pretty much everything about her; he never lets her wear her hair down because it is too wild and untamed, everything that she wears was picked out for her by someone that her dad hired, every aspect of her life is controlled by her father. It's obvious from the very first page of this book that Theia is desperate to break away from her father's control, but as soon as Haden shows up in town, not only does Theia's father loose all control over her, but Theia begins to loose control of herself.

I had a love/hate relationship with Theia. I hated that she allowed her father to have so much control over her, but I loved it when she started to break free and finally be her own person and not just the person that her father wanted her to be. Ever since the first moment that Theia spent with Haden, her world started to unravel. I really enjoyed watching Theia break out of her shell and really blossom from a shy girl who was next to invisible into someone much stronger, someone who was willing to fight for what she wanted.

Haden was probably one of the sexiest guys that I've had the pleasure of reading about in quite some time, and that's no suprise considering what he is (which you'll have to read the book to find out!). He could be so dark, wicked and menacing one moment, and so sweet, loving and gentle the next. As the book progresses and we find out what the cause of these conflicting actions and emotions is, we really start to see Haden in a completely different light as the struggle that he's going through becomes even more apparent. I really, really enjoyed Haden's character, he was the perfect blend of bad boy and sweetheart for me. He could have me annoyed with him one moment and swooning the next! I really hope that there's going to be a sequel to Falling Under (which I'm sure there will be considering how it left off) so that I can have even more of him!

I seriously loved everything about this book! Gwen Hayes' writing was beautiful. I was able to feel so connected with the characters and really feel their emotions. Falling Under was definitly a sexy book, maybe not recommended for younger readers, but for me the sexiness of it was just right; it fit perfectly with the story, only adding to my enjoyment of the book.

The summary makes this book sound like a very typical paranormal teen story, but it is much more than that. I was thinking this would be a Twilight type of story when I began reading it. I was so wrong! Falling Under is the story of Theia, a girl who encounters a mysterious boy in her dreams. It turns out that those dreams were a link to a world called Under. I don’t want to tell much else because it would spoil the story, and I think that’s why the summary in the back of the book is so vague. So many things happen! Let me just say that I love Haden. He was so mysterious, creepy, yet romantic and just plain amazing! I could really feel the connection between the characters. I mean, they both did whatever it took to be together. They truly love each other. This brings me to another point I wanted to mention, love triangles are not really necessary to make a story interesting. This book is a perfect example of that! The obstacles these two had were enough to keep the tension going. Plus, the bad “guy” in the mysterious world was another element that kept me at the edge of my seat. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book, and if Theia and Haden can beat that evil person. I just have one thing to say: Go read this book! You won’t be disappointed!

Falling Under was a very unique story. At times I did find some parts to be a little slow, but not to the point that I lost interest in the story. It was so well written and Gwen Hayes did a really good job at describing things that it was so easy to picture.Haden has an agenda and it all revolves around Theia. As he begins to get his plan in motion, he also starts to fall for her. One minute he has to be near her, the next he is teasing her and shutting her out. Theia doesn't seemed fazed at all by any of Haden's games or words. She feels this pull towards him and doesn't want to stay away. She knows deep down that Haden feels it too and she sets out to conquer him. I have to say that I first I thought I had the story mapped out and knew how it would end. Well, I was wrong and the way it ended was a huge shocker for me. I did not see it coming at all and that is what I loved the most. Though the beginning was a little slow, once you reach a little into the middle it's definitely a page turner. I am assuming with the way Falling Under ended there is going to be a sequel and it's going to be one HELL of a ride! Great story!!!FOUR STARS!

I absolutely loved the first part of the book. But didn't care much for the second part.

A burning man falling from the sky, changed Theia's life forever. She starts having lucid and nightmarish dreams, and he's always there. Haden, who wants her one moment , and pushes her away the next. I'm still a little jumpy from the haunting, creepy, world Gwen Hayes has crafted. Okay, a little, is an understatement.

Beautifully written, Gwen Hayes has the most vivid descriptions that I'm sucked into whatever realm, whether it may be our human world or Under, Haden's eerie and terrifying world of the dead. She shapes her characters in depth and forms them in a way that doesn't make it hard to visualize each of them. Except, I do think that Theia was quite insecure when it came to her relationship with Haden, often being sure that they had mutual feelings then the next she was angry at Haden for making her feel like a stupid naïve lovestruck girl. I usually wanted to smack her head and yell, "He loves you, dang it!" But she was a great character nonetheless.

Theia's team, Donny, Ame, Gabe, Vince, and occasionally Mike, made me enjoy the book and helped lighten the mood in this dark eerie tale. Strangely, I enjoyed all the psychic involvement in the story as it added to the spine-chilling plot and turn of events. The romance for all the couples were just the right touch to this dark tale. Though there were a lot of amazing things about this book, there were times when I was just lost in the flow of the plot, I'd wrinkle my nose but continue anyways.

Most of the time, this emotional fear gripping roller coaster caught me completely, off guard. I never expected the whole book to turn out this way. Trust me when I say it caught me by surprise, because it really freaking did. I often had to come out to gasp for air and looked for light to reassure me that there certainly weren't skeletons or men without faces. I feared to go asleep at night, afraid those dreams may haunt me. But this time I'll have a hard time sleeping just waiting for the next book, Dreaming Awake.

I loved this book! I didn't think I was going to like it but was pleasently surprised by it. I thought this book took the mythology of dreams, heaven/hell, and demons to the right degree. I found the introduction of 'hell' or Under as very interesting and it reminded me of something Tim Burton would concoct. I felt the characters were indepth and interesting enough to keep me wanting to know more about them and root for them. I loved the secondary characters as well and they all felt 'real' to me. I enjoyed the amount of horror/paranormal mixed with reality in this book and my only complaint was it was just too short! Can't wait for the sequels!

Gwen Hayes in a good writer who sure knows how to tell a story. Falling Under was full of interest and intrigue. There was also a dark side to the story that I really enjoyed.

The characters were very fun. Theia's best friends, Donatella and Amelia, kept the story moving at times when the plot felt just a little slow. They were both so different from Theia, but they were wonderful friends. They were vibrant and vivacious. Theia herself starts out as a very shy and quiet girl. She's been living under the very strict rules of her father since her mother's death. She is not allowed to wear her hair down, as it is wild and untamed. She wears the "virginal" clothing that a personal shopper has picked out for her. With the arrival of a certain someone, Theia behind to step from behind the curtain her father has drawn around her. I liked seeing her gain some independence. Enter Haden. He is handsome, mysterious, dangerous and alluring. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about him throughout the story. I didn't hate him, but I wasn't in love with him. His motives were questionable to me and I wasn't sure exactly what he was trying to accomplish. I couldn't really pinpoint whether he was good or bad. I did like the darkness that hung around him. It added more intrigue to the story. But with his alternating hot and cold attitude with Theia, I don't know why she continued to put up with him. By the end of the book, he grew on me a little more.

Theia and Haden's trips to the Under felt like something straight out of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas or Corpse Bride. There were people who were disfigured, taken apart and haphazardly sewn back together. The Under was dark and nightmarish. Haden's mother was sinister and evil. With these trips, Theia isn't sure whether she is dreaming or truly living a nightmare.

Overall, this was a great read. Full of twists, turns and darkness looming around every corner, Falling Under is very appealing and worth the read. And of course, the cover is beautiful!


"Part of me wants to set you on fire and hold you while the flame consumes us both, to eat your heart so I know that only I possess it entirely." (Haden, pg. 171)

YA, romance, paranormal, dreaming

When sheltered teenager Theia Alderson meets Haden, the strikingly handsome new boy at her school who is the same compelling figure that has visited her in her dreams, she has no way of knowing the extent to which her life will ultimately be changed.

Falling Under is a paranormal romance that feels well written. But—it is the start of a new series. Sigh. The first book isn’t all that thick, so I am wondering if the publisher or author decided to stretch it out. It seems like the new thing the write is series. The covers are beautiful, though.

“The cell phone was a compromise…. He didn’t know I could read e-books on the phone, he didn’t even know what e-books were. Father just thought he’d finally broken me of reading by flashlight. It never would have occurred to him that I hadn’t been broken—I’d graduated.” (p 12.) My favorite quote comes early in the book; I would have been just like Theia if cell phones had been around when I was a kid. The ending is okay, it’s not a cliff hanger as such, but there is still trouble to resolve.

Falling Under was a GREAT book. I really loved it. I devoured it in one straight sitting, unable to go to sleep until I finished it. Now where to start…

I just want to start by saying I loved this book, so this review might be a bit long and gushy. The story was great and had me intrigued the whole way through. Gwen Hayes was able to keep the reader engaged in the mystery of Haden without making it feel old. Instead, I kept wanting to know more about Haden, who is he? What is he? I loved how Gwen unraveled his mystery. And let me tell you I did not expect anything that Gwen Hayes revealed about Haden. I was fully intrigued. The plot definitely kept me turning pages. And after the mystery of Haden was unraveled, the plot continued, stronger then ever, and I don’t want to give anything away, but it was great. The whole last section of the book I did not see coming AT ALL! I love when a book can take me on a ride and through unexpected turns at me, and this book accomplished this.

One of my favorite things about this book was the characters. Theia was a great protagonist. She was fully developed and felt like a normal teenage girl, albeit with an extremely over protective father (not something too uncommon). And one thing I loved about Theia was she wasn’t a stupid, unthinking protagonist. She realizes that Haden isn’t who he seems and realizes he is dangerous and acknowledges this. She was a complex character, confused by what is going on in her life and her own feelings. And that brings us to Haden. Wow. Haden. What a hot, mysterious, dark, complex character. I loved him. I felt the same way Theia did towards him, confused and a bit creeped out by him but undeniable attracted by his mystery. He is truly the goth Mr. Darcy, and I wouldn’t mind having one appear in my dreams like he does, even if he is not all good for me (or Theia for that matter). Theia and Haden also had great, great chemistry. While he admitted he wasn't good for Theia, you still wanted them together, no matter what. Theia and Haden definitely have some of the best chemistry I've read recently.

Not only did I love Theia and Haden, the two main characters, but the supporting characters were great too. I really loved Theia’s two best friends Donny and Amelia. They were great characters and great friends to Theia. I loved that they were fully developed unlike in other books where the friends are just there to give advice to the main characters. Varnie and Gabe were also two very great secondary characters. The secondary characters are great and prove to be important to the plot and provide great scenes.

Gwen Hayes has written a great book. I don’t know how many times I’ve said this but, truly, it was great. The writing was beautiful and lyrical. Hayes’ descriptions were rich with beautiful details, fully establishing the scenes, characters and emotions. I loved the little bits of humor Hayes’ included in the story too. I laughed so hard at the little Twilight reference that my roommate though something was wrong. I also really loved the glimpses the reader has into Haden's mind at times. While the book is primarily told from Theia's point of view, these glimpses at Haden's thoughts enhanced his mystery and added, what I felt were little easter eggs to the action occurring. The writing fit the book so well, beautiful, haunting and lyrical. I loved it.

Falling Under was one of those books that I desperately wanted a sequel to. Thankfully there will be a sequel because I want more, more, more of Theia and Haden and all the other characters. I cannot wait to return back to the world Gwen Hayes has created. The sequel cannot come soon enough.

While this book is not out until March, so far away, and I already read it, I will be anxiously awaiting it’s release. I was truly enchanted by this story. It was something new, fresh, clever and lovely. Gwen Hayes has written one of my new favorite books for 2011 and the year hasn’t even started yet. I will definitely be picking up a finished copy of this fabulous book come March.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the different story and the switching the character perspective. I hope there is another book because it kind of ended with some loose ends. If there isn't any other books then it was a really abrupt ending like they only needed to be 250 pages and she couldn't write anymore. So in that aspect I really hope there is another book.

I loved this book! I read mixed reviews before picking it up for myself, and I'm happy I ended up in the positive camp.

I'm a huge Gothic fan. The whole squeaky door/creepy character/horror/ romance combination is crazy awesome. This book combines all those characteristics to great effect. The ominous tones in the background of the story are as major a character as the people involved in the plot.

At one point, there was a malevolent force in the room with her that was so threatening that the shadows in the room fled from it. Dude, I thought that was flippin' awesome. What better way to illustrate fear and evil? That there is good writing. Take note.

Let me emphasize again: I love the mixture of horror and mythology. Mythology is the new vampire as far as overused plot devices go, but Gwen Hayes is able to make it all her own by combining it with the horror/gothic genre.

For once, I'm thrilled that this is a series (trilogy I think?). I'm not done with these characters or their story and am already more than ready to return to their world. Despite seeing several negative reviews, I fell in love with this story and highly recommend picking it up!

I normally don’t like these kinds of books. It had a lot of the elements that Twilight was both famously loved and hated for — Virginal protagonist, supernatural bad guy. A classic case of hunter and prey, or in this case “and so the lion fell in love with the lamb..”. Ugh. Gag me. He even actually calls her ‘Lamb’. Truthfully however, I actually rather enjoyed their romance. The build-up wasn’t very slow,and it pretty much came out of nowhere, but it seemed really genuine on both their parts. I also liked that Theia’s friends weren’t just there as supporting actors/actresses. They were real, and I found that I could relate to them and often found myself excited to learn more about Donny, Amelia, Varnie, and Gabe. I wish that everyone were lucky enough to have friends like Theia’s. I was jealous of her, and she isn’t even real!! Lol.

Around the middle-ish of the book, our heroine gets her shit together and finally goes after what she wants — our tortured, sensitive man candy. The damn choir sang, I gotta say.

Hayes is a very talented writer. The way she describes things is so unique and realistic. There were many times I found myself in awe at something she’d written and I’d go back over it to memorize it. She was also skilled at reminding us Theia is british with some of her terminology without throwing it in our faces and making it hard to understand. I was particularly impressed with this world of Under that she created and described.

From the moment I saw the burning man with Theia, I was hooked and fell under. A dark fairytale combining a backwards prince and a princess willing to risk everything, Falling Under is an amazing read.

So...I've been waffling a little because I wasn't sure I was going to write a post for this book. Falling Under is a book I bought for myself, purely based on the cover. I think this quite possibly may be the most gorgeous cover, EVER. I like to have a few books I read just for myself, no note-taking, just reading. But I just can not help myself. Here's the deal. I LOVE this book. Major love. I can't-freaking-wait-for-the-sequel kind of love. You may be asking yourself: "Has she completely gone off her rocker?" And, maybe I have. My kids have been away for two weeks. I've been staying up until 2am every night reading. Reading all day. Reading, reading, reading. So you don't think I'm just babbling, let me tell you why I loved Falling Under.

The Characters.
Haden and Theia. He's a dark, mysterious stranger with hidden, dangerous secrets. She's a reserved good girl, always forced to push her true self down to please a demanding father. When their worlds collide, the love they share could possibly destroy everyone around them. And sure, sometimes they acted in ways that infuriated and exasperated me. I literally wanted to shake Theia at a few different points. Real characters, just like real people, do that to us. Theia and Haden weren't kept apart by little misunderstandings or jealousies or any other minor obstacles. They were given horrible, disastrous obstacles. The kind of obstacles that are life-threatening and earth-shattering.

The Villain.
Well...to avoid spoilers, I can't say who is the villain in Falling Under. But I will say this. This villain is literally what nightmares are made of. He/She and the world they live in scared the crap-ola outta me. I'm still kinda creeped out.

The Story.
Like I said before, I bought this book based on the cover. I barely skimmed the synopsis. So, I didn't even really know what it was about before I started reading. For the first bit, I thought it was a tortured by differences love story, a la Twilight. There were a few similarities. The dangerous boy falling in love with the innocent girl. Will he kill her; will he overcome his nature to be with the girl he loves? I would have been completely fine with that. But this book took me to so many different places, a whole other world. At certain points, it reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. I really could go on and on. I was left swooning one moment and creeped-the-hell-out the next. I loved that this book continually surprised me and kept me on my toes.

Gwen Hayes' Writing.
This is the first book of Hayes' that I've read. She roped me in from the first line: "Everything changed the night I saw the burning man fall from the sky." She wrote real, heart-breaking, evil, fear-inducing characters. Hayes gave a beautiful depiction of this world and a spectacular, horrific other-world. She managed to keep my head spinning and inspire a few nightmares. Gwen Hayes also earned herself an enthusiastic (in case you didn't notice) new fan, probably for life.

The sequel to Falling Under, Dreaming Awake, is set to release January 2012. I'm dying to get my hands on that book. But until then, I'll longingly look at my precious, Falling Under, and stalk Dreaming Awake of GoodReads.

This review has taken me a while to write because I wanted to make sure that I did it some justice. Though this book is a pretty quick read, it took me a few days to get into it. I think what did it for me was the press release, in which Falling Under was compared to Twilight. After that, Twilight was stuck in my head and I couldn't help but notice every single, solitary thing that it had in common with the widely popular vampire series. It even mentions sparkling vampires in it. I know a lot of people who say the comparison in the book is in jest, but for me it was just... tacky.

With that being said, I took a step back before I wrote this review. To be honest, I don't think that I would have noticed the similarities as much if I wouldn't have read any of the PR - sans the whole 'sparkling vampire' bit... that was a little obvious. When my mind was clear, it was easier to see that Falling Under had traits in common with Twilight that most YA paranormal romances have - the dangerous boy, the insta-love and, well, the paranormal. Oh, and there are no vampires.

Honestly, despite what I just mentioned, I really enjoyed this book. The concept was engaging and its storyline kept me guessing for a good while before I finally caught on - and even then, there were elements of surprise. This book had a much darker, more gothic feel to it than most books that I've read lately and it's something that I have missed.

Theia was a good character that was easy to relate to in most ways, but not in the romance department. The insta-love failed for me because it is beyond my comprehension as to how someone can fall so madly in love with someone so soon after they meet them. Can it happen? I'm sure it can... just not for me, which is why I cannot relate to it at all. The early acceptance of absolute love was the only thing I didn't like. Haden was a swoon-worthy character that I'm sure will leave every girl who reads this book with goo-goo eyes and a goofy grin on their face. I liked him. He reminded me of another old-fashioned, gentlemanly character who felt as though he didn't deserve love because he was a monster. *ahem*

Without saying too much, the dream sequences in this book really worked for me. The descriptions were amazing and everything came together perfectly at the end. I absolutely adored Gwen Hayes' writing style in this book, it's entrancing and poetic. Overall, this book was everything that I expected and then some. I really enjoyed it.

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes was a really nice surprise for me. I wasn't expecting too much of this book, but I ended really impressed with the her writing style and the plot.

When I read the synopsis, I thought it would be another YA book, with a girl who feels invisible, and it's when she meets a new mysterious boy... almost the same thing than Twilight, Fallen, etc, etc.... And of course, they fall in love but they cannot be together because they are different and etc, etc.... But even though that it's what happened in the first part of the book, the story changed completely a few pages later!

I don't want to spoil too much, but I was really happy to see no vampires, no werewolves, no ghosts, and no fairies. The story is really dark, and in the first part of the book, a little bit confusing, but later, I just loved it. I read it in less than two days, and I was really surprised. I really mean it.

The characters are nice, specially Theia's friends. But of course, they have a minor participation in the story. Also there were a few things I didn't like too much about the plot, specially at the end, I found it a little bit weak. I think this story was great for just one book, and not for a series... but, well, we don't know... maybe the author will surprise us all...

Falling Under was a nice reading, and I really enjoyed it. The cover is lovely, with a lot of things about the story; the girl's hair and the dress and the flowers... but of course, you need to read the book to understand what I am talking about... : )

4/5 Stars

This was certainly a quick read. I probably preferred the first book, which was very -ahem- steamy. But that's not why I liked it. Theia's POV worked better, and Haden was much more compelling in the role of the 'hunter'. I also felt the second and third books brought about a change in the pace. But, overall, it was an intense read. Kinda Twilight-esque, but then I have a lot of respect for a book that sells millions of copies. So definitely recommended for Twilight fans.

When I received this book I was in a YA slump. I was starting to doubt my love for the young adult paranormal world, but this book completely destroyed those doubts. That summary up there is a good teaser, but it does not even begin to cover what goes on in this book. I feel myself getting ready to ramble because of my excitement, so I am going to try and break down the reasons behind my giddiness and not go on a tangent.

First up is our main character Theia, who is a run of the mill average human. Best quality: she is not a whinny teenager. Thank you Gwen! When Theia has a problem she confides in her friends and tries to talk through her worries with them. Not keep them pent up and pine and mope for three months. Speaking of her friends, they are great girls. They do not try to steal boys from each other, they look out for one another and they just have fun, their friendship feels genuine and it helps the reader to relate with the characters. I also loved their nick names for the "popular" kids as well, they called them Sneeches. As in the creatures that wear stars on their bellies from Dr. Suess, such a clever reference.

Haden is also another main focus of the story, of course. I loved that every now and then Gwen would let us get into his head and hear what he was thinking. I often wonder what is going on inside the mind of the mysterious characters in books, so getting a rare glimpse into his thoughts helped fit pieces together. He is a real enigma and it definitely took me a while to figure him out. I thought I had him pegged from chapter one, yeah, nope! I was totally off base and it was fantastic! I relished the fact that I did not have a clue what was going on with him.

I was also surprised by how much humor is laced throughout this book. I found myself laughing out loud so many times. The dialogue was witty and the characters made me chuckle right along with them. I did not expect the book to be so funny, but it was a pleasant addition to the story.

Overall, Falling Under is a welcomed change in a genre that can sometimes be filled with mundane. It completely blindsided me, in the best way possible, and I ate it all up in one night. I cannot continue to say enough good things about this book, I can only hope Gwen has plans for a sequel so I can be lost in this world again. I will leave you with a quote from the book said by Haden that I think sums things nicely, "Sometimes the answers are more questions. Sometimes down is up."

Quick & Dirty: A wonderful plot and engaging characters mixed with mayhem and a fascinating Under realm make this a delicious and highly entertaining read.

Opening Sentence: Everything changed the night I saw the burning man fall from the sky.

The Review:

In the small town of Serendipity Falls, Theia Alderson lives a sheltered life. In her dreams, Theia is pursued by a dangerous yet seductive stranger. The surroundings are unfamiliar because Theia has fallen Under. In the Under realm, her irresistible suitor shows her things that Theia can hardly fathom. Theia’s dreams soon become reality when her dark suitor, Haden Black, shows up as the new student in her school. As their connection grows stronger, Theia has trouble resisting Haden and the horrifying world of Under. Now that she has fallen under his spell, will she be able to save her soul?

I didn’t know what I expected when I set out to read Falling Under. I never read reviews for books that I’m interested in because I hate spoilers. I was intrigued by the synopsis. In any case, I would have read the book based solely on its beautiful cover. Even though things start slowly, the story still managed to hold my attention. I’m pleased to say that Falling Under ended up being one of the best YA novels that I’ve read this year. Falling Under is an edgy and layered world filled with danger and despair. This darkly riveting story is intense and certainly stands on its own in the YA paranormal genre. Ms. Hayes exposes the reader to a macabre world and all its dangers. The world-building is truly inventive and the characters are intriguing. The powerful sexual and emotional undertones give this story an edge that you rarely see in a YA novel.

One of the many exciting elements of the story is Theia’s forbidden relationship with Haden. Theia knows that she’s placing herself in grave danger, both emotionally and physically, but the connection that she shares with Haden is undeniable. Theia and Haden exchange some pretty risqué dialogue. The attraction, teasing and wordplay between these two is completely enthralling. Without a doubt, Haden is the strongest character in the book. The unbeatable combination of the dark, twisted, sexual and dangerous makes for a wonderfully complex male lead. Ms. Hayes delivers richly detailed characterizations, pulling the reader “under” with ease.

Theia has realistic flaws, which makes her interesting, but there’s nothing to really set her apart from other protagonists in the crowded YA paranormal genre. I was left with just a so-so impression of Theia. I liked her character, but I didn’t love her character. I do sympathize with her struggles to shape her own identity and break free from her father’s death grip. Theia was raised by her father in a very regimented, sterile and structured environment. Her “Father” is very cold and Type A, bordering on sociopathic. For the most part, I like the fact that Theia was a very mature and practical young adult. She did have a few moments of girl weaknesses and became obsessed about being with Haden a la Bella’s feelings toward Edward in New Moon. Needless to say, at this point I wanted to slit my own wrists. I think the “obsession” trope in YA novels is often heavy-handed, misplaced and unnecessarily overwrought. Generally speaking, it can only be resolved one or two ways. The heroine has a ridiculous epiphany that leads her to conclude that she is an individual with her own personality and life goals before she met her otherworldly hottie, and that life will go on and aforementioned otherworldly hottie will not objectify her and define her self-worth. Alternatively, she will forsake everything to get her dangerous, worthless, and good-for-nothing otherworldly hottie who turns out to be the good guy in disguise. Don’t let this plot point deter you because there are many other good elements to this story and the ending will surprise you.

Falling Under is a fantastic debut novel. The story is beautifully written and there’s plenty of suspense and intrigue. Falling Under is a highly addictive entry in the YA paranormal genre. I can hardly wait to fall Under the spell of the next installment.

Notable Scene:

And I hungered for something elusive, yet the air was thick with the promise of it.

It surprised me, the new potent feeling. And it was the surprise that frightened me more than the actual rush of hormones. I couldn’t control feelings that came out of nowhere.

I leaned against the rail and my heart stopped.

Haden watched me from below as he led a nimble blonde onto the floor of gyrating teenagers. She stared at him, awestruck like he was some kind of rock star. God, I thought she might be right. He murmured something into her ear, but he smiled at me –the kind of smile that signals the demise of the canary to the whims of the cat.

He hooked one arm around her waist and raised a brow to me. I wanted to hate him; the burn seared my heart. When he turned her to face me, my breath caught in my throat. She had no idea he was using her as a pawn to assert his control over me, but I’m not sure she would have minded even if she had known. I doubt, had the tables been turned, I would have cared. To be enveloped in his arms, surrounded by his scent, guided through a dance by his steady hands…No, I would gladly have played marionette to his puppet master too.

She ground against him, not unlike Donny but without Donny’s finesse. Or charm, for that matter. But I suppose charm wasn’t what that kind of dancing was really about. I tightened my grip on the rail if not my emotions, but nothing could make me look away. He’d trapped me in his sinful gaze designed to weaken my will, to raise the stakes in the battle for my heart. Maybe my soul. He wanted me to know what I was missing even as he made it clear I couldn’t have it. And I was depraved enough to let him.

Haden gripped the blonde’s hips, holding her firmly against his pelvis. She let her head fall to the side, exposing the long white column of her neck. He sent me one more evil grin and kissed her neck.

My knees buckled. I felt the sensation of his lips on my skin. The kiss felt like a shock that started on my neck and traveled on my nerve endings all the way down to my toes. His hand skimmed slowly from her hip to her stomach…my stomach. As the sensation crept slowly towards my breasts, my breath hitched.

The Falling Under Series:

1. Falling Under

FTC Advisory: Penguin Group provided me with a copy of Falling Under. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. In addition, I don’t receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site.