Book Review: The Fallen Star by Jessica Sorensen

Title: The Fallen Star
Series: Fallen Star Book 1
Author: Jessica Sorensen
Publisher: CreateSpace (self)
Date of Publication: April 11, 2011
Source: bought, ebook, paperback 449 pages
Get Your Own Here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads Description:For eighteen year-old Gemma, life has never been normal. Up until recently, she has been incapable of feeling emotion. And when she's around Alex, the gorgeous new guy at school, she can feel electricity that makes her skin buzz. Not to mention the monsters that haunt her nightmares have crossed over into real-life. But with Alex seeming to hate her and secrets popping up everywhere, Gemma's life is turning into a chaotic mess. Things that shouldn't be real suddenly seem to exist. And as her world falls apart, figuring out the secrets of her past becomes a matter of life and death.

My Thoughts:

Everyone knows how I love to judge a book by its cover~and yes I know how wrong that is~so I have to give praise for the beautifully illustrated cover.  When I do my reviews, I try to pick up on one of the most important colors, whether it be vital to the storyline or just a color that stands out on the cover art, and I use a color closest to this as my headers.  
I tried to do this for The Fallen Star too.  It really is such a beautiful color too.  So of course that is the first thing that stands out for me; plus the fact that the color is pretty important as well in the story.  
I was torn with this story.  I loved Sorensen's writing style, the beautiful prose she seems to put down that has me trying to capture the essence of what she is saying in my mind, along with the plot line that is an unique idea unto itself.  She pulls creatures that we hear stories about all the time: vampires, angels, demons; and then creates other characters that seem to come out of nowhere.  Like Gemma.  Gemma is an enigma.  A girl that isn't supposed to feel anything, begins to have the prickling sensations that alert her to new emotions coming to her.  We find ourselves being drawn into Gemma's world; her loneliness that eats her up.  
And this is probably why Alex, the new boy that comes into her life, isn't on my favorites list.  I don't know I just cannot like him.  Yes he is gorgeous, but this seems to be the standard for all YA paranormal books.  I am not complaining; just stating a fact here.  He is brooding and mysterious too.  But he is just so damn rude.  And it isn't that he is a smart-ass either, that I could handle.  He is just....rude.  
For example, if he doesn't want to hear what Gemma has to say anymore, he covers her mouth with his hand.  Sorry dude, but if you did that to me, you would probably be coming back with a nub.  
The other characters aren't really that memorable for me either.  Well except one.  Laylen is pretty cool.  And there is an elf dude that I think has potential.  But sorry Alex is just not the one I can root for in any of this.  
Besides my total dislike for our main male lead, I also notice the story does seem to lag in some areas.  It wasn't totally boring but I did find myself wanting to skip ahead at certain places.  Especially when it seemed certain visions needed repeating.  
Other than all of that though, I did enjoy The Fallen Star.    Like I said before, Sorensen's writing style is lyrical.  It floats by and is easy to fall into getting lost in the translation of this different world from everyday life here.  
It is always fun to read about the underground world that lives right among us, with magic all around us.  This is what keeps me interested in reading book 2 and so on.  The magic that is captured on paper, that consists of Gemma's fate.  
It definitely isn't Alex or his influence on her.  
I gave it 3 stars because I liked The Fallen Star.

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