The Fallen Star by Jessica Sorensen Series: Fallen Star #1
Published by CreateSpace on 11 April 2011
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 449
Format: eBook
Source: Kindle Freebie
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.
Very, very slow-moving story, the characters are not very well developed, and the writing is full of repetitions. The Fallen Star could have told the same story exactly in only 150 pages, and then be the introduction to the series, rather than a full-length novel where nothing much happened in the first 70-75%. Not sure I’ll continue with this one.
My The Fallen Star review:
The premise for The Fallen Star is so good, unfortunately, I didn’t think the story delivered. Gemma was an annoying heroine, even when taking into account the fact that she has lived most of her life without having any feelings at all. Her swooning over Alex made me roll my eyes more than once, and speaking of eyes – how many time did I have to be reminded of Alex’ green eyes and Gemma’s violet eyes? The story itself had promise as well, because this paranormal universe is unique and could have been amazing.
Written in first person point of view from Gemma’s perspective, and in past tense, I felt like The Fallen Star should have permitted me to get to know Gemma a little better than I did. The only thing I really know about her is that she’s passionate about astronomy, and that her childhood was a very cold one, no hugs and care in her household. There were also a lot of things that didn’t make sense to me, Gemma grew up close to the mountains and a forest in a small village, and she had never been in a forest before?
As I said in my introduction, The Fallen Star could have easily been the prequel to a series, cutting out all the unnecessary repetitions and keeping the plot sharp and faster paced, it might even have been a great story. However, because I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over, and because of Gemma’s inner musings that transformed into long digressions, I just wanted it to be over.
Some The Fallen Star quotes:
My mind was as blank as a sheet of paper – there was zero going on inside. I could still walk, talk, breathe and function; I just couldn’t feel any emotions.
But instead here I was, sitting in a bus that had taken me up to the forest. All because I let myself get distracted. If I hadn’t been so caught up with trying to get the truth out of Alex, maybe I would have thought things through better and jumped off the bus before it pulled away.
What was happening to me? Was I heading towards an emotional breakdown? Was I going to end up locked away in a padded cell somewhere, screaming at the top of my lungs that everything I said was true – that I wasn’t crazy?
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2015 Reading Assignment Challenge
- 2015 TBR Pile Reading Challenge
- Bookish Resolutions Challenge 2015
- Winter COYER 2014 2015
About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.
Ooh, I’m so sorry this one didn’t work for you, Lexxie. It did sound promising. Is this the story that Sorensen wrote a NA version of? I think I might have this one but I’m pretty sure I one-clicked an NA version that she wrote of a story she’d already released. Hmm, this makes me afraid to try Sorensen. Have you read anything else by her?
Great review, Lexxie! I hope you’re having a marvelous Monday! *BIG HUGS*
I don’t know if she’s written an NA version of this one, Brandee, but I have several of her other books on my kindle, and I will read at least one other before I decide if there is a story for me or not by her.
I have had a great Monday – even if the house is way quiet because the youngest one is away for a week of camp with her class 🙂 *BIG HUGS*
Twitter: BerlsS
Bummer! Based on that cover and synopsis this is one I would have grabbed. But I also have a feeling I would have DNFed it – I need well developed characters 🙁 too bad, but thanks for the heads up – I think I’ll pass.
When I arrived at around 60% I was contemplating DNF’ing this, Berls, but I sucked it up and finished anyway. The premise is so good, but I didn’t get attached to anything about the story or the characters, sadly.
Lexxie…I have totally struggled with this author and I just can’t connect to her stories, which is a total bummer because she’s quite popular. *grumbles* And when you almost DNF a book…that’s never a good sign. I hope your next book is amazing! 😉
It’s actually good to know you’ve struggled with her other books, Cristina, because I have some of them on my kindle, and I want to read some to see if I’ll find her amazing, too. If this one is anything to go by, though, I probably won’t. I need good editing for one, and some kind of connection with the characters I’m reading about.
I actually have an ebook version of this from way back when I first started blogging. I can’t pinpoint why I never got to it but reading your review makes me glad I didn’t. I have no plans to get to it now in any case. It’s a shame that it had so much potential but that it ended up being wasted with repetitions, annoying MCs and slow moving plots >.< I hope your next read is/was much better hun and thanks for the honest, insightful review^^ xxxx
I know! The potential is amazing, and with some thorough editing, it could be such a great story. My next read was amazing, thanks 🙂 Luckily, it’s very rare that I pick up books I end up not enjoying 🙂
Have a great week, Micheline!
Twitter: talksupeblog
Gah, no wonder this has been a freebie in like forever!
It’s really too bad, the premise is so original!
Twitter: limabean74
Aww! That stinks 🙁 Sorry you didn’t like it but good for you for stick with it. I would have DNF. I read my first DNF this year. It’s a bummer. I hope you next read is the best book ever 😉 oxox
I think one of the reasons why I didn’t DNF this one is because one of my #HW reads for last month was a DNF, and I wanted to really read all four all the way through for this month…
Thanks for stopping by, Michelle!
Sorry this was disappointing for you, but glad to know I’m not alone! I’m pretty sure I tried this one awhile back & really struggled to finish it. I wasn’t impressed with it, don’t remember what specifically, but I just remember that I didn’t care for it! Anyway, great review!!
Yeah, people either loved or were apathetic about this one, Tricia 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
2 years ago, I read her “Secret of Ella and Micha” and simply couldn’t stand the heroin’s selfishness, I guess that’s why I didn’t persevere with this author, and your review doesn’t make me want to change that. Other people seem to adore her novels, though…