Book Review: Rapture

Title:  Rapture
Author:  Lauren Kate
Where I got it:  From NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review

Amazon Summary:
RAPTURE, the fourth & final FALLEN novel, is the Lauren Kate book the world has been waiting for.

The sky is dark with wings. . . .
Like sand through an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past, they must find the place where the angels fell to earth. Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn’t know if he can do this—live only to lose Luce again and again. Yet together they face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies . . . and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed.

And suddenly Luce knows what must happen. For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they’ve borne has always and only been about her—and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now is the only one that truly matters. In the fight for Luce, who will win? The astonishing conclusion to the FALLEN series. Heaven can’t wait any longer.

My Thoughts:
When I first began the Fallen series, there was a ton of hype around the books, and I was completely sucked in by the gorgeous covers (don’t judge!), but I ended up feeling a little let down by the series.  I’ve since discovered that angel books in general really aren’t my thing, but I was still vested enough in the series that I had to read the last installment to see how the whole thing ended – and I’m so glad that I did.  This was a series that grew on me more and more as I got further into it, and as Luce grew into herself a little more.

Fallen was just hard on me because Luce seems to weak and helpless and directionless, in a very “helpless female” sort of way, which I really don’t identify with.  As she learned more about the curse she found herself in, and her history with Daniel, she became a much more interesting protagonist, and I started really caring what happened to her.

Rapture ties up the series nicely, with a completely unexpected ending (at least I was surprised!).  While I don’t have the plot of the previous books completely memorized, I wasn’t left with any glaring loose ends, questions, or WTF moments.  I probably wouldn’t go back and re-read the early books in this series, but the last two have completely changed my mind about the series, and I’ve really enjoyed both watching the characters change and also the clever and intelligent incorporation of historical tidbits to keep things interesting. 

If you haven’t already taken a chance on this series, the first couple books are worth a trip the library so you can get to this great conclusion.