Torment by Lauren Kate

Genre: Young Adult

Hardcover: 464 Pages

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

ISBN-13: 978-0-385-73914-6

My Rating: 5/5

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?

'Torment' is the second book in the Fallen Series. Sometimes, series aren't as interesting after the first book but this is not one of those series. 'Torment' picked up exactly where 'Fallen' left off. In 'Torment' we are introduced to some new and memorable characters but also some old favorites from 'Fallen'-Roland, Arriane, Molly, Cam. The more predominant characters that we are introduced to in'Torment' are Shelby and Miles. Like 'Fallen', 'Torment' has a little bit of everything in that makes a good story. Supernatural creatures, love, jealousy, fighting and a lot more.

The main continuation in 'Torment' from 'Fallen' is the love story between Daniel and Lucinda and their struggle to try and be together. The odds are always against them. Daniel isn't in so much of this book but the underlying story is there. Luce struggles with her feelings not only for Daniel, but for Miles as well. Torn between two possible lives, and two guys, she's overwhelmed with emotion. Should she be with Daniel where love is just, love and there is nothing else. Or Miles, who seems normal and gets her in a way Daniel doesn't. Where she can just be with him without all the secrets and struggles.

In 'Torment' Luce goes from the run down, grubby, strict school of Sword & Cross to the over-the-top, rich, well maintained Shoreline. It's a completely different life for Luce and one she isn't used to. She is thrown into a Nephilim class to learn all about angels and demons. The class is even taught by an angel named Fracesca and a demon named Steven. Francesca and Steven are in a relationship. And they remind Luce of herself with Cam, but, the love Francesca and Steven share remind her of the love her and Daniel have. Which hurts her even more because she is alone at Shoreline while Daniel is off doing "things".

Luce learns a significant amount more about the shadows (announcers) that have haunted her her entire life. Steven gives Luce a private lesson (and an in-class lesson) on how to view what the shadows (announcers) are trying to show you. Lucinda dapples in the shadows a lot, watching different scenes from her past lives with the help of her roommate and friend Shelby. She learns even more, like how to pass through a shadow, from Miles when he steals a book on it from Steven's office for her.

This book was incredible and I'm glad to say, I wasn't disappointed in it like I thought I might be. It was amazing! I especially loved the thanksgiving dinner part near the end. You can feel the tension just from reading it. It's great! 'Torment' is definitely worth the read! If you haven't checked out the 'Fallen' series yet, make sure you do! You'll be happy you did!