Fallen

Lia Mills

Summary:

Spring 1915, Dublin.

Katie Crilly – a young woman trying to find her place in a restrictive society – gets the news she dreaded: her beloved twin brother, Liam, has been killed on the Western Front.

A year later, when Dublin is suddenly engulfed by the violence of the Easter Rising, Katie finds herself torn between her loyalty to the cause her brother died for, her instinctive Irish patriotism, and her love for her city and its people. Taking refuge in the home of friends, she meets Hubie Wilson, a comrade of Liam’s from the Front. There unfolds a remarkable encounter between two young people, both wounded and both trying to imagine a new life. As the world Katie knows is turned upside down by insurrection, previously unimaginable things suddenly seem possible.

In One Word: Moving

Plot:

First of all, let me just mention that I was sent this book for free through goodreads’ 'first reads' program, but that will not affect my review in any way. I must admit that this story was a little generic in my opinion. There was no moment where I was like ‘WOW’ or anything. However, the writing is really good, and the book has almost a classic feel to it. I liked the story, I thought it was touching and it wasn’t a boring plot, but I just wanted something a little more original out of this book. I also would’ve liked just a couple lighter moments, since it does get a little depressing, I do however realise that this subject matter doesn’t really lend itself to light-heartedness. One thing I really liked about this book is the way it shows every aspect of the war, as well as all the different opinions on war, without judging any one viewpoint as ‘the right one’, but rather giving the reader the oppurtunity to decide for themselves what to believe. I also like the subject matter, I don't think the Easter Rising is something that's been written about in this form all that much, but I would've liked the actual story (apart from the historical aspect) to have a little more originality.

Characters:

I liked the characters, but I didn’t love them. Liam was probably my favourite, even though we didn’t get to see a whole lot of him in the book. I didn’t feel like there was enough chemistry between the characters. I liked the relationship between Hubie and Katie well enough, but it wasn’t as magical as I would’ve expected after reading the summary. However, this is not neccesarily a bad thing, as it gave the book a more realisitic feel instead of being just another romantic, idealistic love story. However, I really like romantic and idealistic, so this wasn’t my favourite couple ever.

Who should read this:

14+, there is quite a bit of violence, language and sexual content. This is a story about war, so if that’s not your thing, then why are you even thinking about reading it? If you like romantic, historical novels then you’ll probably enjoy this one.

My rating:

While I really liked the writing and the feel of this book, the story was a little generic and I didn’t connect as well with the characters as I would’ve liked. 3/5

Quote:

“My mind couldn't fit itself around the shape of his absence.”