The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate

Being popular in high school is tough. Sure, it looks simple to all of the other students who want to be popular, but for those who are popular? Not so easy. Just ask Natalie Hargrove. She transferred to Palmetto her freshman year and was already trying to impress the popular crowd. By the time she became a junior, she was the "IT" girl. 

And Palmetto is no easy place to be popular either. Their tradition is to crown the Palmetto Prince and Princess with a week long of activities to honor the "royal" couple that was chosen, including (but definitely not limited to) having a white horse drawn carriage transport the Prince and Princess to the Royal Ball... Who would want that stress?!

Natalie Hargrove. That's who.

Unfortunately, someone is getting in the way of her wish come true. J.B. Another contender to be the Palmetto Prince. Having to ride with him was not part of Natalie's plans. So she decides to make sure that her and her boyfriend for 3 years, Mike, are crowned the "royal" couple - no matter at what costs. 

Natalie just wasn't aware of what those costs would be. Nor at what would be unveiled from her past when she makes those choices. 

This was a good book. Not as good as Lauren Kate's series Fallen (which I absolutely adored). There is one similarity between this book and her series, though. They have mystery and suspense down to the last page. 

I would definitely recommend this book. It is a fast read that will keep the reader's attention. And this is a single book - no waiting impatiently for the next in the series. Lauren Kate gave us a good mystery with high society demands of high school that would make the popular kids of high school today cringe. 

Passion

Lauren Kate does a great job with this new installment of her series Fallen. Luce and Daniel have fallen in love with each other for over 5,000 years. Everytime they meet, though, Luce dies a tragic death by fire whenever her and Daniel kiss, creating the next incarceration of Luce's soul into her next life. We found out in the first novel, Fallen that the Luce in our time somehow didn't die when she kissed Daniel.

In this new novel, Luce wants to know why. Why are Daniel and Luce cursed to never loving one another? Why is this time different than the last 5,000 years? And why does Daniel keep continuing this horrible cycle where he has to watch one Luce die after another with no hope of living his life with her?

This was written so well! I was hooked from the very beginning when Luce jumps into an Announcer, a shadow that will take the person wherever they want to go. This whole book, Luce is jumping from one time period to another trying to answer all of her questions. She goes 4,000 years back in time, from places like Ancient Egypt, China, Mesoamerica, Prussia, and many more! (I would love to see this as a movie and how they incorporate the scenes at these amazing locations!)

Through these encounters with her past selves, her past souls, Luce finally sees what really happens between her and Daniel. She fully appreciates Daniel's choices, and she realizes what she wants for her and the Daniel during her time (2009). Now she wants to go back and tell Daniel everything she experienced, but she may have overstepped too much during her journey...

A great read, I highly recommend it. However, YOU MUST READ THE FIRST TWO NOVELS BEFOREHAND!!! If you don't, you'll never figure out what is going on when they think about the times Luce and Daniel have during the present time. There is one more novel, the conclusion, to this series, Rapture, that will be released Spring 2012!!! Read the first 3 books during this winter and spring season to be ready for the epic conclusion to this series!