Dear YA,1. Please don’t let this be another book on star crossed lovers whose relationship is doomed from the beginning because one is in danger of being killed by the other.2. Please, please, please no more love triangles!3. Please make the heroine a heroine by which, I mean a thinking, independent, strong-willed and self-aware young woman… who could be construed as a positive role model for your target audience. And let the male lead be more than just her love interest. Let him have a more interesting role and not just eye candy. 4. Please don’t let the dialogue be riddled with “now-isms.” Sincerely,Isa****First off, I will restrain myself from making sparkly comparisons because while there are similarities, there are enough positive elements to balance the book out. Now, color me surprised: I actually enjoyed this one! Among the positives that FALLING UNDER has to offer are the dialogue, the shifting mood and the dream sequences. But first, to the negatives. (I tried to keep myself from making comparisons, but sometimes it just cannot be helped.) Theia is virginal, cosseted, and a little priggish. Her being virginal, and cosseted led me to the question of why. Her father’s treatment of her left me befuddled. It begged the question(s) A. What’s wrong with her? Was she another one of those girls ala A Walk to Remember heroine… goody-goody and sheltered. (B) Or had she been not so goody-goody prior to the books opening; thus, requiring an iron fist in her upbringing (C.) Or had there been a tragedy that just pushed him to act the way he was acting… or (D.) Was it an English stodgy thing? As I was saying, she’s pretty tame. I would not have minded that particular fact, but she’s tame AND then oblivious to why the male lead was obsessing over her. Add to that a giggly moment (whether done by design or the product of my gutter brain, you’ll just have to judge) of when she actually says, “Take me.” I don’t know, but bodice-ripping-Regency/Harlequin-esque historical-romance much? This mental image might have been compounded by the old sound of Theia’s thoughts. As said, she is virginal and cosseted. And apparently very prim and proper, in her thoughts as well. She just sounded old (more on this later.) Throw in a mercurial Haden. Flirt one moment ass hole the next. I do not see the charm of one so fickle. Would you go after a guy who would leave you whilst a storm is going on. I am sounding positively old fashioned, but the guy just showed his true colors at that moment in the book. All that said, this book wasn’t bad. In fact I found myself satisfied by the turn of events. Yes, it was a little too pat… but still consider: I really enjoyed the darker feel to it. Moments of Falling Under are a horror/slasher film montage. Burning man, Night terrors. Mysterious stranger. Gothick-y music possibly leading to her (a) death or (b) love. Sewn lips, Chopped up brides. Then there were all the dream sequences that reminded me of Beetlejuice and Chicken Run. I have a deep seated fear of clay-mation. This probably stems from a childhood scare-fest involving dolls coming alive and hacking away at limbs carelessly strewn willy-nilly over the bed’s edge… wait, what was I saying? The dreams sequences caught my attention because they had the same feel as Corpse Bride etc. (*shudder*) It was this that, I can honestly, kept me reading… despite Haden’s hot and cold attitude toward her…despite Theia’s virginal and innocent disposition…despite her father’s tendency toward being overbearing.The language attracted me too. I have said that her thoughts sounded old, much older than her purported seventeen years. Despite this incongruence, I went with it. As a result I felt as she felt. Her confusion was mine; as was her frustration. That’s where the authenticity ended for me though because once her conscious interactions began, she started sounding typical YA heroine. (Daughter who had not rebelled but wants to. Friend in the middle… neither super pretty nor super smart… but wealthy enough. AND thankfully she didn’t always speak so “old” just serious at times.)The most authentic lines sprang from Donny’s lips. I liked her particularly since she had a tendency towards being brazen. I liked that she spoke her mind in a very “current” way, but managed not to bludgeon said current-ness to death (as has happened in some books.) And speaking of Donny, I liked the friendship dynamic going on in this one. They are a study in contrast I suppose. Especially, with Donny the brazen one, Amelia the outgoing sweet one and Theia, the heroine the socially awkward one (Hmmm… this assessment might actually be more apt under the “Argh” column). Put them together and you could end up with a whole girl.So in response. Yes, it does start with an “I love you, but I might kill you, so let’s just not,” BUT I got a kick out of how the author addressed that problem By using the problem twice. And, Allelujah! There is no love triangle! unless you count the fact that Haden is half human and half demon, in which case is there a triangle? Sadly, the heroine is a cardboard cut out of YA heroines: meek and oblivious to her charms… AND, Yes, the male lead does start out as mere fuel for her dreams. BUT I do love how the author turned them on their heads in the latter half of the book. The dialogue while current was not over done.So over all: Read it!
