Book Review: Rapture by Lauren Kate

Rapture
Fallen #4
Author: Lauren Kate
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Supernatural/Angles
Released: June 12th 2012
Review Source: Random House Children’s Books
Available: Amazon

Summary: (from goodreads) 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.

I am so in love with this book-with the entire series, really! The first book in the series, Fallen, was recommended to me by a very dear friend, so I knew I had to pick it up right away. It was one of those rare books that I have come back to time and again to visit these characters and their stories with the feeling that I am spending time with old friends. I had the honor of meeting Lauren Kate when she was touring to promote Torment in October 2010 and I told her that her books were up there with the Harry Potter series and Twilight Saga books for me. Yes, I love them THAT much. I guess I should inform you, in case you don't know me very well, that the Harry Potter series and The Twilight Saga books are my all time favorite series and i will never tire of re-reading them or listening to the audio books for them. I read a lot of books and I love a lot of books, but there are very few books that I take the time to re-read over and over again because I have made a connection with them for whatever reason.

I fell in love with Luce, Daniel, Cam, and the gang in Fallen. I love how each of them grew and changed in their own ways throughout the series. Torment was frustrating at times, and hard to get through since Daniel was absent for much of the book. Passion was my favorite up until Rapture, because I felt like I was accompanying Luce on her journey of discovery and finding herself and learning about her love for and with Daniel. In Rapture, Lauren takes it to a whole new level, though. I do strongly recommend you read the other books before this one, including Fallen in Love, or you will be completely lost and totally missing out on some awesome stories. The series starts with Fallen, followed by Torment, then Passion, Fallen in Love (book of short love stories), and finally Rapture.

Rapture picks up where Passion left off, but as I said I would read Fallen in Love right before Rapture, for the best flow of the storyline. Lauren has this way of writing that captivates me and I get completely lost in Luce's world. It is almost as if I become a part of this world--don't you just LOVE books that do that (and authors that are able to write amazingly awesome books that can make their readers feel this way)?!

We see our old friends, meet some new friends, find out who the true enemies are and more in this story. Luce and friends are in a battle against time to find the place where the angels fell to the earth, before Lucifer erases the past. Talk about pressure, huh?! Luce truly comes into her own in this book. I was proud of how she matured throughout the series. She really embraced her fate and was finally able to discover who she was and the pieces of her past started falling into place.

I will warn you, though, Lauren pulled out all the stops on this one. There is a war going on, and there are some violent parts, and sadly, we have to say goodbye to some of our beloved friends **tears**. I admit to going through a full range of emotions while reading this book (happy, sad, bawling, laughing, happy tears, rolling on the floor laughing, cringing...you get the picture). I admit that I cried through many parts of this book and had my jaw literally drop to the floor at a few others. Lots of twists and turns and some stuff I totally did not see coming!!!

I would give this book 10 trees if I could, I loved it THAT much! Such a perfect ending to this series that I love (so hard to see it end). The great thing about books, though, is that you can read them again and again-sort of like visiting an old friend. Loved this book SO SO much and I cannot wait to start the series over from the beginning and read it all the way to the end over and over again. You have to read these books!!!