Review: Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

March 1, 2011
NAL Trade

From Goodreads:
Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

My Review:
After finishing Falling Under, I really wasn't sure what to think. While I did find some parts of the story entertaining, I just never got into it. I had moments where I found Theia to be a relatable and sweet girl, and other times she just rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't understand her reactions on quite a few things and that is probably why I wasn't completely into Falling Under.

I really felt for Theia. Her dad has her under lock down at all times and she has to follow some strict rules. He has her locked in a little cage and it really affects how Theia interacts with others. She is very shy and closed off from the world because of her father. When Haden comes into the picture, her life is thrown completely off balance. She is enchanted by him yet at the same time, he infuriates her. She dreams of him every night and those dreams of him feel so real. She knows that there is more to Haden than meets the eye and she is determined to find out who he really is.

This was the point where I started to get annoyed with Theia. She acts completely different around Haden and I felt like she was easily manipulated by him. He continually hurts her and she knows he does it on purpose, yet she still falls for him. I really don't appreciate girls who fall so deep for the guy who is a real jerk. Haden was continually rude and hurtful to her yet she still kept going back to him. Even though Theia says that she hates him, she also says that she loves him at the same time. I really wish Hayes would have given Theia more of a backbone.

While Haden was really swoon worthy in the looks department, I hated how horrible he was to Theia. He hurts her yet he says he is drawn to her and loves her. Usually I am a sucker for bad boys but Haden just didn't do it for me. He had the whole mysterious quality going for him but it just wasn't attractive when he deliberately hurt Theia. I did enjoy trying to guess what supernatural being he was but that was all that he had going for him.

While Falling Under did have its negatives, I did like some parts of it. Theia's friends were fun and refreshing. They made the story much more enjoyable. They had Theia's back on so many things and it is great to read about those kinds of friends in YA. I also loved trying to guess what Haden was. There were so many clues yet I had such a hard time figuring it out! I will probably end up reading the sequel due to the huge cliffhanger at the ending! I would give this one a try if you do enjoy reading paranormal YA books. Just don't expect to fall in love with the main characters.

My Rating: