Name: Ariella's review of Torment by Lauren Kate
Item: Torment
Rating: 4
Author: Ariella

Lauren Kate

Hidden by her cursed angelic boyfriend in a school for Nephilim, Luce discovers the meaning of the Shadows that have always followed her and begins manipulating them to learn about her past lives.

Torment

Love never dies . . . It took Lucinda an eternity to find her beloved angel, Daniel. But he waited for her. Now they are forced apart again, to protect Luce from the Outcasts - immortals who want her dead. During their separation, Luce learns about her mysterious past lives. But the more she discovers, the more she suspects Daniel is hiding something. What if Daniel's version of the past isn't true? Is it really their destiny to be together? Or is Luce actually meant to be with someone else? The thrilling sequel to the international bestseller, Fallen.

Book 2 of the Fallen Series

Jade 

“I love you, Luce. So much it hurts.”

Ariella

In a desperate effort to save Luce from the Outcasts-immortals who want her dead, Luce and Daniel are forced to be apart from each other and, as she discovers more about her past lives, Luce starts to suspect that Daniel may have lied to her about their shared past and that she may have been destined to be with someone else all along.

Geni

Its was better than the first book, since this one is base more on luce and what she finds about her self and the relationships friends and new loves she face.

Izza

I'm still unsure if I like this series or not...

About the Book : - In Torment Fallen Angel Daniel And His Mortal Love Lucinda Think They Are Safe But Evil Forces Are Massing Against Them. As Luce Learns More About Her Past, And Discovers That The Lives She S Already Lived Hold The Key To Her Future Happiness; She Starts To Wonder If Daniel Has Told Her The Whole Truth. What If His Version Of Events Isn T The Way Things Happened? What If That Means That She S Really Meant To Be With Someone Else? About the Author : - Lauren Kate Lives In Los Angeles, Usa With Her Husband And Their Dog. She Is A Full-Time Writer. Her First Published Novel Was The Betrayal Of Natalie Hargrove And She Has Since Been Working On The Quartet Of Novels Which Begins With Fallen.

Janna Niemi

This book was better than the first one. It had more action, more information, new people. Basically more everything. Only negative thing in this book was that it had less Daniel. All though that was necessary for things to happen like they did. It wad also easier to get to know Luce better and this book was more about Luce than anything else. Can't wait to read the next instalment in the series.

Victoria Drake

** spoiler alert **
           Pretty sure Luce is an Angel. Here’s why:

1. No one will tell her about anything from the past. Whenever someone says something about the beginning around her, they get weird.

2. They keep talking about how their fate hinges on the decision of one Angel. Luce thinks it’s Daniel but then why is everyone coming after Luce? Why is she so important? Why do they need to keep her safe?

3. The star shots can’t hurt humans. One shoots Callie and does nothing. But when Luce stands in front of Daniel and says that they can’t hurt her, he looks guilty. If they can’t hurt her, why does everyone insist she not touch them. It could be because she’s always reincarnating but with everything else, I don’t think so.

I’m pretty sure I’m right.

Ale ♡

0.5 stars.

Welcome, friends, to "books I read because I hate myself to stratospheric levels, but that make me laugh." Today our guest will be Torment, the second book in Lauren Kate's Fallen saga.

As I said, I had started this book several days ago (I think it was right after I finished the first book), but I hadn't advanced it because I didn't care for it at the time and I had better things to read. However, a few days ago I decided to continue it... And I'm still pondering whether it was a total waste of time or whether it filled the weekly quota of laughs.

Luce is in "grave" danger. After the "battle" at Sword & Cross - which she clearly didn't participate in because she's human and a little glass doll to be protected - Daniel decreed that the place isn't safe for Luce, as a bunch of strange people we don't know want to kill her.

In any case, Daniel decides it's better for Luce to be somewhere else, so he takes her to Shoreline, in another city. This is a school for nephilim, and although there are humans too, both sides are divided. You're either on the side of the Big Guy, or the Rebel who earned an expulsion from Mount Olympus. In the end, you have to pick a side. Or that's basically what everyone is talking about.

This book is problematic from top to bottom. I don't even know how to describe how disgusted I was to read so much toxicity in a relationship that is based on Luce's obsession with Daniel, who is clearly sick in the head and a toxic fuck.


  Plot.

Again, there is no plot. Why put the minimum effort into planning a good plot, when you can create characters with no personality, toxic and problematic? They is our plot.

I would have liked Lauren to delve deeper into Shoreline, to give us a new picture, and though she tried, she failed mightily, and I understand that I'm asking too much. The nephilim are aggressive towards humans and practically treat them like garbage. The descriptions of the places are vague and mediocre. And, oh, don't get me started on the celestial subjects consisting of, "How to find a job if I'm a bastard son/daughter of some angel and a miserable mortal they wanted to hang out with and dump", "What are the chances of me fitting in with the real angels, who see us as lesser, and succeeding?" "You know how having superpowers is ridiculous because I don't use them and it doesn't affect the plot itself?"

Dawn is kidnapped by the Outcasts (a series of angels who were blinded as a punishment imposed by Lucifer), because they mistake her for Luce and, coincidentally, return her safe and sound. This is ridiculous, why return her safe and sound, why not send some message? I found it stupid and totally unnecessary, apart from the fact that it makes Luce feel more important than she should: that is, nothing.

There are many unnecessary scenes that could have been omitted. But, of course, certain "plot twists" had to be added (which, by the way, were totally predictable) to keep the reader "hooked". Again, the angels and demons plot is poorly developed. I could have developed it better, jk.

Nothing exciting happens during the whole book. We only get Luce's day to day life for 18 days, which amounts to a journey through Hell, Purgatory and back to Hell, because there is nothing more torturous than this book. The last few chapters really are boring and stupid. Were they supposed to thrill me, make me cry and understand that Luce has a purpose beyond being the most boring YA character in the world? We'll never know.


  Characters.

This book, like the first, is from Luce's point of view to no purpose. Although, if it had been narrated in the first person, I would find our protagonist to be more irritating, stupid, selfish and ignorant than usual.

In this book, friend Luce is gradually realizing (finally, yai) that Daniel is hiding more things from her than she thinks. But, Luce hadn't realized it before because she was distracted stalking Daniel, and playing the spy. Now, she is slowly waking up and realizing that the reality about angels and demons is more complicated than her tiny, selfish brain can comprehend.

Luce believes that the world revolves around her, that she is meant to be with Daniel, that nothing and no one can separate them and that theirs is ✨true✨love. She's selfish and all she really cares about is getting Daniel's attention, which she does repeatedly when she runs away from Shoreline, despite being told NOT to. And he not only puts his own life at risk, but the lives of those he drags with him into his pathetic life.

She lives her life wondering, "what would Daniel say?". Bitch, no one but you cares about Daniel Grigori, who is an asshole, but we'll talk about him later. Her world boils down to him, which is annoying, because she's only known him for two weeks and he throws her at Shoreline. She depends on Daniel and clearly expresses it, which makes me severely worried about her mental and emotional state.

Quote:
It was scary how quickly and how much she’d come to rely on Daniel, scarier still that she didn’t know when she’d see him next.
I didn't understand why on earth they added Miles as a possible love interest, when it was clear that Luce only saw him as a friend. Was it to cause a different perspective? To show Daniel's jealousy, even though it was totally stupid? Miles would have been better off being Luce's friend from the start, without sneaking in that he was in love with her. WE ALL KNOW THAT LUCINDA AND DANIEL ARE ENDGAME, THANKS!!!!

Luce couldn't be dumber and more clueless. She's not a heroine as such, because all she does is think about whether Daniel would go along with everything she does, commiserating about something really ridiculous, putting his boring, pathetic life at risk, or doing something she was told not to do, so as not to put herself in harm's way. But, Luce ignores everything she is advised not to do.

Luce compares her "relationship" to that of Francesca and Steven, who are angel and demon respectively. Forgive me, child, but Francesca and Steven love and hate each other at the same time; they know that despite their love and relationship, when the "war" comes, they will have to fight each other and kill each other. You claim to love Daniel more than anything, even though you've only known him for almost a month, and you don't hate him and you're not going to fight him because ✨true✨love✨ and you can't fight for yourself.

Amiga, date cuenta.

Daniel is, once again, the biggest asshole that can exist. He has Edward Cullen beat in terms of stupidity, toxicity and testosterone overflowing from his brain like a river. He's a macho fuck who firmly believes he has power and authority over Luce by "wanting to protect her".

Just because Luce dyed her hair blonde, he complains to her and says something really shitty. EXCUSE ME, BUT NO. You have no right to come and tell her what she can and can't do. But, of course, with a kiss Luce will ignore and forget all this, forgiving him because he loves her with his miserable life. More pathetic it couldn't get. Seriously.

Quote of Mr. Grigori being a dick, again.
“I shouldn’t be here, but I worry about you.” He held her at arm’s length. “And from the looks of things, I’m right to worry.” He fingered a lock of her hair. “I don’t understand why you did this, Luce. It isn’t you.”

Again, here is the big man. :3
“You’re not going on a yacht trip anywhere.”
 “What?”
 “You’ll stay right here on this campus until I say so.” He exhaled, sensing her rising anger. “I hate giving you these rules, Luce, but … I’m doing so much to keep you safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

But he claims that this is TRUE LOVE. HAHAHA YOU FUCKING LIAR.

He grabbed her shoulders and shook them until she met his eyes. “It is true love,” he said, with such desperation that Luce couldn’t tell whether it chipped away at or added to the pain in her heart. “You know it is.”

I could go on with all the quotes of Luce idolizing Daniel, getting mad at him and then forgiving him; or with Daniel being a jerk, but not caring.

I thought this book would have multiple POVS, maybe Luce and Daniel's, because I kept wondering the whole damn book: where is Daniel going? What is he doing to "protect" Luce from all his enemies, which are more because of him? And to think that Luce takes the idea of Daniel killing for her very calmly... No one has any idea how much I laughed at that.

Nothing in this book has coherence. Nor Luce being sent to Shoreline. Nor Francesca or Steven teaching them ONCE to summon an Annunciator and then leaving it at that to say that NO ONE should do it because it's dangerous. Nor Shelby being Daniel's girlfriend, but Daniel doesn't say anything to Luce, but she figures it out on her own and guess what? She forgives him. Nor the war that breaks out at the end where Luce's parents happened to be out walking the dog.

This book was predictable af. A circus. And it's also a funny book, but no because there is humor (which it doesn't have), but because it's stupid.

It's obvious that Lauren Kate couldn't think of much to write in this beautiful story of endless love... Well then, she wouldn't have written anything. This book is terrible, and as the name says, it is a torment.

Elizabeth Neill

** spoiler alert **
           OMG the ending can't wait read the next book

Gemma Reilly

I found Torment to be more enjoyable than Fallen. The plot plays out at a faster pace and although we are still in the dark about a lot of things, more happens to reveal the plot. I'm hoping the next book will have a lot more Luce and Daniel, through her past lives, because right now their undying eternal love doesn't have much substance, not for her anyway, so far the series has been carried by her friendships rather than her relationship with him. I'm looking forward to more of the Angels Vs. Demons and what Luce has to do with all of it.

Courtney 

Plot:3/5
Pacing: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Overall:3/5

I enjoyed this novel. Part of me really wanted some more back and forth with Miles or Daniel. I definitely have a preference between the two. Which made me want more scenes with Miles. I also thought the shadows and their part was really interesting. I'm super excited to see more of how they work in the third book (and hopefully there is more Miles).

Autumn 

The first book was mysterious,Gothic and dramatic with a dark, shallowness with it.This one was a bright,dashing,overly dramatic one like a lashing wind.
Okay, now my very own feelings as a review!!!!!
There is someone named MILES,I'm soooooooooooooo going to KILL!What the hell...?!!!!I should say I hated the Shelby and Miles duet.They're so not my favorite. Plus Lauren is taking too long.If the story keeps on like this,we'll all be bored and...I really need to know about Luce's past...
Right now I don't know if I hate Luce or not,but I'm sure as hell a Daniel fan!

kenzy paugh

Loved the book and would love to read it again

Jessica Williamson

** spoiler alert **
           Where do I begin? Again, I feel left out of something. These books explain so much, yet so little at the same time. It's like I'll never really know what's going to happen. I can tell you this much though... I'm not blind to the foreshadowing of it. 

For instance, the last chapter. Callie gets hit with a starshot and nothing happens, why? She's human. However a few minutes later, Cam hits "Luce" with a starshot and she explodes in light, JUST like the angels, demon's and Nephilim do and the guys react as if this is what would happen if the REAL Luce was hit with a starshot, that leaves me believing that Luce is NOT human. Not really what I was expecting though... I was kinda hoping she was human but knowing that she can manipulate the shadows, obviously shows that she's got some kind of power behind her.

I'm also kind of thrown by the relationship between Frankie and Stephen. One's an angel, one's a demon. They're in love and they know that they'll have to kill each other? That's just too much weird for me.

AND Daniel! What the crap is up with this guy! I mean HE'S the one who has to pick a side, good or evil. His choice is what is supposed to pick the final battle outcome but he doesn't know which side to pick. What's the deal? Luce says she'd pick and he echos that saying that she would pick good. But he says it like maybe she WOULDN'T pick good. IDK there is definitely something up with these kids.

As always the writing style is easy to follow and pick up on, yet not degrading to my knowledge of the world as some books are *cough* House of Night *cough*, and I love the characters. They're all so weird and twisty. Like even the demons have a good side. It's like, the demons can be good and the angels can be bad. The Nephilim are so much like normal teens that just know about the angel world. I agree with a lot of what the characters say about angels and demons saying that they are what they are and you can always trust that they will be exactly that. 

I'm one of the people who remembers that from the bible in the story of Lucifer (which is probably who Lucinda ends up being by the end of this ha!), he was cast out because he refused to love humans more than he loved God. Not necessarily because he was a bad person. So I wonder if that's the kind of of stance they're going to take on Satan in this novel because the evil characters are so loveable (sans Molly who just makes me want to punch babies) but Cam and Rowland seem like they could be decent people and that just seems awfully weird as well.

Either way, I loooooove this books, they make me think yet I get to enjoy it. It's a total mystery novel because who knows what in the world is going to happen next, because I sure don't. I mean, I have my guesses but Kate keeps throwing me for a loop so, I guess we'll have to see in the future how right I am!

Jane The Bookaholic

Loved it more than the first one, just great!

This felt kind of dragged on. The first book was inspired, and this was kind of a shrugging emoji for me.

Sarah Campbell

Sarah Jackson

This is literally a repeat of the first book but at a different school and with 200% more angst

Siobhán

As with the Fallen Cover art. Torment is beautiful again. When first seeing the cover I wasn't disappointed. Its still had the dark gothic theme as the first cover and yet another gorgeous dress that I have to say I want. However, after reading the book I don't think the cover fits the story line. Also the edition I have I got a poster of the cover with and its so nice. I'm going to get it put on a canvas to hang in my room.

Torment is the second installement in the Fallen series by Lauren Kate and having totally fell head over heals in love with Fallen I was really disappointment. However, it was still a must read in needing to know what happened next. And no doubt I will get the next one.

So let's get on with the review. Torment takes place where Fallen ended. And we see Luce being put into a different surrounding in the form of the Calfornian Coast in a new school where its pupils are a mix of Nephlim and Human. I have to say this was one of the big negavites for me because the main reason I fell in love with Fallen was the gothic surrounding and dark atmosphere. With Torment I wasn't just getting it all.

We are introduced some amazing new characters though. Luce very quickly makes friends with Shelby and Miles. They are both really nice characters and you very quickly become fond of them. For me especially Miles. I am not in a Team Battle between Cam and Miles now lol. However, with Luce being in her new school its great we get to meet new charactes but we dont get to see enough of all the old characters that we grew to love in Fallen. So that was another huge negitive for me.

The ending of Torment seemed very rushed me. And very disappointing compared to amazing last few chapters for Fallen. Half the story could have been cut down and they ending should have left me begging for Passion. However, it didn't.

Overall though, if you are a fan of Fallen is it a must read even though I found is very slow, we still find out new and interesting things about Luce and get to meet some amazing new characters.


(Sorry If I'm talking gibberish and not making sense. Was having trouble doing a review for this one)

Cat Nunez 

Estuvo hermoso, me encantó y lo disfruté mucho más que el primero :)

Chelsea Breher

For some reason I just cannot give up on this series.... Overall it was a decent light entertainment but nothing overly spectacular. I want to love this series but I'll settle for liking it. It picks up exactly where the previous book left off but is pretty predictable.

Bree

So I read this book within a 24hr period and honestly, it was so much better than Fallen.
Although the start was a bit off kilter, the story didn't have that same cheesy romance that made the first book so cringe to me. I actually felt like I could enjoy the book.
The characters still feel very 2D to me and the story is ehh, the book feels like a filler (like Fantastic Beasts 2 was) and it did very little to really further the plot more.
Definitely won't read again but will probably continue the series, just to know what happens

Elad Schulman

Frankly, I hated this book. When I pushed myself to actually sit down and read this, I quickly put down the book, since I couldn't stand the plot and the characters. My favorite characters were Miles and Shelby, and even they were annoying sometimes. I felt this book being repetitive, and personally, barely anything happened, plot wise. I actually pretty much skimmed the last 200 pages, just forcing myself to finish this book. I will definitely not be continuing on with the series. Definitely not.

Jackie

This was much better than the first book! I loved this one and almost constantly read it whenever I found some free time. Can't wait to read the next one!!!

Bridget Howard

I had a really hard time getting through this book. I'm being generous with 3 stars it probably should be a 2.5. I found the characters annoying and the book boring. I liked the first book but I don't think I will be reading anymore of the books after this one.

Jessica 

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Review also found here. 

“Because love and hate were supposed to stand cleanly on opposite sides of the spectrum. The division seemed as clear as...well, angels and demons would once have seemed to her. Not anymore.”

Let's get everything out there in the open: I had lukewarm feelings towards the previous installment (see: the start of everything) in this series, Fallen. I was very torn about it in general. On one hand, the characters mostly felt lifeless and underdeveloped (and the ones that didn't weren't in the spotlight or died) to me. The pacing was solid but still a bit dreary. I just wasn't 100% sold on it.

Yet, somehow, I still felt that itching desire to know more about the series inner-workings and its mythology; what happens next in the life of main character, Luce. Where the story takes her now that shit--frankly--hit the fan at her old school. After the startling end to Fallen, each revelation more shocking than the next, something became abundantly clear to me: I needed to know what happened next, even if the series was far from my favourite. Boy, they weren't kidding when they called Fallen addictive! I have such a love/hate for it but I can't not know what happens next?

Torment, thankfully, was far more intriguing than its predecessor. Although, it did hit similar speed bumps along the way like Fallen had. Some of the characters (new and old alike) felt underdeveloped or like replacements for other characters we met previously. On the bright-side, Lauren Kate's writing became more lush and continued to capture that fluffy-but-still-Gothic vibe that it had previously.

Further, we got a few new developments to the general mythology and the chance to explore an all-new setting as Luce is sent to yet another school. Luce's new school is far more appealing than the previous one and in Torment we get to see her come face-to-face with new classmates, her new reality (and the surprises in store) and new enemies.

Which was both its strength and biggest downfall. Because, with new enemies and new mythology to take note of, we hardly have the chance to catch our breath. Or know the other enemy fully. Moral of the story is: Luce knows very little about her history, her former lives, or her relationship with Daniel. She knows even less about the battle of good vs. evil, angel vs. demon, if there even is such a thing. In all honestly, Luce is left in the dark just as frequently as we are as readers--which does nothing for my memento.

While much of the novel we are shown Luce's love for Daniel strengthening in passion and confusion at the same time, we see her bonding with two new characters in particular. Her roommate, Shelby and another class-mate of theirs by the name of Miles. We see the introduction of Nephilim and what they are like in this world; as well as the menacing appearance of the Outcasts and Luce's exploration of her past.

I really enjoyed the fact that we got to see former parents of hers and a former sister. Past lives are one of those topics that just captivate me and I can't wait to see more of that in depth. It was heart-breaking seeing her realization that she has had many families in her many lives and that some of them are still alive, with memories of her.

And yet she has none of them.

Ouch.

That's not a tear in my eye. It's just my allergies.

Other positives to note:

 -THE TRUCE. Hello, angels. Hello, demons. Hello... you know, truce. 
 -We see more interactions between Luce and her current lives' parents; which is always a plus but will surely come back to bite me in the ass in the future. Also, her best-friend! Who, up until this point, was only mentioned a couple of times--we get a little more of her and actually get to see her. 
 -Mentions of Penn, even though I wouldn't say Luce puts much into mourning her friend. I felt weird about it because it felt like she spent most of the novel mourning the fact that Daniel and her were temporarily--VERY temporarily--separated. It sucked. But, we did get a good scene of her visiting Penn's grave and basically I miss Penn.
 -Thanksgiving dinner. Picture this: humans, angels and demons. And a pup dressed up for the occasion. Oh, and did I mention some very violent party crashers? 
 -A bit more is told about various powers in their world. The mythology isn't as developed as I'd like, but we get to see a lot of new things introduced into the story.
 -Daniel is a little less insufferable but still, ah, insufferable? Which is good because I kind of love to dislike him. I don't hate him but he's definitely not my favourite and I could frankly do without him even if that meant the story, you know, wouldn't exist. 
 -There's a trip to Vegas that includes a former sister and a familiar face. 
 -Miles is a cupcake. 
 -The new enemies are... interesting, to say the least.
 -Luce bends the rules a bit more and gets a little reckless. 
 -DID I MENTION THAT DANIEL AND CAM ARE WORKING TOGETHER BECAUSE OF THE TRUCE? More Cam, please.


As with Fallen, the ending to Torment is something that makes up for lost time throughout the least appealing parts of the book. It's compelling, action packed and full of mysterious potential. I would say that Torment is only half a point better than Fallen but that half a point counts for something, right?

I say this without irony--I am excited to see where things go in the third installment, especially after that ending. There are so many roads that this series could take and I hope, hope, hope it does live up to its potential. I have a feeling that, regardless, it's going to break my heart at least a dozen times.

Ariella &
Torment by Lauren Kate

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Ariella &
Torment by Lauren Kate