Amanda Shofner

Actual rating: 4.5Full review: http://onabookbender.com/2011/08/05/review-fallen-by-karin-slaughter/Have I mentioned before how much I love Karin Slaughter’s characters? No one would ever mistake them for perfect, but they are real in a way that is rare to see in most books. Every character has something terrible lurking in their past that affects who they are now, and they all have flaws that affect their daily lives. If these characters were to walk off the pages and into real life, they could easily be anyone you know.I have been pulling for a Will/Sara romance since Undone. I liked Jeffrey, Sara’s first (and second, heh) husband, but I love Will. No seriously, I love him. Will is the opposite of Jeffrey, but Will is the same in every way that counts. The scenes that play out between Will and Sara are comical in their awkwardness around each other. But then again, their awkwardness is another reason why I love Karin Slaughter’s characters the way I do. The awkwardness is realistic and perfect the way it fits their relationship. The ending damn near made me cry, and I can’t wait to see how this aspect is carried into the next book. I would also really like to see Sara get back into being a medical examiner, and I think that Karin Slaughter has set the stage for this switch to happen. I hope, anyway.The mystery in Fallen is explosive. Threads that had been left hanging in previous books (not just in this series, but in the Will Trent series as well) were tied up in Fallen but there were also more threads left hanging in Fallen. The mystery plot revolved mainly around Faith and her mother, Evelyn. Sometimes I got lost trying to keep track of all the players, but I was also so engaged in reading that I probably rushed through parts where I should not have. Can you blame me? Fallen was one of those rare books that made me panic at the thought of the book ending, and yet I couldn’t bring myself to put the book down. And the way it ended? I would have never guessed it.