Rapture by Lauren Kate

Rapture 

by Lauren Kate  

The sky is dark with wings . . . .

Like sand in 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 will 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 will be 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.

(summary from goodreads.com)

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This is great YA literature - paranormal brooding males, trusting clueless females, the end of the world as we know it unless our couple can save it ... but as much as I make fun of it, I still read all four books of the series. It was a fun read with great minor characters and a wonderfully creative world they lived in. I thought Luce was fairly annoying for the first two books in the series, but she was finally given a chance to take control of her own life and redeemed herself in the third book. She continues as a strong character in this book and is finally more of a partner than a satellite of Daniel. I thought this book tied everything together excellently - seemingly insurmountable problems (not least of which is how can a couple have a normal life when one of them is an angel?) were dealt with perfectly. Honestly, this was the best book in the series. So much happened! Finally! We learned so much about Daniel and Luce's past and their beginnings. I think the first three books were too drawn out and predictable and could have been condensed into two smaller books, but Lauren Kate finished on a strong note. 

These books are also refreshing because they lack the focus on sex that so many young adult books have. There is plenty of passion and heavy kisses and so on and so forth, this is paranormal literature for teenagers! But I was surprised that it didn't go further than that. There wasn't even any discussion about it (at least not in the fourth book, there may have been mention of it in the earlier books but if it existed it was only a quick side note) or incessant dwelling on it (um, Twilight anyone?). I respect an author that can create passion without resorting to throwing her teenage leads into the first bed they find.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: yes, moderate. Profanity: mild. Sex: no, see above.