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Falling Under (Falling Under #1)

by Gwen Hayes (Goodreads Author)

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 9,876 ratings · 1,125 reviews

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...more

Paperback, 324 pages

Published March 1st 2011 by New American Library

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Community Reviews

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Jun 17, 2012 Sabrina rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have to admit: sometimes (often) I pick up books just because I like the cover art. This one in particular reminded me of American Beauty , so I couldn't resist.

ALERT: this is going to be bitchy.

I threw this book before even finishing the first chapter.
Why?
Because I've already cringed my teeth four times in the first three pages. And that's too much.

I'm going to show you what I mean.

The protagonist is on the bed, reading from her iPhone. And she speaks about her love for books:

Every night I we

...more

51 likes · like · see review

Sep 10, 2011 Vinaya rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-schizophrenia, books-i-hated, could-have-been-better, fluff-fluffy-fluffest, hmm-that-was-interesting, maybe-when-i-m-desperate, mixed-vibes, what-the-eff, surprised-me, ya-fantasy

Multiple Choice Quiz for Teenage Girls:

1) Would you rather be:

A)

OR

B)

2) There's a hot new boy in school, but he seems to be something of an asshat, always blowing you off and parading other women in front of you. Would you:

A)

OR

B)

3) You're having strange dreams where said hot boy appears and acts mysterious and tortured, telling you that you can never be togetherrrrr! You think hot boy is something supernatural. Would you:

A) demotivational posters - WARNING:

OR

B)

4) A demon wants to steal your soul. Would you:

A) Stabby Stabby Gifs - Stabby Stabby

OR

B)

5) You'r...more

333 likes · like · see review

May 13, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 24-ebooks

Favorite quote: Theia to Haden whilst alone in her bedroom: "Do you know I have never seen a penis?"

ROFL XD Way to go girl, way to go...

If I had to pick a serious quote as my favorite it would probably be this one, though:

"This isn't a crush; it's obsession. You are never not in my thoughts. Your scent carries across a room and paralyzes me with longing. I don't want to hold your hand. Part of me wants to set you on fire and hold you while the flame consumes us both, to eat your heart so I kno...more Favorite quote: Theia to Haden whilst alone in her bedroom: "Do you know I have never seen a penis?"

ROFL XD Way to go girl, way to go...

If I had to pick a serious quote as my favorite it would probably be this one, though:

"This isn't a crush; it's obsession. You are never not in my thoughts. Your scent carries across a room and paralyzes me with longing. I don't want to hold your hand. Part of me wants to set you on fire and hold you while the flame consumes us both, to eat your heart so I know that only I possess it entirely"

Well...at least he’s honest O_o

When I started reading Falling Under I got quickly bothered by how the story seemed to follow all the typical paranormal YA clichés. Unbelievably hot guy comes to town, unbelievably insecure and shy heroine gets paired with him for a school project, hot guy tells heroine that she needs to stay away from him for her own safety, heroine goes to some kind of fortune teller who of course tells her that she’s in grave danger, because obviously there’s something evil after her. (Now who could that be??) and so on...Granted, Hayes put these clichés to use with a wink and the digs at Twilight were funny, but still; the attempts to mock her own usage of clichés didn’t really make it any less annoying. But all of that would have been excusable IMO if she had made the romance somewhat unique but unfortunately, this was not the case. It was the same old OMG-I-love-you-and-I’m-going-to-sacrifice-my-soul-for-you-even-though-I’ve-only-known-you-for-a-week and I’m so sick of this kind of romance.

What I really, really liked though, was the explanation for it all. What Haden really is and why they can’t be together...now this was something to make this book stand out against all the others but unfortunately I can’t tell you about it since it would be a major spoiler. It’s a pity, I think if Hayes had done the romance part differently this story would’ve had the potential to be really great and different. I also liked how Hayes managed to keep me on my toes. Several times I was surprised, if not shocked, by the turn of events or how the story took on a very creepy note all of the sudden.

Altogether I can say that I enjoyed this and I’m pretty sure that some of my friends (like Tina, Nic or Amber for example) will have a blast with this one since they’re known to be a bit more forgiving when it comes to the kind of romance I mentioned. :)
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63 likes · like · see review

Dec 14, 2010 Sandy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-first-reads, not-for-me, that-made-no-sense, read-in-2010, i-own

I was so excited to read Falling Under after I won a copy on Goodreads First Reads. The concept of meeting a mysterious, "devastatingly handsome" guy from your dreams sounded captivating, but Falling Under was too much of the worn-thin "I'm a jerk to you but you love me anyway" romance, and the parts that were original were too dark for me. I'd recommend Falling Under to those that love the darker side of paranormal fiction (not me).

Theia, Theia, Theia. The author tells us things about her, but...more

21 likes · like · see review

Jun 02, 2011 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

This book was totally not what I was expecting. Definitely a lot more dark and wickedly twisted than I ever would have expected, yet I think that is why I liked it to much. Under was a complete creep-fest.... faceless beings, skeletons.... stitched together people.... rivers of tears. I had those huge eyes.... O_O .... and the expression of "no f-ing way!" it was awesome.

The characters in this novel were extremely well written. Everyone of them had truly unique qualities that made them very hard...more

9 likes · like · see review

Feb 17, 2011 Alexa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, young-adult, tour, arc

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

It all starts when Theia sees a burning man fall from the sky. After that she begins having strange and creepy dreams about a boy she's never seen before. Things become even weirder when she finds out he's the newest student in school. For some reason, he acts cold towards her, treating her the opposite of how he does in her dreams. She can't figure him out, and although she knows there's something not quite right about him, she can't stop herse...more

7 likes · like · see review

Apr 07, 2011 Cinnamon rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series, fantasy, 2011, young-adult, reviewed, 2-oh-so-unremarkable

This review may also be found on A Thousand Little Pages.

2.5/5

A shy girl living a seemingly normal life? Check.
A hot and mysterious guy appearing out of nowhere? Check.
Instant, unexplainable, and inevitable attraction blossoming as the two gaze at each other fatefully through a pane of glass? Check.

Haden/Mr. Dangerous-and-Brooding: Stay away from me, lamb.* I’m dangerous.
Theia/Ms. Radiant-Sunshine: But I don’t want to. I think I’m in love with you!
Check.

Does this sound just a teensy bit familiar...more

9 likes · like · see review

May 20, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: boys-who-are-jerks, pn-succubus, paranormal-general, young-adult, mythic-and-fairy-tale-ish, pn-demons, read-2011, 2011-publication

I have wildly mixed feelings about this book, which is loosely based on the myth of Persephone. I'm not sure I can write a coherent review because I'm so conflicted, so here goes the pros and cons list.

For the first two thirds of the book:

* I was pretty annoyed with the main character Theia. Stop falling in love with boys just because they're kinda cute, girls!
* I really, really disliked Haden. Manipulative, bad-tempered, controlling, stalker-ish guys who try to make girls jealous, especially w...more

39 likes · like · see review

Mar 10, 2011 Steph Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was lucky enough to read this as a draft and was blown away! I agree with another reviewer that the imagery is amazing. When telling Gwen what I thought I said, "This is going to be big, like Twilight big."
You will LOVE it! :)

16 likes · like · see review

Jun 04, 2011 Maja rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, huge-disappointment, moments-of-great-frustration, wake-me-up-next-year

My very own goth Mr. Darcy. Jane Austen would be so proud.

I can't finish this. It's too terrible for words.
My third one-star rating this year.

7 likes · like · see review

Jan 26, 2011 Shawna rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: YA Paranormal Fans

Shelves: ya-paranormal-or-paranormal-roma, rated-3-stars-or-above, first-reads, series-books

First I must say thank you to the GoodReads First Reads program for the ARC!!!! I won a copy through the Goodreads giveaway!!

Falling Under was a very unique story and not the usual YA Paranormal books. No Vampires, No Werewolves, and No Fairies, oh my. It was so well written and Gwen Hayes did a fantastic job at describing things that it was so easy to picture. There were some parts of the book that were a little slow but definitely nothing that made me put the book down.

Theia can't help feel th...more First I must say thank you to the GoodReads First Reads program for the ARC!!!! I won a copy through the Goodreads giveaway!!

Falling Under was a very unique story and not the usual YA Paranormal books. No Vampires, No Werewolves, and No Fairies, oh my. It was so well written and Gwen Hayes did a fantastic job at describing things that it was so easy to picture. There were some parts of the book that were a little slow but definitely nothing that made me put the book down.

Theia can't help feel this draw she has for the new boy Haden, whom she dreamt about before his arrival at school. The pull is so strong she dreams of him every night. She feels the need to be near him and feels when he is around before she can even see him. All Thiea wants is to be with Haden but yet Haden as his own agenda.

As Haden begins to get his plan in motion, he also starts to fall for Theia. One minute he has to be near her, the next he is teasing her and shutting her out. Theia doesn't seemed fazed at all by any of Haden's games or words. She knows deep down that Haden feels it too and she sets out to conquer him. Grant it Haden can be a jerk to her but you soon find out that there is a good reason for her to stay away from him.

With her best friends Ameila (a natural raw talent of physic abilities) and Donny (the over protective non-believer hard core realist) they soon discover there is more to Haden than meets the eye. Her best friends will do whatever is necessary to save Theia in the end. We only hope it will be enough.

I must say Gabe was definately a good character. I loved how he was able to break through Donny's (Donetella's) walls and her rough exterior to appreciate her for what she truly is. A person that will do anything for her friends. Varnie, what's not to like about Varnie. I only hope that Amelia will start to see him the way he sees her, rather than her obsession with Mike who is definitley a few bricks short of a load.

I definitely thought I had the book figured out and new how the book would end. Well, I was wrong and the way it ended was a huge shocker for me. I did not see it coming at all and that is what I loved the most. I am assuming with the way Falling Under ended there is going to be a sequel. At least I hope there is a sequel. One that I can't wait to read. I look forward taking the ride with the characters.(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Aug 17, 2011 Nafiza rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

The writing was beautiful in the first three quarters of this novel. I am one who prefers poetic prose so it was right up my alley. It was somewhere in the last bit that both the prose and the plot went haywire. I am not sure what the author intended and whether the finished product was an accurate reflection of her intentions but as a reader, I found myself unbalanced.

Let's begin again.

The characterizations were strong. The friendships were dynamic and a pleasure to watch unfold. The relation...more The writing was beautiful in the first three quarters of this novel. I am one who prefers poetic prose so it was right up my alley. It was somewhere in the last bit that both the prose and the plot went haywire. I am not sure what the author intended and whether the finished product was an accurate reflection of her intentions but as a reader, I found myself unbalanced.

Let's begin again.

The characterizations were strong. The friendships were dynamic and a pleasure to watch unfold. The relationships... I think this is where things started to go a bit wrong. The protagonist and her love interest offer nothing different or interesting to the genre. She is a pure lily while he is a demon. She is all goodness and he wants her for himself only he doesn't. Since he, too, was bitten by that bug that all YA love interests (males, in particular) are helpless against. You know, the one where they forget that the girl is perfectly capable of protecting herself and so it doesn't require your sacrifice... well, actually, maybe in this case, the sacrifice would have been nice. It's difficult for a girl (even a badass girl and Theia is nothing like a badass girl) to defend herself against Hell and its minions. And what was up with this Love Interest (his name I can't remember for the life of me, sorry) using other girls to touch Theia. Confusing? Well, he touches other girls and Theia feels it. Kinky, huh? I thought so too. Anyway, so he's littering the dance floor or whatever with girls he keeps on pawing since for some reason he can't touch Theia. Only he does touch her and there are no lightning flashes or earthquakes (except perhaps in their heads, the hormones, you know?).

So this total Patch-ey guy turns into a pussycat somewhere north in the narrative and the pure lily also known as Theia turns into a Princess of Hell and things are reversed. Usually, I would have loved this reversal but the set up and the plot leading to it has debilitated the former pace and writing of the novel so much that I am left very unimpressed.

Obviously there's going to be a second book in this series. Obviously. And I hope Ms. Hayes sorts out her plotting because as I said, some of the writing is totally gorgeous. But the sequel is not one that I am going to be checking out. Do I recommend it to you? I don't know. I wasn't too impressed but if you are into your potential boyfriend trying to kill you, you might like it.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 15, 2012 nxlee rated it 2 of 5 stars

Video of me ranting about this book? It can be found here and also on my blog (well not yet).

In a Nutshell: Gwen lives with her controlling but distant father. Things start to get a bit ferrreakay when she sees the new boy at school, Hayden - who was a regular in her dreams ever since she saw the 'burning man' fall from the sky one night. There is an attraction and not surprisingly, a 'romance' is blossoming between them but Hayden seems to have two personalities and constantly switches between...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 08, 2012 Demonic Circus Princess rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Alice in Wonderland, Panic! at the Disco, and Haunted Mansion fans

Shelves: beautiful-cover, atmosphere, better-than-expected, chosen-by-my-amazing-intuition, demented, don-t-judge-a-book-by-its-cover, fangirling, reminds-me-of-someone-i-know, so-insanely-in-love-with, unique, usually-hate-books-like-this-but, will-never-forget

This book is twisted. In a good way. It's like a gothic Alice in Wonderland.Or Coraline. But with a romance novel.

I'm not sure if I gave this book 5 stars for the plot, the characters, or the fact that Haden reminds me of Panic! at the Disco. But this was insane. And it deserves five stars on all three accounts.

This book, that LOOKS short but actually was so complicated and intricate I felt like I'd just read trilogy instead of a novel, is a combination of many, many things:
1. Alice in Wonderlan...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Rayne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: magic, romance, paranormal, young-adult, demons, shifting-pov

Falling Under follows sheltered, innocent Theia as her world spirals out of control under supernatural circumstances after a chance meeting with a burning man falling from the sky. Through her dreams, she will enter a terrifying yet alluring new reality where the chance of love with a mysterious and intense boy will possibly cost her everything.

As soon as I read that premise, I knew I had to get my hands on that book. Once I did, though, I couldn’t wait to be done with it. Under no circumstances...more Falling Under follows sheltered, innocent Theia as her world spirals out of control under supernatural circumstances after a chance meeting with a burning man falling from the sky. Through her dreams, she will enter a terrifying yet alluring new reality where the chance of love with a mysterious and intense boy will possibly cost her everything.

As soon as I read that premise, I knew I had to get my hands on that book. Once I did, though, I couldn’t wait to be done with it. Under no circumstances am I saying that the book is bad, quite the contrary, the story had great potential but it was executed, not poorly but okay-ish, and in the same lines most of y/a paranormal romances out there are carried out: hot guy comes to town and sets his eyes in a shy girl that he gets paired up with for a school project. Outside of the concept in itself and what Haden the love interest ends up being, Falling Under reads like every other book out there and brings nothing particularly original to a much exploited genre.

Theia was a lead likable enough and I found myself enjoying it as she grew out of her shell and turned into someone determined and brave. A particular scene in which she kisses Haden out of the blue simply to finally claim him and send a not-so-subtle message to another chick to back off had me cheering for her. But the author’s decision to portray her so immaculately pure and innocent brought nothing but unnecessary awkwardness to some scenes like when she, under the influence of a sleeping pill overdose, tells Haden that she has never seen a penis. Furthermore, I felt very disturbed by the romanticized way in which the author played the overdose. That is not cool, specially when she did it just to see Haden again. Haden played well the conflicted, tortured part of a dark prince. I liked him well enough, but I felt like rolling my eyes when it was revealed that him, like many other male protagonists, is really a creature born of evil to do evil that just wants to learn to love. The secondary characters are okay enough and I liked it that they actually had a role in the story.

The romance, though it started somewhat different, it ended up being more of the same: I know you for a week and I know you have no good intentions for me but here you go, I give you my heart and soul, no questions asked. The market is saturated with romances like that and that’s not the only problem I have with them, the fact is, real romances don’t work like that. Sure, when you are young you swear you are in cut-your-wrists, passionate love with someone, but that’s an easily breakable illusion and if it’s real, it takes a lot more than some pretty phrases and violent sex appeal for it to unfold. But in the end, the reason why they had to be together but couldn’t gave the story a new edge to the romance that will undoubtedly bring the story a lot more tension and, hopefully, more appeal the beginning of this relationship had.

I appreciated the author’s attempts at taking jabs at the clichés that made Twilight famous and I found myself laughing at them like when Theia tells him that she hopes he is not a love-sick vampire, but it was hard to take the author’s joke seriously when, hey, she was doing the exact same things and repeating the same clichés in a very Twilight fashion.

The prose is really beautiful and the author managed to create a dream realm that was darkly bewitching and deliciously gothic. The real supernatural world, however, was too far-fetched for my taste to the point that it bordered on ridiculous. Why a supernatural being that lives in another realm would have sci-fi posters, movies and action figures in his room is beyond me. I know that was Haden’s attempt at connecting with humanity, but, alien movies, really? And the antagonist in the story didn’t really strike me as believable either; more than anything it was bizarre and somewhat absurd. In the same way, the introduction of fortune telling and one of the character’s special abilities was something I found slightly unbelievable, but maybe the author intends to solidify that concept in future installments.

The book’s final chapters are nicely done and it is one of the reason why I considered reading the next one since it completely changed the circumstances and will probably being exciting twists to the story. I will probably read the sequel, but with not the same excitement with which I started Falling Under.
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Jun 15, 2011 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

From one chapter to the next I really was unsure as to what my final thoughts would be on Falling Under. The first 100 pages I was doing a lot of questioning and it reminded me of a cross between Twilight and Fallen. I then began to worry because Twilight is very high on my list and Fallen is at the very bottom. There were a couple of times when Gwen Hayes made a reference to Twilight and even in my opinion to a classic-Little Red Riding Hood and very strong similarities to Alice and Wonderland....more From one chapter to the next I really was unsure as to what my final thoughts would be on Falling Under. The first 100 pages I was doing a lot of questioning and it reminded me of a cross between Twilight and Fallen. I then began to worry because Twilight is very high on my list and Fallen is at the very bottom. There were a couple of times when Gwen Hayes made a reference to Twilight and even in my opinion to a classic-Little Red Riding Hood and very strong similarities to Alice and Wonderland. I have to say I was very worried it was a knock off per say of several titles and smashed together. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Yes there were the references, but I think they were more used in a joking manner than what I initially thought when the worry set it. They really set the mood for the book and made the setting of the book feel more in the present time than a lot of books that are supposedly set in the present day. I believe the main character Theia speaking about her iPhone really makes the reader relate to the story given that everyone has some sort of smart phone.
I really enjoyed the characters and the strong personalities each possessed. Each character seemed to really stand out on their own. The personalities were very realistic in the aspect of how teenagers really are….flawed, worried, excited, happy, sad, hopelessly in love…obviously a range of emotion with a front on the outside for the most part trying to not show anyone for who they really are. Anyone who has been a teenager can relate to all emotions these kids were having, especially being dramatically in love and feeling like nothing else matters. I love the way the more popular football/cheerleader types were called sneetches, very funny description. I hope in the next book we will get to know the subtle characters better and they will be more concrete throughout the story.
Having preconceived notions during the first 150 pages that it would be a total train wreck like Fallen may have twisted my initial take on the book. Luckily the second third of the book resolved several of my concerns so I was able to get past my initial regret. Although I did struggle through a lot of it, I still found the concept interesting and certain changes in the narration towards the end recaptured my attention. If only the entire book held my attention as well as the last 100ish pages. The ending really made me interested in the sequel and hopefully the up and down lulls will be mostly eliminated in the next addition.
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1 like · like · see review

Mar 08, 2011 Isamlq rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dear YA,

1. Please don’t let this be another book on star crossed lovers whose relationship is doomed from the beginning because one is in danger of being killed by the other.
2. Please, please, please no more love triangles!
3. Please make the heroine a heroine by which, I mean a thinking, independent, strong-willed and self-aware young woman… who could be construed as a positive role model for your target audience. And let the male lead be more than just her love interest. Let him have a more int...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Katie(babs) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I’m a sucker for a sexy cover. Gwen Hayes has such a cover for her debut, Falling Under, a supernatural YA about a young girl, who dreams of a dark world and of the boy who resides there, who in turns enters her world and tries to claim her soul. I had some reservations about this book because of my recent dismay over the large amount of YA Paranormal books published that are trying to ride the Twilight train for all it’s worth. Time and again I’m seeing a lonely female protagonist with MIA pare...more I’m a sucker for a sexy cover. Gwen Hayes has such a cover for her debut, Falling Under, a supernatural YA about a young girl, who dreams of a dark world and of the boy who resides there, who in turns enters her world and tries to claim her soul. I had some reservations about this book because of my recent dismay over the large amount of YA Paranormal books published that are trying to ride the Twilight train for all it’s worth. Time and again I’m seeing a lonely female protagonist with MIA parental figures and the darkly, seductive boy who enters the picture suddenly, and with one look or touch, they decide they’re each other’s soul mates even before the heroine is old enough to vote.

There are a few of these tropes found in Falling Under and 30 pages in I had some concerns. But Gwen’s writing really shines. It’s superbly written. She doesn’t talk down to her audience and brings forth topics such as suppressed teens and their desire for sex that comes out with a vengeance. If Falling Under was a candy bar, it would be Hershey’s dark chocolate.

The first line grabs you- “Everything changed the night I saw the burning man fall from the sky”. The heroine, Theia Alderson witnesses this outside her bedroom window as she plays with her new iPhone her rigid and cold British father has given to her as a gift. Theia feels she’s stuck in a gilded cage since her father expects her to remain in control at all times and act accordingly as he sees fit. Theia spends her days playing violin and longing for her mother who died after giving birth to her. Theia has the urge to be reckless and carefree like her mother was, but her father squashes her rebellion. That is until the shock of burning man falling from the sky and her dreams of a far off distant place where she meets a man-boy who makes her feel all tingly inside.

Theia may be somewhat of an outcast at school, but her two good friends- Donny and Amelia are there for her. They want her to rebel and do something as shocking as go to a dance club with them. Theia longs to live on the edge but doesn’t want to rock the boat. Things become exciting when a new student arrives at the school. His name is Haden Black and he’s the boy from her dreams. The moment her eyes meet his, she knows her life will never be the same again. Haden flirts with Theia as if he’s interested in her, but then backs away and cruelly taunts her by being touchy feely with other girls. Theia cannot understand what’s going on and why Haden one minute acts as her friend, but then pushes her away. He says he can’t give her what she wants. But Theia continues to dream of Haden, where she longs to stay in this world, otherwise known as the Under realm where Haden’s demon mother is the queen and wants Theia to be Haden’s bride in order for her to give him a child she can mold into her own evil ways.

Falling Under is very seductive reading. A few of the YA Paranormal authors should take note because this is how a YA Paranormal should be written. Yes, Theia is oh so innocent, reserved and has emotional issues, and yes Haden is dark, mysterious and has touch of evil inside of him, but these two connect on such a level where it’s not cheesy. Gwen puts a nice little spin on their relationship is more adult in nature. There’s a great deal of sexual tension on the pages that is borderline erotic in the teen sense. I also loved how Gwen showed that even though Theia may be at odds with her distant father, she has a great support with her two girlfriends and the boys they become interested in, who in turn help Theia out. Their dialogue and interactions don’t feel contrived and really flow well.

Falling Under has a feeling of two movies while I read with Labyrinth and Legend. Haden reminds me of David Bowie’s character, Jareth.

I’ve been going back and forth on my grade for Falling Under. At times I felt the explanation for things were lacking, such as Haden living in a very expensive hotel and not even the school administration asking for proof of his parents. Also, we’re given reasons why Haden wants to be with Theia in her realm, but there’s no talk about why she suddenly dreams of him and how he came to invade them. Also the ending seems a bit rushed. These small issues may take away some enjoyment for readers, but again, Gwen makes up for it with her fabulous writing. With that in mind, I’m giving Falling Under a B+ because this is one YA book that really kept me riveted and interested in seeing if Haden and Theia will have their HEA.

Gwen Hayes is a much welcomed addition to the YA genre and one I’m going to keep my eye on.(less)

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Mar 30, 2012 Elena rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: are-you-kidding-me

I'd say this was something new.
I'd say it was unexpected.
I'd say it was something fresh, which interested me from the start.
But that'd be lying.

Although Falling Under was a nice, fast read, that doesn't mean the book doesn't fall in the 'totally expected' category.
It's just the same, old story we got to know thanks to Twilight and gradually became sick of thanks to the other bunch of novels who followed that.
It's not that the idea is bad, it's just that it's ALWAYS THE SAME.
Different names, dif...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 15, 2011 ♥ Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

First of all thank you to Goodreads! I won an ARC of this book through their first reads program!

I loved it! This is a wonderful and different paranormal that involves no Vampires or Werewolves, nor any Angels or Fairies!

It's about Theia, a very withdrawn and sheltered young girl who lives with her extremely overprotective and strict father.

When a burning man falls from the sky, everything starts to change.

When the totally hot new guy, Haden Black, starts school, Theia is drawn to him and she c...more

7 likes · like · see review

Mar 18, 2012 Hana❀Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-of-2011, the-best-of-the-best

Oh god, so fucking cliche. The rational part of me is telling me to give it two stars but the fan girl is telling me five. I'm going with the more positive version of myself this time. Who cares anyways? I enjoyed it (even though it had more flaws than I could count, it may even be as bad as Twilight) when i'm not being a picky bastard.

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Apr 19, 2012 Eve Quinn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: april-reading-challenge

What a deliciously dark read... that's what I thought throughout this entire book.

Alright, I loved this book. I was hesitant to read it because of the negative reviews, but so glad I finally did. I only picked it up out of sheer desperation. To my pleasant surprise, loved it. I understand a lot of the other perspectives, the good girl-bad boy-love at first sight-cliche is found in every YA book I read. But, I come to expect these story lines in paranormal romances. I was very happy to discover n...more What a deliciously dark read... that's what I thought throughout this entire book.

Alright, I loved this book. I was hesitant to read it because of the negative reviews, but so glad I finally did. I only picked it up out of sheer desperation. To my pleasant surprise, loved it. I understand a lot of the other perspectives, the good girl-bad boy-love at first sight-cliche is found in every YA book I read. But, I come to expect these story lines in paranormal romances. I was very happy to discover no love triangle... just one super creepy/dreamy/stalker-ish/ love interest.

Theia is a seventeen-year-old high school student who is very different from her peers. Her mother died during birth and her father is emotionally detached, but extremely strict with her. They lived in England for a great portion of her life and moved to the United States in her teen years, so she has a British accent -- which I like. It makes her sound old fashioned, but I believed it fit her character. She is sheltered, reserved, naive, and just a bit awkward. She might not be my favorite literary girl, but I liked her. Especially in the end... finally!

Enter bad boy... Haden. I can't say much without giving away spoilers. He's bad, slightly creepy, intriguing, and bad... did I say that already? I liked him. I normally prefer the good guy, but there was something about him that was almost haunting... that doesn't sound appealing, but it was.

Donny and Ame were Theia's best friends and I loved them. They both played their roles very well, they might be my favorite "supporting characters". I loved Donny from the beginning: brash, emotional, sexual. Ame grew on me toward the end when she began to discover her own hidden strengths. Gabe and Mike were the best friends' love interests... and again, they played their roles in this novel amazingly. I prefer Gabe to Mike and I loved how the importance of his role increased throughout the novel. The same goes for Varnie, the cross dressing fortune teller turns up at the beginning, but plays an important role toward the end. This group of characters is one of my favorite aspects of the novel.

My favorite part of this novel was the eerie feeling in some of the sections. I read a review (I wish I could find it again to credit this person) where the reviewer suggested the scenes were comparable to a Tim Burton movie... they were so right. The novel begins so drastically, and Theia is so naive/innocent, I found myself drawn in immediately. Then the novel switches from reality to dark dreamlike scenes, very interesting. Not to mention the last third of the book, which is amazing. The villain, plot twist, and choice really tied the book together for me. It overruled any annoyance I may have developed in the beginning of the novel.

Great read if you can over look the cliche: good girl falls for possibly dangerous bad boy. (less)

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May 29, 2011 Zemira Warner rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: demons, paranormal-romance

Ok,so I gotta admit it wasn't that bad. God only knows I've recently read so many lousy books.
The story reminds me of Nevermore. I can't give it 4 or 5 stars because it took me so long to finish it. There were so many parts I felt bored. Will check out the next part for sure.

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Jun 30, 2012 Athena Perle ~♥~ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: compelling-covers, mythology

Well, this book is like Romeo and Juliet mixed with Twilight. And I guess..include Beauty and the Beast as well. I didn't understand why Haden was the burning man...and well, I think some of the scenes were a little off. I didn't really like how Theia just loved him from love at first sight...it's cliche, and I don't care if he has some kind of "lure". But I admire her personality. She has passion for something she loves; like the violin. She's very devoted and deeply loves Haden (In the second...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 out of 5 rating

Hmm...this was another book that I'm not too sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, it was intriguing and I wanted to know what was going to happen next. On the other hand, something annoyed me about it. I can't really put my finger on what it was. Maybe it was how Haden was so mean to Theia sometimes or maybe it was the Under part which was kinda gruesome. I dunno.

That being said, there was a nice little twist sorta near the end that I definitely didn't see coming. It wa...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. ok so i really wanna give this a 3.5 b/c i liked it but didn't really like it. idk how to explain. i'm glad they figured out to be together in the end but i felt like the 1st half of the book was pretty cool and the second half got really weird and morbid and not my type of thing. and the fact that theia had to be stuck in under, as a demon, for a month in human years. which is a very long time in under really sucked. i'm glad hayden got his demon half back and got her out of under by kidnapping...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Haley ~ YA-Aholic rated it 2 of 5 stars

" My hand tingled where he kissed her, and that bastard knew it."

Ah Falling Under by Gwen Hayes, where to begin, where to begin. I am honestly not 100% how i feel about this book. Falling under had perfect romance between Theia and Haden, it had suspense it had tension it had kissing, jealousy...well just everything a romance is suppose to have it had ( no love triangle though *sigh*). I found myself very very drawn to Haden, he is so mysterious, not until halfway threw the book was i sure what...more " My hand tingled where he kissed her, and that bastard knew it."

Ah Falling Under by Gwen Hayes, where to begin, where to begin. I am honestly not 100% how i feel about this book. Falling under had perfect romance between Theia and Haden, it had suspense it had tension it had kissing, jealousy...well just everything a romance is suppose to have it had ( no love triangle though *sigh*). I found myself very very drawn to Haden, he is so mysterious, not until halfway threw the book was i sure what he was, and trust me it was KILLING me not being able to figure it out! Haden has become one of my new favorite men along with Edward, Reth, Ren, and many others he was protective, sexy, dangerous and just ahh so perfect. Another thing i loved about this book was Theia's friends, I LOVED them, normally the herione's friends i dont like, but this bunch AHH i loved all of them, there personalities were hard not too love, i found myself while reading this book wishing my group of friends was like Theia's (: haha.

NOW too the negatives of this book ( Sad Face) I dont know what it was about this book, but i found myself skimming threw alot of it, it wasnt a book i wanted to sit and read each word and really take in the book, it was more i just wanna finish this and get it done with. Which sucks. What i also found INSANELY annoying was the way Theia and her friends reacted to finding out about demons and the underworld..I honeslty think this is what made me not like the book that much..like oh theres such things as demons? there is crazy ladies in the underworld? OH and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD there is walking skeletons? cool lets go get some ice cream. WHAT?!?! hello earth to Gwen Hayes your suppose to make all of them Denie any of its true until crazy events happen that force them to beileve it! They dont even denie it there just like o okay? URGH. I could honestly go on for pages about how annoying that was too me but we must move on! Another thing that bothed me was Theia's dad...he is so protective (not in a good way) and forces her to play the violin all the time. It irratates me. Another thing about her dad is i never really feel he even cares about his daughther..and he even almost says that he wishes her mom was still alive instead of theia..and GR it upsets me, I found myself feeling really sorry for thiea for not really haveing anyone family wise to be there for her ):

All together I would still recommend this book, It has a captivating romance, and lovable characters. Just slightly annoying little tid bits that I will eventually get over, this book is also going to be a series and let me just say that i believe this series is going to be BRILLANT! It just has a not so amazing start. (:

"I've wished I could walk away from you-even stop thinking of you for an hour,a minute.But I can't.I've tried.I need you with a longing that will surely kill me if I don't give in to it-but it will kill you if I do."
(less)

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Nov 12, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

When Theia Alderson encounters the bizarre sight of a burning man falling from the sky and dying in her yard, her whole life begins to change. Seriously, that`s how FALLING UNDER begins - and it never lets up!

Theia is a transplanted Brit in a California high school. Her mother died when she was born, and her father moved them back to England. But his job relocated the two back to the States, where Theia has always been the odd girl out with her accent and u...more Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

When Theia Alderson encounters the bizarre sight of a burning man falling from the sky and dying in her yard, her whole life begins to change. Seriously, that`s how FALLING UNDER begins - and it never lets up!

Theia is a transplanted Brit in a California high school. Her mother died when she was born, and her father moved them back to England. But his job relocated the two back to the States, where Theia has always been the odd girl out with her accent and unruly curls.

After the burning man incident, things get even more bizarre. Theia has a dream that is so real she's not surprised to find that the new boy who arrives at school is the same boy she has just dreamed about. Haden keeps appearing to Theia. She's both repelled and confused by him. Just when she thinks they've formed a connection, he does something to push her away. Backed by two very different but just as interesting friends, Theia tries to discover the mystery of Haden Black.

FALLING UNDER has so many amazing characters that it's hard to pinpoint just a single one that I enjoyed. The most entertaining by far is Varnie, the cross-dressing, young surfing psychic who the girls visit for a reading. When the tarot cards turn over three death cards for Theia, Varnie gets concerned and does a runner from town. But don't fret; he's not gone for long.

The other character that caught my attention is Gabe, the popular boy who is smitten with Theia's friend, Donny (Donnatella.) Donny has no idea why someone like Gabe, who is a sneetch (aka popular boy, and you HAVE to love the Dr. Seuss reference!) would be interested in her. Gabe sticks around through all the paranormal stuff, and isn't quite as clueless as one would expect from a sneetch.

There is so much going on in FALLING UNDER that it's hard to pin down just one story line. They all blend together well, supporting the main story of Theia and Haden. FALLING UNDER is also hard to describe as any one single type of novel. There are paranormal aspects obviously, but there's romance and mystery, as well. Basically, it's just a well-written story that leaves the reader eager for more. (less)

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Oct 11, 2011 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had no idea what to expect from this novel having not read any of the reviews before I started it. I didn't want to know anything about it. And let me tell you, this was seriously scary to me. It was a cross between Alice in Wonderland, The Corpse Bride and Lemony Snickett. But it was all terrifying because for a good part of the book I had no idea what Haden was and he wouldn't tell. He wouldn't touch Theia in either the waking or dreaming world yet made her achingly aware that he wanted to a...more I had no idea what to expect from this novel having not read any of the reviews before I started it. I didn't want to know anything about it. And let me tell you, this was seriously scary to me. It was a cross between Alice in Wonderland, The Corpse Bride and Lemony Snickett. But it was all terrifying because for a good part of the book I had no idea what Haden was and he wouldn't tell. He wouldn't touch Theia in either the waking or dreaming world yet made her achingly aware that he wanted to and therefore she ached to touch him. Her first sight of him his very disturbing and the macabre revelers with him are repulsive. When she wakes in the morning there is always the disturbing proof that what she experienced was all too real.

Theia's mother is dead, we don't know how for a good part of the book but can guess at a certain point in the book. Theia is under her father's thumb literally. He has a shopper pick out her clothes, khaki pants and sweater sets. The only variation is in color. Her room is decorated by a designer to fit, not Theia's tastes but what a girl her age should want. Not personalized by clothes or her room, their relationship is not personalized either. They barely talk and Theia longs for affection. She bends to her father's every rule all in the hopes of keeping her safe. Theia's mother was wild and look where it got her.

But even Father's rules can't keep Theia from the lure of Haden and he cannot stay away from her. And once she's fallen under, it takes her friends to get her back. And once she is under she's not so sure she wants to leave Haden behind.

Theia is a well developed character and grows from a scared little mouse to a wet sponge to a strong, determined girl bent on getting what she wants. However, she's not quite sure of the rules and who she's messing with. Haden, seems like a first class jerk at first. But then we start seeing the parts of him that Theia sees. Why she likes him. Then they disappear. He is the most enigmatic of all the characters until we find out exactly what he is, then all is explained.

The side characters are great and at times add to the tension or the comic relief. Donny (Donnatella) and Ame (Amelia) are Theia's best friends. They both always have her back. Donny is always on the prowl for guys and never stays with one long enough to tie herself down. Ame has been in love with the same boy for 4 years. Madame Varnie who happens to be a 19 years old boy that is a real psychic. And then there's Gabe hopelessly in love with Donny and Mike hopelessly ignorant of everything but food. He is most ignorant of the fact that he is Ame's crush. They all serve their purpose in the story which is well told and seamless. The build up to the terror is better than I've read in a long time keeping in mind I read YA and do not read Stephen King. But this terror had me glad I was reading in the daylight even if the wind was howling.

Here are a few sentences to tempt you taste buds: "...I witnessed my own shadow shifting apart from me on the canvas of the wall. I jerked from the unnatural sensation of seeing myself disengaged. My shadow turned to look behind her and then she ran frantically. I watched her, fascinated as she ran a circle around the room, trapped on the wall yet oddly not attached to me any longer.....All at once she stopped racing and spun around and upside down like a pinwheel, getting smaller and smaller. Then the other shadows in the room began funneling towards her disappearing shape, and they too whirled like water around a drain. In horror, I watched them all swirl into a pinpoint and disappear.....I padded in that direction, only to stop short in front of my mirror. I wasn't in it. I had no reflection, though everything behind me was clearly visible." Freaky huh? That isn't the worst of it. It's actually only the beginning. And I'm so glad this only the first book in the series. For a debut novel, this is really outstanding! Actually, even if it wasn't a debut novel, it's outstanding. It's got a great romance in it. There is only the hint of sex in it. There are probably a few bad words in it. But there is sexual innuendo in it. I'd let my 14 year old read it if I thought he'd be interested at all. I think I read it so fast none of these things registered with me. The ending was satisfying but left enough of a cliffhanger that you could draw your own conclusions or wait for the next book. I purposely left out some labels so it wouldn't spoil things for anyone reading this review.

(less)

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Feb 14, 2011 Brooke rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really, really liked this book! It was so creepy and funny and frustrating. I was literally laughing out loud at some parts and frantically flipping the page at others. Plus it doesn't hurt that Haden Black is totally swoon worthy! Its a true mystery as to what Haden is for awhile, and that made it more captivating. Theia's dreams were so interesting- actually the whole world of Under is interesting. I loved it- Gwen Hayes describes it in the book as "a Gothic Alice in Wonderland." and thats e...more

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About Gwen Hayes

Gwen Hayes (that’s me) lives in the Pacific Northwest with her real life hero and a pack of wild beasts (two of whom she gave birth to).

She is a reader, writer, and lover of pop culture (which, other than yogurt, is the only culture she gets).

Gwen is represented by Jessica Sinsheimer of the Sarah Jane Freymann Agency and her first Young Adult Paranormal novel, FALLING UNDER, will be released by...more

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Quotes from Falling Under

“Do you think it’s easy for me? No, I don’t remember you. I don’t remember holding you or talking to you or falling in love with you—but I walk around with a giant hole in my heart all the time. I feel your absence every second of the day. It aches and nothing soothes it. Losing you is bad enough, but I don’t even get the comfort of remembering that I had you once.
-Haden” — 178 people liked it

“I'm probably half in love with a boy I don't really like.” — 153 people liked it

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