"The Fallen" by Celia Thomson

Rating: 3

Description: Chloe King was a normal teenager, up until the day she fell off San Francisco's Coit Tower and survived without so much as a scratch. Ever since then, Chloe has been doing things she never would have done before, like waltzing into an 18+ club as if she owned the place, and brazenly courting not one, but two guys. After her club adventure, she finds out that a guy she'd scratched the night before is terribly sick. And Chloe has been noticing even more strange things about herself, like an ability to run really fast for very long distances. Then she notices the claws. Chloe seems to have turned into some sort of Catwoman, and another cat-person seems to have noticed, as he guides Chloe in learning how to use her new kitty superpowers. But Chloe realizes that it's not just her mysterious night-time friend who knows what she is when she's attacked in the street by a man wielding throwing stars. Chloe is in deadly danger, and someone she thinks she knows may not turn out to be who they seem. Can Chloe figure out the truth in time to save herself?

Review: The first in a new series called "The Nine Lives of Chloe King", at first glance this book seems like just another stupid teen series book. However, "The Fallen" may surprise you. While maybe a bit too stereotypically teenagerish, Chloe is nevertheless real and reacts to situations in ways that any regular kid-turned superkitty might. The villain is unclear until the end, and even then there's some blurring. The idea of a catwoman-type hero is unlike the typical modern fantasy, where magic generally rules. Chloe's kitty-cat superpowers are a pleasant change from that vein of fantasy. Overall, "The Fallen" is worth checking out, and hopefully the sequels will be equally good.