Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publish Date: April 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny? (From Goodreads)
Books about angels aren’t hard to find. It seems to be one of the common mainstreams, currently so I was rather blasé coming into this as it’s the third or fourth one I’ve read this year. I really wasn’t expecting much. I’m glad I can still be surprised.
Our heroine is Clara, a California girl that can practically do anything well, the first time around. She has a gift of tongues and a silent (obnoxiously so in my mind) mother. She’s stubborn and emotional as well, which gives some depth to her character. While not quite having to deal with the same things that normal high school girls have to deal with, she’s under a lot of pressure and doesn’t crack from it.
The boys are complex. Tucker (Tuck), is a rough around the edges all around nice guy. Christian is too, but there’s something other about him that gives him a little more shine then Tuck. (I personally like Tuck slightly more.) Both boys seem to have it bad for Clara, but the sincerity behind it can be questionable at times.
Even the best friends are complex. Wendy is a doll, and Tucker’s twin sister. She truly cares about Clara, but has no idea what she really is. Angela is more powerful then Clara, she knows exactly what Clara is, but I think her motives are… less then honorable. I could be wrong, but I don’t trust Angela. I don’t.
The story is pretty solid with a few holes here and there. The time gaps are the most upsetting. On one page Mom says we’ll talk later and then on the next it’s two weeks later. Did she ever talk with mom? What happened? It leaves a little feeling of confusion. The tense in the writing is a mix of present and past, which if you’re reading on the fast side, can cause some pause and some rereading to make sure that translated right.
Overall it isn’t boring. The story is original enough to keep the reader engrossed, and the characters personable enough to relate to. For me, it’s an average cup of tea. ^_^
My Rating:
~T.
Good review. I really liked this book, it was certainly a lot better than the other YA angel books I've read (I didn't like HUSH, HUSH or HALO).
ReplyDeleteOuch. I enjoyed Halo, and Hush Hush. They're not perfect books of course, but they were entertaining for me. ^_^
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