Sunday, May 8, 2011

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand



In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .
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?
Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

Unearthly
by Cynthia Hand
Reviewed by: Baby Sister Brittany
The Sisters say: Unbelievable. Unpredictable. Unearthly. J

I have this tendency to get annoyed with trends really fast. I’ll read a couple fairy books, then be loathe to read anymore. I read two angel books, and that was quite enough for me. But then a book comes along like Unearthly that makes me wonder if I’ve been missing out on some amazing books in my haste to ignore trends. It’s certainly not a book I would have ever picked up on my own, but I kept seeing recommendation after recommendation for it on Twitter. And can I say how thankful I am? Because I loved Unearthly!

It was long, which if you’re anything like me, is a major plus. I read so frequently and so quickly that I’m often left feeling like a book ended too soon. But Unearthly is very filling!

The Angel folklore definitely had a unique twist! Cynthia Hand definitely didn’t rely on the same old same old information. She created a world of Angelbloods that was uniquely her own, and I personally loved getting to be a part of it.

Jackson Hole made for a wonderful setting. I never thought I’d have a desire to vacation in Wyoming, but you can bet I’ve changed my mind!

I also really loved that this book didn’t follow the normal paranormal formula. For one…. Clara already knows she’s an angel. So you don’t have to suffer through pages and pages of waiting for her to wake up already. As I read the book (and loved it), I had this recurring fear that it was going to fall into that same predictable pattern, but thankfully, IT NEVER DID! YESSSSSSSS!!!!!

And now… to my favorite thing about Unearthly. THE BOYS. Oh, the boys. Christian is your classic YA boy. Clara’s been having visions of him, and she’s pretty sure that her Angel purpose is to save him. And Tucker… well, Tucker is her best friend’s brother. And he’s kind of a pain in the butt. But a charming pain in the butt. And I won’t give anything away… but once again, Cynthia Hand goes against the grain and doesn’t let the romance fall into predictable patterns.

And there aren’t just twists when it comes to the oh-so-predictable YA formula. There are also plot twists galore.

I loved this book. LOOOOOOVED IT. And you will too.

So read it.

(And yes, in case you were wondering, that’s an order).