Tuesday, November 30, 2010

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 it 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 deciet, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
From Goodreads.com



I had the privilege to read this book a few days ago, and I have to say that I wasn't really sure what to expect. There has been so much hype about angels lately, and I needed to read this book without comparing it to others. 
Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. I like the character of Clara and her struggle to figure herself out. It was a nice touch her not being perfect even though she’s part angel. She was a little annoying at times, and even a bit selfish, but those qualities made her seem more real as a character. After all, she’s only a teenager :) Her mom is an interesting character as well. And I love the whole “Gilmore Girls” aspect to their relationship. 
On the other hand, we have the boys of the book. Christian is a gorgeous hunk of a teenager who is the boy Clara dreams about. He’s popular without being obnoxious about it, and I have to say I love his sweet side. Then there is Tucker. The bad boy, outsider who also is a sweet and considerate guy. How do you chose between the two right? 
Recently, I’ve noticed that its always the forbidden/outsider love that wins out. Yes, we have a tendency to cheer for the underdog. In this story, both boys seem to be the right choice, however, I would’ve like to have seen more of Christian. The book starts out with a focus on him and then all of sudden he disappears before he can even become anything with Clara, and Tuck takes his place. 
The conflict was a bit minimal in this book, however, this is book one and you cant have everything played out right in the beginning. I also would love to see more of Clara’s brother in the next book. He seemed interesting, with a bit of a mystery to him. 
The ending was a nice touch, leaving the reader wanting more. I like the little twist in the end, although I was kind of expecting it. Thats what happens when you’re constantly mapping out your own stories, you cant read without mapping out others :)
Overall, “Unearthly” was a good read and a good book number one in a series. I am looking forward to finding out more about each character and their relationships. The book come’s out January 4th, 2011. Let me know what you think! 
Happy reading,
Valia  

No comments:

Post a Comment