Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2011
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD
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?
Clara is an angel-blood and she's just had a vision of her purpose on Earth, to save a boy from a forest fire. Together with her mom and brother, they end up moving to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where the fire will take place so that Clara can fulfill her destiny. She's very excited to see this mystery boy at her new school and get to know him, but there's a problem. He has a girlfriend. Clara will have to figure out how to get closer to the popular Christian Prescott if she hopes to save him. All the while her angel powers seem to be growing and becoming too noticeable. With an original twist to the angel myth, the right choice between destiny and what your heart tells you, Unearthly is sure to leave you breathless.
Clara was a fun character to read, a little awkward, a bit sarcastic. I loved the relationship she has with her Mom, always laughing and making jokes. I totally related with that. However, I never got how her purpose turned from "I have to save this boy" to "I have to fall in love with him to save him." That seemed a little confusing, especially when her Mom and her best friend Angela kept pushing for it to happen. I still think there's something going on that's not right, even after finishing the book. It might just be me, but I'm a very suspicious person. Which brings me to my second point of I didn't like Christian, and I'll get back to that in a second but first…
Tucker Avery. Tan skin, stormy blue eyes, golden brown hair, totally rocking the cowboy look…And if that's not mouth watering enough, he may smell like Oreo cookies on occasion. Yum! He's like the poster child for 'good guys' in YA, and I could not get enough of him. Which brings me to my third point, and back to Christian. I don't hate love triangles, if they make sense. But when they don't, they're just irritating. Like I'm seriously debating whether I should read book 2, because I do not care at all for what I know will happen.
I loved Unearthly. I couldn't stop reading! It was 3am, I was half way through the book and I kept telling myself that if I could make it to 4am I'd finish it. I didn't make it though, fell asleep, but not because of the book. The ending had me so tense I found myself with a fist pressed against my mouth, and the book so close to my face words were getting blurry. In other words, it rocked my world. But, like I said…debating whether to read Hallowed.
Favorite Quotes:
"…Tucker has rage issues. Plus, you insulted Bluebell."
"Bluebell?"
"Around these parts, you can't disrespect a man's truck without dire consequences."
~
So you go around pulling idiots out of the snow and teaching them how to ski," I say.
He shrugs. "It pays for the season pass."
"Are you any good at it?"
"Pulling idiots out of the snow? I'm the best."
"Ha-ha. You're hilarious. No—teaching them to ski."
"I guess you'll find out."
