Saturday, February 18, 2012

Review - Hallowed (Unearthly #2) - By Cynthia Hand

Hallowed
Unearthly #2
By Cynthia Hand
hardcover, 403 pages
Published January 17th 2012 by HarperTeen

For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

In this compelling sequel to Unearthly, Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.

**May contain spoilers if you have not yet read Unearthly or Hallowed. Read at your own risk!**


My Review Breakdown

STORY/PLOT: 3/5
CHARACTERS: 3/5
WRITING: 3/5
ENDING: 4/5
COVER: 4/5
FINAL SCORE: 17/25 = 4 Cupcakes

My Rating: SIMPLY DELECTABLE!!!

_____________________________________

WHY I WANTED THIS BOOK: I read Unearthly last year and really enjoyed it; so I continued with the series and wasn't disappointed.

STORY/PLOT: The world building is very good in this series. Hand has a unique approach to how her angels are that is different enough to distinguish it from other angel series out there. I also like that she can have heaven, hell, and even God in the book but it never becomes religious or preachy. Clara's story is an interesting one, and being a teenage girl is difficult enough, let alone being an angel-blood and having to fulfill a purpose! There really aren't any scenes where the story lags, there's pretty much action happening on every page which is great because it kept me really engaged. I like where all of the characters are at the end of the book as well. The story line is well developed though I do feel that it jumps in time too much; like one chapter ends the next begins weeks to maybe a month or more in the future. It doesn't take from the story at all but I think if there weren't these gaps it would be even better to see the dynamics of the relationships between characters.


CHARACTERS: It's been a year since I read Unearthly so at first it took me a bit to get back into the characters. Clara's character is very likable if not maybe a tiny bit predictable. She is a very real character; easy to put yourself in her shoes and see why she reacts and acts the way that she does. Tucker is definitely swoon worthy as well; and Christian, I'm not sure why, but I have my guard up about him. Hopefully this is unfounded but for now, I just don't know! I also had a lot of trouble connecting with Michael. This might be the only character/writing that I wasn't head over heels for. It'll be interesting to see if he's in book 3. And then there is Samjeeza. I know, I know, he's a Black Wing *gasp* but holy freaking hell (no pun intended...) his sorrow makes ME want to cry! He is such a tragic character, but I really feel for him. He pulls me in when he's not supposed to! Well, actually, I guess that is what he's supposed to do, right? hee hee...

WRITING: I like Hands' writing style for its simplicity and ease. It's a pleasure to read and is engaging. There were a lot of times where I'd be flying through page after page and then something stops me. A quick sentence, fleeting and minute, but it grabs me. This is what I love and crave! There weren't any parts that seemed forced or rushed. Everything tied together very neatly and I really like her dialogue. There were a few things that I definitely felt were easily predictable, and then there were others that weren't at all (like say, Jeffery and his purpose? Nuff said.)

ENDING: The ending was perfect and left plenty of room for book 3!

COVER: The covers on both Unearthly and Hallowed are absolutely gorgeous. I don't know what it is about them, but they really pull me in. I literally sat and just stared at the cover for a good couple of minutes before opening to the first page! The only thing that kept me from giving this a perfect score, is that there is something that isn't connecting in the models face for me. It's beautiful and it works, but I don't get the sadness that I would like to get when looking at the cover.

WHAT I HOPE FOR IN BOOK 3: I would love for Clara to give her and Tucker a 2nd chance. I am curious to see what happens with Jeffery as well since he is M.I.A. Also I am curious to see how Clara and Billy's relationship is; if it grows and blossoms or if Clara has trouble looking up to her as a motherly figure. It'll be interesting to see how Stanford goes for Clara and Angela, and what Angela's purpose is. I can't wait to see how Clara and Christian handle the new found knowledge of what they really are.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Holy crow, this book rocked my world! If you love angels, love triangles, and action you need to read this series. You won't be sorry!

READ THIS IF YOU LIKED: Angel Burn & Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly, Hush,Hush, Crescendo & Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick, Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton, Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell






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