Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

Title: Hush, Hush
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Pages: 391
Genre: Young Adult| Paranormal
Publication Date: 10/13/2009
Rating: ****

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her...until Patch comes along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment, but after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Okay, so this one has been sitting on my shelf since last year -- why did I put off reading it for so long exactly? I should have picked this one up sooner!

Kind of predictable? Sure. Did I enjoy it any less because of it? Nope! Am I totally crushing on Patch? You betcha. This was definitely a guilty pleasure read, and I ate it up in one sitting. When I first started reading this, I thought, 'Great. This is basically going to be like Fallen'. To my surprise however, it turned out to be much better.

Nora was a pretty likeable character. She was brainy and had her little quirks, but overall wasn't overly annoying the way some characters can be -- and thank goodness she didn't end up totally in love and making out with Patch by chapter two.

There were great mysteries to unravel about Patch -- and surprisingly about Nora as well, which made it even more of a page turner. It's one of those things where you know, but you don't know, so you have to keep your eyes glued and those pages turning so you can get it all pieced together.

So, while being typical in some areas, it was still very much enjoyable for me and if, like myself, you have put it off or haven't picked it up yet, I would say to definitely grab this one. I can't wait to get a hold of the next in the series, Crescendo.

Unearthly - Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Pages: 435
Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal
Publication Date: 1/4/2011

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. (Goodreads)

This turned out a lot different than I expected but in a good way.

I was skeptical about another angel book after the Fallen books (which I liked, but I want my answers!!) and my failed attempts at starting Hush, Hush (which I will read eventually). I was quite impressed by Unearthly. Clara is a great character. She is part angel, but doesn't always act like one. In fact, in a lot of ways she actually acts her age, which is nice for a change. A lot of characters act older or younger than what you would expect.


I genuinely enjoyed reading this - and I don't think you will be disappointed in the romance department. I'm not going to say too much on that. ;)

Honestly, this one went a lot differently than I had expected. Some plots are so see through that it takes the fun out of reading, but this one wasn't too bad. Some parts were predictable but for the most part I wasn't sure what to expect. I can't wait until Hallowed comes out. It is expected to be released in Jan. 2012.


What I give this book:

Passion - Lauren Kate

Passion
Lauren Kate
420 p.

"Every single lifetime, I'll choose you. Just as you have chosen me. Forever."

Luce would die for Daniel. And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way. . . .

Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime . . . going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel . . . and finally unlock the key to making their love last.

Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.

Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames . . . forever. (Goodreads)

This one was a bit of a whirlwind. You go through so many places, times and emotions. I definitely enjoyed this one better than Fallen and Torment.

Passion picks up where Torment left off, with Luce traveling through the Announcer into hers and Daniel's past. She is seeking answers as to why their love is cursed and what she can do to change it. Each trip back through seems to get us closer to an answer without it being completely unraveled.

There were bits that were funny, love that moved you and moments that made you feel hopeless for them, but all in all it was a good read. I think others may enjoy this third installment better than the first two if you can keep patient through all the whos, whats, whens, wheres and whys.

I feel as though I am closer to learning the truth except I still don't quite understand everything. I still finished this one feeling more satisfied than I did with Fallen and Torment. I am disappointed though that I will have to wait almost a year before reading Rapture, which is scheduled for Spring 2012.

What I give this book:

Torment - Lauren Kate

Hell on earth. That's what it's like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel. It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts - immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students -Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn't told her everything. He's hiding something - something dangerous. What if Daniel's version of the past isn't actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else? The second novel in the addictive FALLEN series . . . where love never dies.


This one didn't have as much of a slow start as Fallen, and I can honestly say I can't wait to read on in Passion (and I will explain why). I did like this one better than Fallen, even if I have a few complaints. I will get those out of the way first.

The one thing that drove me batty is being in the dark about things just as much as Luce. Of course, I guess this is a good way to keep a reader interested. Another thing is that there was another love triangle (ugh - more Luce and Daniel!), but that is my personal preference. In some aspects it left me confused because of the things I still don't know, but I am hoping that Passion will answer a good bit of things for me, which is why I can't wait to read it.

I loved the moments between Luce and Daniel (yes, call me a sap) and that maybe their love isn't always picture perfect, even with it being fiction and him being an angel, with this it makes a little easier to relate. He was gone a good bit of the book, but it made the few moments they had together better for me. Although, I would have to say that her whining about things could have been played down a little.

I loved her new friends in this book, Shelby and Miles. They were fantastic. Shelby is sarcastic, sometimes a bit harsh, but also funny and still a reliable friend. Miles is also a great and loyal friend (who has a thing for Luce naturally and obviously from the get-go). You'll just have to read for yourself. ;)

Ultimately, I just hope that the next in the series will finally unlock a lot of the questions Luce (and myself!) has about her past, about Daniel, and well, pretty much everything.

What I give this book:

Fallen - Lauren Kate

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story. (BarnesandNoble.com)

This is a tough one. I would say for about the first half of the book, I took it slowly. It was a slow start and I could easily put it down and just read it casually. However, when things picked up, it threw me in! I was literally reading late into the night, wanting to know what was going to happen next. One moment, I was just reading lightly, learning about Luce, the school she was at, her friends, and her obsessing over Daniel. The next, my eyes were glued wanting to know more and more and more.

One thing I did not like: it didn't open up into the really good stuff until toward the end. Once I really was drawn into it, it was cut off, with a cliffhanger naturally, to set things up for Torment. At the same time, I'm glad it didn't give absolutely everything away at once or too soon, but maybe a little sooner would have been okay.

All in all, I did enjoy this one, even if was the slow reading at first or the can't-tear-myself-away reading at the end.


What I give this book: