Hallowed (Unearthly book #2) by Cynthia Hand

    Title: Hallowed

                                                        Author: Cynthia Hand

                                                        Pages: 403

                                                        Published: January, 2012 by HarperTeen

                                                        Series: Unearthly book 2

                                                        Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy 

                                                        Stars: 4/5

                                                        

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.

Hallowed is the sequel to Unearthly (click here for the review for Unearthly), a paranormal, urban fantasy romance by Cynthia Hand. Although I said the romance in Unearthly was just delicious.....boy oh boy....the romantic department in Hallowed goes up a few notches.  In Hallowed, Clara uncovers more about her powers and what it means to be an angel blood.  She keeps trying to understand what happened at the day of the fire. There are a lot of things she is not certain with, including the many secrets her mother is still hiding from her.

As far as the love triangle goes between Clara, Tucker and Christian, I pretty much have my mind made up. Although I’ve heard a lot of people saying that after reading Hallowed, they were torn between the two guys. I wasn’t! Although I do adore Christian and his sweet personality and although I did get all tingly whenever he appears he wants Clara for all the intimate reasons, I still felt that Clara and Tucker are meant to be! They suit soo much, something natural not forced! 

However, I found myself gripping the pages whenever there were any tensions between the two dashing boys, especially the fight over Clara!!!

I sympathised with Tucker in most aspects of this book. He felt so left out with the whole angel business!

I did like the sarcastic humour that Cynthia developed in this book, especially when she mentions the little ‘Twilight’ clip and how love triangles are always supposed to include a nice golden boy vs a moody dark haired boy. 

What I also liked about this book is that we learn a bit more about Jeffrey. At first, I thought his moody attitude could due to a bit of teenage hormones (but come onnnn, we are after all talking about a paranormal YA book and no bad moods are caused due to hormones!) but towards the end of the book we find out his real reason. I dare say I really hope he doesn’t turn towards the darker side, what with his black feathers showing!

Sadly, there wasn’t much that could add to my suspicions on Angela however, there were occasions where Clara did confess to her and argue what were the things she was hiding from her. Who knows.....(again) there might be something in the third book that might aid my suspicions!

Again, not a lot of things happen in this book, there isn’t a big anti climax but I feel maybe Cynthia’s building us up to this big finale or something....who knows? However, I like the fact that she introduced a lot more angel-blood in this book and feels nice that Clara has other people that she could rely on. Aside from  the big shock that this book delivers (all I’m saying is that it has got to do with something with her dad, but spoilers) this book does deliver a very sad element...again no spoilers. When I read that part I literally felt my heart tug a big, especially for Clara. There was so much she needed to know, but there just so little time!

Notable quotes/passages: 
Chapter 10-'I stop. We're both breathing heavy, snow clinging to our hair, melting on our clothes. I stare down at him. Snow floats around us. His eyes are flooded with golden warmth. He's letting me do this. He's as strong as I am, or event stronger, but he's stopped fighting me. 

He sucks in his bottom lip for a second, the quickest, tiniest motion, to moisten it. 
All I would have to do is close my eyes and let go.
Try is, he says without words, so softly it's like the brush of a feather in my mind. Let's find out what's next.'

Book Trailer: 

Unearthly book one by Cynthia Hand

  Title: Unearthly

                                                      Author: Cynthia Hand

                                                      Pages: 435

                                                    Published: January 2011, HarperTeen 

                                                      Series: Unearthly book 1

                                                      Genre: Young adult, Urban Fantasy

                                                      Stars: 4/5

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 is such a brilliant book, I seriously could not put the book down and the romance.....oh the romance....is just sooo delicious!

Unearthly focuses on the main character, Clara’s purpose as a part angel, leading her and her family to move from her home town in California to Wyoming, to a new school and finding out that her purpose is the save the most handsome guy at this school from a forest fire. Despite feeling that somehow she must belong with him, she can’t keep the feelings for another guy at bay! Eeeikkkkkk!!!!! 

One reason why I especially liked this book, is because it wasn't one those typical books where the girl discovers who she really is; a quarter angel and the rest human, which saved the readers from having to go through the who denial purpose. Instead the book opens up, literally delving into Clara’s purpose, already knowing  she must fulfil it and how she must cope with her ever-increasing powers.

All the characters that play a special part in this book are all unique. I adore Clara, she is just a typical teenager...you know...minus the whole angel business. But I also felt frustrated with her whenever nothing worked out in her favour, or for the fact her mother never once wanted to share what her purpose was (she does that a lot and okayyy she must have a pretty good reason but still!) or the fact the hair dye turned her colour in a carrot-coloured orange! Yikes! Oh gosh, talk about cringing on your first day at your new school! And although, I have mentioned in my previous reviews that I hate female characters who fall head over heels and declare their love for some hot guy who they only know for a couple of weeks, I still found myself liking Clara. It’s funny, because even she admitted that she could never be one of those girls.

Another character that I liked was Tucker. Although I did not like what he was wearing when the readers (and Clara) are first introduced to him (cow boy get up), it’s a quite a toned down version of it. Anyway, I knew that something was going to happen between Clara and Tucker from the first interaction between the two (I mean, they were acting like two kids, picking on each other.....a match made in heaven!).  What I particularly liked about Tucker was that he was an open guy, everyone got on along with him, his funny and he made Clara feel like a normal teenage girl....what she always wanted to feel like! AWWW sweet!

When they do get together, boy oh boy, I found myself gripping the pages! Both of them do actually complete each other and they make such a sweet couple!

I can’t really comment much of Christian (the guy Clara is to save and not to mention her possible soul mate), since he wasn’t in this book much. But in ‘Hallowed’ the second book, he makes more of an appearance, disrupting the sweet love between Clara and Tucker. I’ll tell you my opinion on him and his affect on Clara once I’ve finished that book.

A character that I found myself suspicious about is Angela. She’s another angel, although stronger then Clara (oh so we are told) and my suspicious about her actually rose from Clara’s mother who at first kept telling her to stay away from her. I realised afterwards that it is because she doesn’t want Clara to know too much about the angel world. Even so, I swear my spider senses of tingling whenever I hear Angela's name but I just can't figure out her motive (if she has one) for now. What doesn’t also add up is that Angela’s wings are an even whiter colour then Clara (the colour of the wings indicate how strong your spiritual well being is, black symbolising evil and vice versa), despite Angela getting up to naughty things. Oh I guess we shall see later on if she was really evil or not.

Although ‘Unearthly’ does contain the same story of the war between fallen angels and nephilims, I found myself still liking this book. Yes I admit it was slightly similar to all the other angel-related books, but the unique part of this book is that Cynthia decided to include a lot of discussions between some of the characters about angel theories. The reason why I liked this is that we get a taste of what Clara’s life holds and some of things that her mother has been deliberately hiding. It obviously makes readers think what other things has she been holding out on Clara (of course we also feel frustrated because she NEVER tells her about her purpose.....something too great to be told perhaps). But anyway, this whole angel theory helps to give the book historical elements....even if it is fiction.

There really isn’t much I can say about the plot. Of course the plot does consist of Clara trying to fulfil her purpose but pretty much that’s the basic of this first book. However, I know the author is just building it up for readers and  should be anticipating a LOT more wild things, twists and turns to appear in Clara’s life.

Notable quotes/passages: 
Chapter 16- ""You like me, Clara", he says. "I know you do".
If only I could laugh at him. If only I could laugh and pull away and tell him how stupid and wrong he is. 
"Try to tell me you don't," he murmurs, so close his breath is on my face. I look up into his eyes and see the beckoning heat in them. I can't think. His lips are too close to mine and his hands are drawing me closer."

Book Trailer: