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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
This was a transition novel. There wasn't much conflict. You were just waiting for the death of the person. It actually got irritating at some point. Because while waiting for the death, the other subplot is the love triangle. The most awful thing about is it that Hand know that readers like me are going to hate the love triangle. Because she made us fall in love with Tucker, she made her chose Tucker, made her fall in love with him even when Christian was supposed to be the chosen. But in this book she makes her question her commitment to Tucker, while her bond with Christian grows stronger. Hand even points the whole cynical annoyance of the reader, asking why can't she just chose? Damn it hand, I'm the one who's supposed to ask that question. The "twist" at the end isn't much of a twist, I kind of suspected it all along. It was a good novel, but it was too much of a filler, can't wait for the next book.
The first book in any series has the advantage of novelty. By the second book, whether or not the characters can shoot darts from their ears or speak to the dead has become a rule of the narrative rather than the narrative itself. Something else must be made of the story if the second book is to stand in its own strength.
Hallowed, the sequel to Cynthia Hand's Unearthly - a novel about a girl who must fulfill the divine purpose given her as part angel - does just that. This is not an edge-of-your-seat book. While the first had its moments of anticipation and anxiety, Hallowed mostly stays an even course, developing the characters (which were the strongest aspect of the first book anyway) rather than the fantastic elements of angelhood, and in so doing, creating a steady, compelling coming-of-age novel that has more to do with relationships than divine purpose.
When Unearthly left off, Clara had just finished messing up her divine purpose, forgoing the dictates of her visions to follow her heart instead. Fearful of the consequences, Clara explores what it means to live according to her free will rather than her calling. In the first book, we were introduced to Christian, unbeknownst to Clara a part-angel himself - the guy she's destined not only to save but apparently to be with forever. Then Tucker shows up, all normal and wonderful and decidedly NOT angelic, and the story takes a sudden sharp turn. In Hallowed, we take another turn, back to Christian, but never fully with either, because destiny and desire are only sometimes at odds, and even then not always as clearly as one might hope.
If this all sounds a bit vague, that's because largely nothing much happens in this book. It's certainly not boring. Each chapter progresses just as it ought, each character explored just quite enough, and there are certainly revelations along the way. But the revelations are rarely surprising, not because we're smarter than the characters (though we might be), but because their power is in their content, not their sneakiness. This is very much a book about Clara growing up. The question that remains at the end of the book is less a matter of "which hot guy will she end up with" (though obviously we do wonder) and more a matter of "will she grow up as she ought?"
To quote a few shining moments:
Tucker: "This isn't going to become one of those creepy situations where you show up at all hours of the night to watch me sleep, is it?"
Clara, later, in a much more obvious reference, "I did get so wigged out that I sneaked out to his house a couple times in the middle of the night to watch over him while he slept, just in case, I don't know, his comic book collection decided to spontaneously combust. This was dumb and admittedly creepy in an Edward Cullen kind of way, but it was the only thing I could think to do."
One of my favorites: "Before I moved here, I never got the whole love-triangle thing. You know, in movies or romance novels or whatnot, where there's one chick that all the guys are drooling over, even though you can't see anything particularly special about her. But oh, no, they both must have her. And she's like, oh dear, however will I choose? William is so sensitive, he understands me, he swept me off my feet, oh misery, blubber, blubber, but how can I go on living without Rafe and his devil-may-care ways and his dark and only-a-little-abusive love?"
Hilarious.
And in a not entirely anti-Twilight fashion, I could not help but notice and of course deeply appreciate the C.S. Lewis allusion in the description of heaven, which is almost exactly pulled from The Great Divorce: "I try to take a few steps away from him, but there's something strange about the grass under by feet. It's too hard. My feet don't sink into it or crush it down. I stumble and look back at Dad. 'What's wrong with the grass?' 'It's not the grass,' he says. 'It's you....'
Hallowed, the sequel to Cynthia Hand's Unearthly - a novel about a girl who must fulfill the divine purpose given her as part angel - does just that. This is not an edge-of-your-seat book. While the first had its moments of anticipation and anxiety, Hallowed mostly stays an even course, developing the characters (which were the strongest aspect of the first book anyway) rather than the fantastic elements of angelhood, and in so doing, creating a steady, compelling coming-of-age novel that has more to do with relationships than divine purpose.
When Unearthly left off, Clara had just finished messing up her divine purpose, forgoing the dictates of her visions to follow her heart instead. Fearful of the consequences, Clara explores what it means to live according to her free will rather than her calling. In the first book, we were introduced to Christian, unbeknownst to Clara a part-angel himself - the guy she's destined not only to save but apparently to be with forever. Then Tucker shows up, all normal and wonderful and decidedly NOT angelic, and the story takes a sudden sharp turn. In Hallowed, we take another turn, back to Christian, but never fully with either, because destiny and desire are only sometimes at odds, and even then not always as clearly as one might hope.
If this all sounds a bit vague, that's because largely nothing much happens in this book. It's certainly not boring. Each chapter progresses just as it ought, each character explored just quite enough, and there are certainly revelations along the way. But the revelations are rarely surprising, not because we're smarter than the characters (though we might be), but because their power is in their content, not their sneakiness. This is very much a book about Clara growing up. The question that remains at the end of the book is less a matter of "which hot guy will she end up with" (though obviously we do wonder) and more a matter of "will she grow up as she ought?"
To quote a few shining moments:
Tucker: "This isn't going to become one of those creepy situations where you show up at all hours of the night to watch me sleep, is it?"
Clara, later, in a much more obvious reference, "I did get so wigged out that I sneaked out to his house a couple times in the middle of the night to watch over him while he slept, just in case, I don't know, his comic book collection decided to spontaneously combust. This was dumb and admittedly creepy in an Edward Cullen kind of way, but it was the only thing I could think to do."
One of my favorites: "Before I moved here, I never got the whole love-triangle thing. You know, in movies or romance novels or whatnot, where there's one chick that all the guys are drooling over, even though you can't see anything particularly special about her. But oh, no, they both must have her. And she's like, oh dear, however will I choose? William is so sensitive, he understands me, he swept me off my feet, oh misery, blubber, blubber, but how can I go on living without Rafe and his devil-may-care ways and his dark and only-a-little-abusive love?"
Hilarious.
And in a not entirely anti-Twilight fashion, I could not help but notice and of course deeply appreciate the C.S. Lewis allusion in the description of heaven, which is almost exactly pulled from The Great Divorce: "I try to take a few steps away from him, but there's something strange about the grass under by feet. It's too hard. My feet don't sink into it or crush it down. I stumble and look back at Dad. 'What's wrong with the grass?' 'It's not the grass,' he says. 'It's you....'
I'm pleasantly surprised by how well I'm loving this series.
My Thoughts:
1. I like how different the paranormal romance is in this series. Take note paranormal YA authors, this is how I want all paranormal romance to be!!
2. As for the plot, it was pretty predictable in my opinion. The hints that the author gave made it very obvious.
3. I absolutely love the character development in Hallowed. We get to see a different side to Christian and it's great to see Clara's character mature as well.
4. My only criticism would be that the ending felt rushed.
5.
My Thoughts:
1. I like how different the paranormal romance is in this series. Take note paranormal YA authors, this is how I want all paranormal romance to be!!
2. As for the plot, it was pretty predictable in my opinion. The hints that the author gave made it very obvious.
3. I absolutely love the character development in Hallowed. We get to see a different side to Christian and it's great to see Clara's character mature as well.
4. My only criticism would be that the ending felt rushed.
Spoiler
I was kind of expecting Samjeeza to do more at the funeral. I mean, the author built up so much suspense up until that scene and it felt kind of anti-climatic when nothing big happened5.
Spoiler
As a Tucker fan I felt so heartbroken when they parted ways! Clara HAS to end up with Tucker just because she "belongs" with Christian isn't enough of a reason to be with him!!
This was heartbreaking. I cannot imagine the pain that she would feel going through such a thing. So yes I guess this is a spoiler. Sort of. All I'm admitting is that, as it says in the blurb, someone will die.
And it will be terrible.
But I did really enjoy this book. As I'd hoped it went further into developing the characters and also explained a lot more about Angel-Bloods, which was good since I'm pretty certain everyone was curious.
Or at least I was.
I would type more but I've got the next book to read. So I'm going to go do that.
And it will be terrible.
But I did really enjoy this book. As I'd hoped it went further into developing the characters and also explained a lot more about Angel-Bloods, which was good since I'm pretty certain everyone was curious.
Or at least I was.
I would type more but I've got the next book to read. So I'm going to go do that.
I really like this series and the characters in it. I like the direction the story takes. Now I have to wait FOREVER to find out what is going to happen. Tuck? Christian? Her brother? URGH! Ah Well :) Good things come to those who wait.
EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER. This book captured me quickly just like Unearthly and I was captivated the entire time. I am now waiting to see what happens next.
Holy shit this book was such a drag.
The way Clara treated Tucker was giving me some serious Rose and Adrian flashbacks in Spirit Bound and Last Sacrifice. Normally, this would be the place where I'd cut my losses and move on to something different, but...well, I looked up some spoilers for the next book.
Another thing that really bothered me was the way any semblance of tension or stakes was immediately undercut. It wasn't enough to find out but we also had to know . It was dumb and I hated it.
I would maybe go into more detail about the reasons I disliked this book so much but I really don't feel like I should afford any more of my time to the dumpster fire that this was, so I'm just going to move on to the last book and then try to forget Hallowed even happened.
The way Clara treated Tucker was giving me some serious Rose and Adrian flashbacks in Spirit Bound and Last Sacrifice. Normally, this would be the place where I'd cut my losses and move on to something different, but...well, I looked up some spoilers for the next book.
Spoiler
I looked up whether Clara and Tucker were endgame and, because it seems like they are (or that, at the very least, she and Christian don't end up together), I'm going to go ahead and finish the trilogy.Another thing that really bothered me was the way any semblance of tension or stakes was immediately undercut. It wasn't enough to find out
Spoiler
her mother was the one who would dieSpoiler
how she would die, when she would die, etc.I would maybe go into more detail about the reasons I disliked this book so much but I really don't feel like I should afford any more of my time to the dumpster fire that this was, so I'm just going to move on to the last book and then try to forget Hallowed even happened.
1.5-2.
The tropes definitely went in a way that I really hated in this installment, and I found Clara to be a little insufferable. I still want to know how it ends, so I will complete the trilogy, but considering I enjoyed the first one, I was disappointed in this one.
The tropes definitely went in a way that I really hated in this installment, and I found Clara to be a little insufferable. I still want to know how it ends, so I will complete the trilogy, but considering I enjoyed the first one, I was disappointed in this one.