Thursday, July 21, 2011

Review: Unearthly

Book: Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Release Date: January 4, 2011
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 435
Source: KPL
Stars: 5/5
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.  

(summary taken from Goodreads)
MY THOUGHTS:

All I have to say about Unearthly is that it literally blew me away! It isn't like any other angel book out there, and is easily one of the best of its genre. I'll admit that it started out a bit slow for me, and I sort of wasn't all that convinced of its high praise in the beginning. But once the plot took off, I was hooked!

Clara is an angel-blood — a Quartarius, to be exact, having a half-angel for a mother and a human for a father. But she's also funny, smart, and such a refreshing character. Heroines these days tend to be a bit overdone — whether it be with strength, ferocity, or selflessness — but Clara is a perfect unperfect character that I have no trouble connecting with!

The breathtaking romance can be described with two words: Team Tucker. Just saying, because he's hilarious and awesome and amazing with Clara. Some of the lines exchanged between them just make me giggle like an idiot! Christian is great, but... Like Clara said, Christian is popular because he's kind of like a god; Tucker is popular because he has this way of putting people at ease.

Hence the TEAM TUCKER bumper sticker that I'm very tempted to get. You know, if I had a car.

Overall, Unearthly was a magnetic, moving, and completely original read. I loved nearly everything about it, from its plot to its premise to its characters (both main and side). If you haven't picked up this book yet, I recommend that you do so right now! :) 

BUY or BORROW?: Buy it! It's one of those must-haves that you just want to read over and over and over again! :)

-Mimi

7 comments:

  1. I really appreciated the angel mythology of this book even though it left me with a ton of questions, some of which will hopefully be answered in the second book.

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  2. I'm not usually big on angel books, but this one sounds really good. I'll have to add it to my TBR! Thanks for the review!

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  3. I agree, it did start out slow, and I haven't been a huge fan or really drawn to angel books, other than Hush Hush and the Mortal Instruments series, but I loved this one too.

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  4. Yes...I feel like I'm the only Team Tucker haha. It was easy to connect with Clara, I agree.

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  5. I borrowed this book from the library and can't let it go....that's how much I adored this one!

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  6. I loved this book so much! :) Although I am team Christian :P Maybe I will always have something for perfect guys :P And I just ordered Hallowed and I am so so so so so super excited!! I want to jump in the air and scream lol, but it's kind of late in the night.. so I can't :P

    Nice review Mimi!! ;)

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  7. It was really easy to lost in Clara's world. She struggles to balance her human life with her angel life. When she finds out the location of her visions she and her family are forced to move to another state. She has to start over altogether. New school, new friends, new problems. I liked that she was so easy to relate to. Besides being part angel she was just like any other teenager.

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