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Netgalley.com
Pre-Order:
January 1, 2011
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Rating:
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
PJVs QUICKIE POV: What a breath of fresh air! UNEARTHLY cleared the air of the horrendous mishmash that I spent yesterday immersed in. Thank you Ms. Hand for your refreshing and original creation. I thoroughly enjoyed it and found myself completely enraptured with Clara, Tucker and Christian. Cynthia Hand's debut novel, UNEARTHLY, was like a first kiss from the boy of your dreams, sparks flew and I couldn't pull away. I only wanted more.
REVIEW: Clara is an angel. Well 1/4 and angel. She has known about her heavenly origins for about 2 years now and when the vision depicting her PURPOSE strikes her in the middle of the night her mother wastes no time at all to help her on her path to fulfill her purpose.
Her PURPOSE involves the whole family moving to Wyoming and the small boutique town of Jackson Hole. The focus of her mission in life is a boy, a desperately good-looking boy that she must save. But, how can she save him if she can barely figure out this angel thing? Her mother won't tell her anything? The boy she must save is almost untouchable he is so popular at school and as her life becomes more full of friends, love interests and just teenage life Clara must make the most important decision of her life. What is more important, love or duty?
Breathlessly heart-breaking and touching, UNEARTHLY had me after the first paragraph and kept me mesmerized until the last word. I really almost sobbed when I read the last word because I didn't want it to end. The novel was exceptional, emotional and well-written. The characters were deeply thought-out and came to life upon the page. The emotional transition of the main character was refreshing - so much more real than the usual - I saw him, he was soo hot, I'm in love - that most YAs fall upon.
There was a sort of love triangle which is not an original YA trapping, but the way Hand spun the weave that was this threesome, it was very different from the usual, boy likes girl, girl likes other boy who might or might not like her back.
My only grief with this particular novel was the series aspect. I felt there were unanswered questions at the end of this book - and I really hate that. I don't want to have to wait until probably 2012 - which seems to be the usual wait for young adult titles these days. (I am not saying Book 2 will be released in 2012 from what I can tell there is no release date for Book 2 - but there is talk of a Book 2 on Ms. Hand's blog). While I love my series. The anticipation of waiting to see what happens next, I really do believe they are a marketing Chinese finger trap. Just a way to sell more books and release an author from having to come up with completely original ideas. That sounds harsh, and I totally see the logistics behind it. What is the saying? Why reinvent the wheel? In a series all you can do is go up right? A snowball effect of readers. I just don't like to wait - that's the gist of this gripe. Especially a year.
After I read Intertwined by Gena Showalter I was hyped to read her next one, Unraveled. The first book released in July 2009 and I read it in August. By the time the second released in August 2010 I really had lost all the passion to read book 2 that I had in August. I'm so inpatient. Is this my subtle hint to publishers to maybe take the Nancy Gideon route that she did with her Moonlight series? Yup. That is my hint. Or maybe a six month wait instead of a whole year...please?
How did I shove a rant into a review? LOL. Sorry guys. Read this book though...you'll love it and maybe we will hear soon when Book 2 of the UNEARTHLY series will be released and hopefully it will no be January 2012. I can't wait that long...I must have more. I need to find out what is going on! I have so many questions!
RECOMMENDATIONS: Parents have nothing to fear with this one...the main character is a perfect angel *har har*. There is slight reference to rape, but it is a reference. Fans of Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush should enjoy.
