ARC Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Wow. I am totally blown away by this book.

Really, my reaction can't get any better than that.

Title: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Pages: 435
Release Date: January 4, 2011
Published by: HarperTeen
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

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 just fabulous! Just when you thought any form of writing about Angels couldn't get any better, Cynthia Hand proves us wrong! It's new and fresh, and simply stunning you just can't help but wonder how she was able to write something this good.

The pacing was slow at first, but as you go through the pages, the story just picks up and the next thing you know you're so absorbed in it and you only have so few times to catch your breath to think and absorb what's happening. I couldn't put down this book!

Clara is not your typical angel. For one who is with Angel Blood, you'd think luck is on her side, but a lot of things had gone wrong for her when she received her purpose. She had to leave the only home she knew and the friends she grew up with, all for the sake of "saving" the boy in her dreams.

I loved how Clara seems perfectly flawed. Her hair color was a disaster (Carrots!), and from being popular back home, she struggled to make her way through school, which seemed like an unfamiliar territory. She was disliked on sight by the most popular girl on campus, because the guy she had to save happens to be her boyfriend. I love how Clara is quirky, sassy, witty and generally a fun character. She tries hard to make sense of how it was to be an angel, and decipher what her real purpose is. And despite her being an angel-blood, her character is very easy to relate to. Like Mulan, she "followed her heart", and that's what I liked most about her, being true to herself.

The romance build-up fooled me so much. Who in here did not expect Christian to end up with Clara? My prediction was way off the mark! And for the first time I found myself rooting for the underdog! Christian had the advantage in so many ways against Tucker. The money, the looks, popularity, but I can't help but feel more for Tucker. There's a certain depth in Tucker that Christian surprisingly lacks, or maybe it's because we get to know Tucker more in this book, and I adore his character! *raises Tucker banners*

There's a certain intensity in the love triangle involving Clara, Tucker and Christian that just draws you. At least that's what I felt. Christian and Tucker may be different as night and day, but for some reason, they are both fitting to be with Clara. One of the reasons why I love Cynthia Hand's writing is her way of just putting into words powerful emotions. You can feel a lot through her writing.

I simply cannot get over the fact that Cynthia Hand's writing is very simple. There were no flowery words used, no steering around corners to lengthen the story, and yet you find yourself in Clara's shoes, in her world, with all these wonderful characters and great stories around you that you can't help but be fascinated.

I know there's more to look forward to in this series, and it has a lot of potential! I can tell that it's going to be a big hit! Like most of the reviews I've read, I wasn't the least satisfied with the ending. I was stunned, to say the least. It's a long wait for the second book, but that is one wait I'm gonna have to endure. I can't help but say "More! More!" even as I read the last pages of Unearthly.

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

Book cover crush alert! The cover looks even more fabulous when you see the finished hardcover copy!