Hallowed: An Unearthly Novel [Paperback]

Hallowed is a much better book than Unearthly, in my opinion. It has a lot to say about love and loss, and it does it in a profound way. I found myself quite close to tears on many occasions, as Clara struggled to come to terms with the knock on effects of her choices at the end of Unearthly.

In Unearthly, Clara fell in love with Tucker, despite the attentions of Christian, and she chose Tucker over Christian. This time she is with Tucker, and he has to deal with the realities of loving an angel-blood like Clara. In addition there is Christian, who understands so much of what Clara is going through and knows how to be there for her almost innately; he really melted my heart this time. I didn't much like Christian at the end of Unearthly, but he really 'manned up' this time and won me over with his strong, silent type ways. (And cute attempts to cheer Clara up with snow-ball throwing and insane skiing!)

There was a lot to like about Hallowed. The scenes between characters felt really real, the emotions involved were strong and not at all 'cheesy', and the way that Clara coped with the approaching loss of a loved one was admirable and understandable. I really believe that the author shared some quite raw experiences with us, and I was surprised by the depth of this YA fiction book. It certainly has some lessons in how to cope with grief within, and I think it will resonate with the readers on a different, deeper, level than Unearthly.

In this book we also get to find out more about angel-bloods and Clara finally gets some proper answers to those questions she has been asking her mother for what seems like ages! Jeffrey's character also sees some significant developments, although for much of the book his activities are secretive and generate suspicion.

I think that the plot is fairly straightforward really, but it was wonderfully executed. There could have been more happening but actually, I didn't feel like the book lacked for pace. For me, it became a page turner because of the writing rather than a high-adrenaline story rampaging through the pages. There were still bits that made me laugh, notably the slight dig at a watching someone sleep being a bit stalkerish... as a Twilight fan, I chose to take that as a fond nudge rather than a true criticism.

I'll be waiting eagerly for the third installment!

One of the best books I have read this year. It had me laughing, smiling and crying. A brilliant sequel that you should not miss.

Synopsis: For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose--the task she was put on earth to accomplish--is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her 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.

I found this book extremely addictive and couldn't put it down for more that 5 minutes before giving into temptation. The plot was well thought through and carefully planned. I enjoy Cynthia's writing style, very dramatic.

New characters are introduced. Old enemies are back.

This book has left me breathless and desperate for more. There's so many ways this story can go and I'm sure that it will be unexpected and just as exciting as this one has been!

I really loved Unearthly when I read it last year so I couldn't wait to get my hands on Hallowed and I think I actually enjoyed the sequel even more! Clara's whole family are having to deal with the fallout from events at the end of the first book. Having chosen Tucker over Christian Clara is waiting to find out what will happen now that she has failed her purpose. Will she be given a second chance or will she be punished for failing? She is also facing the horrific fact that someone she loves is going to die and there is nothing that she can do to save them so her emotions are all over the place.

Hallowed takes you on a real emotional roller coaster and at times was a gut wrenching read - I have to admit to shedding more than a few tears when I was reading it which just goes to show how completely Cynthia Hand had sucked me into her story. I enjoyed learning more about the angel-bloods and there were a few fab twists thrown in that I would never have spotted coming. The story is more character driven than action packed but that didn't stop it from being an addictive read that I didn't want to put down for a minute. I've come to care so much for these characters and feel invested in their lives.

I'm not usually a big fan of love triangles and in the first book I didn't like Christian at all so was a firm member of Team Tucker. I'll confess that Christian really grew on me in this book though, as a fellow angel-blood he understands Clara in a way that Tucker will never be able to and I really liked the way he was constantly there for her throughout this book. She really needed his support and I was pleased he was there to give it to her. However, I'm still the biggest Tucker fan - I love the fact that he is so normal and come on girls don't we all love a swoon worthy cowboy? It isn't easy for him to cope with Clara's angel-blood status and the fact that will have a big impact on both their lives. In a way it would probably be easier for Clara and Christian to be together but I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that Tucker wins the girl at the end of the series. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens in the next instalment to know for sure.

There seem to be a lot of YA angel books around at the moment but this series is up there with the best of them. Cynthia Hand has a beautiful and captivating writing style and I can't recommend both Unearthly and Hallowed highly enough. I'll be the first in the queue when the next book comes out and can't wait to spend more time with Clara and her family. If you're a fan of Unearthly then you'll love Hallowed even more and if you haven't started this series yet what are you waiting for?