Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Book: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Pages: 435
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Bought on Kindle
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

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.

I've been mulling over whether I should buy this book and...huzzah! The universe sends an answer to me by making Unearthly on sale for 0.99 cents. I bought it, I read it, and now I'm a bit tongue-tied about how I feel after reading this book.

Well for one, this book was fantastic. It goes at nice, even pace and the storytelling is just wonderful. Cynthia is such a beautiful writer, just incredible in describing the landscape and the emotions and tension between characters.

Cynthia also creates a wonderful lead character, Clara. She's just so real and acts exactly how I would if I were in that situation. She wasn't whiny or anything of the sort, which was another plus! I also liked all the angel mythology incorporated into the book (Dimidius, Black Wing, etc.) and how the character knows what she is unlike other books. It was definitely something new in today's YA, which is nice.

The romance was nice. The relationship between Clara and Tucker was adorable and more developed unlike recent relationships in other YA books. However, I still felt a tinge of insta-love in here, which turned me off a bit. And, oh my LAWD, don't even get me started on the ending. It was just...awkward. It was confusing a bit and it was just not the kind of way to end a book.

In all, however, I really enjoyed reading Unearthly! I couldn't stop flipping the pages (or in my case, pressing the "Next page" button) and it was just absolutely addicting. I think everyone who enjoys something new and refreshing in the YA PNR section should check this out! ♥

Psst. As of today, 1/28/12, Unearthly is still on sale for 0.99 cents for the Kindle! BUY IT NOW WHILE YOU STILL CAN! c: