Unearthly
(Unearthly #1)
by
Cynthia Hand
Publication Date: January 4th, 2011
Publisher:
HarperTeen
Pages: 435
ISBN: 9780061996160
Where to Buy:
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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.(Goodreads)
I didn’t really know what to expect when I started reading Unearthly. The book has gotten pretty rave reviews, and I had wanted to read it for a really long time. Well, I’m super glad I finally gave the book a shot! Definitely an awesome read.
The main character in the story is Clara Gardner. Clara has just recently discovered that she is part angel, and that she has a ‘purpose’ in her life that she has to fulfill. She has no idea what this purpose is, but she does have visions about it, which helps her figure what the future holds for her.
I thought Clara was a very likeable character. I definitely enjoyed watching her grow throughout the book. I have to say, she was a lot different than I expected her to be. I liked that she turned into such a strong young woman.
There is a love triangle in the story, consisting between two boys, Christian and Tucker. Christian is the perfect boy, and I had a hard time not liking him, but I didn’t exactly love him. Tucker, on the other hand, was definitely swoon-worthy. I love the relationship between him and Clara, it is definitely intense. However, I really want to know more about Christian, and I am really looking forward to seeing what the relationship between he and Clara will be like in the next book.
The secondary characters were well written. I really enjoyed Clara’s best friends, Angela and Wendy. I do wish that Clara’s mom had been a little less secretive about everything, but that just adds on the suspense for the rest of the series.
The storyline in this book is very well paced, and it thoroughly held my attention. I also thought the settings were very well described. I could see the scenery perfectly in my head as I read along with the descriptions.
Overall, I found Unearthly to be an absolutely fantastic novel by this debut author. I am dying to get started on the next book in the series, Hallowed, and am hoping to get started on it soon!
Happy Reading!
