Title: Unearthly                                                                                                 
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HaperCollins 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-199616-0
Format: Hardcover, E-book
In the beginning there’s a boy standing in the trees….

Clara Gardner is part human, part angel and that means she is on earth for a reason…a purpose. It is this purpose that leads her to a new town with new faces and new friends. But there is also someone who she has seen but never met. The boy in her visions. The boy she thinks has something to do with her purpose.

It turns out that discovering what her visions mean and what role this boy plays in her life is a lot harder than she hoped it would be. To make matters more difficult she meets Tucker, a boy who she knows can only distract her from her purpose, but who is a distraction that she really likes.
Will Clara be able to follow the rules that apply to an angel blood or will her heart lead her astray?

I LOVED this book. I give it 5 stars. Unearthly took hold of me from the beginning and did not let go until after I had put it down. There is not one character in this book that I did not like-which is rare for me. Every single one of them had characteristics that I could relate to or admire. I even understood Kay and her snooty attitude toward Clara.

Clara was a great character. She was strong even when she was unsure about herself. When her family up and moved away from the only home she had ever known she realized that it was for her purpose and she accepted it…went with it. She threw herself into learning new activities and making new friends. I admired that she didn’t whine and complain but rather set out to make the best of her situation. In the book Clara faces some tough decisions about her purpose and the direction in which she should go. She followed her gut and her heart to do what she thought was right, which makes her all more likable in my eyes.
And then there are the boys….Christian and *sigh* Tucker. Both have many great qualities. Christian is more mysterious, the popular, great looking guy that is almost God-like. But he isn’t aloof, and he isn’t a snob. He’s a nice guy that cares about people. Tucker is also popular but in a more likable way. Where Christian is popular for his status Tucker is popular because is so real and genuine. People feel comfortable around Tucker and are drawn in because of that. I was drawn into him. His sense of humor and the way he challenged Clara brought out the good parts of her. I feel like she was the best version of herself when she was with Tucker. And let me just say that the outdoor rugged activities that these boys participated in (skiing, hiking, fishing) only made them more attractive and manly.

The setting of this book is fabulous as well. I loved the snow and the description of the log home Clara lives in. There was a natural element to the story that I loved and it was so refreshing to read a YA book that took place outside rather than in the hallways of high school.

This book just seemed different and fresh from every other book that I have read. I think sometimes that paranormal/fantasy YA can get a little redundant (even though I love it), but this book really kept me guessing. I would sit and try to figure out how I thought it would end or what Clara’s purpose might be, but I wasn’t ever right. I loved that it wasn’t predictable. And the possibilities for the next book seem endless. I cannot wait to figure out Clara’s brother, Jeffery, who has a little bad boy in him and seems to have a few secrets of his own. And, why does Clara’s mom never want to talk about her purpose? Then there is the big question: who will Clara ultimately pick? I know who I am rooting for to win….

Do you?

So there you have it. My opinion.
But…I would like to share some other news related to this review. The cover for the next book in this series has been released! Apparently, as my resources tell me…..(they are very concrete…its the internet!) the cover for this book was not set to be released yet but it somehow got leaked to the internet and Cynthia Hand didn’t even get to unveil her own cover! So I say, SHAME ON YOU whoever leaked this cover. That should have been Ms. Hand’s right…she worked for it. So, I am getting the pic of this cover from her off her site b/c she did release it…after it had been leaked.
But no matter….The cover ROCKS. Cynthia Hand…you should be proud and I cannot wait to get my hands on this book!
Expected release date: January 24th 2012
Here it is folks in all its glory:

And because I am thrilled this book is coming out here is the synopsis: (courtesy of GoodReads):
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.

Described by Richelle Mead as “utterly captivating,” Unearthly received outstanding reviews, garnered accolades from New York Times bestselling authors, and was named an Indie Next Pick. In this heart-wrenching sequel, Cynthia Hand expertly captures the all-consuming joy of first love—and the agony of loss. This beautifully woven tale will appeal to fans of Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Aprilynne Pike.

3 Comments

  1. Love your blog! And, your review. I am a new follower and would like to invite you over to my blog for a visit. I hope you'll follow as well. I have a give away ending tonight. Donna

    http://mylife-in-stories.blogspot.com

  2. Seriously,
    How can I ever compete with this?!?!?
    You are way to modest about your blog.
    I love the way your writing flows and the whole look.
    (green with envy)

  3. Hi ladies!! I am absolutely mortified that i did not see these comments sooner! I usually get email notification but this time i dis not!! Gasp! I Have been having major email issues (i was hacked!) gasp again! So i am still feeling out my nee email and setting things up. I in no way meant to ignore my new followers!
    @Donna- i am now following your blog- which is awesome! I love your adventures and that you ha e your playlist on your blog!! How did you do that? I wanna do that too. Lol.
    @Jenn- thank you so much for your words. I particularly enjoyed the compliment to my writing. 🙂 we writers love to hear thongs like that. Lol. But really, your blog is great and mine still is very new!
    Anyway, i hope you ladies visit often! Thanks for stopping by!!

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