*Originally read October 10-15, 2011.
I am crowning Unearthly as my favourite ANGEL story thus far! It was nothing short of captivating and nothing what I expected. I was utterly and pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. Cynthia Hand’s take on angel/fallen angel lore was unique from other books and didn’t leave me with the feeling that something was missing or not adding up. From the first page, she pulled me right into the story with her character and world building. When I had to put the book down, I couldn’t wait to get back to it.
This story is about destiny and choices, and to say it was wonderfully written would be an understatement.
Two years prior to present story time, Clara’s mother takes her to a remote section of forest and explains to her that she (Clara) is a quarter angel-blood… a Quartarius angel to be precise. Of course, she didn’t believe her at first until her mother showed her true self… in all her glory. Once she had to accept what she was seeing, she quickly realized her own angelic abilities explained why she excelled in so many things… physically and academically.
Two years later, Clara has a vision, which sets her on her path to discover her PURPOSE — why she was put on this earth. From clues left in her visions, her family moves to Wyoming from California – right smack into ‘God’s Country’ it seems. The boy is Clara’s vision is who her and her mother believe she is meant to save and this is the central theme of the story.
What sells me first on a great story is a strong and relatable protagonist, and that is Clara Gardner in Unearthly, and let me tell you… I consider her one of the better heroines of the books I’ve read. And I can also tell you everything she’s not… she’s not weak, she’s not overly self-centered, she’s not melodramatic and she’s not lacking in sense of humour. She’s a sensible, passionate, smart, and snarky 16/17 year old with a little bit of imperfection thrown in to just make her believable. I loved her voice and believed in her decisions… no matter how difficult they were. Not only does she embrace her angelic side… but her human side too.
The two boys in Clara’s life presented a slightly different love triangle. And as much as one side wasn’t as developed (yet)… it was integral to the story and it really worked.
Christian is the boy in her vision. And luckily by moving to Wyoming, Clara was able to locate him fairly quickly thanks to the clues left in her visions. The fact that he is gorgeous does not go unnoticed by Clara. And her visions show her that there might be something more to it than just saving him. Christian leaves you utterly intrigued and wanting to know more about him than what was revealed. There is ‘something’ there… but we, and Clara, are left pondering exactly what IT is.
And then there’s Tucker… *insert BIG ridiculously dorky grin*
What started as contentious bantering and teasing bloomed into a gorgeous relationship between Clara and Tucker. I have to use the word believable again… because it just was that. Their feelings evolved slowly… but not agonizingly so…. although I did catch myself screaming in my head… KISS HER ALREADY!!!! But I found that the author’s teasing was very effective because once they did… it was EPIC!
Tucker was all around awesome… and of course, gorgeous in a rugged-cowboy, outdoorsy-guy, sort of way… but every bit considerate and NICE, too!! Yes… NICE!!! Even though he teased her relentlessly at the beginning… nicknaming her Carrots due to the colour of her hair (which was a bad dye job needed to cover her noticeably angelic hair)… once we got past that (which we all know is often a boy’s way of showing that they like a girl), Tucker revealed himself as an incredibly honest and charming guy… and I think I fell in love with him right along with Clara.
Another great and believable aspect to this story is Clara’s relationships with her mom and brother… although as Clara’s visions intensify… her mother’s behaviour becomes increasingly inexplicable, much to Clara’s frustration. There is still some mystery here left unresolved… and I hope to learn more in the next book.
Clara makes two new friends at her new school… Wendy (Tucker’s twin sister) and Angela. Wendy was very likeable and down-to-earth. And I ADORED the birthday present she gave Clara. *wink* Angela is Clara’s other friend… who she has A LOT in common with. But she left me contemplating if there is more to her than what we know.
As the story develops and we get closer to the vision coming true… things dramatically change. The action picks up and a villain is identified.
What I found wonderful about this story is that it never went in the direction I thought it would. I kept trying to guess what was going to happen, only to be totally surprised by how it all turned out. Although, I DID guess some things… and I found that satisfying too.
I cannot believe how long this book sat on my shelf unread. Unearthly makes you want to believe in this specific world that Cynthia has created (despite my perhaps more traditional beliefs about God and angels). If I had any complaints… they were minor… like wanting to know more of Christian’s story… and about the secrets her mother was keeping… and what was up with her brother Jeffrey at the end… but I suspect those are the lead-ins to Hallowed, of which I can’t wait to immerse myself in. Unearthly was a truly awesome read, and I’d recommend it to anyone who is looking for a unique story about angels and wonderfully written romance. You’ll get it in this book!
- Goodreads rating – 4.01
- REVIEW – Michele (Reading Lark/CanadianTwiMom)