Unearthly (Unearthly, #1), by Cynthia Hand

Unearthly (Unearthly, #1), by Cynthia Hand

Release Date: January 4th, 2011

Publisher: HarperTeen

Age Group: Young Adult

Overall: 4 Monkeys

Source:NetGalley

Interest: Series

Other Titles in the Series: Untitled (Unearthly, #2)

Summary from Goodreads:

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.

My Opinion:

Really liked this book! A very good debut for Cynthia Hand!

From the beginning we know Clara's an angel-blood, so that's a plus. We didn't have to wait until the MC figured out what she/he is. But we did have to wait until the very last second to understand Clara's purpose.

All that she knows about her purpose, is that it's something inevitable, something she has to do, or face the concecuences if she doesn't.

The plot starts with, oh, what a shocker!, Clara's family moving to a new town, making her and her brother, Jeffrey, the new kids in school. I don't see why they had to move (Clara's purpose makes them move, actually). Clara could have very well had a vision about someone from her own town. I didn't like the cliché, I think it was unnecessary.

Clara will make new friends, and new enemies. Again, another cliché which I didn't like = popular girl vs. new/shy girl. Among her new friends is Wendy.

This book has a major love triangle. It's the main focus of the novel. Clara's between Christian, the boy from her visions, and Tucker, Wendy's brother. She has a pull with Christian, she faints when she sees him, etc. Cliché. (Didn't I say I liked this book? Because I did! I'm getting to the parts I loved in a little while!)

Tucker, on the other hand, was something out of the blue. Clara begins by being a little reluctant to be around him, but gets to know him better thanks to Wendy. I'm a hopeless romantic, so I liked him better than Christian, and swooned when he appeared. But that doesn't mean it wasn't a cliché either, because it was.
Super sticky-sweet romance at first, but since this is the first in a series, I'm crossing my fingers for him!

Clara's mum, whose name I can't remember, has always kept her children in the dark about the whole angel business, so it's fun learning about it all along with Clara. Plus for Hand. Clara's mum has a reason for doing this, but we only find out a little about it -and about her and a certain Black Wing- so it's obvious we'll learn more about this in the next books.

In the end, it all comes down to choices. Will Clara make the right one? (No, seriously. There's a major cliffhanger at the end!)

I give it four monkeys based on how much it entertained me and kept me intrigued, and because of the romance. As cliché as it was, I love me a good romance!

**This is my first review for the 2011 Debut Author Challenge**