READING : Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand


Publication date: January 4th, 2011
Published by: HarperTeen
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 3,5/5
Eligible for Debut Author Challenge 2011!

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 yet another book about angels.It is also yet another book with a love triangle.I admit Unearthly was an OK read, but is that enough?Sometimes it just isn't.

Hand's writing is simple and precise, right to the point. She has a story to tell and she's not being wishy washy about it.There was not a moment of boredom when reading Unearthly, even though the book itself is pretty long.But that doesn't mean there were moments of indescribable excitement and awesomeness either,I'm afraid.
Characters are all likable.Some more/less than others.My least favourite was Clara's mother. Her constant secretiveness,for no reason other than to be dramatic,was tiring, to say the least.She expects her daughter,and pressures her at some point,to fulfill her destiny, to succeed in her "purpose" and still she doesn't fill her in on anything that could possibly help her.And whenever Clara asks her a straightforward question, seeking some guidance from her mother and mentor, she refuses every time!There was absolutely no need for that, in my opinion.
Clara is undoubtedly Unearthly's protagonist.The story is told from her POV and everything that happens include and affect her.She is also the center of a love triangle (no surprise there!) which was formed basically because she is so unworldly beautiful (no surprise there,either).Hold on a second,though!What you don't know is that she can't decide between who her heart dictates to be the one and the one her mind and logic tells her she should be with.Oh.Yeah.That's not really a surprise either,uh?That's  exactly my point.The writing can be as good as it gets and the story more than decent but if you feel you have read the some things like a 100 times in the past, what does eventually make this book special, make it stand out?Well, in my opinion, not much.Except maybe for the ending. Unearthly had a satisfactory conclusion but also one that leaves a lot of stuff out in the open and questions unanswered. Not in a cliffhanger-y, frustrating sort of way, but in all honesty, it made me wish I had the second book with me so I could start reading it right away.And that's a huge deal for me,considering it's a book I didn't very much enjoy in its entirety.
I know that a lot of people who have already read Unearthly loved it and I am pretty sure more will follow.As for me?Well.I believe it was a fine read, but nothing I haven't already read before.