Unearthly

Unearthly
By Cynthia Hand
2011
435 pgs (ARC)

Summary: Clara has recently discovered that she is part angel, which isn’t as exciting as one might think. She’s been given a vision of saving some guy and now her entire family must move to the middle of nowhere to fulfil her purpose. Figuring out the pieces to her vision is somewhat complicated, especially because Clara feels that her mom isn’t telling her the whole truth about being an angel. Will she be able to figure out the vision in time to save Christian, and what if her purpose takes her from the people she loves? Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart. (last sentence from amazon)

Review: Unearthly is a brilliant addition to the YA paranormal genre. Unlike many other books in this genre, Clara is the paranormal, making her a fascinating and worth while character. Readers will relate to her insecurities and voice and she tries to fit in and figure out who she is despite everyone else’s expectations. I like that she was complex and didn’t always make the choice that might be expected. The rest of the characters were well crafted, especially her brother who added a lot of mystery to the ending. The setting added an extra dimension and served to draw readers in even further to this enchanting tale. It also contained quite possibly the most swoon-worthy male character I’ve read in a long time.

This is Cynthia Hand’s debut novel

If you liked Unearthly, you might also enjoy: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto, Fallen by Lauren Kate, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl and Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Additional Info: This is a series, so expect a sequal in the near future (author’s website says Jan 2010). Also, there might be a spin off about Maggie, Clara’s mom.

Author website: http://cynthiahandbooks.com/

Ratings:
Writing 4/4
Characters 4/4
Plot 4/4
Originality 3/4
Popularity 3.5/4
Cover Art 3/4
Grade: JS