Review brought to you by OBS staff member Annabell Cadiz
Note: Contains spoilers!
Synopsis: “In the beginning, there’s a boy standing in the trees. He’s around my age, in that space between child and man, maybe all of seventeen years old. I’m not sure how I know this. I can only see the back of his head, his dark hair curling damply against his neck. There’s a strange orange light filling the eastern sky. There’s the heavy smell of smoke. I take a step toward the boy and the ground crunches under my feet. He hears me. He starts to turn. One more second and I will see his face. That’s when the vision leaves me. I blink, and it’s gone.”
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 in 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?
Review:
I ABSOLUTELY loved this book! Cynthia Hand is now on my favorite author’s list. Unearthly is beautifully crafted and executed with heart and depth.
Clara is a wonderful female lead. She is written in a way that shows both her strength and flaws. Even as an angel-blood, one fourth angel and three-fourths human, she is still an ordinary teen. She goes to a new school and seeks to make friends but feels like the odd man out. She embarrass herself in front of the hottest guy at school. She needs to find a date for the prom but isn’t brave enough to ask anyone. Prom doesn’t turn out the way she wants. She’s also dealing with her angel duties. Needing to train and prepare herself to fulfill her purpose. Learning how to fly. She is written with wonderful depth and dimension. She is believable and smart. She owns her mistakes and learns from them. She is a great example of a truly strong female lead. Clara felt like a friend I very much enjoyed spending time with.
