Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly

Author: Cynthia Hand

Publisher: HarperTeen (January 4, 2011)

Source: My Choice; Own

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 apurpose, 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.

The cover of Unearthly by Cynthia Hand is gorgeous. What is it with all these angel books having amazing covers? Don't get me wrong, that's not really a complaint. More like, awe.

I've been reading a lot of angel books lately. The thing I really like about angel books are how there are so many different interpretations of angels and any possible angel/human hybrids. Yes, there are similarities in many of these books, but there are often vast differences. More differences than I think there are typically between books that share other fantasy characters, such as vampires, werewolves, or faeries.

In my mind, the biggest difference between Unearthly and other angel books is the idea of a purpose. Each angel-blood (aka, part angel) has a specific purpose that they are meant to fulfill. While I can imagine beings with some angel blood in them would be destined for greatness in some way (or, at least, be super kind or something), the thought that each angel-blood has a specific destiny is interesting. Not only does Clara have to unravel what her purpose is, but she has to be able to complete it as well. This mystery keeps the story lively throughout the entire book, and let me tell you, the mystery gets better and better as the story unfolds. I really liked the first half of the book, but I absolutely loved the second half!

Something that surprised me about this book was the voice. Maybe it shouldn't have surprised me, but the voice was so modern and fun. The dialogue seemed realistic and the content current. Often, angel books can have an older feel or voice either due to setting, time period, or the due to the ancient history of angels. Unearthly is not the only angel book with a modern voice, but it was a nice surprise after reading so many historical-esque books.

Now, I must mention the two lovely boys in this book. Christian and Tucker are both attractive in their own ways. Personally, I love them both. One of them has utterly stolen my heart. You can guess which one that is. ;)

Final thoughts: Worth the buy, but definitely borrow if you're not sure.