Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: January 4th, 2011
Pages: 435
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: #1 Unearthly 
Source: Hardcover

  
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.

This has been on my "to reads" list for a year now. I am not sure why I waited so long to read this book. There seemed to have been a flood of angel books on the market when this one was released, in turn leaving me in no hurry to read another one. I finally decided to give it a go.

Clara is part angel. Her mother is part angel and so is her brother. Part of being part angel is to serve a purpose. The purpose is different for everyone and is not told but has to be discovered. Clara starts to dream of a fire and a boy and searches for clues that lead them to a new town, a new school, and a new life. Clara meets the boy from her dreams and feels drawn to him, but is it love. Clara must find out when and where her purpose will be while hiding the fact that she is different. 

This book had everything I look for in a book. I can start with the cover... It is beautiful; it is where my love for this book started but not where it ended. The writing was just wonderful. I thought the story was beautiful and engaging right from the beginning. It was a very fast paced book, never once did I get bored. 

I love the characters in this book. The main character, Clara, was easy to follow and relate too. Everything Clare felt and fought with I feel was believable. She wanted to fulfill her mission but still be able to live her life as a teenager. She knew she had a purpose but she still wanted to be accepted and have friends. Tucker was another easy character to fall in love with. He is witty, sarcastic, and really down to earth.

The romance in this story was real easy, it did not feel forced or rushed. I loved that it starts as a friendship and turns into a real sweet romance. There is a sort of love triangle in the beginning and really hope that it doesn't get to ugly in the next installment.

Another thing I absolutely loved about this book is the value of family. Clara's dad isn't around but the family loyalty and love spread among Clara, her brother, and her mother is very strong. Her mother is a big part of her life and it was very refreshing to see this in a YA book.

I absolutely loved the book. I am a huge fan! I am looking forward to the next installment and will rush to the library as soon as possible to pick it up. I will continue through the end and I am sure I will be adding this series to my "must have in my personal library" list.

Cynthia Hand is the New York Times bestselling author of the Unearthly series with HarperTeen: UNEARTHLY, HALLOWED, RADIANT (an enovella) and BOUNDLESS. Currently she lives in southern California with her husband and two small children. She teaches courses in creative writing at Pepperdine University. Her next book, THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE, will be released in February 2015.