Boundless by Cynthia Hand

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 448pgs

The Story

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfil her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.

The Review

Look I'll admit here, I absolutely loved the first book but I was pretty disappointed with its sequel for obvious (Tucker) reasons, and yet I found this third and final installment to the Unearthly series, BOUNDLESS, to be such a perfect conclusion to this much beloved angel series! The book not only strengthen each one of the characters and tested them on many, many dangerous levels, but it also placed back my faith and love for this book series - a feeling which I really, really missed!

Regarding the book itself, the plot, for one, was fantastic! Simple as that. Fantastic. While the beginning of the book was a little slow for me and a little hard to get into for moment or two, but with so much happening and with so many shocking events going on throughout the book - some more surprising than others - it just became one of those reads where you cannot literally put the book down. You just need to find out more and more. And I love those rare moments I get in a book where you're so invested in a storyline and its characters, and I guess it's just part of the fun in reading them!

As for the characters, it was a great to be re-introduced to them once more and see the growth they have achieved throughout the course of this series. They've really grown up and matured into great characters and I love them to bits. Clara, our main protagonist, for one, was someone who broke my heart in the sequel, Hallowed, as she broke up with her boyfriend Tucker and left to be with Christian - or so it would seem. Damn Clara and her feelings. But in this third installment, I finally gained more respect for her character and I understood why she did what she did and her reasons for it, so I'm glad she shone in this book this time round as we all finally get to see her kick-ass side ways. I appreciated those moments I got from her. Christian, on the other hand, was someone I haven't always liked but he too shone in this book as surprising as it is. I actually could see why Clara liked him more than just a friend way and yet I still couldn't see them as a romantic "couple" but I guess that's because I can't seem to get past someone else we all left behind in the sequel. That being our country boy Tucker.

The one thing that hasn't changed in the series - at least for me personally - was my love for Tucker. Cowboy-hat-tight-jeans-wearing and handsome boy Tucker was just always someone I loved and he just couldn't be compared to Christian, even though Christian does get some love for me in this book too. It's just not possible to compare Tucker to Christian because Tucker is his own entity, you know? And, despite what team you're on, I've always been a Tucker girl. Readers who've read my reviews will know of this already because I confess it constantly! Anyway, while we don't necessarily get many scenes with Tucker in BOUNDLESS (I know, how cruel of the author to do that to us!) but it was still satisfying to me and I'm so happy Clara got to see Tucker now and again too. You can just FEEL the intensity between the two of them . . . it's just meant to be you know? Boy, I love Tucker!

In regards to the ending, it was utter perfection. I couldn't have asked for a better ending myself. Not only did it close off in a way that makes you giggle, smile, and laugh in a cutesy school girl sort of way, but it also gave off this sense of relief to a reader as well . . . like everything worked out for the best. Yeah, the ending gets absolutely no complaints from me! Consider me a happy fangal now!

Overall, while it's sad to see this series end but I'm so ecstatic too as BOUNDLESS delivered more than I ever expected from it. Filled with emotionally-driven characters, heart-pounding action and solid-written storytelling, I'm sure many readers will be overjoyed with this third and final conclusion, depending on which guy team you're on of course! Hehe.

The Rating

5/5 stars

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Release Date: 1st January, 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins Australia

Pages: 448pgs

The Story

Clara Gardner knew that as a part angel she would one day have to fulfill her purpose, rescuing Christian from a forest fire . . . what she never considered was what might happen if she were to fail.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend Tucker, Clara must deal with the repercussions of what happened the day of the fire as the two boys vie for her heart. And, as she is drawn further into the world of angels and part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain after a shocking revelation, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning . . .

The Review

A big thanks to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a review copy of this book!

Unearthly, the first installment of the series, was one of my favourite reads of 2010 and I thought Cynthia Hand handled all aspects of the paranormal story and even the romance with such grace. For the most part, she entertained me on a high level which is rather hard to do lately considering angels - in my opinion - are overused in young adult fiction. I still love angels but we have to admit to ourselves that they aren't unique anymore in young adult fiction. But since I fell deeply in love with the first book, I had very high expectations for its sequel and the author didn't disappoint me . . . well not too much.

In HALLOWED we continue to follow Clara's journey to find out more about her purpose and what it takes to be an angel-blood. For those who've finished the first book, readers will know the town is still recovering from the fire incident and Clara is still trying to overcome her feelings for two boys that she has a strong connection with - one she was supposed to save in the fire and one she didn't want to leave to his death. But things start to get really complicated for our young Clara because not only do her dreams or rather "visions" seem strange (and so very haunting and real), but her family are keeping dangerous secrets from her and with bad people wanting to hurt her family, she's is also struggling with her feelings for two boys, even if one is not her boyfriend.

Even though I loved the overall storyline of HALLOWED and the direction it was heading towards (don't get me wrong it's still a great book), but I struggled with certain parts of this sequel and not to mention the characters themselves whom I loved originally in Unearthly. Story-wise, readers will have many unanswered questions solved and learn some new and exciting things in regards to Clara's family that will change everything. And for that, I applaud Hand for writing these surprising twists. Now as for the characters, while already beging a fan of Clara herself, I knew she would remain a strong main narrator in the book and she did to a certain extent. But when it came to the love triangle shared between her and the two main love interests, Christian and Tucker, her emotions and thoughts fell a little flat for me - mainly because of her constant infatuation with Christian, even with her boyfriend, Tucker, by her side. While I understand her "crazy" and internal pull towards Christian and all that, but I disliked the way she propped herself on the pedestal and remained undecided about what she truly wants in a relationship. It got on my nerves more than on one occasion.

Okay let's talk about the two boys. I mean that's what we're really here for, right? Firstly let's discuss Tucker (you knew I would talk about him first didn't you?). Tucker . . . Tucker . . . Tucker . . . where do I start with you? For those who know my fictional boy teams well, you will know I was forever on Team Tucker in Unearthly and no one - not even another fictional boy - could change my mind about Tucker and my love for him.

Now after eagerly finishing this book I still remain faithful on Tucker's side and I love him to bits. I admit you get to see a little different side to Tucker in regards to jealousy and possessiveness, and sometimes he was a little shallow, but he's still my favourite cowboy with a pot of golden hearts to share with the world. His devotion to Clara and his acceptance of her angel-gifts were truly aspiring and readers will love him even more in this book. But to ruin the Tucker highlights you have dear Christian . . . freaking "golden-boy" Christian. *shakes head* Christian is the type of boy I want gone from this Earth and I will do whatever it takes to get rid of him . . . but sadly I had a soft spot for him in HALLOWED and I grew to like him. But I still hate him and his sensitive (pardon my language) ass. Christian was the problem of this book and I've read many review that said they love Christian but I don't know what to think after the cliffhanger Hand pulled off. I'm still in denial just so you know.

As for the other supporting cast, Clara's friends and family, they were fantastic characters to have around in this particular sequel. I don't know about you guys but I'm not a fan of Clara's friend, Angela, because I think she's a terrible friend and unworthy to be called a friend, but in any case I continued to love Clara's mother (she's a great mother) and Clara's brother, Jeffrey (he's a great brother in his brotherly-moody ways). Despite their deep and dark secrets that they carry along with them, Clara's family was the strongest point in the book and their relationships with Clara are tested beyond your own expectations and I loved that.

Overall, I still enjoyed this book despite my "small" disappointments in the characters and in the ending itself. Nonetheless fans of the first book Unearthly will love HALLOWED for what it's worth and what it has to offer in preparation for the third and final installment which isn't due out until 2013. I can't wait to see what the future holds for Clara. But be warned my dear readers - this book will have you screaming in tiny fits and you'll be left in some dark depression. Lot's depression in fact.

The Rating

3/5 stars

Here in the picture below is the US cover of HALLOWED which I prefer compared to the UK and AUS covers. I can't wait to get my own preordered copy of this book to match my own shiny purple hardback copy of Unearthly.

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Release Day: January 4th, 2011

Publisher: Harperteen

Pages: 435 pgs

The Story

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, strongers, 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?

The Review

Nowadays, it's really hard to find a good, interesting and original angel book...but clearly Cynthia Hand has written one! From the very beginning, the storyline got straight to point and kept the reader engaged until the very end, with a few great twists and turns along the way.

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Clara, the main heroine of the Unearthly, was easy to like and despite her "part-angel" self, she was very much an average teenage girl. She was a little insecure - but again, who isn't - and sometimes she underestimates herself...which I guess, makes her a little more human and another reason to really like her as a character. The way the author weaves the angel mythology was very cool and I was glad it wasn't so complicated...which was good for a change. As for the whole love interests thing (cause what's a YA novel without love interests), I didn't really like Christian since he wasn't so great...but OH MY GOD I love Tucker! The chemistry between him and Clara seemed much more purer than the whole "I-want-Christian-to-notice-me" thing.

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The only let down of the book was the ending. I know you can't exactly open up a huge can of worms in the first book of the series and reveal all of the secrets...but still, the ending seemed to end a little bit TOO quickly. Another thing, I didn't like Angela's character because I didn't trust her AT ALL...so I think there's something about her, something darker perhaps. Anyway, getting to the point, I enjoyed the book and can't wait to see what else Cynthia Hands brings to this refreshing series! If you loved Fallen and appreciate a blend of realism and an angelic supernatural twists, then pick a copy up! It's well worth it! :)

The Rating

4/5