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Sandy's Reviews > Hallowed
Hallowed (Unearthly, #2)
by Cynthia Hand (Goodreads Author)
by Cynthia Hand (Goodreads Author)
Sandy's review
bookshelves: can-t-stop-thinking-about, chemistry-sigh, favorite-character, favorites, made-me-cry, premise-i-love, read-in-2011, settings-i-love
Nov 03, 11
bookshelves: can-t-stop-thinking-about, chemistry-sigh, favorite-character, favorites, made-me-cry, premise-i-love, read-in-2011, settings-i-love
Read on November 02, 2011
This series is what every other angel book wishes it could grow up to be.
Hallowed is "middle book" at its very best.
Out of all the paranormal creatures in YA, angels get by far the worst treatment. Three of the worst YA series all feature angels, and until Unearthly, I thought perhaps it was impossible to write a decent angel book. But Unearthly was not decent--IT WAS AMAZING. That delicious, slow-build romance between Clara and Tucker. A strong, likeable heroine with a realistic voice. A vivid, gorgeous setting. Intriguing mythology that makes sense. Tucker. (Did I mention Tucker?) Ever since I closed the pages of Unearthly, I've been clamoring for a sequel.
In Cynthia Hand's follow-up novel, she DELIVERS. She makes me feel things about characters that I never thought I could. She takes this in the direction hinted at throughout Unearthly, but she makes it work (in ways this Team Tucker girl didn't think were possible) and adds some complexity with other unexpected twists. My heart was aching--ACHING--when I finished this book.
Cynthia Hand, how did you make me like Christian? I'm as TEAM TUCKER as they come, and yet you drew me in to see Christian's goodness and charm and caring with such a sly hand. I'm no advocate of love triangles, but this one is as good as they come.
And the writing? As addictive and snappy and heart-breaking as ever. I love that Cynthia can poke fun at her own book and genre with funny little lines about stalker girlfriends and love triangles and jealous boyfriends. Her writing makes these characters feel REAL, so real that she can make me feel absolute joy and then devastation because of the struggles and choices these characters face. And trust me...you will feel a gamut of emotions reading this.
Cynthia Hand has shown that Unearthly was no fluke. This woman can WRITE. This series shines with stellar characterization, fascinating mythology, compelling choices, and Tucker (it needed to be said). I cannot wait to see what she has in store next for these beloved characters.
P.S. Jackson Hole and Idaho, I love you.
Hallowed is "middle book" at its very best.
Out of all the paranormal creatures in YA, angels get by far the worst treatment. Three of the worst YA series all feature angels, and until Unearthly, I thought perhaps it was impossible to write a decent angel book. But Unearthly was not decent--IT WAS AMAZING. That delicious, slow-build romance between Clara and Tucker. A strong, likeable heroine with a realistic voice. A vivid, gorgeous setting. Intriguing mythology that makes sense. Tucker. (Did I mention Tucker?) Ever since I closed the pages of Unearthly, I've been clamoring for a sequel.
In Cynthia Hand's follow-up novel, she DELIVERS. She makes me feel things about characters that I never thought I could. She takes this in the direction hinted at throughout Unearthly, but she makes it work (in ways this Team Tucker girl didn't think were possible) and adds some complexity with other unexpected twists. My heart was aching--ACHING--when I finished this book.
Cynthia Hand, how did you make me like Christian? I'm as TEAM TUCKER as they come, and yet you drew me in to see Christian's goodness and charm and caring with such a sly hand. I'm no advocate of love triangles, but this one is as good as they come.
And the writing? As addictive and snappy and heart-breaking as ever. I love that Cynthia can poke fun at her own book and genre with funny little lines about stalker girlfriends and love triangles and jealous boyfriends. Her writing makes these characters feel REAL, so real that she can make me feel absolute joy and then devastation because of the struggles and choices these characters face. And trust me...you will feel a gamut of emotions reading this.
Cynthia Hand has shown that Unearthly was no fluke. This woman can WRITE. This series shines with stellar characterization, fascinating mythology, compelling choices, and Tucker (it needed to be said). I cannot wait to see what she has in store next for these beloved characters.
P.S. Jackson Hole and Idaho, I love you.
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Reading Progress
| 11/02/2011 | page 44 |
|
14.0% | "Angela, if you need some assistance determining the location of your purpose, I am here to help. I know EXACTLY where this is. (See my GR picture.)" 5 comments |
| 11/03/2011 | page 191 |
|
60.0% | "Ah, Hallowed just upped the nostalgia factor...Swan Valley and their square ice cream cones are a family tradition. Cynthia Hand, I love that you're from Idaho!" |
| 11/03/2011 | page 320 |
|
100.0% | "SO TIRED. I stayed up until 2:30 a.m. finishing this, and then it took another hour to fall asleep because my heart was aching. Middle book at its very best!" |
Comments (showing 1-44 of 44) (44 new)
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Jun 27, 2011 09:43am
Ugh, I know, right! I am not a fan of Kate, or Fitzpatrick, ( I haven't read any of Pike's books so I can't vouch for her ) and putting her in that group with them is almost like an insult
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Ok, I can see why they mentioned Fitzpatrick and Kate (because all are about angels). But why Pike???? Am I missing something? Lol. Her book is about the Fey not angels. And I can't wait till my bandwidth for Photobucket resets on the 7th of July. I have a nice photo story on my Unearthly review that explains how I feel about this series being compared to those mediocre, at best, books.
HA!!! That blurb is on there?? Oh great. Well, maybe it will introduce those readers to some GOOD writing now. ;)
I was just confused about this line in the description because it's pretty much a universally acknowledged Goodreads truth that Unearthly is far superior to any other angel book.Amy, you make a great point! Maybe they should leave it on there in that case....
(If you read the Goodreads description, this line is there at the end.)
And I grew up on a ranch, so I really was worried about Midas when Tucker had to leave him behind. I think I can trust Cynthia Hand to save the horse.
Amen to that! I pretty much grew up on a ranch as well so I hope he wasn't burned to cinders. :( I trust Midas in Cynthia's hands as well
Ohhh, you're reading a lot of in-demand ARCs back to back, aren't you? In preparation for my trip, I picked up Unearthly from the library y'day. I don't know if I'll have time to tackle it on the plane (still too much school stuff to do), but I want to have it handy, just in case! :)
Why does this say you're currently reading this. Are you???!! And if you are...well...we are friends right? =)
Oh, Tamir, I would share if I could, but it's an e-ARC from Netgalley. It was SOOOO good!Angela, I can't wait for you to read Unearthly. It reminds me so much of home that I get all nostalgic every time I read it. You should take a picture of you in London with your Unearthly library book. =)
Gosh, that is so true about angels getting the worst treatment. I didn't think there could be a good one until Unearthly. Thanks for making me look forward to this one even more!
Beautiful you are making me salivate for this book! Can't wait. Love the shout to Jackson and my home state Idaho. Trust me you need to visit Jackson Hole.
Yay, heid21, I'm from Idaho, too! Cynthia Hand talks about places I grew up visiting, from camping at Jackson, rafting the Snake River, skiing at Jackson Hole, and taking drives out to the Palisades. She EVEN mention square ice cream cones at Swan Valley.Flannery, you've got to get this from Netgalley. Request until they say yes!
Sandy wrote: "Yay, heid21, I'm from Idaho, too! Cynthia Hand talks about places I grew up visiting, from camping at Jackson, rafting the Snake River, skiing at Jackson Hole, and taking drives out to the Palisad..."No way I put a note in my review about needing a trip to Swan Valley for square icecream.. That is awesome! I grew up in IF you?
@Sandy: Ha, that would be awesome! I should take it and stroll by the River Thames, reading and lost in angelic thought. ;) Sadly, I'm considering *not* taking it with me b/c it's a hardcover and more weighty and bulky than I need to smoosh into my carry-on. If it doesn't go with me, it will be my end-of-semester treat after Thanksgiving.
Oh Sandy...I loved this so much, too! What will we do for another year??So absolutely agree with your review. I never would have thought I could feel what Cynthia Hand made me feel either.
@I, if you liked Unearthly for the reasons I imagine you did, then Hallowed will definitely live up to its predecessor.@Wendy, I love, love your review. Thanks for the book discussion!
@Angela, okay, okay, I understand it won't fit in the carry on. But the picture by the Thames would have been amazing.
@Sandy: I still plan a bookish picture by the river. It just might involve Daughter of Smoke and Bone (which the spouse took with him & has already finished) or The Space Between. I'll pull something literary out of this trip, even if not involving the very deserving Unearthly. :)
heid21 wrote: No way I put a note in my review about needing a trip to Swan Valley for square icecream.. That is awesome! I grew up in IF you?I grew up on a ranch in Pocatello. My family are huge outdoorsy people, so I spent huge parts of my life camping, hiking, and skiing in the areas mentioned in this book.
Did you know Cynthia Hand is from IF, too? She even used to be on the ski team at Kelly Canyon. Reading this series feels like coming home because she gets the culture and charm of the area (hello, Tucker?). I mean, skiing cowboys who rodeo, fish, and raft. These are the people I grew up with.
Sandy wrote: "heid21 wrote: No way I put a note in my review about needing a trip to Swan Valley for square icecream.. That is awesome! I grew up in IF you?I grew up on a ranch in Pocatello. My family are hug..."
Yes I knew she was from there that is what drew me to Unearthly in the first place. You don't find very many books set in that area. I know everyone is drooling over Tucker and I kept thinking I know a lot of boys just like him. Heck I got a few cousins there that would knock their socks off if they want handsome, charming cowboys. I still can't believe she put in the square ice creams. I totally wanted her to do that. One of the complaints though I had about book 1 was she completely glossed over Yellowstone. I would have loved to read about Yellowstone. Do you go back? Is your family still there? My family is all there. My extended family all live in Rockland. Have you heard of it? Tiny town about 13 miles south of American Falls! I am so glad to find another Idaho girl on here! Definitely will be keeping in touch!
heid21 wrote: "Sandy wrote: "heid21 wrote: No way I put a note in my review about needing a trip to Swan Valley for square icecream.. That is awesome! I grew up in IF you?I grew up on a ranch in Pocatello. My ..."
I am from Pocatello too, I grew up, up Mink Creek area! We left when I was in high school and moved to Northern California, which I am really homesick for after reading Lola and the Boy Next door. We use to go every summer for a week to Yellowstone and Jackson Hole camping. I loved the fist book because it talked about the area and mad me homesick. I didn't realize she was from IF. So fun to find more people from home.:)
Cindy wrote: "heid21 wrote: "Sandy wrote: "heid21 wrote: No way I put a note in my review about needing a trip to Swan Valley for square icecream.. That is awesome! I grew up in IF you?I grew up on a ranch i..."
Wow all of us Idaho girls! I go home at least once a year it is harder now with 2 little ones. I live in Portland, OR now. Where are you Cindy?
Cindy wrote: "heid21 wrote: "Sandy wrote: "heid21 wrote: No way I put a note in my review about needing a trip to Swan Valley for square icecream.. That is awesome! I grew up in IF you?I grew up on a ranch i..."
Have you been back recently?
heid21 wrote: "Cindy wrote: "heid21 wrote: "Sandy wrote: "heid21 wrote: No way I put a note in my review about needing a trip to Swan Valley for square icecream.. That is awesome! I grew up in IF you?I grew up ..."
I live in Iowa now, I miss the mountains. I get back about once a year, I know it is hard I have 5 kiddos. What a small world:)
@Sandy: Atmospheric it will be, then. :)Oh, and though I'm totally not an Idaho girl, I do know where Pocatello is. When my spouse finished grad school, there was a chance he could have ended up working at Idaho Nat'l Lab, so I remember looking at maps and thinking how far away it was from our home in Indiana. Maybe I should visit just to see this mentioned land of beautiful landscapes and beautiful cowboys. ;)
(sitting in the airport right now on the way to London!)
Angela, I know exactly where you're talking about. Where I'm from, we call it "the Site"--no other words necessary. (i.e., "Where do you work?" "Out at the Site." The "out at the" part is probably necessary, too, because it's in the middle of nowhere.)Enjoy London and all those British accents!
heid21 wrote: "I know everyone is drooling over Tucker and I kept thinking I know a lot of boys just like him. Heck I got a few cousins there that would knock their socks off if they want handsome, charming cowboys."Heidi, you have me laughing! That's right--Tucker is how we grown 'em in our area.
My family's farm is still in Idaho, so I'm forever tied to the area. I love to take my kids there so my dad can set them on his lap and let them steer the tractor, followed by some horse riding. And OF COURSE I know where Rockland is!
I'm in California now, but when my husband graduates from law school in June *cheering, followed by more cheering* we're moving to Seattle, where he's from.
By the way, Yellowstone gets a mention in Hallowed, as one of the best, most heart-breaking parts of the book takes place there.
Sandy wrote: "heid21 wrote: "I know everyone is drooling over Tucker and I kept thinking I know a lot of boys just like him. Heck I got a few cousins there that would knock their socks off if they want handsome,..."Oh Sandy that is good to know. I am glad you go back my Grandma Permann used to say, "You can take the boy out of the farm but you can't take the farm out of the boy." I never understood what she meant back then but I do now. Moving to Seattle... welcome to the rain..I am in Portland but at least you don't have to shovel rain and the wind doesn't howl like a banshee here!
You guys need to stop the comments! It's making me insanely jealous! HAHAHAHA. I'm just kidding of course. But I am averting my eyes from any notifications.... ;)
We would like your opinion on a philosophical question, Miss Sandy. :) Lisa is wrestling with some questions about destiny.P.S. I hear Wyoming and Idaho are gorgeous. Lucky you guys to have first-hand experience with both!
By the way - is there going to be another sequel after Hallowed? You referenced a third book in your review, but I can't find it on Goodreads.
@Sandy: Cheerio from my UK hotel room! Just wanted to say that a "reading by the Thames" picture will be in works very soon. And yes, "the site" is a good way to describe it. The other national labs aren't nearly so removed like that, including the one we ended up at. :)
Finished last night amid lots of crying moments at certain scenes. Though I still didn't find it perfect, it was the good read that you and Wendy predicted. :)
You nailed my feelings on Hallowed perfectly, Sandy! I finished it last night and I can't stop thinking about it. Amazing story! Still choked up too!
Whew, Angela, I'm glad you fell on my and Wendy's side of the Hallowed divide. I'm not much of a book crier, but Cynthia Hand knows how to rip those tears out of me.
