Unearthly
Title: Unearthly 
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HaperCollins 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-199616-0
Format: Hardcover, E-book
In the beginning there's a boy standing in the trees….
Clara Gardner is part human, part angel and that means she is on earth for a reason…a purpose. It is this purpose that leads her to a new town with new faces and new friends. But there is also someone who she has seen but never met. The boy in her visions. The boy she thinks has something to do with her purpose.
It turns out that discovering what her visions mean and what role this boy plays in her life is a lot harder than she hoped it would be. To make matters more difficult she meets Tucker, a boy who she knows can only distract her from her purpose, but who is a distraction that she really likes.
Will Clara be able to follow the rules that apply to an angel blood or will her heart lead her astray?
I LOVED this book. I give it 5 stars. Unearthly took hold of me from the beginning and did not let go until after I had put it down. There is not one character in this book that I did not like-which is rare for me. Every single one of them had characteristics that I could relate to or admire. I even understood Kay and her snooty attitude toward Clara.
Clara was a great character. She was strong even when she was unsure about herself. When her family up and moved away from the only home she had ever known she realized that it was for her purpose and she accepted it…went with it. She threw herself into learning new activities and making new friends. I admired that she didn't whine and complain but rather set out to make the best of her situation. In the book Clara faces some tough decisions about her purpose and the direction in which she should go. She followed her gut and her heart to do what she thought was right, which makes her all more likable in my eyes.
And then there are the boys….Christian and *sigh* Tucker. Both have many great qualities. Christian is more mysterious, the popular, great looking guy that is almost God-like. But he isn't aloof, and he isn't a snob. He's a nice guy that cares about people. Tucker is also popular but in a more likable way. Where Christian is popular for his status Tucker is popular because is so real and genuine. People feel comfortable around Tucker and are drawn in because of that. I was drawn into him. His sense of humor and the way he challenged Clara brought out the good parts of her. I feel like she was the best version of herself when she was with Tucker. And let me just say that the outdoor rugged activities that these boys participated in (skiing, hiking, fishing) only made them more attractive and manly.
The setting of this book is fabulous as well. I loved the snow and the description of the log home Clara lives in. There was a natural element to the story that I loved and it was so refreshing to read a YA book that took place outside rather than in the hallways of high school.
This book just seemed different and fresh from every other book that I have read. I think sometimes that paranormal/fantasy YA can get a little redundant (even though I love it), but this book really kept me guessing. I would sit and try to figure out how I thought it would end or what Clara's purpose might be, but I wasn't ever right. I loved that it wasn't predictable. The possibilities for the next book seem endless. I cannot wait to figure out Clara's brother, Jeffery, who has a little bad boy in him and seems to have a few secrets of his own. And, why does Clara's mom never want to talk about her purpose? Then there is the big question: who will Clara ultimately pick? I know who I am rooting for to win….
Do you?
Review written by Cambria Hebert
