Hallowed

Unearthly #2

by Cynthia Hand

For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

In this compelling sequel to Unearthly, Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Angels, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Supernatural

403 pages, Hardcover

First published January 17, 2012

About the author

Cynthia Hand is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for teens, including the UNEARTHLY trilogy, THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE, MY LADY JANE, MY PLAIN JANE, MY CALAMITY JANE, MY CONTRARY MARY, and MY IMAGINARY MARY (with fellow authors Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows), THE AFTERLIFE OF HOLLY CHASE, THE HOW AND THE WHY, WITH YOU ALL THE WAY, and the upcoming TIMELESS and MY SALTY MARY (also with Ashton and Meadows). Before turning to writing for young adults, she studied literary fiction and earned both an M.F.A. and a Ph.D. in fiction writing. She currently resides in Boise, Idaho, with her husband, two cats, one crazy dog, two kids, and mountain of books.

Reviews

[Wendy Darling · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Our Cynthia Hand Interview, where she addresses many of the questions that arise from this series is here and here. Enjoy!**

There aren't words enough to express how gorgeous this book is. Fans of the Unearthly who might have worried whether Cynthia Hand could deliver a second installment that would do justice to the story need worry no longer. This sequel lives up to and exceeds every expectation I had for it, and I only wish I could hand this book to every single would-be author who is even considering writing a YA paranormal romance. Because this is the template for what every teen romance/sophomore/angel book should aspire to be.

As the story opens, Clara is still recovering from the fire in which she went against her "purpose" as a part-angel in order to follow her heart. Her brother Jeffrey is still acting strange, Angela is helping Clara to test her powers, and eventually, we are introduced to an important congregation of angels and learn more about their purpose on earth. Best of all, we get some fabulous time with Tucker as he and Clara further enjoy what has to be one of the sweetest and truest young adult romances ever put to page. I could not stop smiling as I was reading the story, because their relationship is just so warm and happy and perfect. I love that, in the middle of all of Clara's bigger-than-life abilities and problems, she and Tucker still have such an amazing time together doing such blessedly normal and human things.

We all knew what was coming next, though, right? Christian was such an attractive enigma throughout so much of the first book that I was really hoping we'd get to know him better in this one. And while I dreaded the thought of this turning into a horrible love triangle situation that would devastate everyone while dishonoring them as well, I hoped against hope that the author would handle this tricky situation with as much honesty and grace as possible. And boy, did she ever come through. I am a huge fan of Tucker's, but Cynthia Hand somehow does the impossible and shows us how the flicker of friendship between Christian and Clara grows incrementally stronger everyday. By the end of the book, he has shown himself to be a rock-steady, understanding, and fun presence in Clara's life not to mention an incredibly hot one :D , and it's pretty near impossible not to fall in love with him in a pretty deep and meaningful way as well.

This book made me so very happy in so many ways, and there are unbelievably beautiful angel moments in it, with descriptions of gorgeous feathered wings, flying, and luminous "glory" that are just marvelous. I've always appreciated the wry honesty and warmth with which the relationship between Clara and her mother was written, and here we discover so much more about her as a mother, as an angel, and as a person in a way that is incredibly touching. Clara learns a great deal about her family and about herself in this novel, and her deepening strength and maturity combined with her funny, sensitive narrative only made me love her further. I also enjoyed the distinctly outdoorsy feel of the mountains in this book, the presence of many of the adults, and the nuanced portrayal of the bad guy, as well as the thoughtfully considered mentions of angel lore, religion, and references to Paradise Lost. Oh--and big, big bonus points for a prom scene that didn't make me want to do violence!

But this book also broke my heart in more ways than one. There is an exquisite tenderness to this story that I never could have imagined, and while I think some elements of it may upset some fans, I hope readers will go into it with an open mind and an open heart. I had many theories and opinions and hopes going into it, and I can honestly say that coming out of it, all of that has changed--and I am firmly convinced that it is for the better. I am tremendously moved and inspired by this story, and it's a testament to Cynthia Hand's pitch-perfect writing that we are so gently eased into new realizations and growth in a way that feels so right and so emotionally true.

My heart was aching when I turned the last page. But it was also overflowing with love and deep appreciation for the splendid journey that I didn't even know I wanted to go on. After reading a second fantastic YA book from this author, I have absolute faith in Cynthia Hand, and I am so looking forward to seeing where she will take us next.

This review also appears in The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.

P.S. I am dying to discuss the specifics of what happens in this book in the comments below, so please, tell me what you think of where this story went in spoiler tags! I can't keep this to myself any longer. Please be aware that the spoilers tagged in the comments are REAL, so please don't click if you haven't read the book yet! But the spoilers in the review are all in good fun, and safe to click. ;)

Also, a spoiler for people who were worried about Midas the horse in the last book: They're still looking for him in the beginning of this one.

[Steph Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hallowed is out! I can't wait to re-read it!

Oh, Cynthia Hand, how could you do this to me? I feel like this book should come with at least a warning. Something along the lines of:

WARNING: This book may cause readers massive amounts of fangirling/fanboying. Do not be alarmed if you encounter symptoms of swooning, emotional instability, and immediate depression after reading.



Yeah...cause that's exactly what happened to me. Many of you may remember that I expressed in my Unearthly review how I was initially reluctant to read this series. Angel PRN books seem to be the worst of the worst in YA literature. So you can imagine my happiness when I come across this gem of a series. If there were ever a reason needed as to why I voted for Cynthia Hand's Unearthly as Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction, it would be Hallowed. If you were thinking that Hand couldn't do it again, you were wrong!

First off let get this off my chest because it's seriously bothering me:

"This beautifully woven tale will appeal to fans of Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Aprilynne Pike."

Excuse me while I hurl. Are you kidding me? Stop it. Please. Do not lump this series in with those sorry books. Hallowed, for starters, has a plot. The characters have real depth. The love interests aren't trying to kill Clara. What it should have said was: "For fans of real YA PNR literature." *Breathes* Okay. /end mini rant.

I think it goes without say that I loved this book. I stayed up past 4am to finish this it. Once again, I could not have predicted the outcome! There are so many plot twists and mysteries revealed and it's not what you would expect at all. And I have a sinking feeling that Hallowed is sure to upset quite a few fans...

If you think I'm going to sit here and feed you spoilers, sorry kids, not gonna happen. However, I can tell you some of the things I LOVED about Hallowed:

The character development
Fans will be happy to know that we do indeed find out more about Christian, Clara's mom, Angela, Jeffery's purpose and last, but certainly not least, Tucker Avery. *Cues the swooning*



Clara's mother definitely sees more development. And at first I found myself really irritated with her for keeping secrets, but by the end of the book, I couldn't bring myself to be angry at her any longer. We were left with so many unanswered questions at the end of Unearthly, mostly thanks to Clara's mom, but rest assured, many are answered. And of course, with more answers we get even more questions.

The love triangle
I'm sure you saw that coming, as did I, but here's the thing: I liked it. I usually hate love triangles because I find them a bit played out and predictable. But it worked so well in Hallowed. This probably has something to do with the fact that Hand wrote these characters so well. Their relationships are very believable and heartbreakingly realistic. We see a whole other side to Christian and Tucker. It's rather easy to love them both because they both care deeply for Clara and respect her. There are no semi-abusive love interests here. How about that? ;)

The prose, the pacing, and the plot
I never thought I could come to love the use of present tense prose, but I felt it was so perfect. We are really able to connect with Clara on another level because of that, especially everything that she goes through in this book. And she goes through a lot. The simple sentences and Clara's ramblings really helped me feel everything Clara felt. The pacing was a bit slower in this book than the last, but again, it works so perfectly. Hand gives us the opportunity to let it really sink in. The pacing just goes hand in hand with the plot, which too is very subtle. At first you become eager to get to the end, but you will come to dread it. So beautifully written.

The dialog
Cynthia Hand, you are so slick and I love you for it. Those Twilight burns you put in there? Oh, yeah, I think you know how brilliantly awesome that was.

Before I moved here, I never got the whole love-triangle thing. You know, in movies or romance novels or whatnot, where there’s one chick that all the guys are drooling over, even though you can’t see anything particularly special about her. But oh, no, they both must have her. And she’s like, oh dear, however will I choose? William is so sensitive, he understands me, he swept me off my feet, oh misery, blubber, blubber, but how can I go on living without Rafe and his devil-may-care ways and his dark and only-a-little-abusive love? Upchuck.

Yup, that's pure win right there.

The ending
It was so heartbreaking. Clara just didn't get a break in this book and I felt for her so much. I just wanted to hug her. And at the end I felt like I needed a hug. Hand, you had me crying at 4am! I can't believe you went there in this book!! I mean, seriously, I was having a fit over here:


Shock: "I.CAN'T.EVEN."


Disbelief: "NOOOOO!! She did not just do that! NOOOO!"


Depression: "How will I survive until 2013? I'm doomed. Doomed, I tell ya."

Cynthia Hand tore my heart out and made me eat it...

...and I liked it...

P.S. I recently found out there might be a TV show based on Unearthly.

Ummm, Hollywood? Let's get this one right, m'kay?

An ARC was provided by the publisher. But this in no way swayed my views on this book.

Like this review? Well, what are you waiting for?! Come visit my blog Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.

[Lora]

[Aleeeeeza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so y'all know how much I loved Tucker, courtesy of my initial review. (And trust me, that was like, a lot.) So it's a HUGE DEAL that somehow Ms. Hand's made me like Christian as well.

I don't even know what to say about this, except DUDE, Ms. Hand's writing is remarkable. Seriously.

Initial review: I AM SERIOUSLY CRAVING SOME TUCKER. allright, that makes me sound sort of stupid, but really, how could anyone not adore him?! I mean, come on:



*swoon*

[Vinaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate love triangles. More than anything else in fiction, I really, really, REALLY hate love triangles. More than the stalking and the insta-love and fragile, insecure, yet perfect heroines. I mean, at least with most insta-love couples, once they're in love, they STAY in love.

So anyway, it's not that much of a surprise that Hallowed sort of killed my happy Unearthly-buzz. This book was nothing like what I expected it to be, and I can only rue the change. Cynthia Hand did an amazing, wonderful thing with Unearthly, and somehow, it feels like she undid all of that work with Hallowed. That said, though, if I DO have to read about love triangles, this was one of the better-handled ones.

I reread Unearthly before I started on Hallowed, and I was struck anew by how much I enjoyed the book. The writing was simple but real, with occasional flashes of humor and the sort of likeability that only deepens with a second read. And more importantly, despite being a very relationship-focused story, it did have a plot and a certain amount of character growth and action. Hallowed feels less like a complete book in and of itself and more like a long-drawn out episode on daytime television. "My life is a soap opera," Clara says, and it turns out to be all too true.

Here's the reason why Hallowed disappointed me so much, I want to cry. Most YA paranormals push the idea of a soulmate, that one person who's just so perfect for you, you feel like you want to die if you can't be with him. The connection is so strong, and perfect, but you know what, it's not real. And it's this idea that Clara fights back against, in Unearthly, and she does it beautifully. She falls in love, for real, with someone who's hot, but not picture perfect, someone whom she actually knows- she makes the choice to fall in love with Tucker and I think that's the reason that little book resonated so strongly with so many of us. It wasn't some fated, pre-destined epic love, but something so warm and achingly sweet, we all wanted to be seventeen and in love again.

Not so much Hallowed. Yes, sure, Clara still fights her "attraction" to Christian, feeling that she is more than a pawn in some supernatural game, but it feels more like she's fighting an inevitable current, like the choice she made was worth nothing, because she is being pushed back to the place she tried so hard to escape from, and if that's the case, what's the point in that, really?

As for Christian, I'm still not seeing the attraction. I mean, sure, we find out more about him, his life, his circumstances, but at the end of the day, he's still that YA sap, the beautiful-looking, perfect one who's willing to sit for hours under some girl's roof waiting for her to give him time of the day. In Hand's world, he's an anomaly. He never seems quite as real a all the other people, the ones for whom the world is NOT well lost for love.

And so much of this book was just angst of various sorts. Some it was understandable. For example, I really, felt Clara's pain when she realizes that her mom is close to death. Books like The Goddess Test could really take a few tips from the simple, yet moving way in which the death of Clara's mom was handled, the peaceful passing followed by the hope of a better afterlife, and the numb disbelief of those who are left behind.

But I felt like the spotlight focused so heavily on Clara, and her internalizing of every emotion she felt, her thoughts, her motivations, her struggle against all the changes in her life, that pretty much everything else in the book took a backseat. The connection I felt between Clara and Tucker in the first book never manifested itself in the second. I think I would have sympathized a little more with Clara's struggle to choose if I had ever felt like she gave her relationship with Tucker a fair chance. From the very beginning of this book, there is a sense of doom hanging around this relationship; if Clara loved Tucker as much as she says she does, why doesn't she fight harder? She never confronts Christian, or makes him go away in any real sense. See, there is a big difference between telling someone to get the hell out of your life because you're in love with someone else, and passively ignoring them while they spend a gazillion hours outside your window, playing the noble guy.

And don't even get me started on Jeffrey and Angela and Wendy. Who are these people? I thought I knew them back in Unearthly, but they don't get so much as a cameo in Hallowed. Angela had this whole cool, creepy vibe going in the first book, but she's no more than an accessory in the second, and not a very interesting one at that. Jeffrey, of course, drops a bombshell on us at the very end, one that really had me sitting up and paying attention, but for most of the book he's just this sullen shadow that Clara pays a bare minimum of attention to. I think the thing that annoyed me most with Clara in this book is how very helpless she turns out to be. So Angela tells her she's seen Clara at Stanford in her vision, and Clara just accepts it? No doubts, no fighting her destiny, just acceptance? And the way she never really makes a push to find out what's eating Jeffrey? This is not the girl I thought I knew. And Wendy might as well have not been in the book for all the role she plays. Disappointing, disappointing, disappointing.

I'm not saying this is a bad book, because it's really not. Cynthia Hand has a great hand (get it?!) with characterization, and as usual her closing chapter is beautiful and leaves you longing for more. The thing is, I had higher expectations for this book, I wanted it to be strong and fierce and unique, and it fell far, far short of that mark. I will be reading the third book, and any books that come after that, but if Hand fails to recapture the magic of Unearthly, I for one, am going to a very unhappy camper.

[Emily May · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am going to have to sadly admit that this series is not my cup of tea. I tried to like Unearthly after reading all the rave reviews but found it only okay, it didn't blow my mind like I was so sure it would. Hallowed was even less appealing to me, I read three chapters and even that was a struggle - but now I do think I'm starting to see why. I think if I happened to meet Clara in real life, let's just say she enrolled at my university, we would be friendly to one another, perhaps mumble a polite greeting when we passed in the corridor but I don't think we would ever be close friends. We have so little in common. Clara is, in many ways, the girl I have never been... nor really wish to be either (though, I would like to be able to fly).

(1) Clara is the kind of girl who will have relationships filled with sweet romance, hand-holding and utter tameness. I appreciate that this is a young adult novel and I didn't exactly expect graphic sex scenes - or, in fact, any sex at all - but "Tucker still has this notion that since I have angel blood in my veins he should try to keep my honor in tact" is practically Victorian repression.

(2) Clara cannot even admit to herself that she has the hots for Christian as well as Tucker. She dreams, daydreams and thinks an awful lot about the guy but "no, no, Tucker is my future". Who is she kidding? It's not like every reader doesn't know already that there's a whole love triangle thing going on... so why is our heroine being stupid?

(3) I read three chapters. In these chapters, apart from a quick recap of what happened in the first book, we spend all the time in the middle of Clara's daydreams of marriage and babies. Or experiencing kissing Tucker through Clara's mind, which is naturally out of this world, sensational, practically orgasm-inducing... or seeing visions of Christian, which is just bad, bad, bad.

(4) And why oh why did this book get so biblical? Three chapters, I must remind you, and I don't know how many times I heard about god and the bible. Look, my religious beliefs aside, everyone is fully entitled to believe what the hell they want - but that doesn't mean I want to hear it about it in chapter two. And a lot.

I could read the rest of the story but I can tell we are not destined to love one another. And that's okay, right now I have so many other things to read. To anyone who is put off by my lack of chemistry with this book, navigate towards Wendy's or Tatiana's review to see how it worked out for people who "got" Clara more than I did.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

It's a relief to know I won't regret all the hyping of Unearthly I've done over the last year. Even though I liked Hallowed less than its predecessor, the series is still going strong the way I see it.

Whatever was praiseworthy in the 1st book remains so in the 2nd - the teen romances are still healthy (I won't even bash the inevitable love triangle - it is written well enough; it is not perfect, but not unbearably annoying either), the heroines are strong and the heroes are kind and respectful, the angel lore, while more Hell- and Heaven-heavy this time, still doesn't cross the line into preaching. There is also an added bonus of a meditation on free will vs. destiny which I find quite interesting, especially within a genre as soulmate-ridden as PNR.

But there are things that didn't fully work for me.

Hallowed is a sad, sad book. In addition to Clara's anxiety over her failure to fulfill her purpose at the end of Unearthly, she starts having more visions, this time predicting the death of someone close to her. Plus, the new, strange connection with Christian muddles things with Tucker. Complications are all around Clara.

If Unearthly was a sweet PNR, its sequel is about death and grief. The glumness and occasional drudgery of it was pretty intense for me. Some lightness in the beginning would have made for a better reading experience, building up to a more emotional impact in the end and a bigger climax, which, frankly, was virtually non-existent in Hallowed.

I am concerned about the concept of purpose as well. Will it all come together eventually? The way Clara's purpose appears to come back and back again, I am afraid the series has an option of becoming a never-ending stream of books, all focusing on a purpose which so far looks exclusively romance-related (just today I read on the author's website that there might be more than 3 books in, what I originally thought, was a trilogy). That would be boring to me.

I will still be reading the 3rd book when it comes out in 2013. Fingers crossed, the series does not get prolonged beyond 3 books and the last one packs some interesting surprises and revelations while untangling the plot that at this point looks a tad convoluted.

[~Tina~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tucker I already miss you!!!

...Yup, ^^ that about sums up this review:(

[shady boots · Rating 5 out of 5]

A review of this is now available on my blog as well! Check it out.

____________________

Wow, I....



Ms. Hand, what have you done to me?

This book was such an emotional roller coaster, I can't even tell you.

Clara. Clara's honestly one of the YA heroines that I really love. She's just so... I don't know, there's something about her that just makes me love her. When she complains about something, it never annoys me. I kind of sympathize with her, you know? There's just that likable-ness in her that I can't really explain very well. And besides:

“Before I moved here, I never got the whole love-triangle thing. You know, in movies or romance novels or whatnot, where there’s one chick that all the guys are drooling over, even though you can’t see anything particularly special about her. But oh, no, they both must have her. And she’s like, oh dear, however will I choose? William is so sensitive, he understands me, he swept me off my feet, oh misery, blubber, blubber, but how can I go on living without Rafe and his devil-may-care ways and his dark and only-a-little-abusive love? Upchuck.”

How could I not love her after saying that?

Anyhow, let us move on to Tucker and Christian... Oh boy.

In my review of book one, I stated that Christian was a mere obstacle to me, and that my heart belonged completely, 1000% to Tucker. But in this book, Cynthia Hand made both these guys completely irresistable. I cannot deny that Christian swept me off my feet in this book. I both love and hate Hand for being able to do that. I love it because that's incredible to me, to make both guys in a love triangle absolutely amazing. I hate it because choosing between them will be very hard to do. She made me question my faithfulness to Team Tucker.

Why can't we make a team Tustian? Or Chriscker or whatever. ._. Because I love them both. Choosing just one of them is impossible. ;_;

But yeah, I can't think of anything else to say that won't spoil the book, but I will say that waiting for book three is physically painful. I'm not kidding.

[Kat Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

*This galley was provided to me by the publishers via netgalley.

This review can also be found on my blog, Cuddlebuggery

3.5 Stars

Hallowed is a difficult book to rate because it's not going to appeal to everyone. If you're the kind of person who needs fast paced adventure then you're better off picking up something else. Hallowed is very much focused on relationships, self-growth and destiny.

It continues its themes with purpose, faith and trust - these themes are extended here and well constructed.

Clara is awaiting the return of the Black Wing and dealing with her newfound relationship with Tucker whilst Christian is in the background being all sexy and mysterious.

Struggling with how her purpose ended up last book, she is losing faith in herself and distrusting her family.

I felt like the strong characters and great writing by Hand really carried this novel because otherwise it might struggle very strongly from middle book syndrome. The plot is not progressed a whole deal but there are a number of big revelations.

But what Hand does bring to it is a great amount of self-awareness and just enough awkward reality and relationships to pull it through. I liked this book better than the first one and I felt like the writing was just a little tighter and stronger in this one.

Over all, a good, solid second installment from Hand and I look forward to the next.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good but depressing. Not quite as good as the first so I'm still between a 4 and 5. Tucker is so hot. I don't understand why a few jumped to Christian's side in this book. I thought he was a bit of a D-Bag and I really wanted Tucker to hit him. I'll need a little digesting and to calm down before I can write my review.
I know it's been months and I still haven't written anything but I think Asher @ Paranormal Indulgence summed up my feelings well with her drawing. She said I could share so this is basically my whole review of this book! LOL


My review-Love Tucker! Hate Christian! lol

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, Cynthia...you must have taken your kid gloves off after Unearthly since you really managed to deliver a beating with Hallowed! If a plot twist wasn't clubbing me in the head, the emotions of the characters were punching me in the stomach! The experience left me feeling rather drained and a bit bruised...but it was worth it.

Clara Gardner, an angel-blood by birth, thought that her heavenly purpose had died away with the last embers of a wildfire...but she is far from done with visions telling of things to come and actions she may have no choice but to take. When a recurring dream hints at the funeral of someone close to her, she hastens to find answers of who, when, where, and why -- even as she must contend with her feelings for two vastly different boys who represent two very different choices and futures.

Much like its predecessor, Hallowed was a pleasant surprise to me: not only did it continue its subversion of many of the common tropes to be found in young adult paranormal romances, but it also managed to avoid the trap of the "sequel slump" (where the second book in a series feels more like filler than a necessary story). Even with "the dreaded love triangle of doom" present front and center in this installment, the characters never act in ways that are inconceivable, intolerable, or completely irrational. Rather, they all seem to be just handling their lots in life the best ways they can: "coping" eventually becomes the default mode for many of them.

The story here is much more focused on Clara's growth as a character than I had been expecting. With all the revelations and discoveries, they all seem to add layers to her character to the point that no longer does she resemble that starry-eyed angel girl of Unearthly's beginning, who was so intent on fulfilling her purpose and glad to do so. Clara has grown up. She has seen the gray and experienced sorrow and grief, and now she looks at her purpose as more of a burden rather than a joyous occurrence. Clara's struggle with free will and "destiny" is one of the best conflicts to the series, even as it becomes clear that destiny means that many things cannot be avoided.

And that's part of my problem with Hallowed: the angel-bloods can take as many winding roads as they want, but eventually all of them will find themselves fulfilling the stages of their purposes in some fashion. It may take more time, they may fight against it, but "destiny" will happen. Honestly, I don't know how I feel about that, especially since the "big picture" of Clara's purpose has yet to be revealed.

I also have another problem: Christian, the enigma and constant presence in many of Clara's purpose-centric visions. Christian is the mysterious boy who has the answers but hides them, who uses kindness and compassion as a way to subtly manipulate the heroine, and who seems to have more of an agenda than he's saying: basically, he's not much better than the typical YA paranormal love interest, at least not from what has been presented of his character in these first two installments. Though Christian is presented in a much better (and, dare I say it, more deceptive) package, I can't help but look at him with distrustful eyes, and I almost want to call him an antagonist waiting to happen. But the doubt in me says, "No, the subversions in the series will only go so far. Don't expect too much. You'll only be disappointed if you do."

Doubts aside, I do have hope that Cynthia Hand will continue to subvert this convoluted paranormal genre young adult literature has had on its hands for the past few years. I have hope that she will keep surprising me with her story's twists and turns, that all my worries and resignations are needless, that by the end I'll change all my ratings for the books to five stars because of how blown away I felt by the entire scope of the story once it was revealed to me. But I have to wait and see if that day will come. The Unearthly series has one or two books left and much more story left to tell...so I'll wait and hope.

Regardless of my own qualms, I highly recommend Hallowed because it represents the kind of storytelling and characterization that many YA books are sorely lacking. If you like young adult paranormal books and have yet to read Unearthly, then you're missing out, so make sure to pick up both Unearthly and this sequel in the near future. You may just find yourself enthralled by a story you had never even hoped to expect.

[Nomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

My gosh. What an outstanding sequel. This broke my heart :'(& kept me captivated, also, swoon. Full review to come.

Review:

When HarperCollins released Hallowed on netgalley, it seemed all my reading buddies stopped whatever they were reading and charged straight into book two. After Unearthly was so universally loved (by hard core critics, fans of YA paranormal and non-fans of YA paranormal, aka: me) Hallowed was an insanely anticipated released.

Guys, it delivers.

It is a compelling and unputdownable read that evokes a whole gamut of emotions.

For me, it was the complete package as far as reading experiences go:
I read it in a single day, absorbed and hopeful.
I swooned (plenty more gorgeous kissing scenes).
I felt for the characters (as a whole, Hallowed is a sad, sombre kind of book that induces an achey feeling...).
I LOVED the love triangle, which feels true and complicated, achey and not sensationalised at all.
I particularly love Christian in this installment. Tucker is still awesome as well.
I still love Clara’s voice. She sounds so teenagery without ever falling into overly-done YA snark. She’s moody and funny and sad and ever-so-likeable (if clueless at times ;)).

There may be some things I am still unsure about (the angel mythology and the whole rules around purpose). I missed seeing more of Wendy. I am wondering why Jeffrey feels like such a loose canon ball and no seems to notice (?). It drove me CRAZY how Clara’s mum was never straight up with her about some of the mysteries of all the angel stuff. Some of the twists seemed inevitable to me, but that was cool. But all of these ponderings didn't detract from my enjoyment AT ALL. I seriously LOVED reading it.

For a second book, there is no slump. It rolls straight on from Unearthly and sets up book number two for Clara’s next adventures: heading off to college (yay for heading into new adult territory!). I really cannot wait to follow the characters on and see what is in store for them, hey.

If you haven’t read Unearthly yet (!) now is the time to get on board. Hallowed will be out in Australia on January 1 (although last year, HarperCollins released Unearthly early, making it available for Christmas ~ so keep an eye out!) and in the US January 17.

Hallowed has my golden, shining seal of approval. The Unearthly series is fast becoming a fave of mine and I SO recommend them to all fans of YA ~ and any teens you know (it’s a breezy, engaging read).


Thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley!

Aussie cover for HALLOWED revealed:



Isn't it gorgeous? very eerie and atmospheric.
alongside our cover for UNEARTHLY:



Thanks for the heads-up, Braiden :)

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Limonessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

With Hallowed, just like with Unearthly, I find myself closing the book with a huge flashing question mark on top of my head. The general feeling is that yes, I did enjoy the book, but my mind is spinning so hard with questions and doubts that I'm really having a hard time savoring the good nuances of the story. I'm bugged.
Some of the questions that I was left with after Unearthly have undeniably been answered but many more have joined the group of the unanswered ones.

In Hallowed we find Clara dealing with the consequences of the events of Unearthly and the whole story revolves around her getting another disturbing vision. We witness a progressive change and development in the Clara/Christian/Tucker relationship/triangle and we widen - or complicate - our understanding of the angel world.

On the one hand, while I immensely enjoyed how the author managed the infamous love triangle and some other very delicate parts of the story which were really touching and heartbreaking - and it was so clear the author must have lived personally such a situation, it was so well described and detailed - on the other hand, there were some fundamental parts which put my logical skills to the test and I still feel like l'm lacking the tools, missing vital info to give sense to this world Cynthia Hand has created.
It all has to do with the free will/predestination issue, the visions, the purpose, the war, the angels themselves. We know very little about it all and I find it distressingly confusing. It has been argued here on GR that all this will be hopefully cleared in the sequel/s to Hallowed, but frankly, I cannot give a rating to this book based on the hope that things will be clear in a year or two. For me it's just not enough because while I can accept cliffhangers and mysteries and secrets, I have a harder time with the rules that regulate an effective world-building.

Aside from this, I wasn't very impressed with the predictability of the story. For most of the questions I asked myself at the end of Unearthly, I saw the answer coming from a mile away I nearly threw the book to the wall when the glorious dad appeared in all his beauty, thus making Clara the RAREST of them all.

Furthermore, there are some points which still just don't make sense: why is nobody paying attention to Jeffrey? He must be one of the unluckiest guys in YA history because really, nobody seems to care about him. Why isn't Clara asking Angela more about what she did in Italy? Where the hell is Tucker in the middle part of the book? Poof!
Clara, thy name is OBLIVIOUS. And usually, that's my name but in this case, you beat me girl.

Once again, I find myself wishing this author had written a story without a paranormal element in it.

[Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker · Rating 3 out of 5]

On tonight's episode of “As the Angel's fly” (aka as part 2 of the Unearthly series), we have lovely Clara ….

I refuse to call this a book. It sure didn't feel like one. What happened in part 2 of the Unearthly series, is one of my biggest pet peeves. When authors, knowing they will write more “books” in the series, write incomplete stories, with no real climax and definitely no real resolutions. Yes, I hear you. Why read books in a series then? If I want resolutions, read stand alone books right? My answer...because I've read plenty of books in series where the author writes complete stories and not just events that prepare you for the next part in the series.

What really happened in this part 2 of this series? Sure, you have a major event, and it was a sad event. Don't get me wrong. I shed plenty of tears at the end. It just felt like the entire part 2 was this event drawn out over 300 plus pages. Everything else that occurs in this part 2, just seemed like staging for part 3. Here is some of the staging that occurs in part 2-

Jeffrey reveals something to Clara at the end, and then something happens to him, but nothing is resolved. What will happen to Jeffrey, well, we will have to wait and see- in other words, part 3!

Something happens between Clara and Tucker. Ok, Tucker is absolutely one of my favorite characters. Very charming indeed. I am all about Team Tucker (and I hate teams). There is foreshadowing of what is to come between Tucker and Clara. But it is not foreshadowing for later in part 2. Oh no, we gotta wait until... you guessed it, part 3.

Something happens with Angela, with Christian, with some new unknown angels, with Clara's dad, with Clara's abilities, but there is no resolution, everything that happens, is just setting the stage for the next part in the series.

There is no real cliffhanger here. Why? Well, there was no cliff. It kinda was like a fieldhanger. There was an event, some new and interesting discoveries especially near the end and then this story was over. That was it. I felt ripped off. Then I felt like I was uncaring, insensitive, since something really sad happens in this part 2 so maybe I shouldn't feel ripped off. But here is the thing, if I want sad, and discoveries, without much else, I'll watch a soap opera or one of those tv shows that I can't stand. I read books not episodes of tv shows. Sadly, Hallowed felt like an episode on a tv show. In fact, this entire series would make a great tv show.

Here is the positive. I LOVE how Cynthia Hand writes. I was eager to read, and completely addicted to the story. I love how she writes her characters, and I absolutely love how she makes them seem so real. That is probably why I'm so disappointed in this.. umm. ok.. this book. I wanted more. I didn't want to think...

That's it?????

2.5 out of 5 stars

[Lauren Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before Reading: I was confused at the end of unearthly.. Did Christian and Clara leave? And why can't they come back? And whats the whole deal with Christian being all angel like! I NEED ANSWERS.
She better not fall for Christian. But if a love triangle comes into play then I'm team Tucker, just saying.

After Reading:
Finally. I hate it when I have to wait for books to come out. Now, about Hallowed.
I liked it, I did. Hand has a nice, easy writing style that is pleasant to read but isn't too juvenile. I like the characters and the ideas but this sequel confused me. After finishing this book I ended up wondering who was the bad guy? Ramjeeza? Not really, I mean he really didn't do anything besides totaling Clara's car and hanging out in her school's back yard. Also, after finishing Unearthly I thought that Hand was going to turn Jeffrey bad, maybe drive him toward the Black Wings, but no at the end of Hallowed that hadn't happened. To be honest, I was disappointed in this book. I thought that Unearthly was pretty good considering it's similar storylines and the fact that it is in the YA paranormal romance section. I thought it was better than other current popular angel-like series, like Fallen, Hush, Hush, and Halo.
I am done with love triangles. In about every single YA book I have read in the genre there has seemed to be a love triangle (thank you twilight). In this case the love triangle annoyed me, a lot, as you can see from my pre-read review above. I like Tucker. I think he's cute (character wise. Though if he was a real person, he'd probably be pretty cute also). I don't like Christian and Clara. The idea seems blah and too "WE ARE MEANT TO BE." Of course I am an American, therefore I root for the underdog and when it comes to destiny/powers stuff, Christian is obviously the stronger contestant. Therefore I am rooting for Tucker, even though she doesn't end up with him at the end of the book.
Next thing that I was disappointed in was her mom dying. I thought that was so stupid. I'd honestly rather have her die a heroic death and have me crying my eyes out like a little girl than her slowly dying out because she got too old. I did not see any point in killing her off than bringing in Clara's father who I also do not care about. Okay so her dad's an angel? SO WHAT. YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO KILL HER MOM TO FIND THAT OUT. Oh it should have been some huge issue. If I had written it I would have left her mom around and have Clara's dad show up because her mom was hurt. Then Clara should have been all mad at him, I would have been mad at him. Yea, your dad's an Angel but he still left... I would've been mad. It'll probably open up new plotlines in the future.
I still don't like Christian and am rather upset that he will end up in the next book. I hope he ends up an asshole and somehow Hand turns Tucker supernatural so that he can be with Clara. Somehow. I really do like Tucker.
Don't let this give you the wrong impression. I certainly liked the book, I just disapproved on a lot of the plot twists and revelations. I think that Clara is a great main character and I think that Hand is a very talented writer. I think that's what kept me reading it. I'll have to stick around for the next one now. Clara needs to end up with Tucker somehow and I want to find out more about the overall story line (Black wings vs Angels and all of that).
I hope the next book is better and that Clara and Christian DO NOT end up together.
Please?

[Sofii♡ (A Book. A Thought.) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Our purpose on this earth is not one single event, an accomplishment we can check off a list. There is no test. No passing or failing. There's only us, each moment shaping who we are, into what we will become.”

I loved this book, I enjoyed it much more than the first one, and although at first I was somewhat heavy, on the other hand its content is very interesting.


And even though I have many questions, I think it answered a few at this time
I remember the first book although it was a beautiful and light reading , I didn't feel shocked me at any time, in this case I felt caught in an opportunity, that has cast myself even more hooked with the plot. At the same time initially was somewhat predictable, the theme of the visions that Clara had, well I personally could guess where the plot was when she took a completely different path before actually discovering the truth, which hasn't been a surprise .
But then Clara's dad shows up and is coolest thing of this book, I'm super excited to see what gonna to happen in the next.


I fell in love with Christian in this book, is so noble and interesting, the truth is that I think I've already chosen my side in this love triangle. I don't know how this continues, but he is an excellent character. His scenes with Clara are beautiful !.

“I'll never forget the way he tastes. It's not anything I can describe, a little sweet and a whole lot of spice, and it feels, in that moment, absolutely right.”

I have to confess that I've dropped a tear with some scenes with Clara and her mother , it was super sentimental and has touched my heart. I can not wait to see how Clara faced the world now, she will face her destiny, finally and place which occupied each character at the end. I'm excited for the last book :).

“There's nothing more inspiring than the complexity and beauty of the human heart.”

P.D: If it took me a while to read it, I want to clarify, that was not because the book is heavy at all, because for me these books are very quick to read, it's just that I haven't had much time to read :(

[Ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy, what a ride.



Reading this book felt like flying with the wings wide open (not that I know how does that feel, but I can only imagine): I’ve been falling in love again with these characters, I’ve gasped at every surprise, I’ve smiled and I’ve even cried, I’ve felt Clara’s insecurities and frustrations, and her need to be happy, to find her purpose and make it all right again, also her need to find her own path, to make her own decisions. How much of it is just purpose and how much of it is her own life?

This book is really amazing, for me it was better than the first one, and I enjoyed every single bit of it – the dreams, the purposes, the teenage drama, the family involvement, the friendships, the decisions and all those emotions radiating from my kindle like heatwaves from hot pavement.. it was all so beautiful I can barely describe it. It was a mix of happy moments and dramatic turnarounds, and more background for the angel theory that not only answered so many questions I had at the end of the first book, but it had also raised so many more, and now I definitely can’t wait for the next book to come out and answer them all.

SO, our redhead angel is back – well not so red anymore (not so carrots-alike) but with the same amount of sarcasm, curiosity and passion in all that she does (even the mistakes she makes). And also our boys are back to make Clara’s life a bit more complicated (not that it was simple to begin with).

I bet you all want(ed) to know more about Clara’s parents, and some things that you didn’t really get about the night with the fire, I bet you all want(ed) to know how Clara’s life will change now that she has a human boyfriend (Tucker) and she knows more about the boy from her dream (Christian), and if you are like me you want(ed) to know more about her brother as well (I always had this feeling that there is more to him that meets the eye, and as far as I’ve seen there is even more) ..
So yes, you will get some answers – some of them will surprise you, some of them won’t, but for every answer you get another question pops into your mind, so don’t worry too much if you get a bid angsty at some point.

This is what I liked about this book – it makes you think .. I never think about angels, I don’t believe in them so I’m usually not interested, but this story caught my attention, and I like how this world is described, and I want to know more about it, and it all feels like a puzzle – there are all these pieces I already have, but there are so many more to uncover.

For example, finding about her mother’s story only made me think about Clara’s (let’s call it) ‘destiny‘; finding about her Dad, only made me think about the Tucker/Christian situation.
At the end I felt like I knew her destination in all this mess, and no matter what Clara will decide I think that she’ll get there, just like her mother did, but still, will she?

The most important item in the story is (again) Clara’s vision, a dream brought to her from the future, and this dream is the key to so many secrets that will make you happy, but will also make you cry. It will change the course of things, it will make Clara stronger in a way, it will prepare you for what’s next to come, because we are only at the beginning, and the best is yet to come.



Now, there is something that i should mention that bothered me a bit (again!!).
Get this people: Secrets are supposed to be secret by definition!
It goes both ways:
- when you keep a secret for so long, you don’t go afterwards telling everyone about it;
- when someone (for example your parents) tells you that there’s something you must NOT tell anyone, you just keep it for yourself (this is not about trusting someone with your secret, this is about being able to keep one);

All in one this is a great, amazing, wonderful book. There are so many things I would like to tell you, but I’m trying hard to keep this review spoiler-free. Enjoy it!

Book Source: ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. (thank you!)


This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com

One more thing.. but this is only for the people that have already read the book:

Don't you dare blame me if you don't like what you see 'cuz I told you this is a spoiler!

SO... Tucker vs Christian?
Some think this is a love-triangle, I don't really see it that way.
You probably know how I felt about the whole 'boy obsession' from Unearthly, and how happy I was to see it changed from something cliché to some sweet romance between and angel and an earthly boy... Now I have some doubts.

I've seen the struggle in the relationship with Tucker, they both trying to make it work but her angel-side and his human-side always interfering with their love, and I've seen Christian get close to Clara (and even closer), but there's a wall between them as wide as the Chinese one - you can see it from the Moon.

Some of you seem to like both boys for Clara, but I feel that there's something off about both of them - I like them, they are cute, and sweet and all, but in this particular moment I wouldn't be able to choose, because there are so many 'BUTs' when I think about them and Clara..

For me this story is about something more, something bigger. I know there will be a moment when Clara will really have to choose but for now I'm Ok with only finding more about her world, her growing powers, her purpose as a whole and not just pieces.


Later Edit: Check My Book Boyfriend - Tucker

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[Giselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

After greatly enjoying Unearthly, I was really excited to be able to get an early copy of this sequel. I was not disappointed with it. It was very much a "middle" book, but one of the best I've ever read.

Hallowed gets us reacquainted with Clara, Tucker, Christian and, with a more important part in this sequel, Carla's brother Jeffrey as well as her mother, Maggie. As in Unearthly, each and every one of the characters have substance, including natural dialogue and palpable emotions. And emotions, Hallowed is full of! Clara and her family are going through a really tough situation and it tugs on the heartstrings. It's hard to explain without spoilers, but there are a lot of occurrences that will likely make everyone feel sorrowful for Clara. With all these emotions, though, there is still sweet romance and fun moments throughout the book to balance it all out.

As I mentioned, for a middle book, Hallowed is very well done. I was always caught up in the story despite the lack of any definite plot development. We do, however, get a lot of answers in regards to Clara's lineage. In addition, her mother's well kept secrets are -for the most part- all revealed. Like Unearthly, Hallowed is not a fast, high action book. The slow but steady pace makes it a highly character driven novel with realistic relationships and an intriguing progression that you have time to savor.

It's been said that Cynthia Hand has written one of the greatest love triangles in the YA genre. I highly agree with this statement. Hallowed has, yet again, left me feeling dazed. We've got butterflies and sparks, but also uncertainty and pain. The romance itself is not overwhelming; It's full of authenticity without taking the attention away from the plot. I'm still unsure of how I feel about the new developments in this sequel. I'm definitely curious to see how it's going to pan out in book 3. Tucker and Christian are both important in Clara's life. They each have very separate but essential roles that keep her grounded. I think she should marry both - seriously! It could work, no? (Team Tucktian?)

Hallowed is another great example of a wonderfully written paranormal romance. Cynthia Hand does not disappoint with this second novel in the Unearthly series *claps*. If you haven't picked it up yet, it's a definite must buy!

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

[Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm trying out this new thing where I leave out rants in my reviews. So far, I'm managing. Here it goes: Hallowed was up to par with Unearthly anyway that I'm willing to oversee the character flaws, undesired story scenes and overflowing emotional drama. Like the way Clara's dad just popped out of NOWHERE. That was really, I mean reaalllyy emotional and satisfying and surprise worthy. But not to Clara, apparently. Can't help it, it's just weird that after seventeen years of not showing up, there were no conflict about that. I'm not saying that there should be tantrums or resistance but just a little confusion was called for. But, hey, that's the way the story goes. Nevertheless, I liked Hallowed. Another installment worth the wait.

[Kruti · Rating 2 out of 5]

WARNING: SPOILERS abound!!

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

Ahhh..this book is like marmite, you either love it or you don't. Unfortunately for me, I don't like marmite. Give me nutella any day.

After reading the first book, I thought I'll give this one a try and figure out what I'm missing. Especially since everywhere I turn, all I see are great reviews. After reading the first few chapters, there was a glimmer of hope but then it all went downhill from there.

SPOILERS COMING UP!!

The first book had some semblance of a plot but I couldn't find a plot in this one. In Unearthly, the vision was so vague that you couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen. But here, there is only one vision and no matter how you look at it, it was going to happen as a matter of fact....her mum was going to die.

I would have been ok with this, If there was some extraordinary reason that never crossed my mind, but no....she doesn't die in some heroic way or in some epic battle with Samjeeza (the evil dude) but rather..get this...she gets too old. Yup, apparently Angel-bloods aren't immortal and die at the age of 120 *snooze*

Secondly, there wasn't much actually no action at all. I was expecting something to happen at the cemetery...a showdown with Samjeeza but nope *sighs*. It's weird having an evil character who actually doesn't do anything evil. Instead what we get is the main character (Clara) comforting the evil guy. WTH?!?

Another thing that bothered me a lot was that there's hardly any Tucker after the first few chapters. Arghh!! He was the only good thing in Unearthly and it was missing here. But I have to say that one thing I did like was that we do find out more about Christian, Jeffery's purpose and Clara's mum & dad. It was good to finally have all those questions answered after the way it was left in book one.

I think the reason I can't warm to this series is because I just can't connect with the main character. I find her more irritating than anything. With so many other characters, our protagonist never really shone for me the way a main character should.

To me, she doesn't really do anything extraordinary...she gets everything handed to her on a plate. Just like the first book, there's always someone to save our damsel in distress. Here, every time she senses sorrow, she would yup yup call her mum and she would come to save the day once again. And the one time when her mum can't come, you guessed it, there's someone else who comes to the rescue. It became a little tiring after a while.

The other thing I couldn't stand was all the constant whining...my life sucks, I love Tucker but I should be with Christian, I don't know my purpose (I swear if I hear the word purpose one more time, I am going to gouge my eyes out!!) Correct me if I'm wrong but what were their purposes? Was her mums purpose to end up with her dad and for Clara to end up with Christian?? I can't honestly understand why the big G would care about who they ended up with. Maybe this might be revealed in book three though.

Finally, I found that the I just don't understand this world Hand has created. I mean, where do these black wings come from? Shouldn't their kids have black wings too?

Anyway, all I can say is that the book was written well, you could feel the grief the characters were feeling and couldn't help but feel their emotions too, but it just wasn't my type of book. I was expecting a lot more and was utterly disappointed.

So my words of wisdom...READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't read this if you haven't read Unearthly.

This was such an emotional book for me. I loved it even more than the first book, which is something. I find in trilogies, a lot of the time the second book suffers from "second book syndrome" where it feels like filler. No real great answers or movement in plot from the first book. Not so in this case. Yes, we are left with more questions but so many things were revealed. A couple revelations made my jaw drop open!

We start right where Unearthly left off, after the fire. Clara has deviated from what she thought was her purpose of rescuing Christian, to save Tucker first. Come to find out, Christian is also part angel, so he was never in need of rescuing. So what was her purpose, if not to save Christian? Clara starts having another dream/vision, and when she finds out what this is, she's scared to pieces. As a reader you are too! Christian tries to get closer to Clara, realizing that she was the one from his vision; she was his purpose somehow too. This puts a strain on her relationship with Tucker, and Clara feels stuck in the middle. In Unearthly, I was solidly Team Tucker, partly because we didn't get to know Christian that well. Also, I sort of felt it was his own fault Clara ended up falling in love with Tucker. He made one of the stupidest decisions of all prom dates! You take your ex-girlfriend home instead of your date?!! What were you thinking?!! But my feelings toward Christian, in Hallowed, did a 180! I was swooning over him just as much as I am over Tucker. *sigh* And now, my heart truly goes out to both boys, and to Clara. This is NOT an easy love triangle! I'm going to be hurt whichever way this goes!

A big plus in this installment, is we get more answers to what Clara's mother Maggie knows. She starts revealing more and more to her, answering quite a few questions, but also raising some more in the process. We also get more of Clara's dad, and the explanation of his leaving the family. Jeffrey's purpose and why he was in the forest that night is also revealed. All I can say is, wow, did not see that coming! While Angela is still portrayed as a friend to Clara, in this book, I can't help but have suspicions. I get this feeling, things are not all as they appear with her.

Like I said this book was such an emotional read for me, for several reasons! I was crying off and on from about halfway through, until the end. Mind you, I was on a plane ride while reading this book, so is was completely embarrassing that I had to keep taking off my glasses to wipe away the tears! Don't let this deter you from reading the book though. I am not a fan of dreary, depressing stories, and even though this was very sad, it was not depressing. It was amazing!

I can't wait to read the third, and concluding book in this series. I've joked that I want to camp out at Cynthia Hand's house, and make her give me each chapter as she finishes, so I don't have to wait until January of next year!!! I wish I were a more patient person, because a restraining order is probably not a good idea for me. I would not have these strong emotions if this story wasn't that good. It's one of my favorites this year! Do not pass this up. I just met Cynthia at a book signing, and tried to fish out some information from her. Let me tell you, this woman is skilled in the art of evasion! I pride myself in my interrogation talents, and she was a worthy opponent! If you want to hear more about the event signing I attended, you can check it out on The Midnight Garden.

[SHOMPA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah...what a roller coaster ride! Well, this was the second book in #Unearthly series and Oh god, it was much better than the first book. I all most cried a couple of times. The author has written this book with a lot of emotion.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Expected Publication Date: January 17th 2012
3.5 stars
Hallowed was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for HarperCollins.

Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!

When I requested Hallowed on Netgalley I was dumb and didn’t realize that this was the 2nd in a series. Since I was already approved I decidedly to immediately read Unearthly so that I could dive right into Hallowed (that was the plan if I liked it). Well I did. I really really liked Unearthly and I wasn’t actually expecting to (not a diehard fan of paranormal/fantasy/romanctical/YA books).

There will be spoilers from Unearthly but any spoilers from Hallowed will be hidden in links!

The Storyline
Long story short, Hallowed picks up right where Unearthly left off; Clara is still confused about how to proceed after she failed to fulfill her purpose. When she starts having more dreams/visions she determines that she’s in a cemetery, that someone she loves is going to die, and it’s going to happen as soon as this Spring. Clara is also still trying to handle her conflicting feelings that she has for her boyfriend Tucker and for Christian as well.

What Was Missing For Me
Two key elements that had me completely enthralled in Unearthly unraveled for me in Hallowed.

The Love triangle: I think the author did a beautiful job of NOT making it a cliché and NOT irritating the daylights out of me in Unearthly. In Hallowed I felt that the work she did in maintaining the non-love triangle did not hold up under the pressure of being just like every other YA paranormal romance novel. Now don't get me wrong, I can understand the reasoning behind her relationship with Christian in the beginning was because he was involved in her purpose. It then evolved into Christian and Clara both being angels, being able to relate to each other, and a kinship was created. It didn't necessarily need to go into lovey dovey status, and that's where she lost me.

Clara's Independence: I loved the strength and independence that she exuded in Unearthly; I didn't see that once in Hallowed. In this book she's completely in love with Tucker (which is fine, not the issue) but she's even daydreaming about their wedding and the kids that they would have and their life together (again, not really an issue). Where she lost me was when she started contemplating whether or not she should even leave for college because that would mean she'd be leaving Tucker behind.

Speaking from personal experience, I did this exact thing. I didn't want to leave my boyfriend at the time behind and so I decided to actually stay home instead of making the leap of faith and going to the university that I had been planning on attending. I look back and hate myself for my lack of backbone in changing my future plans based on a boy that I thought I loved. So essentially this may not be a problem for everyone else or the general population but I certainly saw a part of me reflected in Clara's actions and it definitely registered quite a negative reaction for me.

The one thing I was thankful for was that the author gave the main character friends that made sure to tell her she was being dumb and made attempts to dissuade her.

Straight Spoiler Section
There were some parts that I simply had to get out there for discussion, but for those of you who have read it already. Spoilers ahead!
Jeffrey: So why exactly is so much attention being paid to Clara regarding her purpose? Nobody asked Jeffrey about his purpose? But then again why wasn’t he up front and let everyone know what was going on and what he planned on doing? That would’ve made everything a whole lot less confusing and of course the book wouldn’t be what it was if everything went right. But I don’t understand why he gets to hide up in his room and his mom practically ignores him completely yet she bugs Clara incessantly.
Their Dad: Come on. So now Clara is some super rare angel and of course so is Christian and OF COURSE they’re supposed to bond completely over their extreme specialness. Personally, I still would have remained intrigued if she was just a simple Quartarius she didn’t have to become uber-special to keep my interest. Overboard I say, overboard.
Angela’s Secret Italian Boyfriend: Seriously though, what is up with that? It’s almost like he was thrown in there as a potential future storyline, which is kind of irritating as of right now since I have no clue what the hell is actually going on. And was I kind of sheltered or something, but what 17 year old girl has black lacey lingerie that she takes with her on her yearly trips to Italy?
Following her Purpose: So even though I was really happy about how Clara decided to love who she wanted in Unearthly (despite her Purpose), I did have a feeling that it was going to be short-lived. And sure enough, she finally realizes that if she stayed with Tucker he wouldn’t have the life that he deserved and blah blah blah… yawn. Essentially that just negated everything GOOD that she did in the first book because it became pointless. I mean really, what exactly was the point? In this book, Angela tells Clara about her Purpose and how she sees Clara in Stanford so OF COURSE it’s going to happen… so this time around she’s automatically accepting it which I so did not like.
Religion:Yes, I understand I’m reading a book about angels so I should expect at least some bits about religion; HOWEVER, in Unearthly the religion aspects were balanced beautifully and I didn’t grumble once. This time around it came all out and definitely made up for the lack of references in Unearthly, which I didn’t like so much. I’ll leave it at that.

Final Thoughts
I still enjoyed this, it is still worth the read, but no I didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Unearthly. I also feel a tad cheated as I was under the impression that this was a trilogy and now I hear talk of a fourth one? (Correct if I’m wrong.) I do see how there could be plenty more added on to the story, especially since Clara still has like 100+ more years of life left, but I do hope that we start getting some answers because the ending to Hallowed was a bit frayed at the edges for my liking.

So this IS a trilogy... I'm definitely looking forward to Boundless even more now because there will finally be a resolution and some questions that I've been dying to have answered! VERY EXCITED!

[ambsreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hallowed is the second book in the Unearthly series. It's definitely a book which suffers from middle book syndrome in my opinion. It was slow and honestly just lead up for the finale. Obviously, things to happen but Clara's mum dying was a cop out in order to get rid of the parental elements of the story.

I'm really bad at reviewing series, especially the middle book. I've rewritten this review hundreds of time. A lot happens but also nothing happens, it's very confusing. None of the characters change. Clara remains annoying. Christian is creepy. Tucker is the best. Angela constantly degrades Clara and everyone else. Wendy only pops in when necessary.

Overall, probably verging more on a two stars over three stars. It was slow and I almost gave up half way through this particular novel. However, I'm going to read the finale and hopefully I enjoy it a bit more than this considering I don't remember much from Boundless. I may end up adding more to this review but for now I'm still processing all that happened and not sure how to describe it since I don't want to delve to far into the world of spoilers.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hallowed was one of my most anticipated reads this year. Somehow, it didn't live up to my expectations, and I've spend this past week mulling over my conflicted feelings for this novel. Have you ever wanted to break up with someone and not really known why? Just had a nagging feeling that it's not meant to be. When you finally do it, you find yourself using that tired old, "It's not you, it's me" line, meaning it wholeheartedly while hating yourself a little bit because you know how insincere it sounds. Le sigh. Not to imply I am breaking up with this series, because I adore the characters, the world, and Cynthia Hand's writing. But I didn't dig this book nearly as much as I wanted to and still can't decide if it is because of the book or poopy old me?

Let me go back a bit and briefly say what I loved about Unearthly. That book, despite being a fluffy YA paranormal romance posed fantastic questions about fate, free will, and (I believe) the nature of good and evil. There was a genuine romance based on friendship, positive female friends, Clara was a fairly average girl, her mother was present.

What I didn't love about Hallowed was that soo very much of this story was focused on the lurve and the angst and the love triangle. But it's not really a triangle. That is, Christian and Clara are exploring what exactly their purpose means, and what role they play in each others lives. But this causes Tucker to experience quite a bit of jealously, while Clara experiences quite a bit of guilt. Had this been written by a different author, I think I would be okay with it. But after writing such a refreshing first book, I am disappointed that Hand fell victim to the triangle trap. At one point Clara mused to herself,

"Before I moved here, I never got the whole love-triangle thing. You now, in movies or romance novels or whatnot, where there's one chick that all the guys are drooling over, even though you can't see anything particularly special about her. But oh, no, they must have her. And she's like, oh dear, however will I choose? William is so sensitive, he understands me, he swept me off my feet, oh misery, blubber, blubber, but how can I go on living without Rafe and his devil-may-care ways and his dark and only-a-little-abusive love? Upchuck. So unrealistic, I always thought.
Joke's on me, I guess."

Yeah, joke is on us readers, too. Brilliant way for Hand to introduce the addictiveness of a lurve based plot while winking at us because she knows we understand how silly it is. Uh huh.

As an adult, who is married and has male friends, it is always painful to watch or read teen romances when both parts of a couple thinks that opposite sex friends are off limits. Although Tucker doesn't forbid Clara from having a friendship with Christian, it is clearly more than a little stressful for him. But Clara, the girl who was so smart and cool and levelheaded in Unearthly actually questions her own motives and friendship with Christian. She limits her time with him because she is conflicted about her feelings. Boo.

Despite the relationship angst, there is actually a lot going on in this novel. We learn more about angel lore and more about Clara's history. But for every bit of background information that is provided, more mysteries are created because we really don't spend much time with the supporting characters (other than Tucker and Christian.) This novel is all about Clara. It's one of those character driven novels which I believe will set the stage for the final installment of this series. My problem is that the sneaky little themes which were introduced in Hallowed aren't at all what I expected. Apparently free choice is crap because fate will catch up with you in the end. Good guys really are all good, while bad guys are pretty much all bad. And Clara really is super-special after all. Not just because she is an angel, either. She is a rare and powerful sort of angel. One of the things I loved so very much about Unearthly is how average Clara is. I mean, we read about ordinary teens in realistic YA fiction. Why is it that teens in paranormal or urban fantasy fiction can't just be an ordinary vamp or werewolf or angel? Why must they be super speshal and like totally awesome on top of their otherworldly abilities???

Or maybe the issue is that I'm not always a fan of character driven novels? Especially when they occur in the middle of a plot driven series? It seems like nothing but filler material, because while Hand introduced a fuck ton of ideas, nothing really happened to move the plot forward.

So I liked it... but I was let down by it. This is one of those books (like so many middle books of a series) which will be either fantastic or crap depending on the book following it. For all of my wishy-washy conflicted feelings, I still believe that Cynthia Hand is one of the stronger paranormal YA writers right now. This series is still one of my favorites. And I will most certainly purchase book three the moment it becomes available.

[Ferdy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hallowed begins with Clara moaning that she failed her purpose even though she has no ides what her purpose was, only that it involved the sexy, mysterious Christian. She's very much in love with Tucker, but is still keeping things from him for his own protection. Christian since finding out Clara was the girl from his vision, is now cozying up to her, naturally this confuses our already confused heroine. I'm not happy that Christian is now all over Clara when he had little interest in her before and in fact was still mooning over his ex.. it seems that if Clara hadn't been the girl from his vision, he wouldn't be interested in her.
Clara is having a new vision now, one in which she's attending the funeral of someone she loves.. she believes this is a Tucker and she sets out to protect him Edward Cullen style - this involves keeping secrets, stalking him and watching him sleep..it was actually quite cute.
Clara is spending more time with Christian and communicating less with Tucker..when she's with Tucker she can't help thinking about Christian and vice versa.. she has many inner monologues about her oh so tragic love life. Clara doesn't deserve either of them.. she's a weak, self centred, boring heroine. Tucker felt like a real, genuine teenage guy.. he works hard in school and at home, he's open, honest and supportive whereas Christian felt like a typical YA male love interest - mysterious, powerful, super hot, rich and perfect in every way. He kept secrets from Angela and Clara about the angel community but I don't understand why.. since they're also angels.
Everyone just kept secrets in this book and I didn't see any good reason why..it just felt contrived to add more drama and mystery.
Clara also turns out to be not your ordinary part angel.. she finds out she's an oh so speshul part angel and then no way we find out that Christan is also an oh so speshul part angel.. OMG.. rolls eyes..I never saw that coming.
Clara and her mum have mostly a good relationship, I felt her mum should have told the truth because the truth was bound to come out eventually..I didn't think keeping Jeffrey and Clara ignorant helped in anyway. I felt for Jeffrey as his mum doesn't seem all that close to him..Clara gets pretty much all her attention.
There isn't much action or storyline going on in this book.. just Clara's new visions and her dramatic love life. By the end of the book we still don't know her purpose but Clara and Christian both assume that their sole purpose in life is to be together.. why the heavens/God would want that is beyond me. Oh, I also hate the word purpose now, 90% of the book was just the word purpose.
Fans of Christian will probably enjoy this installment..fans of Tucker not so much.

[Trina (Between Chapters) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This entire book revolved around one event that I didn't think advanced the story. But I'm enjoying the characters.

Potential triggers: The entire book is about end of life care, death, funerals, and grief. There's also a car accident.

[Zemira Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is done. I read it. I am so exhausted. Hallowed really did something to me. I had butterflies in my stomach,I was happy when Tucker showed up(duh),I was annoyed with the stupidity of the secondary characters,angry at Clara for not giving her relationship with Tucker a real chance. Bawled my eyes out over that heartbreaking ending.

You see these pictures? What is wrong with them? (Aside from the fact Clara is a giant and poor Tucker is too small. I had no idea I cropped and re-sized his photo that much. Sorry Tuck.)

I'll tell you what! Christian is there. Dude you need to disappear or Tucker fangirls will get you.

You know,sometimes a love triangle works. But right now I can't think of any book like that. :/ Here we have Tucker,a sweet and irresistible cowboy and Christian,the 'perfect guy'. Now,Tucker already has the girl but I felt like Clara's relationship with him is totally different in this book than it was in the first one. Here she is hiding things from Tucker and they obviously got over that Honeymoon stage. Christian on the other hand is acting like a guardian angel. Even even though we learn more about his past and his character that wasn't enough for me to like him. He is still a typical YA guy. Often in these love triangles you can obviously guess which two are made for each other. I got really confused because I really though Tucker was THE GUY for Clara. Now I'm just saving money for a plane ticket to Wyoming so I can get some sweet Tucker action. Baby I wan be your rebound girl. *wink* Ugh,this sounds so nasty.

Now to the secondary characters rant. Yeffrey. You remember him? The funny younger brother? He is gone. Say hello to Yeffrey-lame ass punk who talks back to his family and friends. The one who gets sick of standing in Clara's shadow. Well I can't really blame him for the second part but you have to believe me when I say he was really awful.

Angela was this mysterious girl who I though was kinda cool but now she snaps at Clara for keeping stuff from her while she is the one that writes in her diary and doesn't let anyone near it. I still think she will be evil in upcoming books.

Wendy never truly appealed to me but I was on her side in the first book when she pushed Clara to like Tucker and not the Perfect Guy. In this book I wanted to smash her face a few times for the reasons I can't really remember. What was she like? Obnoxious most of the time. She was so judgy.

Clara's mother and her secrets are the best part of the book. I wanted to know what her purpose was and I wan't disappointed with the ending. Cynthia sure knows how to keep my attention because it never got to the boring part. Also we get to see a certain someone who is important to Clara and Yeffrey. Get ready for a surprise you two because he has some important things to say to you.


Not sure how will I rate Hallowed. Many things annoyed the heck out of me. But I did cry which is my indicator the book obviously did something good. And I still look forward to the day when I get my book delivered.


Don't be too harsh on me guys. I know this review sucks.