Unearthly (Unearthly, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Sep 28, 2011 Literary Ames rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: series-abandoned, library-books, read-in-2011, stage-and-screen, 1st-in-series, young-adult, angels-demons

The best YA angel book I've read. Fully-fledged characters with no self-respect issues and solid, healthy relationships. No insta-love here, and no plot holes plus, there's a truly mysterious mystery...but I won't be reading the sequel.

Clara is one quarter angel who has just received her Purpose, the one thing she was born to do as an angel. Her vision of her Purpose implies she will be rescuing a boy from a forest fire. Small details show her he is somewhere in Wyoming so the whole family moves The best YA angel book I've read. Fully-fledged characters with no self-respect issues and solid, healthy relationships. No insta-love here, and no plot holes plus, there's a truly mysterious mystery...but I won't be reading the sequel.

Clara is one quarter angel who has just received her Purpose, the one thing she was born to do as an angel. Her vision of her Purpose implies she will be rescuing a boy from a forest fire. Small details show her he is somewhere in Wyoming so the whole family moves from California so she can fulfil her destiny. She finds the boy, Christian, is the most popular guy in school with a possessive girlfriend. Clara studies him to the point of obsession in order to understand the where, when and why she is to save him. She comes to believe she has quasi-romantic feelings for him until he manages to completely embarrass her at the school dance and sees Tucker, Clara's best friend's twin brother, step in to save the day.

Previously Tucker had acted like a child, calling Clara "Carrots" due to the shade of her dyed hair and picking on her. It isn't until a school break when all her friends, including Christian and her mother, leave town and she's alone on her 17th birthday when Wendy sends Tucker to be her present. He takes her on a nature tour over a number of days, always setting up another appointment to spend the day together. It's during this time they grow closer. Unfortunately, when they first kiss, her angel powers activate and his love turns to fear...I absolutely loved this aspect of the story. It's so well written I was right there experiencing the wilderness with them, wishing I could be doing the same activities. I was pleased to see Tucker and Clara gradually fall for each other. Tucker was a true gentleman cowboy with an easy smile and a loveable character. I was disappointed in Clara's mother's reaction though. Any mother would be happy for her daughter to be dating someone like him. And it's not like it was against the rules to date a human. All work and no play...

Clara's mother is a half-angel with secrets. She holds so much back to the point of putting her children in danger but as a mother she's loving and caring and fully involved in their lives, always knowing how and what they're doing. I do wonder what her Purpose is/was and whether it has something to do with her children. On the other hand, Clara has a long-distance, almost non-existent relationship with her human father who sends guilt presents.

Jeffrey, Clara's younger brother, is practically an open book at first, struggling to balance his need to compete in sports, wanting to be the best but also needing to hold back to ensure he's not accused of cheating. He feels like a fraud. At some point I believe he receives his Purpose but tells no one, he becomes pensive and broody. I'm assuming his Purpose isn't a particularly "good" deed.

I liked these angels and the concept of White Wings (the good) and Black Wings (the bad, who don't fulfil their Purpose and are unable to love). However, I found it strange there were so many angels in one small town, albeit a tourist one. Angela came across as not just intense but I kept expecting her to turn on Clara because she's so enthusiastically helpful when it came to anything angel-related.

My only problem I have with this book is the serious implication that the reason Clara must save Christian is because they are meant to be together, romantically-speaking. I abhor love triangles. I hate them, I do. In this case, it really makes me mad because the love Clara has for Tucker, and vice-versa, is genuine. I fell for Tucker right along with Clara. Why must Hand go the route of so many other authors and implement a love triangle? It feels like a huge insult to have these characters form a strong relationship we rarely see in YA paranormals and then basically say "Nope, he's not for you. This one is." For a moment there I really thought "Yay! We have an honest to god healthy teen relationship." And now, I'm pretty sure that will be ruined in a sequel, for a character I never cared about. I don't want to see this happen so I doubt I'll be continuing with this series.

ETA: I will, however, be interested in watching the TV show of the same name based on this book, announced in October. ...more

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Jun 27, 2020 Dichotomy Girl rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, 2020, paranormal-or-spec, own-kindle-read

Cynthia Hand always pleasantly surprises me.

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May 07, 2011 Valerie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, read-in-2012, too-old-for-this-crap

Bland and predictable. Although I give props for the unconventional setting (Wyoming), there wasn't enough plot or substance to make it interesting. I'm 21 -- some YA works for me, but the flat characters and high school drama made me feel much too old for this book.

(view spoiler) ...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Purple rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: angels, young-adult, uf, unique, series

Angelfall and Unearthly. Both beautifully written, about angels, and for young adults. There, the similarities ends. The former still puts butterflies in my stomach for its intensity while the later fills me with resignation.

Yes. Resignation. Resignation that I'm in for another self-inflicted heartbreak. It fascinates and left me feeling regally sad.

There's nothing to say that have not been said by others at this point..except there is, indeed, no turning back. ...more

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Jul 06, 2019 Asmaa rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, need-to-read-it

The story is a solid 2.5 stars maybe 3 since the roles were reversed and for once it was the heroine who was the supernatural being and struggling to keep her secret well hidden.

I added one whole star for old times' sake because this book reminded me why I loved reading YA books so much. It's a breath of fresh air from textbooks and thesis and scientific articles and all what I've been reading these last few years.

Looking forward continuing the series and reading other books from the author ❤ ...more

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