Falling for the fallen..."I knew the names of all my classmates...except one. The transfer...He sat slouched one desk back, cool black eyes holding a steady gaze forward...
His eyes sliced into me and the corners of his mouth tilted up. My heart fumbled a beat and, in that pause, a feeling of gloomy darkness seemed to slide like a shadow over me. It vanished in an instant, but I was still staring at him. His smile wasn't friendly. It was a smile that spelled trouble. With a promise."
For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgement.
But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and knows more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seeks some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of a centuries-old battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and sooner or later, she's going to have to pick a side...
The Series:
Hush, Hush
Crescendo (November 2010)
Visit Becca Fitzpatrick's website for more information
Review:
I brought this book on the strength of the cover alone & I even brought it in hardback which is practically unheard of for me! I think the cover is beatiful & I was really looking forward to reading the book but I have mixed feelings about it now I've read it.
Nora wasn't the best heroine I've ever read about. In some ways she drove me crazy with the way she went on & on about how Patch was dangerous & she couldn't trust him but would then go off on her own (to places she felt weren't safe) just to meet up with him. I know she was attracted to him but considering all the crazy things that start happening to her in the book you'd think she would have a little more sense when she believes he is behind them! I also had a real problem with Vee. At first I thought she was harmless but her attitude when Nora was attacked by a guy really annoyed me. If you have a best friend like her you certianly don't need enemies!
I didn't get the feeling that either Patch or Nora was in anything other than lust with each other. There just didn't seem to be any kind of emotional connection between them & nothing even hinted that there was real love between them. There were also a lot of contradictions in the story, just look at the reason why Patch was a fallen angel & then consider the end of the book. I don't want to give anything away to those who haven't read the book but the ending just doesn't make sense in some ways! This is the first fallen angel story I've read & although I enjoyed finding out about the mythology behind the story there were parts of it that didn't make much sense. The whole way for a fallen angel to become human just didn't add up for me.
Having said that in some ways I really enjoyed book. There were a lot of twists and turns & you never knew quite what would happen next. Although Patch was a jerk there was something about him that makes you want to like him. Perhaps it's just the whole bad boy thing but you find yourself wanting him to redeem himself.
Overall, although there were some parts that I didn't like by the end of the book I felt more of a connection with the characters. I have high hopes that the relationship between Patch & Nora was finally starting to develop & am looking forward to seeing this continued in the sequel. I will definitely read Crescendo but will wait until it comes out in paperback before I buy it.
Source: Purchased
Other Reviews:
Ink & Paper Fantasy Book Reviews
Books out of the Bookshelves
The Bookette
Laughing Stars
Girls Without a Bookshelf
Tynga's Reviews
Delightful Reviews
Story Wings
I'd So Rather Be Reading
We Adore A Happy Ending
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.
I really enjoyed this book but have to agree with you about Vee. There must be a reason for this sort of background character to be annoying and troublesome.... I have seen this in ohter books as well on tv shows too.
ReplyDeleteOverall though - I liked the book and am looking forward to what comes next for Patch and Nora.
Awesome review! It's a shame you weren't completely impressed with it. I hope you enjoy the sequel! Thanks to linking to my review, I've linked back :)
ReplyDelete@Jo Thanks for the link back :o) I am looking forward to the sequel - it will be interesting to see how things develop from here
ReplyDelete@Sheila Vee definitely drove me crazy lol but you're right there is often a character like her.
I agree with Jo's comment above. It's a great book, but not everyone is as impressed with it as I am. :P I am glad that overall you enjoyed it. I am also looking forward to the sequel as well! :) mi
ReplyDeleteI am reading this now, so I just skimmed your review -- I'll be back later. :-)
ReplyDeleteAwesome review :) Loved the way you wrote. Hush, Hush is definitely one of my favorites books... I'd read again, for sure!
ReplyDeleteI really love this book but I do have a bit of an angel book obsession so I know I'm exactly objective. I found it such as easy reda though. For me I actually tottally understand why an angel would want to be human. But, hey I love your arguments and it is great to hear an alternative viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was great book but I understand what you mean about some of the part.
ReplyDeleteAnd I also love the cover :)
@Lily As much as there were things about the story that I didn't like I'd still say that overall I enjoyed the story & I'm looking forward to reading the sequel to see how the characters develop :o)
ReplyDelete@Stephanie I'll look forward to hearing what you think of it when you've finished reading
@Raila I'm glad you liked the review & enjoyed the book. I just read your review & added a link to it :o)
@Becky This was the first angel book I've read so I'd be interested to know what others you'd recommend. I really like the idea of fallen angel stories :o) I completely understand why Patch would want to become human, that wasn't what I had a problem with. What I couldn't understand was why killing a relative of Chauncey would make him human. That just didn't make much sense to me. Also if he was a fallen angel because of his lust for a human girl how can the ending work? He's basically back in the same situation that he originally lost his wings for LOL
@Sarah The cover is just amazing, it's got to be the best cover I've seen in a long time :o)
Great review.. I have read mixed reviews on this book.. And I was also drawn to it by the cover!
ReplyDeleteOf course I don't mind! Thank you for adding me to this post :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link, and I linked back to you. Great review -- very balanced.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link back Stephanie :o)
ReplyDeleteYeah, that about sums up all the reviews I've been reading for this one...I bought this on hype alone and haven't gotten to it yet becuz of the not so great reviews, but still want to read it sometime this year...
ReplyDeleteI'd still recommend reading it, I've seen some really positive reviews for it as well as some really negative ones so you may like it more than I did. As much as there were some things that irritated me I did still enjoy it & I'm hoping Crescendo will be even better
ReplyDeleteI think far too often I read a book just for the great cover. Actually this may be one of my downfalls.
ReplyDeleteI'm always buying books because I like the covers - I've made a few mistakes that way but I've also had some great finds too :o)
ReplyDeleteI've seen a lot of mixed reviews for this one. I recently won a copy of it, but I've been holding off on reading it because most of the reviews I've read have had some reservations about it.
ReplyDeleteI love this review!! I felt the same way about this book, except I think I was more vocal in my dislikes. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Kelli, I'm glad you liked my review :o) I have a copy of Crescendo that I was sent for review so I'm curious to see how I get on with it. I'm wondering if any of the contradictions will be explained LOL
ReplyDelete