Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Unearthly is a tale about angels—specifically about a certain one named Clara Gardner, a Quartarius, which means she has a quarter of the blood of an angel flowing in her veins while the other three-fourths is human. She’s called an angel-blood. She has been having a vision lately, and it’s her purpose, the reason why she was placed on earth. But what happens when Clara tastes the sweetness of first love, and it tugs her the opposite way from her purpose?

I love the storyline of this novel. I think it’s brilliant. I love it more than the angel thing in the Hush Hush series, which is the only angel series I’ve read and so it’s the only one I’m comparing Unearthly to. The plot of this novel is much more elaborate. The scenes are much more intricate.

This novel’s theme is about the choice that Clara ultimately has to make in the end of the book—the choice that might affect her standing as an angel-blood, and one that might affect her heart’s well-being as well. These were intricately interlaced, until a tale about first love, angels and family was wonderfully created. I love that she has a destiny to fulfill, and this book asks us: is destiny truly permanently fixed that we can’t change it with the power of our will? And if ever we have the courage to defy it, what are the consequences of the choice that we have made?

And it’s not just a love story. Yes, at first, I thought that the book is more concerned with Clara’s love life than with her being unearthly, so I thought that the title was inappropriate. But when I got deeper into the story, I quickly righted myself. Sure, it was all about Clara being Unearthly—which gave way to the realization that the book has a pace that’s too slow for my taste. I wish that the pace is quickened, because the first hundred or so pages were a bit dull. I was easily gripped by the first few chapters. But then, as it progressed, things got dull for me, until the two-hundredth page or so.

It employed a bit of foreshadowing. People around Clara kept telling her that things are not always about her. It got my attention, and I was thinking why it was so important to point that out. But when Clara’s vision played out, I fully understood its meaning. (view spoiler)[It was supposed to be destiny’s warning to Clara. (hide spoiler)]
I love all the details about being an angel-blood. It was a wonderful insight, the one that Cynthia Hand presented in her book. The fictional touches that she added were beautiful. They fit so naturally that I might as well have believed that they were true.

The book also has excellent imagery. I love how the images formed in my head are staggeringly vivid. I easily got caught in them, that while I was reading, I really felt like I was in Wyoming, or wherever Clara was. I saw what she saw—I heard what she heard—I felt what she felt.

My top three favorite scenes would be the following: (view spoiler)[(1) the showdown between the Dark Wing, Samjeeza and Clara and Margaret; (2) the fire in the Palisades; and (3) Tucker’s seventeenth birthday. (hide spoiler)] I guess I like those scenes because those were where the themes of the story were portrayed the strongest.

Clara is a dynamic character. Over the course of the story, she learned simple things that we may easily ignore but are essentially significant in our lives. (view spoiler)[She learned that true love can be found at a young age. She learned how to take on responsibilities—even if this came a little late—especially since she has a very important role to play in the greater order of things. In the end of the story, she finally understood how heavy the pressure on her shoulders is. (hide spoiler)] I like it that she became stronger as the story progressed. I am a big fan of strong heroines, and I love it that Clara is a strong one. She especially has a strong will, which I love very much about her. I also like her cool abilities as an angel-blood. She really is an awesome character.

On the matter of Clara’s guys, I strongly prefer Tucker Avery. He’s constantly nice to her, he’s a total gentleman, and he is sweet and thoughtful to her. I just wish that his character had more depth. I want to know more of his past—or if he has any secrets behind his character. When I read the part where it was revealed that (view spoiler)[Christian is an angel-blood, (hide spoiler)] I actually thought for a minute that I prefer him a little more. It’s because that revelation made me see a new side of his—a depth that I can’t find in Tucker.

I love the climax of Unearthly. It was stunning, and it surprised me in a very pleasant way. It’s the main reason why I’m giving a rating of 4.5 stars, generously rounded up to 5 stars. It totally made me eager to read Hallowed! I love Unearthly. It’s certainly one of my favorites!