#55 Book Review: Hallowed

Hallowed (Unearthly #2)
Release Date: December 13th 2011
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: Harper Collins Australia
Source: Publisher for Review
Format: Paperback
Where to Buy: Amazon & The Book Depository
More Info: Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads:

Clara Gardner knew that as a part angel she would one day have to fulfill her purpose, rescuing Christian from a forest fire...what she never considered was what might happen if she were to fail.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend Tucker, Clara must deal with the repercussions of what happened the day of the fire as the two boys vie for her heart. And, as she is drawn further into the world of angels and part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain after a shocking revelation, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning...

My review:


Cover:
Honestly, I think the Australian cover of Hallowed is my favourite. This also includes the Australian cover of Unearthly. I really really love them! But Hallowed is my favourite cover! Look at that girl's white dress and the snow all around, makes me dying to touch the snow. Plus, the girl's red hair really stands out because of the white background which makes the cover really eye-catching!

5 Forget-me-not flowers for the cover!

Story:

Can you stay true to one love, if another one was meant to be with you?


After 'failing' to fullfill her purpose, Clara is living her normal life again. But, her life is never going back to normal. There is something more to the purpose she was given, a hidden truth behind her 'failure'. While she tries to figure out what her true purpose is, she has visions of someone close to her dying. Clara will discover that everything she has known was only the beginning of something and that her love for Tucker might not be as strong as she thinks it is...


I have lost count of how many times I've hold my breath while reading this book. It basically takes my breath away the whole time. I still remember the way I felt when reading Unearthly. Not only was the cover gorgeous (and the Aussie one are definitely my favourite), the book was very beautifully written. I love Cynthia's words of choice, how she describes how the Angels look like, how Christian and Tucker are both similar in a way that they are very very swoon-worthy and well, just EVERYTHING! I am so relieved that the ending wasn't a cliffhanger and that most of my questions from Unearthly have been answered. The love triangle in this book was one of my most anticipated one and boy was I tortured between both boys! I am so glad to say that the hype going on about this book was totally true. This book was just AMAZING, the storyplot was not easy to guess, and most of my unanswered questions from Unearthly were answered in this book!


Characters:
I love all the characters, particularly Christian and Tucker. They were both so AMAZING throughout the book. Cynthia's description of her characters were just beautiful and it makes me feel this love glowing all around me. When I reach halfway throughout the book, I was Team Tucker. By the end of the book? I'm Team Christian. I still love Tucker but [Spoiler: Please highlight words to read it] I didn't like the way things end between Tucker and Clara. I find Christian such a patient guy who I think does belong with Clara. Tucker is not the only one who can make Clara smile, because Christian can do that easily too. Christian was with Clara all time. Clara also cares for him. Plus, there's a 'new' character, a part of Clara's family who I really really adore. I adore this new character A LOT and I can actually imagine seeing this new character stand in front of me and feel the whole room filled with joy (which by the way, I AM IN SERIOUS NEED OF NOW!). I love Clara's mom, although I feel like she should trust her daughter more. I actually didn't quite like Jeffrey because he treats Clara badly but when I finally know the reason why, I feel sad for him. Gosh, I don't think I can stand waiting for another year to read what's going to happen with the characters after everything that happened in Hallowed!


Overall:
Hallowed will take your breath away one more time. This beautifully written novel is full of love, joy, sadness, sorrow and this makes it unforgettable. Readers will find themselves 'struggling' with both Tucker and Christian, and many of your unanswered questions from Unearthly will be answered in Hallowed. It's worth all the wait because Hand delivers yet another compelling story that will you leave you breathless and see sparks fly. 

5 Forget-me-not flowers for Hallowed!

 Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for the review copy!