Review: Unearthly

by Cynthia Hand
publisher: HarperTeen
date published: January 4, 2011
format: hardcover
pages: 435
source: borrowed from a friend
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N

From Goodreads:

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

What I Thought

Unearthly caught me completely by surprise. I wasn't quite expecting the angle that Cynthia Hand approached the story from and was intrigued time and time again as I read each chapter. After the other angel-centered books I have read this year, this one felt fresh and new and had a fairly different tone, which I found to be altogether enjoyable.

Clara isn't what you would expect from a girl who happens to be part angel and is gifted with the ability to do just about anything with easy grace. She may have talents that stem from her angel blood, but in many ways, she is a typical teenage girl. She has interests, crushes, and feels shy quite often when she starts attending her new school. She is endearingly awkward as she learns about the dynamic at the high school near Jackson Hole, Wyoming that she comes to attend after receiving visions about her purpose in life. These visions that led her family to pack up and move have dropped Clara in an awkward situation as the new girl in a new school that is made up of a firm social hierarchy. As she learns about where she will fit in and struggles with a very strong crush, Clara learns more about herself than she might otherwise have.

The approach taken with the angels and angel bloods in this story was done in a very interesting way. There are names for those who are 1/4 angel, 1/2 angel, full-blooded angel, and even fallen angel. I was really intrigued by the concept of the Black Wing, a fallen angel that poses a threat to angel bloods and exudes roiling waves of sadness. I hadn't been expecting a physical threat in this book, just the natural one that Clara figures out she must face from her visions. The Black Wing is a very sinister character based upon its ability to project sadness along with the other frightening capabilities it has. It definitely made for a more alarming sense of urgency when everything began coming to a head in this book.

The characters in Unearthly were, for the most part, very easy to become attached to. I wasn't as big of a fan of Christian as Clara was. Something just seemed to be too reserved about him (and I was right, though I can and will not say for what reason). I much preferred Tucker once he got past his jerky minor role phase and started shining as a full-blown character and love interest. His sister, Wendy, was an endearing character that I wish had been featured a bit more. She had a great dynamic with Clara and seemed to be a very easy-going character. I also liked Angela and can't wait to see what else she will have to offer in the next book. She brought a spunky intensity to the table that was very hard not to like.

One of the aspects that I enjoyed the most was the idea of Clara's purpose. It was a very strong experience for her that led her to become extremely infatuated with a boy she had never met, perhaps mistakenly. The process of deciphering the visions that would allow her to be in the right place at the right time doing the right actions was an intriguing one that brought a lot of depth to the story overall. As I watched Clara attempt to put all of the pieces together, I wondered if she was taking away the correct feelings from her visions and was very interested to see what choices she would make both in accordance with and against the weight of her visions. It made for a very fascinating reading experience that made me reluctant to put the book down for very long.

Unearthly is a surprisingly complex book. From the synopsis I didn't expect that and was very pleased with where the story went. The book came highly recommended, and now I see exactly why. I was sad when it ended with just the right amount of cliff hanger and can't wait to see what is in store for us in the next book. I give Unearthly 5 hoots.