Books In Her Head: Unearthly Book Two!

I'm SO stoked to be reviewing this book! I only read it this morning, but have been mulling over this review all afternoon. I'm ready!

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (Sequel to Unearthly)

Blurb:

For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

Review:

To start with, I was pretty hesitant to start this book. I wanted it to live up to my high standards, set by Unearthly, and I didn't want it to be one of those sequels that just wasn't that good.

Hallowed was delicious in a different way than Unearthly was. It wasn't satisfying in that way many sequels are, because Unearthly didn't leave that many questions unanswered. Hallowed really was a continuation of the story. But with a different kind of plot.

*SPOILERS* There were several things going on throughout the book. First, Clara has a second vision, one in which someone she loves is dead. Originally it was thought to have been Tucker that dies, but it is later discovered that it is actually Clara's mother. Also, it is discovered that Clara's mom knows a group of Angel bloods that go camping in this meadow where they meet and converse. It is also revealed that Clara's father is actually AN ANGEL!!!! Crazy shock!!!! So that means, that Clara is more than a quarter angel, she's 3 quarters angel. More angel than human. Which also means that she's more angel than Angela, who is seen in a vulnerable moment when she gets jealous. Then there is the whole Love Triangle thing, where she has to choose Christian over Tucker. I enjoyed this element, because we learn a lot about Christian and where he was coming from through out the first book. While Clara loves them both, it is her strong love for Tucker to let him go, and live a normal life. You can't forget about the whole dark angel in love with Clara's mom thing. The same one that Clara beat up the year before, that comes back to haunt them again. That was a big part. Lastly, there is the whole thing with Jeffery that turns out he started the fire, and that it was his purpose to save Tucker. Which got messed up when Clara actually saved him, instead of Christian, because Christian didn't actually need saving.

The biggest mystery at the end of the book, besides how everything turns out, is that Jeffery is gone. Well, that and the looming war against the falling angels that seems to be brewing. I feel this ring of Twilight here, eh? We'll have to see...

I will conclude that I enjoyed Hallowed a lot. Everything was exciting and well written and surprising, and was probably the best sequel that I've ever read. I am eagerly awaiting the release of the third and final book, Boundless, to be released later this week. 1/22/13 to be exact.