Review: Hallowed

Title: Hallowed
Author: Cynthia Hand
Date Released: January 17th, 2012
Pages: 403
Rating: 4 out of 5

Description:
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.

In this compelling sequel to Unearthly, Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.

Review:
I didn't really know what to expect in Hallowed since Unearthly ended off with two cliffhangers, one of which could have gone in any direction.  So, I just went into the book going with the flow, partly since it had been over a year since I had read the first book in the series, so I didn't really remember much anyways.  Anyhow, it was a great follow up and kept me hooked until the very end.  There were so many surprises that intrigued me into reading more and more until I pretty much devoured the whole book.

Essentially, Hallowed follows Clara and continues into her senior year of high school.  On top of having to keep up her grades and apply for college, she's trying to figure out what her new vision could possibly mean, and when she finally does, it's heartbreaking.  Meanwhile, she's learning more and more about herself as an angel along with Angela, Christian, and her brother, Jeffrey.

I can't say that I liked Clara as much in Hallowed as I did like her in Unearthly.  For some reason she just seemed different, like she was more self-absorbed or just a little bit shallow.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but she just wasn't as likable.  I think it was her indecisiveness between Tucker and Christian.  She just seemed different when I started getting into Hallowed.  I did really like Angela though, and her quirkiness and inquisitiveness pertaining to her visions and just learning more about angels in general.  Tucker and Christian were both great, although Tucker was rather overprotective of Clara this time and that was a bit annoying.  Christian was just pretty much like the perfect angel that he is throughout the whole book ;)

The overall story kept me super captivated.  I loved how it was a mixture of intensity, surprises, and relaxing moments where I just got to learn more about Clara as an angel and see her build her relationships with others.  If you have read Unearthly and haven't read Hallowed yet, then I suggest you do because there is one... No, two things in the book that are bound to shock you.  They both definitely caught me by surprise.

Hallowed was a great followup to Unearthly, although it was a rather depressing sequel with a twist that just completely breaks your heart.  This book definitely leaves you wanting more and wanting to find out what happens in Boundless because there were so many loose ends.  Thank goodness Boundless is already out!  If you haven't read Unearthly yet, then I suggest you do!!  Especially if you're into reading about angels.  It won't disappoint :)

Cover Review:
I absolutely love this cover.  I love the overall blue color scheme that the designer decided to go with, as well as the faint traces of the background that you can see of the lake and the mountains which really creates the setting for the book.  Of course, I'm a big fan of the intricate detailing of the title with the addition of the feather which completes the cover.  Overall, I think that this is a pretty gorgeous cover that fits the the story.

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy borrowed from library.