Unearthly

By Cynthia Hand

The heart-wrenching, unputdownable paranormal romance from Cynthia Hand.

Angelic powers, forbidden romance, and the choice between fulfiling your destiny or following your heart’s desire. Clara has known she is part-angel since she turned fourteen two years ago. But only now, through fragmented visions of a terrifying bush fire, is her Purpose – the crucial rite of passage for every part-angel – becoming clear to her. When Clara meets Christian, the boy in her visions, he is everything she could wish for – so why does she also have feelings for her enigmatic classmate, Tucker? Clara discovers that her Purpose is only a small part of a titanic struggle between angels and their destructive counterparts, the Black Wings. And when the fire of her vision erupts and both Christian and Tucker are in danger, who will she choose to save?

Cynthia Hand’s debut novel, Unearthly, has become a hit with fans of paranormal romance. The most compelling books for teens since Fallen, Unearthly and its sequel, Hallowed, have received rave reviews from critics and teen readers alike.

Praise for Unearthly:

‘Utterly captivating . . . One of the most addictive books I’ve read in a while. Unearthly had me lying awake at night, wondering what would happen next’ – Richelle Mead, No.1 bestselling author of the Vampire Academy series

‘Page-turning and gripping. I loved it!’ – Alexandra Adornetto, author of bestselling Halo

• Language: English
• Publisher: Electric Monkey
• Release date: May 2, 2011
• ISBN: 9781780310732

Cynthia Hand

The Lady Janies are made up of New York Times bestselling authors Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows. They first met in 2012, when their publishers sent them on a book tour together, and they hit it off so well they decided to write My Lady Jane so they could go on book tours together all the time. Between the three of them they’ve written more than twenty published novels, a bunch of novellas, a handful of short stories, and a couple of really bad poems. They’re friends. They’re writers. They’re fixing history by rewriting one sad story at a time. Learn more at ladyjanies.com. 

Reviews for Unearthly

[roses7184_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

How do I start this review? I suppose I'll begin with the characters. I liked Clara. I thought she was very much an average teenage girl who is trying to understand her place in the world. Unfortunately for her, she has the added problem of trying to understand where her angel half fits in as well. Her friendships with Angela and Wendy were cute and believable. Tucker was a sweetheart. Then there's Christian. Perfect, flawless Christian. He was the one character that I really couldn't connect with. I think Cynthia Hand built some fantastic characters, but I feel as though Christian was just too perfect for his own good. Maybe this is setting him up for the next book, I wish I knew!

In terms of writing, I thought that Unearthly moved along at a very nice pace, and that the writing flowed. I immensely enjoyed the fact that although Hand offers her readers a lot of descriptions, none of them go overboard. She allows you to settle yourself into the scene before taking off again, and I loved that! The best part for me was the romance aspect of the book. I liked that Clara is torn, and that she shows her true colors when she is around Tucker. The inner battle between her angel side and her human side really shows through her time with Tucker, and it makes her so much more deep as a character. This was my favorite part of the book, hands down. If not for Tucker, I would not have been nearly as involved in this book.

The ending is what frustrated me most, and I'm not talking about just the last chapter. The whole end of the book spirals slowly and leaves the reader hanging on a string. I'm not one to be upset about cliffhangers. In fact, I rather love them! However this book just didn't feel finished. By the end of Unearthly my mouth was hanging open and I wanted to cry. There were just too many unfinished story lines, so many things that weren't tied up. It felt like someone handed me half a book and walked away. Perhaps it's just me, and it may well be, but I was a little upset about that. I know this is a series, but I still felt a little cheated.

I'm being honest when I say that my opinion of this book was probably influenced by the fact that it was so over hyped before I read it, and that I had too high of expectations. That's not to say that Unearthly isn't a good read. It truly is! It's sweet, and well-written. However there are a lot of books about angels out there, and that makes it easy to fall into a set of rules that make every book seem like every other book. I liked Clara, I liked her story, I just didn't feel like it was anything that I hadn't read before. Add in the feeling of an unfinished storyline, and I just couldn't fall in love as much as I wanted to. I do recommend you give it a try though. Unearthly is the type of read that will leave you a little frustrated at the end, but hopefully wanting more.

[strongpieces · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review also posted at The Wandering Fangirl.I've been reading a whole lot of YA recently, most of which seems familiar and uninteresting. Unearthly is leaps ahead of the pack simply because Clara, our heroine, is insanely likeable and easy to relate to. She's not perfect, but she's not so imperfect, either; she falls squarely in the middle somewhere along with the rest of us readers, and that's what I relate to the most. She's that girl who is unsure of where she is in life or what she's doing, but she's trying her best with it all.As for the love triangle that's become so prevalent in YA fiction lately, I found it was done pretty well here. Both boys (Christian and Tucker) aren't as filled in as they should be, but there's still enough about them to see why Clara falls for both. The book summary, which tries to market the romance as good boy vs bad boy, doesn't do the triangle justice. Christian is the sort of boy all of us fell for in school once upon a time. Tucker is the boy we probably had as a friend and never thought of as romantic potential. Each has their own merits and faults, arriving at certain thoughts/plot points in what seems like a natural fashion.That's what makes Unearthly so successful, in my eyes: it's all so natural, despite the decidedly fantastical power Clara has. I also appreciated that for being an angel, the book doesn't come down heavily on one side of religion or another. It simply shows us the world through Clara's eyes.

[alcarinqa_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read the full review here.Unearthly is a captivating book, with interesting characters and unique angel lore. My favourite part was getting to know more about angels and their Purposes on Earth. The novel starts off by describing the visions that Clara gets to tell her about her Purpose, which involve a mysterious boy. I think the visions are wonderful way to engage readers, especially since each one reveals something new and exciting. I found Clara’s struggles to retain normalcy in her life to be realistic; she has found out she is an angel, and she accepts it, but it is difficult for her to think of herself as not human. Her mother seems to think that Clara’s Purpose, which revolves around saving Christian, means she should not spend time making friends and getting to know other people, which I thought was very unfair on her. The more she finds out about angels, however, the more I wanted to know, and I noted that she slowly grew to accept herself and take initiative to fulfil her Purpose. The characters in the book didn’t inspire empathy; I felt like I was always kept away from their real thoughts and feelings.Wendy and Angela were controlling friends, who only liked Clara when she conformed to their ideas. Although I wanted to like Christian, I felt he held too much back. He was in the periphery of the story, even though the visions and Clara’s Purpose are about him. Unearthly was a great read, and I am looking forward to starting Hallowed to find out more about angels and Clara’s purpose. Young adult readers who like books about angels will enjoy Unearthly because of the fresh spin it puts on the lore.

[mlleehreen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I’m predisposed NOT to like angel books. I picked up UNEARTHLY thanks to the good reviews and, once again, have literary proof that any subject can be wonderful in the hands of the right author – and Cynthia Hand absolutely nails it.

On the surface, UNEARTHLY seems like a very generic young adult novel. The heroine, Clara, is part-supernatural-creature and she has a Very Important Duty to perform while, simultaneously, coping with the stresses of high school and crushing on a really hot guy.

Cynthia Hand adopts those generic ingredients but she doesn’t write a generic story with them. Sometimes she succeeds just by doing things better than the average YA writer. Take Kaye, the high school’s official Mean Girl/Queen Bee. Kay and Christian, the hot guy that Clara crushes on, are an item, so she and Kay are natural enemies.

In most books, Kay would be cartoonishly awful. But Cynthia Hand writes Kay with more nuance. Here’s an example of a comment that she makes to Clara at school: “’There’s this great Chinese place we like to hit for lunch about a mile from here. You’ll have to try it sometime with your friends.’ Translation: You and I will never be friends.” Kay’s making a friendly, helpful comment with an implied insult. The setdown is subtle, clever, not so obvious that you wonder how Christian, a genuinely nice guy, can tolerate her.

As the book continues, Hand does better than improving on familiar tropes. She takes her story in new directions, makes surprising choices. I was really impressed by how Clara’s crush on Christian evolved through the book. How Tucker, the third party in Clara’s love triangle, wormed his way into my heart. I really liked the way that UNEARTHLY is permeated with a sense of the divine and yet Clara’s choices are never obvious. She doesn’t get an infallible moral compass with her wings. Good and evil are as real as God in this world, but Clara struggles through a world of grays, just like the rest of us.

Very excited about this series, and can’t wait for the sequel. Highly recommended.

[a_reader_of_fictions · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Despite having read and been disappointed by a number of these paranormal series books, I still get really excited for every single one. Unearthly was no exception, except in the sense that this one proved not to be disappointing. Although this may not be a book I actually add to my personal library, I did love almost every minute of reading it and figuratively cannot wait for the next in the series.

Angel books can be really awful, even in the context of how bad some of the teen paranormal romances can be. When you bring in the whole pesky religion business, which is somewhat unavoidable with the whole angel thing, a story can go from fun to preachy in less time than it takes to cross yourself. Hand does a good job with this delicate subject: she does not ignore the issue, but nor does she dwell on it. The book feels like fantasy not like an allegory or disguised lecture on the one true god. Maybe she's got an agenda with her angel story, but I don't think so.

One of the things I appreciate about Unearthly, which falls into the realm of spoilers is that, even though there is a super perfect guy, she does not go for him. The boy in her purpose, Christian (for serious, she went there) is the super sexy guy with no faults who is dating the hot bitchy girl. She describes initial encounters with him thus: "And so far in the span of two weeks, the stars align exactly three times and he ends up in the desk next to mine. I smile and say hello. He smiles back and says hi. For a moment, an undeniable force seems to draw us together like magnets. But then he opens his notebook or checks his cell phone under his desk, signifying that our Nice weather we're having chitchat is over." It begins in a barf-worthy place, but then goes to a more realistic, this-magic-emotion-is-all-in-her-head-place. In another story, Personal Demons for example, he would feel drawn to her and she to him and no obstacle could possibly stand in the way of their monumental and immediate love. I really appreciate that Hand did not go that route, at least not yet. Just because the guy is a dreamboat and perceived as perfect (or even is perfect) that does not mean that he is perfect for the heroine.

The other thing I loved a whole lot were the pop culture references weaved in. The one that sold me was the nickname given to the main character by the guy that was not Christian. That is a reference (and hopefully an intentional one) to Anne of Green Gables, which made me, from first use of the nickname, root for that guy wholeheartedly. Her chapter titles are also frequently references, such as "My Purpose-Driven Life" (I burst out laughing reading that one). The song from the post's title is also referenced. For me, pop culture references = win, both because I love pop culture and because it's good not to take oneself or one's story too seriously.

Paranormal YA fans, find yourselves a copy of this one as soon as it's published and get a-reading!

[lilcrickit · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved it!!!

[bubblebathbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Bubblebathbooks.net (aka Bubby and Sissy) found Unearthly and Hallowed by Cynthia Hand to be truly riveting and emotionally engaging books about love and choices and consequences. Amongst angels and humans, in fact. Set in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, these first two books in the Unearthly Trilogy were so good that Sissy had to actually stop being a cheap skate for a minute and pre-order book three, Boundless, which comes out on January 22nd. Bubby read the first two books and then had actual deep and ponderous thoughts. That is not to say that these books are too heavy or serious, but they do make you think while you are completely engrossed in them. To read our full review, go to bubblebathbooks.net

[lissaj_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've read several angel series and they seem either completely dark or complete fluff. This one falls somewhere in the middle and I think it is a nice mix. It is really for a young adult audience, from the writing to the personalities but it is a fun read and this first book wrapped up enough of the story for a satisying end but left enough open threads for the remaining books.

[kewpie83 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

All in all, I enjoyed 'Unearthly' by Cynthia Hand. It was an enjoyable read, though slightly overhyped for my tastes. Hand's unique take on angel lore makes 'Unearthly' stand out among the ever growing collection of angel themed YA novels.


As far as pacing, 'Unearthly' was slow. I can most easily compare the pacing of 'Unearthly' to that of 'Twilight'. You know how 'Twilight' had a lot of character background and very little plot until the last fifty pages? Well, 'Unearthly' was similar. Except, 'Unearthly' didn't do it as well as 'Twilight'. Many times, I found myself wishing the characters would stop repeating things we already heard multiple times and just get on with it! The ending, however, was very well placed. While I was intrigued by the story for the first two acts, the third act convinced me that this story was more than your basic angel story.


Romance... Tricky, tricky, tricky. The romance in 'Unearthly' was charming and less corny than most YA novels. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Christian. Tucker had me there for a while, but at this point, I'd love to see what Christian has to offer. Overall, Hands did well in this area!


Another concern about this novel? It's kind of forgettable. It's been a month since I've read this novel and I had to read the blurb to remember a lot of the storyline. A good book, for me, is one that I'll remember without having to read the back of the book again. While I remembered the main bits of the novel, nothing really stood out for me enough to really remember details.


If you like angel fiction, this is something you'll want to read. While a little slow and not exactly memorable, 'Unearthly' is an entertaining read and worth checking out.

[avidreaderlisa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So I really really liked this book.

There wasn't a point in the story where I had a different opinion, it was just really good.

It wasn't hard to like the main character, Clara was just the right mix of the supernatural and normal teenage girl. She might have been more mature than a normal sixteen/seventeen year old. However you can still see the growing up that needs to happen.

And another thing...I love Tucker, where can I meet a guy like him, do they even exist anymore, cause I sure the heck haven't found one yet. Clara you are one lucky girl.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This one was interesting with a well thoughtout mythology and pretty solid characters, occasionally stuttered but overall not a bad read and I'm looking forward to book 2.Clara Gardner knows that she's part angel, and part of her life is that she has a mission, a purpose she was brought onto the earth to do. She has visions of a raging forest fire which eventually leads to her family uprooting themselves from California and heading for Wyoming. The displacement and some of the manifestations of her angel self make her stand out from the others and the fact that the boy she keeps seeing in visions is the most popular boy in the class... yeah, that doesn't help.I didn't find the mother was very helpful in ensuring she knew enough about the background of her world and ensuring that she knew enough about the dangers around her. I found that a bit offputting and lowered the stars for me, particularly when the dark angels turned up.Readable, pretty good example of the genre, bit off in some of what the main character knows about what's going on and about her mother's reactions but shows promise.

[srearley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I fall in the "not a fan of angel books" camp, but keep seeing that this series is enjoyed even by those of my ilk.

I grabbed a stack of books at the library the other day and started reading....and yep. I enjoyed this one. The explanations of the fantastic elements worked for me, I bonded with the characters, loved the scenery, and yes, I have some new book crushes.

Thankfully this first did not end on a cliffhanger, although the love triangle might end up being annoying. I'm withholding judgement on that point.

Now, to find the time to get to the library to get the rest of the series!

[danitronmc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Clara Gardner isn’t your typical teenage girl–she isn’t even human, really. Clara is an angel-blood, or Nephilim, same as her mother and her brother. Angel-bloods have a specific purpose on earth, and Clara is having visions of what her purpose is–visions that include a forest fire inferno and a mysterious boy. As a result of her visions, her family is uprooted from California and moves out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. There she finds the boy from her visions, but how is her vision supposed to pan out? And when Clara is faced with a seemingly impossible decision–choosing between her heart and her purpose–which will she choose? This was an interesting take on the whole angel-on-earth story, and I smiled at the conversational banter between characters. But you know when you read a book that makes you go “WHOA, that was AWESOME!” and then you read another book after and you really like the second book, but it doesn’t incite the same reaction the first one you read did? That’s kind of what happened when I read this story. I really did enjoy it, and I want to read the rest of the series–this book leaves you wondering, “What’s next for Clara?” and I need to know what happens–so a 4/5 stars it is ;)

[creativejunkie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've had Unearthly sitting on my counter for almost two months (from the library, no less. Shame on me). I wasn't sure why it took me so long to finally pick it up, other than the fact that I knew really nothing about it, except one thing: I was going to LOVE Tucker Avery.

So, I basically went into this blind. I assumed from the title that it was going to be paranormal somehow, but I honestly don't even think I read the summary. (that's my bad) So that, and TUCKER AVERY!!!!!!! was all I had to go on.

Now, let me say that I did end up enjoying him. Did I love him? Well, no, but in all fairness, I don't think I was given enough of him TO love. He didn't really come into the story as more than a pesky background figure till almost two-thirds of the way through the book. So, point knock off #1 - I wanted to fall in love with a new boy, and I didn't. And the whole set-up with his sister...weird. Totally weird. I don't know, maybe in the next book we'll find out she's an all-knowing psychic and saw them together, but the convo between Wendy and Clara toward the beginning of the book, I wasn't buying. It was like the author was forcing us to see something that wasn't there. Me thinks that was her version of foreshadowing, but it didn't work.

And maybe that's where she lost me. So much of the book felt forced - felt TOLD. In a 400 page book, I should have felt *everything*. I wanted to see and experience it for myself. I wanted to feel the flutter of new love and swoon over the boy. I wanted to feel anxiety and fear and helplessness. Instead, I simply read about those things, turned the page, and felt completely unchanged from any of it.

In the end, I just...I didn't really care about any of the characters. They were forgettable to me, which is a shame because I think the premise has promise. I'm left feeling like I did after reading Fallen and Hush, Hush. *shrug* Meh.

[jacquiemak · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars
In my neverending quest to find good angel books, I picked this one up. I was very turned off by the cover, but just decided to read it based on reviews that said it was not another eye-rolling ya PNR, and was probably one of the best in its class. I agreed with them. It was actually a pretty cute story and I liked it.

[jfoster_sf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great love story about angels and destiny. (The story line has obviously been done, but the characters made it worth it for me.)

[bduke_15 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this in less than 24 hours on a work day :) Loved it!!! The only thing I could criticize is the cliff-hanger ending. I like things to be a little wrapped up while I'm waiting for the next book to come out. But this was a great read. I can't wait to find out what is going to happen next. Tucker or Christian, Tucker or Christian? I'm not even sure what team I'm on, I love them both. Maybe it's a Luke, Lea, Han triangle and it will all turn out happy. Except she's totally attracted to both of them, so that would be a little disturbing. Anyway, I highly recommend this book! I'm going to have to order more for my middle school library because it's going to go viral - 8th graders will eat this up. It's exciting and romantic without anything graphic.

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes YA Paranormal books with Angels. It is captivating, refreshing and fun.Opening Sentence: In the beginning, there’s a boy standing in the trees.The Review:Clara Gardner is part angel, so is her mother and her brother. All part angels have a purpose that they are destined to fulfill and Clara is trying to figure out what hers is. She has started to get visions of a beautiful boy standing in a forest fire. What do her visions mean? Is she supposed to save the boy from the fire or is her purpose something else? Her family decides to relocate to Jackson Hole Wyoming where she believes her purpose will take place.While attending her new school Clara learns that there is more to being an angel-blood than she thought. She meets her mystery boy from her visions, his name is Christian Prescott and he is the most beautiful, intimidating boy she has ever met. Clara has always been slightly awkward especially when it comes to the opposite sex. As she tries to figure out her purpose she meets many new friends and happens to fall in love along the way, but will love interfere with her purpose?I really loved Clara she is a fun young girl trying to find her place in life. She doesn’t always make the best decisions throughout the book, but I think she tries to follow her heart and do the right thing. She is a very strong heroine even though at times she does what she is told instead of what she thinks is right. It is so fun to get to see her make new friends and fall in love for the first time. It made it easier to connect with her because I feel what she goes through was similar to my high school experience.Christian is our mysterious boy from the visions. He is the total IT boy in school, dating the prettiest girl, rich, and a big time jock. I liked Christian, but at times I thought that he was a little clueless. I think he is a nice guy, but I felt that it was really awkward most of the time between him and Clara. I hope to see their relationship grow more in the books to come, because at this time I just see him as a friend and not a love interest.(WARNING: MAJOR GUSHING AHEAD!!!)Tucker Avery is a blue eyed, blonde haired hottie. Not only is he a sexy cowboy but to top it off he is sweet, respectful and probably the best boyfriend ever!!! Honestly, I think that he is amazing and one of the most wonderful boys to ever be invented by an author!!! I know that this isn’t the case for everyone but he is the perfect boy for me :)! (Gushing has stopped) Tucker is that boy that everyone loves and respects. He is popular because he is a good person not because he is gorgeous or way good at sports. I love his and Clara’s relationship; it grows very slow and is so sweet. He is that guy you wish you could meet, almost to perfect to be true. As you can tell I am a big fan of Tucker and I hope that we get to see him a lot more in future books.Angela is another angel blood that Clara meets in Jackson and they become friends. I like Angela because she is mysterious and unlike Christian or Tucker she is more of a loner, which Clara seems to really like and relate to. Angela has a fun attitude and is very fun to read about. She takes more risks in her life and she seems to have some secrets that I am excited to learn more about in future books. She is a great friend to Clara and really tries to help her understand more about angel-bloods.This book is such a fun, fast read. It takes a little to get into because there is a lot of background information that you have to go through, but it is so worth it. I have read so many angel books lately, but this one has a new fresh idea that just captivated me. The characters are fun, the plot is interesting and the ending is perfect. You aren’t left with a horrible cliffhanger, but you are left wanting more. I also love that this book is set in Jackson Wyoming. I happen to live only a few hours from there so I can really relate to all the places they visit in the book. I know that this will not be the case for the majority of people but I think that it’s a plus. I highly recommend this book to any fans of a good YA paranormal read, it will not disappoint. Cynthia Hand has created a wonderful enticing world that you will be left wondering about long after you finish the book.Notable Scene:But then I see him.He’s standing with his back to me near my locker. A surge of electricity zings through me as I recognize his shoulder, his hair, the shape if his head. In a flash I’m in the vision, seeing him both in the black fleece jacket among the trees and for real, just down the hall simultaneously, like the vision is a thin veil laid on top of reality.I take a step toward him, my mouth opening to call his name. Then I remember that I don’t know it. Like always, it’s as if he hears me anyway and starts to turn, and my heart skips a beat when I don’t wake up but see his face now, his mouth curling up in a half smile as he jokes with the guy next to him.He glances up and his eyes meet mine. The hallway melts away. It’s only him and me now, in the forest. The vision comes from behind him, the fire on the hillside roaring toward us, faster that it could ever possibly happen.I have to save him. I think.That’s when I faint.FTC Advisory: HarperCollins/Harper Teen provided me with a copy of Unearthly. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[wanderlustlover_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5, again, but erring on the side of 4, because, while this book is nothing near perfectly written (especially the eye-wateringly YA romance tripe at the Prom and boy descriptions therein), I am so so So Impressed by the unexpected massive double-twist ending.

This story could have ended in the most predictable of YA Romance/Mystical Angel ways, and it didn't. Two times over. And that makes me so much more driven to needing to dig my fingers into it. (And it's why even on the day I finished it I bought book two and read to the 32% before even being willing to fall asleep.)

This is not your mother's angel story, and we get that pretty much from the get go. Dragging out all sorts of hints, confusion, revelations everywhere.

[iamchrysanthemum · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Slightly embarrassing confession: I really really wanted to like the Twilight series, and to a certain degree, I did enjoy Twilight. To me, there’s something so intoxicating about stories of first love(s)—definitely add the plural “s” because there’s always a love triangle—juxtaposed with the quotidian drudgery of high school life mixed with extraordinary tales of supernatural creatures. But with Twilight, the writing was so amateur, the plot so nonsensical, the characters so bland, the themes so sexist, that I could not enjoy it as unadulterated teen paranormal romance fluff; I had to maintain my dignity and denounce it.

Thus I am so happy to have picked up Unearthly despite the fact that the blurb and cover did not immediately appeal to me, because it has everything I wished Twilight would have had: a gooey romance without abuse, an engaging, mostly logical paranormal mythology, and a likeable, intelligent heroine.

Unlike Twilight, Unearthly is remarkably well-plotted. The book begins with Clara, a girl with ¼ part angel blood, receiving her purpose from God. Much of the mythology of the book is based on Christian mythology, so some purposes from God involve being a messenger angel and some involve being a guardian angel. Clara thinks she’s a guardian angel, which, along with her general paranormality, creates a nice gender reversal; in Unearthly, the girl is the supernatural awesome creature and the boys struggle to keep up with her and understand her exceptionality. It is obvious that the author actually spent time outlining her series rather than just winging it since key revelations are slowly divulged and more remains to be discovered in the sequels.

Another reason Unearthly succeeds is its pleasant heroine. Clara is amiable, but she’s not a Mary Sue who suffers from a terrible case of too-stupid-to-live-itis. She’s special, because, duh, she’s a quarter-angel, but people call her out when she’s acting stupid. She’s not lionized nor is she a self-insert character for the author or reader. Sure, boys kowtow a bit too readily at her feet, but I was willing to forgive it since her choices didn’t make me roll my eyes incessantly. I genuinely liked reading about Clara’s difficulties adjusting to a new high school and growing into her newfound powers. From time to time, she could be melodramatic, but it faded quickly. I could relate to Clara and cheered for her.

If you’re allergic to sugary teen romance that seems to grow into true love in less than a heartbeat, then Unearthly is probably not for you. The love story develops too easily (though, isn’t first love always super easy? the loves that follow are the hard ones) and there are schmaltzy exchanges like this: “But she gave me the perfect gift."

“What?”

“You.” Yet sometimes, lovey-dovey exchanges like that are what I want. I couldn’t even bring myself to object to the love triangle because it makes sense in terms of the plot and I was too busy deciding what boy I wanted to be victorious (Team Christian! I think…).

Unearthly is certainly a standout in the YA paranormal romance genre, and I can’t wait to see the love triangle, angel mythology, and themes of free will develop throughout the rest of the series.

[has_bookpusher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Unearthly was a book that really surprised me, I initially thought it would be an average book that would have a angsty forbidden love story and that there would be nothing that stood out with the glut of other similar themed YA books out at the moment. But after a slow start I was really pleasantly surprised how the story unfolded in the second half and for me this made the book stand out among its contemporaries.



Clara Gardner along with her brother Jeffery are actually not as normal or as fully human as they appear because they are part angel. Due to this they have powers as well as wings and like all angels are born to have a purpose to help others. Clara is haunted with visions of saving an unknown boy caught up in a forest fire and soon realises this is the purpose that she was born for. Clara finds herself drawn to Wyoming, along with her brother and her mother, Maggie where she tracks him down. Upon discovering the mysterious boy, who she later learns is Christian, is a student at the school she attends, and Clara soon tries to unravel the mysteries about why and how she has to save him from his tragic fate.

Clara was a capable, engaging and determined character and she never fell into the pitfalls of being too perfect or entering too stupid too live moments despite her flaws which were believable. I really enjoyed the mythos behind the angels and demons and how Clara adjusted to this knew knowledge and her angelic abilities. I really liked how she struggled and developed her abilities and worked out her role while at the same time going through school. I especially found the demonic foes that angels have to mostly hide from were pretty scary and at the same time sad, and the scene where Clara has to tackle one was pretty chilling.

However, I think the real highlight for me was how the romance developed in the book. Although the blurb suggests a love story with Christian but midway through the story, a wild-card option for her affections crops up. For me I found this secondary character popping up offers an interesting dynamic as well a love triangle of sorts. I really liked how the love story plot developed because very soon this potential love interest throws a curve-ball into the mix and I so did not see how this tied in with Clara’s quest. Moreover in this book the love triangle does not drag on, but is resolved pretty quickly because Clara deals with it by not leading on the guy who loses out which I found really refreshing although there is hints at the end that it may not be the end of the matter. But how Clara came to this decision and how the relationship panned out surprised me and I loved how that was done. It also showed how Clara was torn between duty and being led by her heart but ultimately made a human decision about her feelings for the guy she loves.

I was really impressed with the mythology and the relationships Clara had with the people she loved. I was really expecting an average read for this book but Cynthia Hand’s multi-layered characterisation, deft plotting which had major twists and turns galore and an engrossing mystery which has definitely kept me hanging for the next instalment. Unearthly is a wonderful debut novel with a capable and relatable heroine that deals with the angels mythos in a fun and absorbing way!

[rubewrites · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Loved this series and the setting. It made me want to move to Jackson Hole.

[fefferbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kinda diggin' these. Nothing super original about the premise--supernatural girl in high school, struggling to fit in, figuring out her purpose, and love along the way. But like most decent YA lit, there's something that sets it apart, and it's full of interesting characters and a plot that'll keep you turning pages. Love Tucker to pieces.

[camibrite · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have to admit I started reading this, then almost put it back down because I am so tapped out on the whole "YA supernatural outsider yearns to find love and acceptance" thing at the moment. But this one doesn't quite follow all the Stephenie Meyer bullet points and I soon found myself reading way past my bedtime. First of all, there are some great characters. Wendy's brother Tucker is pretty much my favorite and jumps off the page to steal whatever scene he is in. Clara is very identifiable as our beleaguered and fish-out-of-water heroine, and Christian is the too-perfect-to-believe popular guy at school. I like that it's set in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It's a nice blend of rich and uncivilized. There's just enough mystery in the story to keep the reader guessing at how it will all end up. Really liked it, immediately and gratefully found the next book to see what's next!

[jami_leigh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The style was charming, and while at times I wanted to kick the plot itself along, I was distracted enough by the characters and the world building that I stuck along.

[fairydragonstar · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found this book engaging....I loved the dynamics between the characters as it really seemed like it was something that you would see in real life....I could not put the book down

[ritastradling · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Unearthly, oh Unearthly, how can I count the ways?
Well, first Tucker Avery. Throw in second and third too.
And Clara is my very favorite protagonist since Ilona Andrew's character Kate Daniels. She's just so believable and relatable and such a dork-- I absolutely love her.
I also had really low low expectations. I actually put down the book after first buying it-- the cover made me think eh. But the book was made me laugh out loud more than once.

[mickey_beerens · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Eager to begin Hallowed....

[kmjanek · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

RecommendedIn this first book of a trilogy, we are introduced to Clara. Clara and her brother, Jeffrey, are one quarter angel-blood. Their mother is half angel-blood. Clara has begun to see visions that are part of her Purpose. She figures out that the place in her visions is in Wyoming. Clara’s mother packs up her family from California and moves them to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Once there, Clara very quickly meets Christian who is the boy in her visions. Clara still doesn’t understand her purpose and her mother is not giving her the answers she wants. Clara is an outsider in her new high school and is befriended by only one girl, Wendy. Clara and Wendy become fast friends and it turns out that Wendy’s brother, Tucker, is interested in Clara. It is revealed that another one of her classmates is also an angel-blood and this new friend begins to give Clara some answers about angels. Clara is struggling with her purpose, but knows Christian is part of her visions so she has to pursue it, risking her budding relationship with Tucker. The ending is unexpected and Clara realizes that despite everything that has happened, she has to keep moving forward.This story was an enjoyable paranormal romance/mystery. It has a unique take on angels and the reader is introduced to some rather obscure angel history. The author has taken what we know about angles and created a modern day story with typical teen struggles. There were some emotional issues to deal with, like moving to a new state during high school, not fitting in, parents not communicating the way teens would like, romance, mean-girls and juggling academics with a personal life. The author develops Clara, Christian and Tucker into likeable, complicated characters. The reader will have a hard time deciding who Clara should fall in love with. The religious aspects of angels are woven into the story as beings who are on earth with the purpose of helping humans. Some of the loose ends are tied up at the end of the story, but there is definitely a lead into the second book. I would recommend the book to teens who are looking for an uplifting story that is a light read. It would be an ideal book club book for a school or public library.

[bridgetsbooknook · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cover~3.5/5~

So many of these book covers are so repetitive..They all look alike....The girl, in a dress, looking down, up, far off or what ever other way they can face her. (I know, the author has little to no decision in the cover-from my understanding that is.) But, one thing I can say I love about the book is the color...I love the purple...And the dress! (yes, another typical flowing dress, but I just love it)...The young lady on the cover almost looks like a black and white type of photo places on a purple background...but, when the dress hits the light, you can see the deep purple...Which made me love it even more...And I do love the design of and around the word, Unearthly. I love the binding...When the cover is not on, even the book itself is pretty...


Book~4/5~

Well, I'm disappointed. It didn't end the way I wanted or expected. Although it was a good book, not great, but good...I was just frustrated because of how it ended.

I Love the two male characters in the book equally but for different reasons. One, was perfect, a little too perfect in my opinion...Something has to be wrong with this guy..I mean seriously! Then the other, although he seems perfect, you can just tell by how he acts and responds to many situations that there's something underneath it all that he's not saying/showing. But, I can say that although it didn't end how I expected in the relationship thing with the people in her life, it also didn't end as I expected with one of the characters she interacts with. And that's the one part of the ending that I loved.

Clara's two best friends, well, one, I love, but not quite sure how much I trust her and what role she will play in the future...The other, is a little too jealous and pushy...Yes, I said jealous!!

I can't really say too much without giving away the story.

I may go on to the next in the series...It will be a while before I do because this one is so hard for me to get over.

If you like books about Angels and being thrown for a loop...or two...then this one is very much worth the try in reading.

Well, I guess that's all I can say, without giving away too much and end up with a bunch of spoilers. So, on to my next little adventure and trying to figure out who's live I will invade next!

Happy Reading!! :-)