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Book Review of Unearthly (Unearthly, Bk 1)

Unearthly (Unearthly, Bk 1)
emilysreadingroom avatar reviewed on


This review originally appeared on www.emilysreadingroom.com on January 4, 2011.

Color me shocked, I loved this book. I don't love paranormal romance. I generally find it shallow and uninteresting and all about the romance. For the first few chapters I thought, "Eh, this is the same old thing I've read a hundred times." Then, it all changed.

I don't want to give anything away, but the main character does something in this book around chapter 13 that had me doing some serious celebrating. Clara is a woman after my own heart. She understands her destiny and her purpose, but she doesn't allow herself to be trampled on.

Reason number two that I loved this book. Tucker. Tucker is the best thing to happen to YA fiction since Gilbert Blythe. I loved that he called Clara carrots. Also, he has HOBBIES! He doesn't sit in his room and listen to music and brood. It's river rafting, fishing, hiking, and the like. Talk about a breath of fresh air.

Last major reason that I loved this story were for Clara's friends Wendy and Angela. They were both important to the story in different ways and weren't just a faceless filler for friends. (aka Jessica in Twilight). Her friendship with both of them was genuine.

Now, this wasn't the perfect book. I felt like the ending left a bit to be desired. I am not a cliff-hanger kind of girl. I like seeing more resolutions than more questions. And, unfortunately, there was a lot that wasn't answered. Also, I felt like there were a few gaps in the story towards the middle. Wendy and Angela go on trips/internships (oh so convenient) and it's like communication with them ceases until they return. I would have liked to have seen more interaction between Clara and her girl friends.

Overall, this book exceeded my expectations. It was the first book I read in 2011, and I chose very well. I can't wait for the sequel, and I have a feeling that I'll be recommending this book a lot.

And, as a PS, two other things I thought were done well were the angel folklore and the culture in Wyoming. Well done Ms. Hand. Well done.