Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Genre: YA, Supernatural, Romance
Perfect for: readers who don't mind slow beginnings
Star Rating: 3/5 Stars

Taken 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?"


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.