Book Review: Hallowed

Title: Hallowed
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publication: January 17, 2012 (hardcover)
Pages: 416
Publisher: Harper Teen
Buy it: Amazon, B&N, Book Depository

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her 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.

Described by Richelle Mead as “utterly captivating,” Unearthly received outstanding reviews, garnered accolades from New York Times bestselling authors, and was named an Indie Next Pick. In this heart-wrenching sequel, Cynthia Hand expertly captures the all-consuming joy of first love—and the agony of loss. This beautifully woven tale will appeal to fans of Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Aprilynne Pike.

Cynthia Hand has written a wonderful followup to Unearthly. As I had hoped, Hallowed has quite a bit more action than Unearthly, though not as much as action lovers would hope (the plot's still unfurling!). While Clara is still trying to figure out her purpose, we learn more about angels and Black Wings. We learn a more about Clara's family, and we learn why Jeffrey was so sad when he comes home the day of the fires.

Clara is on edge for the most part. Knowing that someone close to her will die, struggling through long days to protect those she love, and having to deal with loss and with the burden of who she is, Hallowed hasn't been an easy time for her. She's sensing Black Wings here and there, her mom still keeps secrets from her, and her brother has been acting up. Even Tucker can't comfort her because there are some things that Clara just can't tell him, or she'll jeopardize him more than she already has.

I fell more in love with Tucker along with Clara. He is such a kind and caring person. With Clara getting deeper into the whole angel-blood mess and going away for college, I don't know how their relationship will progress from here on out. After finding out her heritage, Clara cannot ignore the danger that she's in, and it looks as though she will be depending on Christian more and more. Yes, he's a wonderful guy, and he keeps her grounded a lot of the time. Romantically, Clara is determined to fight to keep her relationship with Tucker, and I hope that she won't find herself in a position where she will have to choose between the two of them again!

Hallowed is a poignant, bittersweet read. Clara has learned much about herself and the angel-bloods, and she has lost so much more. The world around her is constantly changing. Clara herself is changing, and she is in for a long, hard journey. I am eagerly anticipating the third novel and have high expectations for it!

My rating: Highly [Highly] Recommended!

Related Posts:
Unearthly Review (review by Kris)

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. No payment was received in return for a review. The receipt of the book had no influence on the opinions expressed in my review.