Book Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title:       Unearthly
Author:  Cynthia Hand
Genre:     Paranormal
Rating:    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
















Review:

Surprising really it is that nowadays YA Paranormal has blossom its patron. Perhaps, from the category where it belongs speaks enough of who mostly reads them—young adults. Apparently, readers of the said modern genre are covered by female majority. Based from obvious fact, the reason behind it is the genre itself has been often these days associated with romance as its sub-genre. Unearthly is under this sort—Paranormal Romance—hence became a reminder to me but didn’t bother about it. Until I finished it, there I met the regrets.

Unearthly tells a story of a sixteen-year old girl, Clara Gardner, who is a one-fourth part angel. Being a Nephilim or a Quartarius angel, it grants her supernatural abilities and required her purpose to accomplish. A vision of a young man standing in a wild fire has become her purpose. Giving the hints of the location in her vision, she and her family leave California to the place where the young man is to know what purpose she has to fulfill with him.

 As Clara enrolls herself to the same School as Christian’s, the young man in her visions, she becomes aware that she is falling in love with him. As the development of her story goes on, she meets her closest friends. Then she meets Tucker.

An overview question hovers my mind right after I finished the book: If these two meet you at the same time, who would you choose: your destiny or your true love?

I intentionally picked this book despite of genre where it falls into, though I don’t deny that I read this kind of books. Friends of mine claim that this book is at its best when it comes to its genre. Unfortunately, I really doubt so.

Honestly, I like how the book becomes an easy read for me. However, my rating basis doesn’t just fall into that category. Yes, admiring really it is at how the book opened a Character who was self-aware of her abilities. Unfortunately, I am taking that credit back. Cynthia Hand didn’t start with an innocent character in her book but she still inserted the moment-of-realization-I-am-a-superhuman in a small shard in the book. Herewith, Hands unfortunately failed to build solid history of her race existence thus some of the theories about angels became too hard for me grasp. One example is glowing hair as sign of what they call glory nonetheless it failed to buy me. The abilities mentioned in the book were surreal enough for my standard to absorb.

The book has become dragging to me. Despite of being an easy read, I find the book slow-paced mainly because the narration focused not to the mission but to other else instead. The genuineness of personality of the characters in the book was too weak for me to consider.

I am not against to romance unless it is being demonstrated unrealistically. The story of Unearthly aimed more on romance, unaware that her concept was being overshadowed by it. The obsession of Clara over Christian proves how the book focused more on romance. In a while, yes, it stopped but the love story continued as the story further developed. I did find it bothering that neither of chapters I encountered subjected other stuffs other than romance. 

The book consists of twists and revelation that I still find confusing. And that I blame again how Hands didn’t give any concrete history of her world. I was also disappointed at how the purpose ended. Not pertaining about the romance, but the reason behind its difference from the vision.

I reckon this book is not just for me. I still recommend this book to those who are fans of Twilight and Mortal Instrument. The story is like Clary Fray possesses Bella Swan but she chooses Jacob over Edward. Nevertheless, I just want to point out that Hands still needs massive improvements for her next books because apparently this one didn't make me, at all.

Buddy-Read with Kwesi.