Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Review of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick







            Hush, Hush

  Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
  Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books
  Length: 391 Pages
  Hardback, via Library
  Rating: 3.25 Brownies





                       

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GoodReads Synopsis:


A SACRED OATH
A FALLEN ANGEL
A FORBIDDEN LOVE

        Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.

        But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

        For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.


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My Review:


           Alright, I'm a little late in the game here. Hush, Hush was first released 3 years ago, which, in young adult novel time, equates to 3 decades. Even still, it seems to pop up at every corner, which is what led me to pursue reading it. It felt like everyone and their mother (literally) had read this book, and I was tired of feeling left out of the Hush, Hush conversation. 

           Such is why I am writing this review now, 3 years overdue.

           So, I'm just going to put this on the table right away: I did not expect to like this book. In fact, I pictured myself tossing it across the room, tearing out pages and setting the binding on fire. I don't know what it is about the premise, but for some reason all I could think about before reading it were the numerous reviews that attacked Patch's character, calling his relationship with Nora everything from boring to psychotic. The only way I could bring myself to read the book was to make a compromise: I would check it out from the school library. 

           Imagine my surprise when, about five chapters in, I have to evaluate the situation. Not only was I reading Hush, Hush: I was enjoying it. I'd even venture to say that I had trouble putting it down. The review I'm about to give came out of a couple days of allowing my opinions to sink in, as my brain had trouble accepting all of the things I like about it.

          One of the highlights of the book, in my opinion, was the writing. This is actually what I worried most about going in, even more so then the supposed crazy romance. Fitzpatrick has an enchanting ability to describe, in lovely detail, what's happening in the book. Even now, my brain can easily conjure up images of characters and situations. She also succeeds at interweaving Nora's thoughts into the narration so it doesn't feel like a play-by-play.

           As for the characters, the only ones I found myself growing attached to were Nora and Patch. Vee's character could easily have been among my favorites, but something about her really turned me off. I'm hoping that I'll grow to like her more as the series progresses, because she still shows a lot of potential. On a different note, though I feel the readers should've been given more time to get to know them, Elliot and Jules were pretty solid characters. I hated them, but in the good way. Kind of like the way you have a love-hate relationship with your favorite movie villain. 

           Patch was a different story. Despite the creep factor that he definitely exudes during the first part of the book, I found myself slowly beginning to like him for his candor. If he felt like saying something to get under Nora's skin, he would. It's as simple as that. I know there are a lot of romantic interests out there that have the same mentality, but that doesn't take away from the glory it gives Patch. I even laughed out loud a couple of times at some of the remarks he makes.

           The protagonist, Nora, was nothing special in my opinion. Was she pleasant to share eyes with?  Sure. Did she leave a lasting impact? No. Of course, this isn't a terribly bad thing. I guess it's just one of the reasons I still only give Hush, Hush a 3.25 rating. Again, I'm hoping that once I break into Crescendo I'll grow to appreciate her more.

          Now, bear in mind, I haven't read many fallen angel books. I'm not sure I've read any, for that matter. I'll say, though, that the back-story behind the fallen angels in Hush, Hush really had my attention. I won't blow any of it, but I'll say that I thought it was pretty well thought out and delivered. I'm also interested to hear more about Patch's life as an angel.

           I'll end this review with a final statement: if you're looking for a decent, quick read to pass the time, Hush, Hush is definitely something you can consider. As someone that didn't have high hopes, I am happy to say that I'm sure to read the other installments as soon as possible.


1 comment:

  1. Great review! I felt similarly about parts of this. I don't think I expected to like it either, but I was pleasantly surprised when I did. :)

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