REVIEW: Boundless (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia Hand

Title/Series: Boundless | Unearthly #3
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: January 22nd 2013
Format: Hardcover | Pages: 438
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchase B&N
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!!

Cynthia Hand | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.

I have had a really hard time reading this book. In no way because I wasn't enjoying it, I think that's what made it harder. I was enjoying it. So much. Letting go is never easy and you can scoff and find me silly if you like, it is after all just a set of books. Just three little amazing books and I procrastinated an insane amount with finishing this one. I wasn't ready for it to end. And now I sit here an emotional pile of goo. Heavy with emotion and tears that started about 50-ish pages from the end and didn't stop until about 5 minutes after I closed the book. Yes, it's easy to say I will be carrying this series with me for quite a while.

From chapter one of Unearthly all the way to the epilogue in Boundless I've been mesmerized by this stunning world and people that Cynthia Hand has created. I'm sitting here perplexed at the moment. Trying to find the right words to say about this. Anything I can think of, just doesn't feel like enough.

Partially I feel a great sense of satisfaction and closure with the ending of this series. Was it perfect? Yes. And then again no. I mean let's face it. Tucker Avery. Christian Prescott. One of these guys is going to lose his entire world. There is a triangle going on here so it wasn't going to end perfectly for someone. I was pretty emotionally attached to everyone so either way I knew from halfway through Hallowed that the ending of this series would hit me pretty hard. Hell I was so pulled into this story and characters that at one point I was crying for Samjeeza for crying out loud!!

I think anything I can say and have just said this far is just silly and not right. All I can say is if you haven't read these books yet, you have no idea how much you're missing out. It's worth it for every bit of laughter, anger, fear, loss and every tear. Must. Read. Series.  I think from here on out every time I look at carrots, I'll smile fondly. :) Why? Pffft. Read the story silly!

REVIEW: Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand

Title/Series: Hallowed | Unearthly #2
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: January 17th 2012
Format: Hardcover | Pages: 403
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance
Source: Purchase B&N
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!!

Cynthia Hand | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves 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.

In this compelling sequel to Unearthly, Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.

It's hard to express and put into words how I feel after reading this book. With Unearthly being an intriguing and captivating start to this series, Hallowed has definitely kicked it up a notch and taken me along on an emotional journey I won't soon forget. That's not always the case when you have such an amazing start to a series like that. Sometimes when you start off that high you can't help but worry that the only place left to go next is down. Well, I hope you're not afraid of heights...

You know how it is in most "love triangle" types of series, how there always seems to be a real cut and dry for everyone. It's either Team BookBoyA or Team BookBoyB and you can usually find some really good solid arguments and evidence to back you up against the opposing guy. I can't do that with Christian and Tucker. They are both agonizingly good guys. I can't say a single negative thing about either of them they are book boyfriend perfection. Both! I mean for once I can actually understand what it's like for someone like Clara to be so torn about her feelings. I get it. I'm not screaming at the book trying to tell her what I think she should do. Or throwing my hands in the air and scoffing in disgust if something even the slightest bit romantic should happen with the guy who's team I'm not backing. Because by the end of the book, our minds are in sync. We both know who she needs to choose. You can't help but love the characters in this book. All of them, even the new ones.  Even through all the twists and turns that this book brings. As you learn more about everyone and secrets are revealed. Things get darker for some and others surprise you. There's still a love there for them.

I probably went through about half a box of tissues with this book. I'm so not joking. I was a total wreck. I love these types of book so much though. I love being so involved and swept away by a story that it can evoke that kind of emotion from me whether it be joy and excitement or even sadness and heartache. These are the kinds of stories that I can read again and again, and I can guarantee you that it will produce the same results from me each time. Hallowed has erased any doubt that these last two books in the series won't be able to hold up to Unearthly. It has me excited to crack open Boundless and see where Cynthia Hand leads me on this journey's end. I'll be sad to see it go, but happier than I was before it began.

REVIEW: Unearthly (Unearthly #1) by Cynthia Hand

Title/Series: Unearthly | Unearthly #1
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: January 4th 2011
Format: eBook | Pages: 267
Source: Purchased B&N
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!!

Cynthia Hand | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

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?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

This is actually a reread for me. I read Unearthly sometime last year, I didn't have Hallowed at the time and Boundless wasn't even out yet so I decided to wait until it was before I kept going. I wanted to have a refresher as it's been a while, to make sure I remembered everything before I moved on. But lets face it, I also couldn't wait to read this again. Out of all the things that you could file under the Paranormal/Fantasy/Supernatural categories, angels is my most favorite thing to read about. And I think that so far out of every series about angels that I've read to date Unearthly is my absolute favorite.

I found my self every bit as enchanted with it this read through as I was the first time. I still felt every thing just as strongly as when they happened the first read through, even though I knew and expected things to happen. And that to me, makes for a good book. The setting has me wishing I could drop everything and move to this town in Wyoming. The characters were all loveable and fun to read and the book itself was smooth and engaging from start to finish.

It's the type of book that makes you think. What would you do? If you were there in that moment, and you had to make a choice between following your heart... choosing love, or going with duty and destiny, knowing that you could lose that love forever? A duty that's been drilled into your head, that it's the reason you were put on this earth. I dunno I suppose I'm just a romantic at heart because in the face of it all I'd probably choose love and say screw destiny..I'll make my own! Though I guess it's a little different if you're part angel and the destiny is coming from the Almighty! *Laughs nervously and waves at the ceiling* Okay no lightning strike so I think I'm in the clear.

Anyway I'm super excited to finally be reading the last two books. So if like me you enjoy the YA books of the angelic kind Unearthly is your book. :)