kstring's review against another edition
5.0
I actually enjoyed this book better than the first! I loved that the book had its own storyline. Most second books in a trilogy suck, for lack of a more sophisticated word. Second books are usually holdover books for the big finale at the end of book 3, but that is not the case here. The book was completely unique, drawing on principles from the first book, subtly hinting at the overarching plot, but mostly focusing on developing its own plot and characters. I really appreciated the craftsmanship of this book.
Pros:
Independent story (!!!)
More Angel facts--I'm finally starting to figure out what's going on. I'm learning at the same pace as Cara, which is both cool and slightly annoying.
Good length, plenty of engaging stuff to keep a reader entertained and immersed.
Nothing was surprising in an unbelievable sort of way. I think I really like these books because of how real everything is. I don't mean book real, I mean real life real. I could see all of this happening in real life.
Cons:
The big plot twist about the funeral I saw from MILES off so I wasn't surprised at all by that. I was surprised by Jeffrey's confession at the end, though.
I really think someone should amp up Jeffrey's role in the story. I know literally nothing about him, and he's a pretty important character.
The relationships were less believable in this book that the last, surprisingly. Probably because of the huge crisis.
Pros:
Independent story (!!!)
More Angel facts--I'm finally starting to figure out what's going on. I'm learning at the same pace as Cara, which is both cool and slightly annoying.
Good length, plenty of engaging stuff to keep a reader entertained and immersed.
Nothing was surprising in an unbelievable sort of way. I think I really like these books because of how real everything is. I don't mean book real, I mean real life real. I could see all of this happening in real life.
Cons:
The big plot twist about the funeral I saw from MILES off so I wasn't surprised at all by that. I was surprised by Jeffrey's confession at the end, though.
I really think someone should amp up Jeffrey's role in the story. I know literally nothing about him, and he's a pretty important character.
The relationships were less believable in this book that the last, surprisingly. Probably because of the huge crisis.
nika_nix's review against another edition
5.0
Even though I read Unearthly over two years ago, I finally decided to read this book and continue with the series, it’s been waiting on my shelf for a long time. I have no idea why it took me so long to finally pick up this book because I really liked Unearthy, but I’m glad I finally did and I can say that Hallowed is so much better than Unearthly. So, so much better.
I liked Tucker a lot in the first book and I found Christian pretty boring but I don’t understand what was wrong with me. I totally changed my mind while reading Hallowed. No, seriously, how could I like Tucker more than Christian? Team Christian all the way! I love him so much, Tucker suck! I don’t have some special opinion about Clara, golden middle, I don’t like her very much but I don’t hate her either. But what I have an opinion about is that she and Christian have to be together at the end! I love their relationship, they are perfect together and they belong to each other. Yeah, I ship them.
This book was full of unexpectable plot twists and beautiful, sad or happy, moments that were described so wonderfully that kept me reading this book the whole night. SPOILER ALERT! I had a feeling that Tucker is going to die throughout the whole book (actually I hoped for that to happen) but I was so disappointed when it didn’t happen. Anyway, I was happy that he and Clara broke up but I would like it even more if he died. However, I like the end, even though some died and some didn’t (*cough* Tucker *cough*). I’m looking forward to reading Boundless, the third and the last book in the trilogy. I need more Christian!
I liked Tucker a lot in the first book and I found Christian pretty boring but I don’t understand what was wrong with me. I totally changed my mind while reading Hallowed. No, seriously, how could I like Tucker more than Christian? Team Christian all the way! I love him so much, Tucker suck! I don’t have some special opinion about Clara, golden middle, I don’t like her very much but I don’t hate her either. But what I have an opinion about is that she and Christian have to be together at the end! I love their relationship, they are perfect together and they belong to each other. Yeah, I ship them.
This book was full of unexpectable plot twists and beautiful, sad or happy, moments that were described so wonderfully that kept me reading this book the whole night. SPOILER ALERT! I had a feeling that Tucker is going to die throughout the whole book (actually I hoped for that to happen) but I was so disappointed when it didn’t happen. Anyway, I was happy that he and Clara broke up but I would like it even more if he died. However, I like the end, even though some died and some didn’t (*cough* Tucker *cough*). I’m looking forward to reading Boundless, the third and the last book in the trilogy. I need more Christian!
anshikaprasad's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I feel like her mom’s purpose was still so vague but whatever. Still a cute and comfort book
tbandlerjohnson's review against another edition
5.0
SO SO SO good. I can't get over it.
The Main Idea: THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING. It includes a love triangle I actually like, drama, suspense, and romance. Pick it up regardless of whether you like paranormal or not!
Y'all... I love this series. Unearthly was great, but Hallowed blew me away! Who would have thought I would love an angel book so much.
When I read Unearthly, I couldn't decide which team I was on. Team Tucker or team Christian?! But as much as I loved Tucker, I couldn't help but feel that Clara was supposed to be with Christian. You find out more in this book which one she must/will choose. While a lot of people were saying there wasn't a whole lot of Tucker in this book, I noticed him in there a lot! The battle for Clara definitely heats up between the two boys and her choice gets even harder.
One thing I loved about this book is that SO many questions were answered. It was actually a huge relief. I hate not knowing what is going on. Some of the revelations were seriously SHOCKING, and one particular revelation about had me in tears (which is big, because i NEVER cry in books). This revelation carries big weight in this story, and really puts a serious emotional twist on the book.
I could go on forever, but long reviews are rather...well... long. So, that is all I will say for now. But, please, if you have read Unearthly, go pick up Hallowed now!
The Main Idea: THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING. It includes a love triangle I actually like, drama, suspense, and romance. Pick it up regardless of whether you like paranormal or not!
Y'all... I love this series. Unearthly was great, but Hallowed blew me away! Who would have thought I would love an angel book so much.
When I read Unearthly, I couldn't decide which team I was on. Team Tucker or team Christian?! But as much as I loved Tucker, I couldn't help but feel that Clara was supposed to be with Christian. You find out more in this book which one she must/will choose. While a lot of people were saying there wasn't a whole lot of Tucker in this book, I noticed him in there a lot! The battle for Clara definitely heats up between the two boys and her choice gets even harder.
One thing I loved about this book is that SO many questions were answered. It was actually a huge relief. I hate not knowing what is going on. Some of the revelations were seriously SHOCKING, and one particular revelation about had me in tears (which is big, because i NEVER cry in books). This revelation carries big weight in this story, and really puts a serious emotional twist on the book.
I could go on forever, but long reviews are rather...well... long. So, that is all I will say for now. But, please, if you have read Unearthly, go pick up Hallowed now!
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
5.0
Hallowed was actually even more beautiful and touching than Unearthly was. It was so filled with joy, sadness, love, despair and hope. I smiled, I laughed and I cried.
Clara truly grew a lot in this book, and I actually understand a lot better why Meg was keeping things from her. A lot of the secrets made a lot of sense, she wanted Clara to figure things out on her own, without being swayed by what her mother had done about her own purpose.
Tucker is a great guy, he is bright, true and honest. And his love is real.
He’s beautiful, I think, so crazy beautiful it almost hurts to look at him, and I close my eyes and lift my arms over my head and let him take my shirt off too.
I really liked that Angela, Jeffrey, Christian and Cara got together in their angel club to try to figure out more about what they were all about. Angela seems to be a great friend, but I am still thinking there might be more to her than meets the eye. I’m not sure if I’m able to trust her completely.
What if I can never find a way to control the glow? What if every time I feel happy in that particular way, I light up? This is a very real concern for Clara, as she has a little bit of trouble controlling her glory. And humans have a hard time dealing with it – as all they want to do is to kneel and worship the angel showing the glory. It certainly could become very, very awkward.
When Clara finally met her dad again, I was completely and utterly surprised, I never would have guessed, even if it made a lot of sense. Especially after some of the explanations we got in ‘Unearthly’ about how angel-bloods work.
”That’s the hardest part,” he says. “The absence of certainty.” This is true in a lot of situations, not only within this story. Sometimes, we all need to take a leap of faith, and my, Clara actually managed to do that in the end.
And I really felt most sorry of all for Jeffrey. He was so lost, and felt like no one could help him understand what he was supposed to do now.
A very satisfying book, that answered a lot of questions, but still leaves room for more of this beautiful world. The fact that all of the main characters grew and understood more about themselves was very rewarding, and I feel both happy and sad that the book is over. It resolved a lot, but I still wanted more. I guess that’s what a good book does.
Edited to add :
*My reviews are personal reflections of what I read and take notes of. It is in no way meant to dissuade a person from reading a book from authors who put a lot of work into their stories. I do not get paid for my reviews nor have I been asked to give my opinions concerning these books. This book, like most of the others I've read belongs to my kindle-collection*
Clara truly grew a lot in this book, and I actually understand a lot better why Meg was keeping things from her. A lot of the secrets made a lot of sense, she wanted Clara to figure things out on her own, without being swayed by what her mother had done about her own purpose.
Tucker is a great guy,
Spoiler
but it really made sense to me that Clara broke things off with him in the end. He probably will be a lot happier with a normal, human girl down the roadHe’s beautiful, I think, so crazy beautiful it almost hurts to look at him, and I close my eyes and lift my arms over my head and let him take my shirt off too.
I really liked that Angela, Jeffrey, Christian and Cara got together in their angel club to try to figure out more about what they were all about. Angela seems to be a great friend, but I am still thinking there might be more to her than meets the eye. I’m not sure if I’m able to trust her completely.
What if I can never find a way to control the glow? What if every time I feel happy in that particular way, I light up? This is a very real concern for Clara, as she has a little bit of trouble controlling her glory. And humans have a hard time dealing with it – as all they want to do is to kneel and worship the angel showing the glory. It certainly could become very, very awkward.
Spoiler
When Clara first started having the dream about the cemetery, I understood straight away that it would be Meg who would die, however, when Clara herself thought it would be Tucker, she took me around for a little drive in that belief. So I got sad all over again when it became clear that it truly was Meg *tear*When Clara finally met her dad again, I was completely and utterly surprised, I never would have guessed, even if it made a lot of sense. Especially after some of the explanations we got in ‘Unearthly’ about how angel-bloods work.
”That’s the hardest part,” he says. “The absence of certainty.” This is true in a lot of situations, not only within this story. Sometimes, we all need to take a leap of faith, and my, Clara actually managed to do that in the end.
And I really felt most sorry of all for Jeffrey. He was so lost, and felt like no one could help him understand what he was supposed to do now.
Spoiler
And I was both shocked and kind of not shocked that he had started part of the fire. As well as a little sad that Clara had actually done the opposite of helping him when she went against her own purpose.A very satisfying book, that answered a lot of questions, but still leaves room for more of this beautiful world. The fact that all of the main characters grew and understood more about themselves was very rewarding, and I feel both happy and sad that the book is over. It resolved a lot, but I still wanted more. I guess that’s what a good book does.
Edited to add :
Spoiler
I think that when Meg finally told Clara that she had fought against her purpose for the better part of 60 years, it also made Clara realize something else, that if Meg had 'only' fought her purpose for 10 years, she'd have had a lot more time with her children. She'd have had 67 years instead of only 17... This might have been one of the reasons why Clara (at least seemingly) has stopped fighting her purpose right now.*My reviews are personal reflections of what I read and take notes of. It is in no way meant to dissuade a person from reading a book from authors who put a lot of work into their stories. I do not get paid for my reviews nor have I been asked to give my opinions concerning these books. This book, like most of the others I've read belongs to my kindle-collection*
lynseyisreading's review against another edition
5.0
The only word that comes to mind when I think of this book and this series, is "beautiful".
The writing is beautiful; written in first person, present tense. The prose is lyrical, sometimes poetic. The dialogue is sweet, endearing and often highly amusing. I've never really had any great love for present tense narrative before now. It's so rare, I've only actually come across it once before. With that series, it drove me completely nuts. With this, I barely gave it a second thought because it just flows from Hand in such an effortless way, that it's clear to me why she chose it. Because it fits her style, and it really makes the writing stand out to me, but in a good way this time. It helps you to feel everything Clara feels right there in real time; every decision that's made you can understand her reasons for- even if you don't necessarily like the decision- because you've just watch her struggle to make it. This means you can really empathise with her.
The characters are also beautiful. And I don't just mean outer appearance, although they are that too, but that's almost irrelevant in this series. It is a very character driven piece. I'm actually surprised how much I like it as, action wise, it is on the gentle side and I am a card-toting action lover. But I'm just so darn in love with these amazing characters, these incredible young people, and the confusing, heartbreaking journey they are on. They are each at a pivotal time in their lives; at an age where life-changing decisions are often made, but for these guys, those decisions are so much bigger. The conflict Clara is going through is so fascinating, and other parts of it were simply gut-wrenching. I admit to crying like a baby for a large portion of this novel
I haven't mentioned much in terms of plot but I'm sure other reviewers will fill you in on that score. But I will say there were a number of shocks, surprises and big reveals in this book. There were also some big changes- those darn decisions I mentioned earlier- which I'm not sure I'm totally on board with yet, but I will definitely be waiting with breathless anticipation for the next book to see where that leads us to.
I would recommend this series to all. Young, old, YA lover or not, because it is simply...wait for it...beautiful :)
The writing is beautiful; written in first person, present tense. The prose is lyrical, sometimes poetic. The dialogue is sweet, endearing and often highly amusing. I've never really had any great love for present tense narrative before now. It's so rare, I've only actually come across it once before. With that series, it drove me completely nuts. With this, I barely gave it a second thought because it just flows from Hand in such an effortless way, that it's clear to me why she chose it. Because it fits her style, and it really makes the writing stand out to me, but in a good way this time. It helps you to feel everything Clara feels right there in real time; every decision that's made you can understand her reasons for- even if you don't necessarily like the decision- because you've just watch her struggle to make it. This means you can really empathise with her.
The characters are also beautiful. And I don't just mean outer appearance, although they are that too, but that's almost irrelevant in this series. It is a very character driven piece. I'm actually surprised how much I like it as, action wise, it is on the gentle side and I am a card-toting action lover. But I'm just so darn in love with these amazing characters, these incredible young people, and the confusing, heartbreaking journey they are on. They are each at a pivotal time in their lives; at an age where life-changing decisions are often made, but for these guys, those decisions are so much bigger. The conflict Clara is going through is so fascinating, and other parts of it were simply gut-wrenching. I admit to crying like a baby for a large portion of this novel
I haven't mentioned much in terms of plot but I'm sure other reviewers will fill you in on that score. But I will say there were a number of shocks, surprises and big reveals in this book. There were also some big changes- those darn decisions I mentioned earlier- which I'm not sure I'm totally on board with yet, but I will definitely be waiting with breathless anticipation for the next book to see where that leads us to.
I would recommend this series to all. Young, old, YA lover or not, because it is simply...wait for it...beautiful :)
geo_ix's review against another edition
4.0
Thoroughly enjoyed this read! So much love and sadness in her life. It's written perfectly and the feelings the protagonist goes through are relatable to any human going through the circumstances. Loved it. For girls 10-18yrs or supernatural lovers. Involves angels, love triangles and loss.
michaela95c's review against another edition
5.0
Ughhh the ending of this book made me so mad! *sigh* Review to come.
erinarkin20's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book. There is sadness and that is a catalyst to us learning more about Clara and where she comes from. I am glad we got to dive into more of who she is and her father as we didn't find out much about him in the first book. This book makes up for that.
I love the part where Clara has an inner monologue going about love triangles and how unbelievable they usually are...yet here she finds herself in one. I won't say a lot here about the Tucker/Clara/Christian situation but hope the next book goes into more Christian. Just saying.
There are definitely some things that are unresolved here - need more about Jeffery and what is going on with him, I look forward to some more Christian/Clara interaction and I am also curious to see what Angela's purpose becomes...It was alluded to in this book but very minor snippets.
I love the part where Clara has an inner monologue going about love triangles and how unbelievable they usually are...yet here she finds herself in one. I won't say a lot here about the Tucker/Clara/Christian situation but hope the next book goes into more Christian. Just saying.
There are definitely some things that are unresolved here - need more about Jeffery and what is going on with him, I look forward to some more Christian/Clara interaction and I am also curious to see what Angela's purpose becomes...It was alluded to in this book but very minor snippets.
geldauran's review against another edition
4.0
I was thoroughly impressed by the love triangle in this book. Normally I feel that love triangles are all for show- it is very clear which one of the suitors the main character will end up with, and the other is just a dismal poor sap. But whoa- Christian came out swinging. I was so in love with Tucker in the first book, and now I'm all confused.
As far as the actual plot of the book, I found myself enjoying the expansion to the angel mythology. Not too much actually happened- there was sort of one major event, with some smaller radial events, but I was pretty much satisfied because I felt there was a good deal of character development.
I can't help but admit that I might have switched sides from Tucker to Christian in this last book. I'm exited to see what else might happen with everything- and I would love to hear more about Clara's mother's past as well as the Black Wings.
As far as the actual plot of the book, I found myself enjoying the expansion to the angel mythology. Not too much actually happened- there was sort of one major event, with some smaller radial events, but I was pretty much satisfied because I felt there was a good deal of character development.
I can't help but admit that I might have switched sides from Tucker to Christian in this last book. I'm exited to see what else might happen with everything- and I would love to hear more about Clara's mother's past as well as the Black Wings.