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.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Angels are still a sore point with me, but this book dealt with them well. I liked how Clara already knew she was an angel, and had for a while, and how she not only had her mom around but had her guidance. It's strange to say, but parents seem scarce in YA lit today, and good, responsible, helpful parents are even rarer. Clara does experience times when she doesn't understand what's going on around her and parts of her new life, but the explanation for why she wasn't told is a good one, and, by the end of the book, proven right. The love triangle in this book is beautifully handled and ends better than a lot of romance stories. The struggle between fate, duty, and love is handled even better, and is refreshing and inspiring at the same time. The ending came out a little strange because of this, but overall I think it was an okay way of dealing with things if you want to have a sequel to the book, so I'll give it a pass.
I really liked how Clara's family interacted. It's actually one of the first things I mention to my friends when I'm recommending the book, since happy families (even if there is only one parent) are scare in YA fiction. I can't wait to see what happens to them all in the sequel. Great review, Aurora! :)
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