ARC Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly
Series: Unearthly #1
Author: Cynthia Hand
Available: Now
Reading Level: Young Adult


5 out of 5 Stars












Synopsis via Goodreads:

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 apurpose, 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?

My thoughts:

Clara Gardner is the daughter of a human father and a half angel mother. Her parents are divorced, and she lives in California with her mother and younger brother. She was recently let in on the family secret. She is an angel who will have to fulfill a purpose. Now that the visions have started, she knows she’ll have to save a boy from a forest fire. Her visions lead her and her family to beautiful Wyoming. Clara quickly locates the boy she is to save, and is instantly smitten. Only thing is he is taken, and throwing Clara some seriously mixed signals. Soon things seem to be falling into place, but where would the fun be if a few complications didn’t arise.

Wow! Just wow! This is one of those books that has the kind of amazingness that sneaks up on you. I started reading expecting another tale of angel loves human, but things didn’t go at all as anticipated. The authors writing and the plot pace flowed easily. This didn’t feel like a 400+ page book. When I reached the end I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the characters I’d grown to love. As time passes I still find myself mulling over the events that occurred in Unearthly, and growing to love it even more. This is one for my shelf of favorites.

I loved the strength Clara encompassed, and I’m not just talking about her super angel strength. She is an excellent character who I loved from page one. I also enjoyed the family dynamic that was represented. It was so refreshing to see a present mother who wasn’t stupid or flakey. The twists and turns of the plot were nicely done. The love triangle was anything but typical, and didn’t progress as I expected. With that said I couldn’t have been more satisfied by how the ending played out. 


Unearthly is an absolutely stunning debut. Truly a breath of fresh air in the world of Young Adult. My only complaint is I now have another sequel to pine for.

Cynthia Hand on the web:

Website | Blog | Twitter

Buy Unearthly from Amazon:

Source: Around the World Tours