Review of Hush, Hush

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Pages: 391

Published: October 2009

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.  With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and 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 Nora 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 her life."

Nora Grey is the girl that most of us can relate to.  She does well in school, isn't overly popular, and stays out of trouble. That is until a mysterious guy, Patch, shows up in her biology class and ends up being her lab partner.  As I write this, I realize how derivative this may sound.   I know I've complained about this plot line before....the one where a good looking and mysterious guy comes to a new school... said guy meets female protagonist in biology.... they have an undeniable attraction and love/hate relationship....witty banter ensues, etc.  I would just like to take a moment to ask why authors pick biology as the class of choice? What about English class? There is something to be said of dark mysterious guy and a brooding female in English class discussing Wuthering Heights. But I digress.  Although this cookie-cutter plot may seem similar to many that are out there, I must admit that I didn't mind it and it didn't feel cliche to me as we weren't dealing with vampires and/or werewolves.  The plot was very entertaining and I was never bored.  Becca Fitzpatrick does a great job of reeling the reader in and not letting go until the end of the novel.  Thank GOD there was a blizzard and I was snowed in, because I read this book in one day!

If you've read my reviews before, you know that I adore the whole idea of angels as opposed to vampires, which may be why I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  This is the second book I've recently read that focuses on angels and I am really liking the concept. I want to point out that many book bloggers had a problem with the main character, Nora Grey, but I enjoyed her.  I think many people forget that this character is a teenager!  Teenagers are impulsive, they don't necessarily think things through, and don't always tell their parents the truth.  With that said,  Fitzpatrick portrayed this adolescent perfectly.  Nora's best friend, Vee, reminded me of someone out of Clueless; however, I liked that Fitzpatrick put a strong female friendship in this book as I don't see that in many young adult fantasy novels. Lastly, the elusive Patch was everything a reader could want.  Patch's story line drew me in from the beginning.  I'm a sucker for angels. 

I must mention the cover of the book. Wow! It's amazing! Even my husband, Mike, was asking questions about the book simply based on the cover.  I brought this book to my classroom and my students were all over it.  A big thanks to my fellow blogger, The Bookette.  She recommended this book to me and I'm glad I listened to her recommendation instead of the many bad reviews that are out there.  With that said, it looks like many would agree with us since Hush, Hush is number ten on the New York Times Bestseller List!  What a great debut for Becca Fitzpatrick! I look forward to reading the next novel in the series, which is called Crescendo and it comes out September 30, 2010. 

Buy It Here:

Book Trailer:

Interview with Becca Fitzpatrick: