Genre: Publication.Date October 13th 2009 Pages: 391 Published By: Simon & Schuster BFYR Website Becca Fitzpatrick Hush, Hush on Goodreads My review copy: Review copy bought by me.
A SACRED OATH
A FALLEN ANGEL
A FORBIDDEN LOVE
Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.
But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems 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 she 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 Nora her life.
(Goodreads)
Up until this very moment, I'd been telling myself I didn't care what Patch thought of me. But right now, I knew it was a lie. Even though it would probably come back to haunt me, I was curious enough about Patch to go almost anywhere with him.
Patch accelerated onto the highway, and my thighs squeezed around him. I hoped I was the only one who noticed.
I didn't move. There was a glint to his eye that made me think I should be frightened of him...and I was. But that fright was equal part allure. There was something extremely unsettling about being near him. In his presence, I didn't trust myself.
Patch lunged clockwise. I ran away from him, halting when he did. While we were at a standstill again, his eyes locked on mine, almost as if he was trying to glean my next move from them.
There was a lot of hype going around with this one and yes I am a little late to the starting line with it but I got there. Thing is I am glad because despite the hype I think that the start is a little on the slow side. With thousands of raving reviewers now screaming at the screen about how wrong I am bare with me. I didn't say that I didn't like it, I just said it was a slow start. The book itself ended up being enjoyable I just had to hang in there to get to that point.
The plot was both amazing and stubborn. There was a constant forward movement but for the first half it was a slow movement. Fitzpatrick did a phenomenal job with the world building there is no doubt about that. A clear as day picture was painted with every page and every step the characters took but to an extent I could have dealt with a little less of that and a little more action. As far as complaints go that is fairly minor if you think about it and just shows that the author took time to put down the roots for her story and characters.
How to go about discussing Nora. She was not weak or dependant upon having a guy in her life and actually before Patch walked into her life she hadn't even really considered it. Nora had a mind of her own and didn't really hold back, now that's not saying she said whatever came to mind and had no problem hurting people. No, Nora didn't hold back when it came to questioning things but at then there were times that she seemed not to ask the right questions but you can't completely blame her for that, no one is perfect. Like all good characters though Nora grew and I look forward to her much more in the next novel.
Now I totally see the allure of Patch. He has the tall, dark, handsome and mysterious thing going for him all the way. He is also the source of virtually every plot twist in the book. His witty and humorous remarks that infuriated Nora and cast that uncertainty was perfect. He wasn't the type of bad boy that did whatever it took to get what he wanted but more the guy that you never quite know his intentions. That being said I will admit wondering and flipping back and forth with the decision myself. Patch is really the type of guy people are going to love or not, he's not for everyone but I am in.
The romance between Nora and Patch was anything but immediate. Was there a spark? Absolutely. But beyond the spark and the physical attraction there was nothing. Nora all but despised Patch and the arrogant things that came out of his mouth. More than that she was scared because all of the things he seemed to know that he should have had no way of knowing. I will admit that I do agree with some of the reviews that I read long ago suggesting a little Edward/Bella romance going. Not that it is identical but there is definitely a little of the "I shouldn't but I will" going on. Lucky for Patch and Nora I am okay with this.
As far as first books go I wasn't blown out of the water with this one but I fully admit that by the end I was hooked. Fitzpatrick has a wonderful writing and I understand completely why people have fallen in love with this series. I am looking forward to seeing the development between Patch and Nora in the following books. If you are a lover of Angel stories then this one is not to be missed, it's a little bit of sweet and evil.
