Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Title: Hallowed
Author: Cynthia Hand
Series: Unearthly #2
Published: January 17, 2012 by Harper Teen
Rating: 

For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

My Review

Can a love triangle get any more complicated?! Hallowed really steps up the romance in this series, with Clara stuck between Tucker, her human boyfriend, and Christian, the angel she's fated to be with. What a choice! I honestly loved that Clara is so torn in this book. She isn't really leading any one guy on because she has true feelings for both. Originally I loved Tucker, but Christian kind of snuck up on me in this book. It's definitely a huge compliment to the author, who was able to create such different but equally attractive characters that not only tears the MC in two, but the reader as well!

The actual storyline for this book was pretty slow. Without giving too much away, there is a lot of waiting going on, although it is incredibly sad. Clara's new vision, which takes place at someone's funeral, literally broke my heart, and towards the end of this book I was an emotional wreck, but the lead up to it was a little dull at times. Even the Black Wing in this book was a little soft for me. There were a few 'action' scenes but they definitely didn't compare to the ending of Unearthly. These were a bit more subdued and were mainly used for developing the backstory. 

For me, Hallowed was more of a bridge book for the Unearthly series leading up to a (hopefully) epic third book. There is a lot revealed about Clara and her family in Hallowed that definitely stirs up the storyline and raises the danger to a whole new level for the third book. I honestly think my jaw dropped during the majority of Clara's revelations! We're introduced to some new people in Hallowed that add great character to the book and see some old ones in a  new light. Overall, Hallowed has definitely opened the door to amazing conclusion for this series.