Fallen Series Books 1-3 Lauren Kate

Book Reviews on Fallen Series Books 1-3 by Lauren Kate on Confessions of a Book Junkie are up.

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Hush Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick Book Trailers

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Crescendo - Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush Hush Book 2)

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The sequel to the New York Times Best selling phenomenon, Hush, Hush!

Nora should have know her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

I have to say that I finished this book in one day. It was a page turner, but I can't say that it was for all the right reasons. As I was reading the book, I was left in a constant state of anger. At one point I cried with Nora as Patch was being a complete jerk. With that being said, you don't get a happy story with this one, by chapter two that's pretty much shattered. The extreme feelings were a good thing as the author was able to portray them, but in a sense back fired as I wouldn't read this book again as it made me irate.

Nora does start seeing things in a different light, but in one page flies off the handle into left field leaving you in the state of "WHAT???" Then in retaliation to that, Patch also comes from left field. He does things in the whole book, that maybe as an older reader, were completely infuriating. And there was no real, honest explanation, only a fall back one you know is coming. This doesn't (in my book) even begin to cover the stuff he does to Nora. (Does being a guardian angel involve always kissing and making out with your charge?) On one hand I tried to think of it as "Boys think different than girls. What isn't a big deal to them is HUGE to us. That's the point she's trying to prove." But it made me mad like no other, especially at the end when the reasoning was weak at best.

There are several new twists and turns in this book that leads you into the next one (Silence due out Oct 2011). You get to see into Patch's history a little more. Nora finds out some shocking things in her past. Rixon and Marcie become major characters in the book, both adding to the ongoing plot. While Vee is still the best friend, at times you wonder where her loyalties truly lie. (One portion in particular I was left standing with a 'huh?' because if my best friend did that, we wouldn't be best friends any more.)

This is why it took me an extra day to do the review. I still have pretty harsh feelings for the treatment of Nora and her acceptance of it. But all in all I would say read it once as it is what I call a "bridge" book. There will be things you need to know for the next one. I hope the next book has the characters and format return to what drew me to this series in the first place.

Hush Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick (Book 1)

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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 who have fallen -- and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

This book in general doesn't seem to get much love. (It may account for the $4 price at Amazon.com at this moment.) But let me say that I LOVED it. Even from reading the back cover, I knew what was going to happen I found myself flipping pages to read more. Before I knew it I had finished the book in less than 12 hours. Chapter after chapter flew by without be keeping track of the time.

Nora is an everyday teen and in although admittedly in some parts she is a little to stick in the mud and irrational, but she's allowed to be as she's a teen. Her best friend Vee is more annoying and highly irritating in the book more than Nora. Patch is quite the mysterious guy, and frustratingly vague. While these characters are in the book, it's not what the book good. What really makes this a page turner is that you just have to know more. You know the basis of the story, but the way the mystery of the book is set up you keep reading finding out more and more in little increments. You really don't know who the bad guy is until he's revealed and at some points you feel for Nora as you wonder if she really is going crazy.

Again this story, of course, is in first person. BUT let me just say this author does it right. Most of the time it didn't even feel that way with me I was caught up in the story itself. There are some
discrepancies that really have no solution but your imagination, but nothing that would stand out like a giraffe in a leisure suit. ( One example is that a counselor isn't who she says she is. In the review for Amazon by the School Library journal they rip the author apart for insinuating that the school system would be so lax. In my opinion I personally thought "Ummm false documents" but that was my mind filling in the blank. It's not a big deal, just a minor one. It doesn't add to or take away from the underlying story itself.) There is some explanations where I was kind of confused at the function of the bad guy, but that could be me and it made sense in the story as a whole. While the explanations were quick, they did make sense as you know this is a first book in a series, not a book as a stand alone.

All in all for it's original story line, page turning ability, and the underlying climax at the end, I would highly recommend it. If you like a different take on Angels, the fallen, Nephalim, and fantasy/paranormal give it a read, you'll like it.