Helpful Score: 9
Despite the amazing cover and contrary to so many other reviewers, I did not like this story. Now I must admit that the writing was good and I did finish it very quickly, but the story itself was deeply disturbing and creepy. The only reason I kept reading was in vain hope it would all work out and something good would come along through a cool plot twist or stellar character growth. Seriously, if the heroine is afraid of the "so-called" hero for most of the book, and the hero even WANTS to hurt the heroine for most of said book, romance isn't the word that comes to mind. Psycho works better.
Helpful Score: 8
Reviewed by Samantha Clanton aka Harlequin Twilight for TeensReadToo.com
Nora Grey isn't your typical high school student in the sense that she spends a lot of time on her own and yet concentrates on her studies and has her head on straight. She is that good girl that doesn't want any trouble and, slightly reminding me of Rory from my beloved Gilmore Girls in the "has her sights set on Yale and nothing will stand in her way" attitude (and yes, I know Rory was Harvard-bound, but you get where I'm going). But trouble seems to find her in the form of that mysteriously gorgeous bad boy, Patch.
And Patch...how can I describe Patch without turning into a puddle of mush? Well, he's trouble, plain and simple. But he's that good kind of trouble that just about anyone with the XX chromosome is attracted to. He's got the sarcasm down to an art and there's also the fact there's something about him that's not quite right.
Becca Fitzpatrick has done a beautiful job with not only the characters in HUSH, HUSH, but also the imagery is phenomenal. There are moments when she describes the scenery and it feels as if you are walking through places they frequented. And yet even in what should be the most innocent of events, there seemed to be this undertone that something dangerous was near.
And one thing that makes me over the moon is the fact that every character serves a purpose. There's not all these extra characters thrown in there along the way, with no explanation of why. I like that. The only thing about the entire story that got me was Vee, but just a little. I found Vee to be one of those friends that you have to take care of and keep an eye on like you do a child. A bit reckless and self-absorbed, but she still plays her role.
There were times when I found myself literally laughing out loud, like for this particular gem: "I scribbled Jerk on the first line. On the line beneath it I added, Smokes cigars, Will die of lung cancer. Hopefully soon. Excellent physical shape." The above was from Nora, shortly after her first couple of encounters with Patch.
Despite the many humorous gems I found throughout the entire book, this is also a dark novel, and in saying that, there are moments when I would gasp in shock or surprise. It seemed that over the course of 400 pages, I went through every emotion possible, and that's a good thing! Few authors can create a world and a cast of characters that sticks in your head like these do.
Of course, there are already a few different comparisons going on throughout the blogosphere. One being the comparison between HUSH, HUSH and TWILIGHT. Now, of course there are similarities, but they are far from the same novel, or even in the same ballpark for that matter, and the majority of similarities (bad boy/good girl, bad boy has some sort of "different" attribute, fall in love) are similar in books with just about any form of romance over the last couple hundred years. Then there are those (the Biology room as a beginning) that are clearly similar, but they don't make the stories the same.
Then there's the comparison of Edward from said TWILIGHT and Patch. And there's also this comparison of Spike and Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and later Angel) and Patch. As someone who was never a fan of either of these shows, I can't comment on that side of the argument because I have no insight on either of those characters. But I can comment on the Edward comparison; and boy, let me tell you, Edward ain't got nothing on Patch! The only thing that Edward has over Patch is those sparkles, but Patch has scars, and scars beat sparkles hands down!
HUSH, HUSH seemed to captivate me in a way that no other book has since...I don't quite remember. I haven't stayed up until 2am reading anything in a long while, much less a 400 page book in one sitting! And if my review can't convince you to read this awesomeness, then just look at the cover! It's haunting, beautiful, memorable, and drop dead sexy...just like the story within.
This is the hardest review I've written and I mean that in a good way. HUSH, HUSH is a title that for the most part receives automatic squeals and excitement simply from its name alone, and there is a reason for all of this commotion. That reason, in short, is because it is fantastically amazing!
Nora Grey isn't your typical high school student in the sense that she spends a lot of time on her own and yet concentrates on her studies and has her head on straight. She is that good girl that doesn't want any trouble and, slightly reminding me of Rory from my beloved Gilmore Girls in the "has her sights set on Yale and nothing will stand in her way" attitude (and yes, I know Rory was Harvard-bound, but you get where I'm going). But trouble seems to find her in the form of that mysteriously gorgeous bad boy, Patch.
And Patch...how can I describe Patch without turning into a puddle of mush? Well, he's trouble, plain and simple. But he's that good kind of trouble that just about anyone with the XX chromosome is attracted to. He's got the sarcasm down to an art and there's also the fact there's something about him that's not quite right.
Becca Fitzpatrick has done a beautiful job with not only the characters in HUSH, HUSH, but also the imagery is phenomenal. There are moments when she describes the scenery and it feels as if you are walking through places they frequented. And yet even in what should be the most innocent of events, there seemed to be this undertone that something dangerous was near.
And one thing that makes me over the moon is the fact that every character serves a purpose. There's not all these extra characters thrown in there along the way, with no explanation of why. I like that. The only thing about the entire story that got me was Vee, but just a little. I found Vee to be one of those friends that you have to take care of and keep an eye on like you do a child. A bit reckless and self-absorbed, but she still plays her role.
There were times when I found myself literally laughing out loud, like for this particular gem: "I scribbled Jerk on the first line. On the line beneath it I added, Smokes cigars, Will die of lung cancer. Hopefully soon. Excellent physical shape." The above was from Nora, shortly after her first couple of encounters with Patch.
Despite the many humorous gems I found throughout the entire book, this is also a dark novel, and in saying that, there are moments when I would gasp in shock or surprise. It seemed that over the course of 400 pages, I went through every emotion possible, and that's a good thing! Few authors can create a world and a cast of characters that sticks in your head like these do.
Of course, there are already a few different comparisons going on throughout the blogosphere. One being the comparison between HUSH, HUSH and TWILIGHT. Now, of course there are similarities, but they are far from the same novel, or even in the same ballpark for that matter, and the majority of similarities (bad boy/good girl, bad boy has some sort of "different" attribute, fall in love) are similar in books with just about any form of romance over the last couple hundred years. Then there are those (the Biology room as a beginning) that are clearly similar, but they don't make the stories the same.
Then there's the comparison of Edward from said TWILIGHT and Patch. And there's also this comparison of Spike and Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and later Angel) and Patch. As someone who was never a fan of either of these shows, I can't comment on that side of the argument because I have no insight on either of those characters. But I can comment on the Edward comparison; and boy, let me tell you, Edward ain't got nothing on Patch! The only thing that Edward has over Patch is those sparkles, but Patch has scars, and scars beat sparkles hands down!
HUSH, HUSH seemed to captivate me in a way that no other book has since...I don't quite remember. I haven't stayed up until 2am reading anything in a long while, much less a 400 page book in one sitting! And if my review can't convince you to read this awesomeness, then just look at the cover! It's haunting, beautiful, memorable, and drop dead sexy...just like the story within.
This is the hardest review I've written and I mean that in a good way. HUSH, HUSH is a title that for the most part receives automatic squeals and excitement simply from its name alone, and there is a reason for all of this commotion. That reason, in short, is because it is fantastically amazing!
Helpful Score: 4
Reviewed by Bibliophile's Bestiary Blog at bibliophile-bestiary.blogspot.com
This book got a lot of hype when it was first released. I purchased it soon after, because the cover art is AMAZING, but it has been sitting on my book shelf since then. I finally picked it up when I received an Advance Reading Copy of Crescendo (Hush, Hush), the sequel to hush, hush, which will be released October 19, 2010.
The book started off good, I liked how the characters were described, the story line and mystery of it was interesting and the writing was good. Then, it started to get lame. The main character is annoying, and stupid. At points she is pretty much verbally and physically attacked. She is freaked out and scared, then all of a sudden she thinks it is a good idea to get on the back of the motorcycle with someone she was terrified of. It had a repetitiveness to it of Nora liking Patch, being afraid of Patch. Liking Elliot, being afraid of Elliot. It was a tad annoying. The characters personalities changed drastically in the middle and then again at the end of the book, which is hard to follow when you liked them at the beginning. Vee, Nora's best friend, is just plain annoying. She is stupid and does stupid things. When the book finally started getting good again, right near the end, the author really rushed into explaining everything. The "truth" came out in a huge whoosh of words that was a tad overwhelming.
Overall, the book really wasn't that good. I am reading the second one now, so we will see how it goes. 2 out of 5 stars.
This book got a lot of hype when it was first released. I purchased it soon after, because the cover art is AMAZING, but it has been sitting on my book shelf since then. I finally picked it up when I received an Advance Reading Copy of Crescendo (Hush, Hush), the sequel to hush, hush, which will be released October 19, 2010.
The book started off good, I liked how the characters were described, the story line and mystery of it was interesting and the writing was good. Then, it started to get lame. The main character is annoying, and stupid. At points she is pretty much verbally and physically attacked. She is freaked out and scared, then all of a sudden she thinks it is a good idea to get on the back of the motorcycle with someone she was terrified of. It had a repetitiveness to it of Nora liking Patch, being afraid of Patch. Liking Elliot, being afraid of Elliot. It was a tad annoying. The characters personalities changed drastically in the middle and then again at the end of the book, which is hard to follow when you liked them at the beginning. Vee, Nora's best friend, is just plain annoying. She is stupid and does stupid things. When the book finally started getting good again, right near the end, the author really rushed into explaining everything. The "truth" came out in a huge whoosh of words that was a tad overwhelming.
Overall, the book really wasn't that good. I am reading the second one now, so we will see how it goes. 2 out of 5 stars.
Helpful Score: 3
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I just finished Hush, Hush and I loved it. It reminded me quite a bit of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, with Patch being more like Bella in pursuing the relationship and Nora being more like Edward in resisting it. Instead of their being vampires and werewolves though there were angels, fallen angels, and Nephil. I never even considered the topic of fallen angels for a novel, so many supernatural novels are about vampires and werewolves that this was a nice novelty and it also seemed appropriate for young adult readers. Even though biology class was discussing sex and reproduction and the characters did feel desire for each other, it didnt go too far, it was tasteful but managed to keep its believability. The tension between Nora and Patch is very believable and palpable. Some characters were a bit too much of a stereotype like Marcie the cheerleader but all in all a book I can see becoming a best seller if it has the right marketing to get it seen and read.
I just finished Hush, Hush and I loved it. It reminded me quite a bit of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, with Patch being more like Bella in pursuing the relationship and Nora being more like Edward in resisting it. Instead of their being vampires and werewolves though there were angels, fallen angels, and Nephil. I never even considered the topic of fallen angels for a novel, so many supernatural novels are about vampires and werewolves that this was a nice novelty and it also seemed appropriate for young adult readers. Even though biology class was discussing sex and reproduction and the characters did feel desire for each other, it didnt go too far, it was tasteful but managed to keep its believability. The tension between Nora and Patch is very believable and palpable. Some characters were a bit too much of a stereotype like Marcie the cheerleader but all in all a book I can see becoming a best seller if it has the right marketing to get it seen and read.
Helpful Score: 2
The last thing high school sophomore Nora Grey wanted was to be partnered with a total stranger in biology, especially when the segment is on human anatomy and sexuality. But Patch, her biology partner, is fascinatingly intriguing, very attractive...and has a way of unnerving Nora in all the ways she never wanted to be unnerved. Nora knows that Patch is dangerous, and that she should probably stay away from him--especially after she suspects him of being the masked stalker who seems to be trying to kill her--but their paths keep on crossing, and she can't deny the connection that she feels with him.
However, Nora doesn't know that she's about to become a pawn in a dangerous game that may end her life. For Patch is a fallen angel, one whose wings were ripped off for disobedience. He wants to become human, and that requires a particular female sacrifice. But that's not all. Others are also out for Nora's blood, and against her will Nora feels that Patch might be the only one who can save her, as dangerous as he himself is for her...
Look out, Edward--dark, dangerous, and sexy has a new name. Becca Fitzpatrick writes a forbidden romance that's so delicious, so intoxicating, it should be illegal.
HUSH, HUSH focuses mostly on developing Nora, Patch, and their dance of a relationship. Thus, what it sometimes lacks in vigorous pace, it more than makes up for in Patch and Nora's fantastic dynamics. Every time they meet, you can practically see the sparks flying out of the page.
Readers will either fall over themselves to get more of Patch, or be creeped out by him. He certainly exhibits a lot of the stalkerish tendencies that some readers dislike about Edward from Twilight. In addition, he is rude, condescending, cocky, sexually aggressive, and pretty darn selfish. However, I am firmly in the first camp: I adore Patch. He is the incarnation of every girl's secret bad boy daydream: your very own otherworldly, dangerous, drop-dead sexy, very masculine fantasy come true.
The story doesn't really pick up the pace until the last third or so of the novel, where we learn about Patch's past as well as the story of the fallen angels, Nora and Patch's building attraction finally comes to a head, and mortal danger awaits. Indeed, the final part of the book was so delicious and action-packed that I had to reread it again and again, never getting enough each time.
All in all, HUSH, HUSH is an edgier read that will appeal to more mature fans of Twilight and the Mortal Instruments series. Becca Fitzpatrick is an absolute star at creating fantastic main characters. This one's a keeper on my shelf for sure, so that I can reread it whenever I need a rush of danger and impossible desire. Can't wait to see what Becca has to show us next!
However, Nora doesn't know that she's about to become a pawn in a dangerous game that may end her life. For Patch is a fallen angel, one whose wings were ripped off for disobedience. He wants to become human, and that requires a particular female sacrifice. But that's not all. Others are also out for Nora's blood, and against her will Nora feels that Patch might be the only one who can save her, as dangerous as he himself is for her...
Look out, Edward--dark, dangerous, and sexy has a new name. Becca Fitzpatrick writes a forbidden romance that's so delicious, so intoxicating, it should be illegal.
HUSH, HUSH focuses mostly on developing Nora, Patch, and their dance of a relationship. Thus, what it sometimes lacks in vigorous pace, it more than makes up for in Patch and Nora's fantastic dynamics. Every time they meet, you can practically see the sparks flying out of the page.
Readers will either fall over themselves to get more of Patch, or be creeped out by him. He certainly exhibits a lot of the stalkerish tendencies that some readers dislike about Edward from Twilight. In addition, he is rude, condescending, cocky, sexually aggressive, and pretty darn selfish. However, I am firmly in the first camp: I adore Patch. He is the incarnation of every girl's secret bad boy daydream: your very own otherworldly, dangerous, drop-dead sexy, very masculine fantasy come true.
The story doesn't really pick up the pace until the last third or so of the novel, where we learn about Patch's past as well as the story of the fallen angels, Nora and Patch's building attraction finally comes to a head, and mortal danger awaits. Indeed, the final part of the book was so delicious and action-packed that I had to reread it again and again, never getting enough each time.
All in all, HUSH, HUSH is an edgier read that will appeal to more mature fans of Twilight and the Mortal Instruments series. Becca Fitzpatrick is an absolute star at creating fantastic main characters. This one's a keeper on my shelf for sure, so that I can reread it whenever I need a rush of danger and impossible desire. Can't wait to see what Becca has to show us next!
