Book Review -- Hush, Hush

Title: Hush, Hush
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Genre: YA supernatural
Pages: Hardback, 391
Published: 2009
Opening Lines: "Chauncey was with a farmer's daughter on the grassy banks of the Loire River when the storm rolled in, and having let his gelding wander in the meadow, was left to his own two feet to carry him back to the chateau. He tore a silver buckle off his shoe, place it in the girl's palm, and watched her scurry away, mud slinging on her skirts."

"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 some to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: When I first saw this book on the shelf, it caught my attention. In fact, I think it is sitting on my Amazon wishlist ^_~ The concept seemed like it could be interesting. Imagine my surprise when the library actually had it sitting on the shelves!! But, after all the hype, this book has really fallen short. In some ways, looking at a lot of the books coming out that are geared toward teenage girls, I'm not too surprised. And that saddens me.

First, lets address Nora. Does this girl have an ounce of self-preservation in her body? After her dad is shot in a dark alley, you would think she would be far more paranoid and careful about things. Not only does she not think, but she completely goes against any rational thought that might cross through her mind. Knowing full well what happened to her father, she decides it is a good idea to head into a bad neighborhood and then charge down a dark alley. Does this make sense? And then there is her attraction to Patch. Okay, I understand being drawn to the bad guy, but this goes above and beyond that. At several points, she is convinced he is stalking her, she is afraid for her life around him, he makes her feel very uncomfortable, etc. Yet, through all of this, she can't leave him alone! There is stupid and then there is Nora.

Now, I have to wonder about her mother. Okay, your husband gets shot in a dark alley one night. Yes, being a stay at home mom, you're going to need to secure an income to support your daughter. However, does it makes sense to get a job that has you out of town several weeks a month? I understand wanting to keep the family home, but I would be extremely reluctant to leave my teenage daughter home alone after an incident like that. It seems very out of character for a parent to behave that way.

What is it with girls in YA books being attracted to lecherous, creepy old men? I don't get it! What message are we trying to send to our teenage girls?

Fitzpatrick spent more time trying to be mysterious in the book and less time developing the story/plot. It took too long for you to finally know to some extent what was going on. Granted, if you payed attention, you could probably put all the pieces together. However, the build up was too big for the puny, anti-climatic ending. On top of that, the characters were not well developed and were unbelievable. And here's a note to the author: Becca, GET A DECENT EDITOR!! I'm not sure how many times "eying" was spelled differently! Also, it is a pool CUE!

*sigh* I'm a fast reader and it took awhile to get through this book. I felt the concept was really interesting and a lot could have been done with it. However, I feel that it has fallen into the Twilight-trap. Admittedly, I will end up reading Crescendo. But, yeah, this novel really did not impress me too much.

Rating: ☆ ☆
Currently: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
Current Pages: 9300
Current Progress:

27/50 books

In other news, Happy Easter!!!!