Review: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

I'm so sorry for being absent. I have been sick for the past two days with terrible headaches and a runny nose and a sore throat! Yikes, it's been awful. Hopefully, I will feel better soon because with my head hurting I don't get much reading done and even if I do, I don't enjoy it as I should! :(

I had already finished this book but I hadn't gotten around to writing a review, so there you go! :)

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
Genre: YA/Paranormal Mystery?

Summary: Nora Grey's life is still far from perfect. Surviving an attempt on her life wasn't pleasant, but at least she got a guardian angel out of it: a mysterious, magnetic, gorgeous guardian angel. But, despite his role in her life, Patch has been acting anything but angelic. He's more elusive than ever and even worse, he's started spending time with Nora's arch-enemy, Marcie Millar.

Nora would have hardly noticed Scott Parnell, an old family friend who has moved back to town, if Path hadn't been acting so distant. Even with Scott's totally infuriating attitude Nora finds herself drawn to him - despite her lingering feeling that he's hiding something.

Haunted by images of her murdered father, and questioning whether her nephilim bloodline has anything to do with his death, Nora puts herself increasingly in dangerous situations as she desperately searches for answers. But maybe some things are better left buried, because the truth could destroy everything - and everyone - she trusts.


Review:
I started this only days after finishing Hush, Hush. I really enjoyed Hush, Hush, even though I thought the ending was a bit anti-climactic (I think I am too ruined after reading only Forensic Fiction and Dark Urban Fantasy books for a while there lol).
So when I saw it was out at a Greek Bookstore (that must be a first, I mean wow... I was seriously impressed because in Greece we are way behind when it comes to publishing books in this genre), I had to pick it up because I didn't want to wait.
You should also know that books in Greece are usually like 30-40% more expensive though. I guess it's the shipping and I don't blame them, but that is why poor me always orders from Book Depository and Play.com, instead. Sorry Greek Bookstores, but you suck a little :P)

Anyways, back to the book. I had already read some reviews and a lot of people where angered by Nora's attitude... But let's take it from the start.

I absolutely adored the opening. What can be more spectacular than watching colorful fireworks and stuff with your boyfriend? (Ok, don't answer that I know I'm a silly romantic!). I thought it was a special way to open a book and my heart just melted. I loved how Patch was around Nora and how Nora was herself and the mutual trust they had. Of course, I knew it wasn't going to last but I didn't see that coming.
Well, that wasn't exactly the opening since we did get to see Nora's father and what more or less happened the day he was killed, but honestly I was dying to read about Nora and Patch so I hurried a little!

They were really adorable together and I just loved how protective he was of her, after she run into Marcy who once again hurt her with her words. It is on thing to have a rivalry at school due to grades and ambition and quite another to constantly put down someone and even mention their dead, no murdered, father.
So yes, Marcy not on my Christmas list of people to give gifts.
Anyways, I have to say that we get a lot of answers in this book.

We, finally, get to know exactly why Nora is in danger and why Fallen Angels use Nephilims and not humans in general for their “hosting- parasitic” needs. We get to know more about how their society on earth functions and what exactly happened to Harrison. Who killed him and why and who has been after Nora the whole time.

I have to admit that I didn't see that coming and I really liked the fact that it was unexpected.
I enjoyed the pace of the book and the wonderful descriptions only Becca Fitzpatrick can give you. We saw everything through Nora's eyes and it was so beautifully described that we felt her frustration and her anger and pain.

I was really disappointed in Patch regarding some of his actions but I also have to say that Nora wasn't entirely rational all the time, either.
She was quick to judge and jumped to conclusions and it was frustrating to see how little faith she had in Patch after only a few incidents. I am not sure if it was because she was insecure or because she can be pig-headed, but I didn't like that about her.

I didn't like Patch's disregard of her feelings either. I know there was a bigger picture and in the end he was an Angel again so he had a “Facade” to uphold so that the two of them wouldn't get separated but he could have been more subtle.

He showed remarkable affection and tolerance towards Marcy , whereas he often left Nora alone with no explanation. I know some people might say that if you love someone and trust him, you wait for him, but on the other hand, when you are in love you can be jealous and feel hurt if your lover doesn't give you the necessary attention.
And well, wasn't Patch supposed to be in love too? If he was in love then he should have shown a little trust to Nora as well, letting her know what was going on, so I think both parties were at fault here, although Patch was calmer and it showed how much it was hurting him inside.
Nora was the one who kept picking fights and again with the stalking like I mentioned in the review of “Hush, Hush”.

It was like an everyday couple fighting for the relationship and I love that dynamic in the book.
And I kinda liked Scott too. He wasn't what I initially thought and although he is not my favorite character I understood his part in the book.
Then, the unthinkable happened. I got to understand Marcy better.

We finally know why Marcy hates her and let me tell you, it wasn't what I expected. I was literally staring at the page, mouth agape. It was astonishing! I mean wow!!!
At first I thought it was that childish thing Marcy said at the bar, that Nora stole her 5-th Grade boyfriend (well kissed him was more like it), but that WAS NOT IT!!!

You have to read the book, but it is worth it!!

Memorable Scene/Description:

“Are you insane?” I told Patch, blood rising in my cheeks.
Patch sliced his eyes toward me. “You don’t want to be here.
Not with him.”
“You don’t get to make that call!”
Scott brushed past me. “Let me take care of him.”
He made it another two feet before Patch shoved his fist into
Scott’s jaw with a sickening crunch.
“What are you doing?” I yelled at Patch. “Did you break his
jaw?”
“Unnuh!” Scott moaned, clutching the lower half of his face.
“I didn’t break his jaw, but if he lays a hand on you, it will be
the first of many things to break,” Patch said.
“Out!” I ordered Patch, thrusting a finger at the door.
“I’m going to kill you,” Scott growled at Patch, opening and
closing his jaw, making sure it still worked.
But instead of taking the cue to leave, Patch crossed to Scott
in three steps. He flung him around to face the wall. Scott tried
to get his bearings, but Patch slammed him against the wall
again, disorienting him further. “Touch her,” he said in Scott’s
ear, his voice low and threatening, “and it’ll be the biggest
regret of your life.”
Before leaving, Patch flicked his eyes once in my direction.
“He’s not worth it.” He paused. “And neither am I.”
I opened my mouth but didn’t have an argument. I wasn’t here
because I wanted to be. I was here to shove it in Patch’s face. I
knew it, and he knew it.

Verdict: Awesome. I loved the book. even though I wish we could have gotten a few more sweet moments between Patch and Nora. The love between them shone through, though, so I'm still satisfied! :) And there were bombshells of revelations which render this book stunning.

Rating: I think what is fitting is 4 ½ stars. I have to subtract half a star because I thought some scenes were not consistent with what I think Patch should have done or would have done when faced with Nora's words and actions. This whole thing could have been settled a lot sooner if he wasn't so secretive and stubborn.

~Kelly~

Review: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Genre: YA/ Paranormal (Romance/Suspense)


Summary from Goodreads: For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her...until Patch comes along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn 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 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 far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora 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 her life

Review:
I picked this book up because of its stunning cover and, of course, because everyone had been talking about it. I thought the synopsis was really interesting and I'm all for Angels and forbidden, tormented and impossible romance.

Hush, Hush didn't disappoint in any respect. Nora is an everyday girl with no special power or anything setting her apart from other girls her age, other than the fact that she lost her father a year ago – he was murdered- and due to the expenses, her mother took on a job that required her to be away a lot. Too much if you ask me.
She has one best friend, Vee, who is curvy, vivacious and flirtatious and generally, she is the joy of life personified and just as careless sometimes.
She also has a enemy, a rival in the form of the blond cheerleader, Marcy, who is beautiful and popular and the “It” girl at school. For a reason Nora can't fully understand, Marcy always got it in for her, always making her life miserable or that much worse.

There's nothing special lacing her days up till the day a new student, Patch, makes his appearance at their school. His undeniable good looks and cheeky attitude catches Nora's eyes, but the way he talks to her, like he already knows her unsettles her and annoys her.
When she is unwillingly teamed up with him for a biology assignment, she thinks it can't get any worse than that, because he is uncooperative and rude and always teases her. It seems that all his words and retorts are laced with innuendos and that makes her mad.

She needs a good grade, though, so she swallows down her pride and when they should be working on the assignment, (meaning him giving her details about his life)but he is out playing pool, she marches in the place she plays at in an effort to catch him off guard and finish the assignment.
But Patch never fails to embarrass her and make her blush and get her angry.

There's mystery covering everything that is Patch and even though she resents it, Nora still finds herself interested and – despite the fact that Vee is the one that instigates it openly, Nora is the one that truly goes along with it- she stalks him around wanting to find out his secret.

Nora begins to think whether it is the other way around though, that maybe Patch is the one stalking her and following her around- to what end she can't really tell. She is intrigued and a little scared, but the anger within her rises with each snide comment he makes.

I have to admit that I really liked Nora. She Is a believable character. I liked the fact that she didn't turn into a shadow of herself, or a mush just because she liked him. She didn't immediately turn into jello when he looked at her, talked to her or happened to touch her. I really liked that because the whole “I-loved-you-the-minute-I-saw-you” drill has been overdone in my opinion.

Unlike other characters in this genre, Nora had the good sense of at least trying to keep her distance from him, since she felt it in her gut that something was wrong. Seriously wrong with him.

Even though, her sixteen years of age would suggest raging hormones, Nora was able to fight them and maintain some rational thought, despite the fact that Patch dispersed it from time to time - not that I blame her. ;)

Vee, was a likable character, as well. I have to admit that sometimes I rolled my eyes at what she was suggesting or saying or doing, but all in all, she is who kept Nora in check and urging her when she needed to be. Vee wasn't as level-headed as Nora, however, and her disregard or ignorance of danger and consequences was something I resented.

As for Patch. What can I say? He was gorgeous, a great male specimen too with his dark hair and dark eyes and his lean physique. I truly enjoyed his lines.
He was witty and annoying, but sexy as hell and some of the things he said – if said to me- would totally leave me breathless and speechless – let alone running to his arms.

I think that sometimes, when you are 16 or 17, you don't necessarily grasp the imminence of danger or exactly what danger could ensue. I mean when a cute, mysterious guy hits on us – no matter the manner- we aren't that inclined to immediately think he is a bad person or a stalker or a psycho.
So, even though some people have said that it's not realistic, in my humble opinion it is.

I really couldn't believe that Patch wanted to kill her, and some of his words made me - reading between the lines- think that he was starting to fall in love with her and care about her well-being, despite himself. There were times, where he was talking to Nora and she was all negative and I just wanted to scream at him: Kiss her already. Take her in your arms and make her shut up” lol

But it took way longer than that, regretfully! :P
The revelation and the pace till then, was really good. My heart was already racing by then and my breath was short! I was honestly dying to see what was going to happen.
And even though, I didn't think the ending was anti-climactic, I believe there was something missing.

Maybe I was just missing the whole point. I mean, I guess angels – not being able to feel touch or have any physical sensation, really craved exactly that and that was why they were willing to do anything to feel, even kill.
I don't know what I would do if I wasn't able to feel or touch, I think I take it for granted, but in retrospect, I am starting to realize how important it is.

Fallen Angels according to the book lived among us, having ordinary lives or trying to and seeing humans having all that plus the ability to feel and touch and lust and love and do everything with burning passion, could have really jolted their envy and lust.

Nonetheless, I'm really glad Patch fell in love with Nora and I wouldn't change Patch's character into a more benevolent one right from the start. I really like tormented characters and bad boys tuned good because of love, so I adored the book.

I thought it was very remarkably written too. Better than a lot of YA novels, not only in terms of the beautiful language and descriptions used, but also because of the style and its originality.

Some people argue that Nora quickly understanding that Patch was a fallen Angel was a bit too rushed or “easy” for the plot, but I didn't think so. Let us not forget that Nora is a nephilim, part-nephilim anyways, so it must have been also her instinct – even her self-preservation instinct- that kicked in. So what might be too hard to gather for a common human, wouldn't make sense to be as hard to her, since she is a nephilim.

What I found a bit weird is how Nora was willing to stalk him – even at dangerous places- , how she traded her coat for information (I would never do that! Lol ) and how she went undercover in a club disguising herself with a wig so that she would find more about him.

Although, I did my far aimount of pseudo-stalking as a teenager (I think we have all followed our crush around a little), I never went as far as following him into bars or disguising myself. Then again none of my crushes tried to kill me either so... Yeah lol

Notable Description/Scene”

He waited a few counts before answering. His tone was so low, I shivered. “You want me to come clean,
I will. I’ll tell you everything. Who I am and what I’ve done. Every last detail. I’ll dig it all up, but you
have to ask. You have to want it. You can see who I was, or you can see who I am now. I’m not good,”
he said, piercing me with eyes that absorbed all light but reflected none, “but I was worse.”
...“Are you keeping anything else from me?” I wanted to know.
“I’m keeping a lot of things from you.”
My insides took a steep dive. “Like?”
“Like the way I feel about being locked up in here with you.” Patch braced one hand against the mirror behind me, his weight tipping toward me. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

Verdict: An excellent book. I think everyone has to have it in her/his bookcase because even if it is not exactly ground-breaking, it really is an unforgettable book that manages to excite, scare, “caress” and turn into a jello everyone with the plot twists, the suspense, the danger and the epic romance.

Rating: Anything around 41/2 -5 stars. I might deduct half a point for the things I mentioned earlier, but this book merits a prominent place in your shelf!

Find Becca Fitzpatrick: Site, Goodreads , Blog, Twitter

Buy Hush, Hush at: Amazon , Book Depository, Play.com

~ Kelly ~