Silence

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Series: The Hush, Hush Saga # 3

Genres: Paranormal, Supernatural, Romance, Young Adult

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Released: 4 October 2011

Summary: courtesy of goodreads.com Nora Grey can't remember the past five month of her life. After the initial shock of waking up in a cemetery and being told that she has been missing for weeks - with no one knowing where she was or who she was with - she tried to get her life back on track. Go to school, hang out with her best friend, Vee, and dodge mom's creepy new boyfriend.
But there is this voice in the back of her head, an idea that she can almost reach out and touch. Visions of angel wings and unearthly creatures that have nothing to do with the life she knows.
And this unshakable feeling that a part of her is missing.
Then Nora crosses paths with a sexy stranger, whom she feels a mesmerizing connection to. He seems to hold all the answers...and her heart. Every minute she spends with him grows more and more intense until she realizes she could be falling in love. Again.

My Review: Wow, well, okay.  That was a little unexpected.  And when I say “a little” I actually mean, “a LOT”.  I mean, seriously.  Why did I feel like I had read this book before?  Oh wait, because I HAVE. Silence was basically retelling Hush, Hush and Crescendo.

Somehow while I was reading I kept wondering why I kept going.  I mean, Nora has done a 360 back into the “stupid high school girl” character and Patch is, well, whatever he is.  He doesn’t really change that much.  The only thing that keeps me going is Fitzpatrick’s incredible writing style.  Without that these two starcrossed-lovers would be more starcrossed-go-on-our-separate-way-ers.  The plot to this novel seemed overly simplistic, the only complexity coming from the dialogue between characters.  It was like an epic smoke and mirrors show.  When you get right down to it, what really happens in this novel?  Nora discovers a bunch of things that she already knew.  Fitzpatrick is pretty talented, because she’s written two characters that I can’t seem to get enough of, even though I’ve read this exact story before, in the two previous novels.  Her writing style, filled with its witty jabs and mysterious undercurrents is what will keep me and has kept me going to the end of the this series.  I hope in the future that Fitzpatrick will go after some heavier Melina Marchetta-style material.  I think she can pull off some depth if given the chance, but unfortunately the Hush, Hush saga doesn’t really have much of it, in my opinion.  I’ll read Finale, because I’ve read the first three, but do I doubt that Patch and Nora will end up together after a systematic fight of good versus evil, nope.  I don’t doubt it one bit. 

Crescendo

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Series: The Hush, Hush Saga # 2

Genres: Paranormal, Supernatural, Romance, Young Adult

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing

Released: 19 October 2010

Summary: courtesy of goodreads.com 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 Patch 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

My Review:  Crescendo, for me, was difficult.  The circumstances that Nora and Patch are put into throughout Crescendo were grating.  Especially after coming off of Hush, Hush where you wait most of the novel for something substantial to happen between our two protagonists.  Which, admittedly is good writing, and was really enticing to read, but that doesn’t mean I wanted to re-read it.  Basically: it was really hard for me to get behind the plot of this novel.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s still the same Patch with his cocky, un-explaining ways, and Nora finally steps up and makes some confident choices about their relationship, which was nice.  Patch is kind of a jerk.  It’s a dominant characterization of the guy, and Nora is still in high school and hasn’t learned her lesson yet, but in Crescendo she stands up for herself for a nanosecond and I was proud of that. 

I should probably address, I know that I rag on Patch and Nora, I have such a love/hate relationship with those two!  Fitzpatrick’s writing style is so freaking addicting that even though I see the two in what could only be conceived as a train wreck of a relationship, I still can’t help but read on!  However, what really got to me was this: In Hush, Hush Patch and Nora finish pretty strong.  They’re together, officially, Patch has kind of stopped being such a jerk.  They’re a couple, after dancing around it for a couple of hundred pages, so it bothered me immensely how everything went South between them so quickly.  Also, the “love triangle” seemed too contrived to be truly believable.

I understand star-crossed lovers.  However, I don’t think that the point of a novel about two people in love should be to make me believe that they shouldn’t be together.  By the end of Crescendo, even filled with its witty banter, and addictive writing style, I was beginning to believe that maybe Patch and Nora aren’t really meant for each other after all.  The writing was good, the plot strong, I just didn't like the direction the story was headed in.

Hush, Hush

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Series: The Hush Hush Saga # 1

Genres: Paranormal, Action, Romance, Young Adult

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing

Released: 13 October 2009

Summary: courtesy of goodreads.com 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

My Review: I can honestly say I will never tire of the story of Norah and Patch.  I’ve read Hush, Hush numerous times, and although I understand what a lot of people say, about the content, and giving off competing messages to young girls because Patch is a massive jerk throughout the bulk of the book, I still like reading these.  Fitzpatrick’s writing style is just so darn appealing to me.  Seriously.  The banter back and forth between Norah and Patch, as well as the mystery aspect, always has this way of sucking me in.  I still laugh when I read this book. 

There are a lot of similarities between this series and Twilight, except I would argue that Hush, Hush definitely has a little bit more intensity between the characters than Twilight did, and I feel like Fitzpatrick’s writing is a bit more my current style than Meyer’s.  There are so many things in Hush, Hush that have a different meaning when read differently, so many little sentences that make it that much more enjoyable.  Like deciphering a mystery inside of a mystery.

The only character that really gnaws on my nerves is Vee.  She is basically the WORST best friend on the entire planet, and I still can’t wrap my head around why Norah puts up with her.  Not only is she self-centered, loud mouthed, and rude, she totally sticks her nose in business that she shouldn’t be sticking her nose in.  Gah, anyways.  Besides Vee this book is amazing, and a fun, light read to carry you through a slow weekend.