Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

#1 in Hush, Hush Series
Published in 2010 by Simon & Schuster Children's
3 Stars


Goodreads Review
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. Not until Patch came 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 who 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 way 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:  Hush, Hush is an ominous and titillating tale of forbidden love at dangerous stakes.  Nora is attracted to Patch for all of the wrong reasons.  She throws caution to the wind to find out the secrets of the boy she cannot ignore.  Hush, Hush is full of conflict for the protagonist, who must decide between the safty of ignorance and the danger of knowing.

The best parts of this book were the suspense and sexual tension scenes.  The writing during these parts was fantastic, and drove me to read more.  The pacing and timing of the conversations was well executed, especially on the parts of Vee(the funny BFF) and Patch (even though he has a really stupid name). I also really liked the lore behind the fallen angel, where they come from, what they can do, and what are their goals.  The ending was well done, there was enough resolution to complete the book while still giving enough new information to make me want to read the second book, Crescendo.

 However, I did have some issues with the main character Nora.  At first she is presented as a very intelligent and independent girl who is hoping to get into an ivy league school, but as soon as Patch comes along we seem to loose all sight of that girl.  Nora is very illogical and impulsive at times, while at other times she was so cautious she was teetering towards prudishness.  There were times where she was afraid of Patch, and rightfully so as he is not a peaceful character to say the least, but she still goes with him or does what he says.  She flip flops between being suspicious of him and being lustfully attracted to him.  Nora is the girl you scream at during horror movies, the one who goes up to the attic in her underwear with a dead cell phone and a broken flashlight. 

Sadly there are many similarities to Twilight.  The overall plot is pretty much the same and the relationship between the main characters is very similar as well.  I was disappointed because I was looking for something different and never got it.  I am hoping that in Crescendo the focus will be on the angel lore and less on the chaotic relationship that has no real logic and borders on abusive.  (ok often dives head first into the abusive pool).

Overall, Hush, Hush has an interesting conecpt but got lost in the need to have a mysterious and dangerous love affair.  There are enough redeeming qualities for me to want to read the next book, but not enough for me to feel any urgency at getting to it.