Review – HUSH, HUSH by Becca Fitzpatrick

First, a disclaimer: both Becca and I are members of The Tenners (thetenners.com), so I’ve been hearing lots about her and her book. I did not, however, grovel for an ARC. (Though I thought about it.) Instead, the Publishing Deities graciously left me a copy in my mailbox, to my infinite glee and anticipation. I stroked the pretty cover for a bit, then managed to set HUSH, HUSH aside for a day or two, to focus on my own writing. That’s about as long as my self-control lasted, because I peeked and read 10 pages. Next time I picked it up, I read the next 381 pages in one sitting.

To be honest, I didn’t know too much about the story of HUSH, HUSH before I read it, and I liked it that way. I will try to keep any secrets under wraps, though the cover and blurb’s mention of “the fallen” will heavily clue you in to the fantastical element of this novel: angels. (Becca also spills this tidbit on her website, should you feel inclined to check it out.) I really liked how Becca handled her angel mythology. She hinted just enough and kept the rest secret or vague in such a way that seeds the reader’s imagination. Other thoughts:

-Patch. Definitely a sexily dangerous bad-boy done right. Pretty soon I was getting the same shivery feelings that Nora was, a mixture of fear and attraction and curiosity. A complex character who could come across smoldering in one scene and genuinely creepy in the next, but believably so all the while.

-Nora. I think I like Nora even better than Patch, probably because so many similar books out there nowadays have such bland, ordinary heroines contrasted against lavishly detailed paranormal guys. Nora could blow over these so-called heroines like the paper dolls they are. She feels very solid to me, and equally as complex as Patch. This isn’t a helpless mortal girl going ga-ga; Nora remains strong-willed and smart. And I love how Patch falls for her because of it.

-Vee. Nora’s best friend was great and provided some of the best dialogue in the book. She’s not just comic relief, though, and provides Nora with the impetus to do a lot of interesting things. Which leads me to…

-The tension/pacing. Like I said before, I read this book in one sitting. And it’s no featherweight. Lots of unanswered questions and mysteries and are-they-going-to-kiss-or-not? moments kept me going. I noticed Becca left one big mystery pretty much untouched, which makes me wonder if she’s going to tackle it in the sequel, CRESCENDO. Believe me, I’m definitely going to pick that one up. And I think you should get your hands on HUSH, HUSH as soon as you can. It’s smart, sexy, and wonderfully complex.