Review: Hallowed

Synopsis: For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. 

My Review:  A lot of sequels of amazing debuts from last year are now coming out.  And as I read them I can't help but be slightly disappointed because they're mostly filler.  Yet, I expect this.  It's a major trend in books, so I can't get too upset over it.  I have to say though that Hallowed exceeded my expectations in this department.  There was a legitimate plot going on, not just added in drama for the sake of drama with nothing actually happening.  Even though it still had a good plot, I can't help but be horribly devastated with where it went.  

Clara has defied her purpose. She went against "God's plan" to save Tucker, the boy she loved.  Her mother still won't clue her in to what's really going on in her life.  She feels like she's being punished for not full-filling her Purpose.  Jefferey is steadily pulling away from their family, growing more withdrawn.  The mystery remains where he was the day of the fire, and the threat of Samjeeza is still hovering over them all. 


Now that all the angel bloods have been revealed to each other, Angela gets it in her head to start Angel Club.  Though their quest for more knowledge about themselves is stunted by the fact that Christian refuses to open up.  When Clara starts having another vision/dream it's clear that her purpose is not over, whatever it is.  


A lot of things happen.  I will say I was definitely thrown for a loop on a few of them.  Did not call some stuff AT ALL.  And yet, most of it wasn't all that surprising, amazingly enough.  I was actually pleased with some of the plot reveals.  


With Unearthly I really loved the fact that Clara went against her purpose for love.  I get so freakin sick and tired of "you're destined for each other" love stories.  Hate them with a fiery passion.  I adore Tucker.  So. Much.  He's probably one of my all time favorite love interests.  The main reason I loved Unearthly so much was that I was so ecstatic that Clara CHOSE him.  She didn't pursue Christian because of some destiny, she fell in love with TUCKER.  The whole happiness with that decision totally backfired in Hallowed though.  


I feel like readers naturally fell in love with Tucker because we got to know him very well.  Christian remained this huge mystery.  In this book, more of Christian is revealed and of course he's an amazing guy and of COURSE Clara starts falling for him.  She loves Tucker, she truly does and will do anything to protect him.  But when he becomes a target for Samjeeza she realizes that he deserves someone he can actually be with without all this shit happening.  She can't deny that she and Christian were "meant to be" and that they belong with each other.  And she doesn't fight it.  At all.  I was PISSED.  The whole point of the first book was that she FREELY CHOSE whom to love.  And it just ruined the whole idea for me.  I guess I really should have expected it, but I was really hoping that Clara and Christian could still work together to full-fill their purposes and have Clara still remain with Tucker.  It just sucks.  Don't get me wrong, I like Christian, but I LOVE Tucker.  


Kind of a side note here, but I feel that Jefferey totally got screwed over.  You never know what's going on with him.  It's like Clara totally forgot he was her brother.  Maybe it's because I'm an only child, but if I had a sibling I'd want to know what was going on with their lives.  Clara's so self-absorbed with her love life dilemma and her purpose that she can't even see that Jefferey is majorly struggling with his as well.  I hope that things work out okay for him, because well, I think he has it worse than Clara.  I kind of just want to hug him because literally NOBODY is concerned for him.  


I still really enjoy these books, but I have to say in the future books, if Tucker gets screwed over, these books will move from the "like" category, to "disdain" category very quickly.  Please, please, please, let me still like this series when it's complete.  It would be horrible otherwise.  Eagerly awaiting the next one.  Because I am dying to know what happens.