Author: Cynthia Hand

Damn it. I just finished and I don’t know what to think. It was good-most definitely. But cleary, CLEARLY I must read on to see what will become of this now convoluted mess. It’s definitely what I feared-a love triangle. Or is it? I’m not quite sure what to make of the ending. I’m thoroughly confused with what I’m feeling.

Clara is on this Earth for a purpose, a destiny if you will, and she has to put together every piece of the puzzle to be able to fulfill it. There’s a fire, a boy, and a forest. She and her family find themselves moving to Wyoming where Clara is to fulfill the almighty prophecy, the purpose of her being. From there we are thrown into her world as a high school student struggling to fit in and ultimately get closer to the boy she is meant to save.

I found this novel to be a very well rounded story with very little room to become boring. In fact, I was fully engrossed in the story and devoured it in 24 hours. I started reading so quickly near the end that I swear I read over some important information (a bad habit of mine) that I should have probably grasped hold of-oops.

However, my largest gripe is that there are two incredibly attractive, sweet boys. I hate this. I hate when there are two viable boys to choose from. It nags at me as I read, no matter how strong a connection is between the two people who seem to really care for each other. I always find it hard to get attached to one, because alas, all of a sudden something catastrophic happens and all of a sudden the lead heroine is in love with the other guy. So, of course I’m skeptical at this point, and I hate that unsure feeling. But I must say I do love one boy in particular, and he seems to be running in the forefront at this moment, so for now, that is fine with me. But be warned, I guarantee it will be heartbreak city if something happens, and there are still at least two more books as far as my knowledge goes.

Overall, this was a fun story that didn’t go as dark as it could have (except for a certain furry creature whom we have no idea if he lives or not-she kind of left us hanging there-tune in for that update…), and I thoroughly enjoyed that aspect-for now. Personally, I like a litte climactic suspense. I’m sure the author is saving that for the rest of the series…I just hope there isn’t a massive amount of heartbreak. I don’t handle that well lol. So as I finish this review, I find my fingers itching to purchase the next in the series, oh wait, just did ;). With that, I will start Hallowed and attempt to gain a sense of what will come of this angel-blood, Clara.

Oh my gosh (Don’t imagine a happy, shrill-scream inducing omg. Imagine a forlone, shaky, teary-eyed sigh of an omg). I know that based on all of my reviews that I must seem like the mushiest person ever, ceaselessly crying all the time. But I swear, I rarely cry that often for a book. This was such a tear jerker of an ending for so many different reasons, that my eyes couldn’t help but to become red-rimmed with tears. I just feel drained..a good drained, I suppose, but Hallowed was just such an emotional read, and I guess I never thought the ending could be so sad (maybe hopeful to some readers) even though the whole book implied and pushed that, hey!, buckle up because you’re going to cry sucker. That was probably a run-on sentence. But whatever.

I have so many thoughts that are itching to be thrown into writing all at once. My mind is still in a fog after an hour of being finished, and I have so many conflicting emotions. I guess that’s the mark of a good author-possession of my mind.

Clara. What to say about Clara. Aside from the fact that I don’t believe she completely understands that truth in a relationship is essential for the other party to feel comforted and loved wholeheartedly, becuase hey, he already knows you are otherwordly anyway so, she is one of the few lead female characters that I actually have a little ounce of respect for. Why this teenager? While a lot of times it is frustrating when a girl won’t just succumb to a beautiful boy’s charm, I didn’t feel that way with Clara. She stands her ground on many issues that are a large part of her world, and no one really tells her what to do and how to be, not really, and that is a breath of fresh air. She fights for what she believes in, even with a foreboding sense of inevitability.

For the record-I LOVE Tucker, and I love Christian. I really am thrown by how sweet and caring both of these guys are. I never feel like both guys deserve the main girl like I do with these characters. Sure, Christian did run off to get Kay after the dance the year before, but she was mourning the end of their relationship, and he felt it was his fault so he went after her. That is all. It’s old news and there isn’t a thing that can be done about the past. I continually keep rationalizing why she should be with each guy, and I feel a stab of guilt each time her path shifts. I inwardly flinch when every obstacle is thrown her way. I was saddened by the fact that Tucker really wasn’t in this book much. He was in it, but just not as much as one would hope. I hated that and it was very noticeable. These books truly are playing with my mind and tugging on my heartstrings.

So with all of this being said, I must also clarify that I liked the layout of this book much better than the first installment. I still do not like Angela much, sorry to whoever cares, I find her to be pushy and self-serving, so I didn’t care for the fact that she was in it buttloads more than the almost non-existent Wendy (she almost just seems like a vacant character, even in Unearthly, with not much more than a bland personality and very little stage presence-so different than her amazing brother), but I still liked Hallowed a lot. I felt this story on a very deep level, even more so at the end, and I can’t wait to start Boundless. What a mess. I just hope my fragile state of mind can handle this frustrating love triangle.

I guess 3.5 stars. Ugh. I want to give it four, I do, but too little was wrapped up at the end

Part One: To the Pain

I realize not many people will get that reference if they have not seen The Princess Bride, but I’m using it because it’s how I feel in this moment. I also realize I haven’t rated Boundless. I’m more than aware. What I am not aware of, however, is how I’m going to rate this novel. I’m torn by my love of the trilogy, my loyalty to the characters and their happiness, and how royally we all got screwed as readers. So here we go with the review. I am sad to say I’m severely disappointed-at least with the last quarter of the book. After finishing Boundless I feel a hollowness in my heart and an ache in my soul.

Yes-it got that deep for me. I invested my time into this trilogy, all the while realizing that there was going to be a sad ending for at least one of the boys in this dumbass love triangle, and then she takes it there-that sad place where you don’t feel good for the other character. That place where your mind will forever be trapped and wondering wth happened to your beloved characters, or namely that one character you can’t stand to let go because they were unjustly served at the end of the story as you know it. And yes-I’m angry as much as I am sad. I just can’t believe, that after all the time she put into writing these novels, that she can’t even give us more than like..a page…of an epilogue? It was frustrating and left me feeling so empty with the way she thought she so neatly wrapped these people’s lives up, when in reality, she really just metaphorically threw all their lives into a bucket and hoped we appreciated that way of an explanation for their futures. No. Believe me when I say it PAINS me to rant like this.

Part Two: To the Tears

I can’t even begin to explain how wrapped up I got into the characters’ stories and how much I looked forward to reading each and every page. Each book had such depth and love poured into them, and this fact is why I was so depressed that she left an essentially unfinished story for all her avid fans of this series. At one point in the story, and I kid you not, I slammed my Nook down and ran into the bathroom and started bawling. I’m talking HUGE, EMBARRASSING, crocodile tears streaming down my face. Straight up FUGLY crying. It was ridiculous. I felt betrayed that she was even possibly going to take this story in the direction it was inevitably leading to. I was a blubbering mess, and this led me to trying to tell my boyfriend about the story and why all of a sudden I was having a nervous breakdown in the middle of our living room-that went well-angels…paranormal…blubber blubber…can’t believe she did this..I ending up skipping ahead, because this couldn’t POSSIBLY be the ending-idc I had to know, and thank GOD it miraculously turned around. I predicted this, but I didn’t predict that even after that fact, I would still feel horrible. I felt drained-NOT the good kind. I knew, I just KNEW she was going to take the easy way out, and she did. I couldn’t believe it. Which leads me to my finale and part three.

Part 3-WTF and Utterly Heartbreaking Betrayal (yea, different theme here)

She copped out. Like majorly. She left one guy, and I will not say who, hanging high and dry. I’m talking not even an explanation or epiphany of what’s to come for him and I think that plays the biggest hand in her betrayal. I loved both guys. They were both AMAZING. My heart broke for the loser in this sad game(there really never was a clear winner for me, they both deserved her and ultimately, happiness), because deep down, I had a soft spot for him. Most definitely.
And then she can’t even give him a future. What. The. F. Wrong. So wrong. And I can’t be ok with it, I can’t. We are just left with the fact that he is sad, and we are just supposed to accept it-and I never will. His story is most definitely unfinished. Even after all that bullshit, the author doesn’t even give our happy couple more than a page of their future life together. Not. Even. A. Measly. Chapter. Oh and no worries, we literally don’t get any closure for any of the other characters either. Like I said. Utter betrayal. I’m becoming a broken record here, so I’ll wrap it up- I loved this series, and I will maybe, probably, someday re read it. I loved these characters. I grew with them, I heard their feelings, I felt their pains and sorrows, and I’m going to miss them. Especially since I got so little to go on at the end of book three. I just hope that maybe she can someday revisit this story and add to it, because to me, I feel there is so much more to it, and I can’t help but hope for that happy(er) ending.

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