Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F Fit
Series
Collection
Publication
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (2009), 387pages
Description
High school sophomore Nora has always been very cautious in her relationships, but when Patch, who has a dark side she can sense, enrolls at her school, she is mysteriously and strongly drawn to him, despite warnings from her best friend, the school counselor, and her own instincts.
Media reviews
This book is ON FIRE! It's downright fantastic--from the book cover which is just tempting until the very last page. I finished this book in just one sitting. I actually read this book twice in one week. And I just love my best friend for lending me this book because I know I'll be missing half of
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my life if I hadn't read this.
Moving on, the concept of the story was very well defined. I simply adore how Becca made the story incredibly without trying too hard. The writing was just awesome and there were remarkable dialogues. The characters complement each other very well and they are easy to like. Show Less
...första delen av en rad böcker om Bella, förlåt, Nora som träffar en mörk, sexig, vältränad, mystisk och lite farlig kille på gymnasiet, Edward, förlåt, Patch.
Kirkus Reviews
In a thrilling debut with an attention-grabbing cover, this game of revenge among fallen angels with Nora caught in the middle has too many coincidences to move the plot along and an uneven, rushed ending. Twilight readers will either squeal over the forbidden romance between Nora and Patch and the
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steamy scenes they generate or sigh over another helpless young woman torn between sexuality and fear and threatened and manipulated by males who play with her vulnerability. Show Less
VOYA
Although the concept of an archangel willing to become human for love is compelling, the mythology could have been better researched and often appears to be inserted in the story as an afterthought. Twilight comparisons are unavoidable and may prove to be either a delight or distraction. These
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include a first-person narrative told by a smart but innocent girl and an unsettling much-older biology lab partner who stalks and romances her as he reluctantly puts her in mortal danger. Even the setting of Nora Grey's foggy Coldwater, Maine, is interchangeable with Bella Swan's dreary Forks, Washington. Show Less
Publishers Weekly
Nora's tempestuous relationship with prototypical bad boy Patch is genuinely, even unsettlingly, seductive—fans of paranormal romance should be rapt.
School Library Journal
While teens may enjoy the scenes of tension and terror, most will be disappointed by characters without dimension and the illogical sequence of events.
Original publication date
2009-10-13
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: When Nora is assigned a new partner in biology class, she's pretty unhappy. She's even more unhappy when her new partner, Patch, seems to know all of her secrets... while clearly hiding more than a few of his own. Patch seems like nothing but trouble, and more than a little dangerous, but
Review: When I first got this book, read the back cover, and realized it was a straight-up Twilight clone, I was very afraid it was going to be equally silly or rage-inducing, or possibly both. Still, I was hopeful - I thought the same about Wicked Lovely and wound up loving it, so I was willing to be surprised again.
I should have trusted my instincts the first time.
...which, ironically enough, is my main problem with the book. To back up a little bit: Patch is stalking Nora. Nora a) realizes that he is stalking her; b) can sense that he is Bad News; c) knows that she should run screaming in the opposite direction; but d) doesn't, because he's also sexy and alluring. Roughly every other paragraph contains some variation on the following internal monologue: "Patch is stalking me. But he's hot! But he's dangerous. But dangerousness is sexy! But I'm having serious misgivings about this situation. But he's really, really hot!"
The idea that anyone would treat Nora and Patch as romantic ideals is what's making me so angry. I really wish these books came bundled with a copy of The Gift of Fear, or at least with warning stickers that say "ATTENTION GIRLS: If a guy in real life makes you feel threatened or creeped out, no matter how hot he is, get the hell away from him posthaste." And I'm sorry, but if a guy was physically blocking me from leaving the room, manhandled me up against a wall, and kissed me with his hands wrapped around my throat? "Little shivers of panic and pleasure shot through me." would NOT be my first reaction. Pleasure?!? That's not sexy, that's sexual abuse.
Even divorcing myself from all of the gender politics issues I had with this book, it was still only a passable read. In its favor: it was a very fast read, and I did stay glued to the pages (mostly waiting for Nora come to her senses.) However, I felt like the pacing was off - we got few to no hints about what was going on, or what Patch's real story was, until almost the very end - and then there was a rush of exposition that didn't entirely make sense, and then the book ended. I didn't really connect with the characters, to the point where I had forgotten Nora's name less than 24 hours after having finished the book. There are some subplots and mythological details that aren't worked in particularly well, and a number of small but important-seeming details (Nora's mental connection to her best friend, the persistent fog around her house) that are brought up occasionally but never explained. The writing itself was mostly innocuous, if somewhat repetitive, although it did contain a few utter howlers ("His eyes looked like they didn't play by the rules.")
Of course, my feminist moral outrage about this book's glorifying of sexual harassment is going to matter not one whit in terms of the number of copies it sells. Twilight fans in all their legions are going to snap it up, since it's essentially the same book. I just hope most of them use their heads and trust their instincts a little more than does Hush, Hush's narrator. 2 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Pass, unless you're feeling the need to get angry and morally righteous about something.
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he won't leave her alone, and despite herself, Nora finds herself falling for him. But she begins to suspect that Patch isn't exactly human... and that there might be more to his pursuit of her than meets the eye.Review: When I first got this book, read the back cover, and realized it was a straight-up Twilight clone, I was very afraid it was going to be equally silly or rage-inducing, or possibly both. Still, I was hopeful - I thought the same about Wicked Lovely and wound up loving it, so I was willing to be surprised again.
I should have trusted my instincts the first time.
...which, ironically enough, is my main problem with the book. To back up a little bit: Patch is stalking Nora. Nora a) realizes that he is stalking her; b) can sense that he is Bad News; c) knows that she should run screaming in the opposite direction; but d) doesn't, because he's also sexy and alluring. Roughly every other paragraph contains some variation on the following internal monologue: "Patch is stalking me. But he's hot! But he's dangerous. But dangerousness is sexy! But I'm having serious misgivings about this situation. But he's really, really hot!"
The idea that anyone would treat Nora and Patch as romantic ideals is what's making me so angry. I really wish these books came bundled with a copy of The Gift of Fear, or at least with warning stickers that say "ATTENTION GIRLS: If a guy in real life makes you feel threatened or creeped out, no matter how hot he is, get the hell away from him posthaste." And I'm sorry, but if a guy was physically blocking me from leaving the room, manhandled me up against a wall, and kissed me with his hands wrapped around my throat? "Little shivers of panic and pleasure shot through me." would NOT be my first reaction. Pleasure?!? That's not sexy, that's sexual abuse.
Even divorcing myself from all of the gender politics issues I had with this book, it was still only a passable read. In its favor: it was a very fast read, and I did stay glued to the pages (mostly waiting for Nora come to her senses.) However, I felt like the pacing was off - we got few to no hints about what was going on, or what Patch's real story was, until almost the very end - and then there was a rush of exposition that didn't entirely make sense, and then the book ended. I didn't really connect with the characters, to the point where I had forgotten Nora's name less than 24 hours after having finished the book. There are some subplots and mythological details that aren't worked in particularly well, and a number of small but important-seeming details (Nora's mental connection to her best friend, the persistent fog around her house) that are brought up occasionally but never explained. The writing itself was mostly innocuous, if somewhat repetitive, although it did contain a few utter howlers ("His eyes looked like they didn't play by the rules.")
Of course, my feminist moral outrage about this book's glorifying of sexual harassment is going to matter not one whit in terms of the number of copies it sells. Twilight fans in all their legions are going to snap it up, since it's essentially the same book. I just hope most of them use their heads and trust their instincts a little more than does Hush, Hush's narrator. 2 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Pass, unless you're feeling the need to get angry and morally righteous about something.
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LibraryThing member abbylibrarian
When Nora is partnered with the darkly handsome and mysterious Patch in biology class, she's instantly attracted and frightened by him. Something is off about him, but Nora finds herself drawn to him nonetheless. Then strange things start happening - things that make Nora question her sanity - and
(This is quite frank... sorry...) I had a hard time with this book because I thought Nora was an idiot and I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to buy the fact that her mom would leave her alone so often when she was so stupid, but I definitely think Twilight fans will eat it up. I'd like to see Edward Cullen and Patch Cipriano in a celebrity death match.
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Nora realizes that she's caught in the middle of a dangerous conflict. (This is quite frank... sorry...) I had a hard time with this book because I thought Nora was an idiot and I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to buy the fact that her mom would leave her alone so often when she was so stupid, but I definitely think Twilight fans will eat it up. I'd like to see Edward Cullen and Patch Cipriano in a celebrity death match.
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LibraryThing member PhoebeReading
I've been mulling over my review for Becca Fitzpatrick's debut, the paranormal thrillermance Hush, Hush for about a week now. It's difficult to talk about a book as controversial as this one without at least touching on the politics. But there's little I can say about the politics that hasn't quaintly outdated abhorrent sexual politics but rather in its pacing. There's a vague cloud of "suspense" that hangs over the novel's first two thirds, and Nora is, apparently, endangered by almost every one she encounters. But nothing happens--really, nothing. For two hundred and fifty pages--and though the reader is clued in to Patch's supernatural origins through the cover and the prologue and the blurb, there's really no logical connection between the nebulous dangers she faces and Patch's identity as an angel. This means that the revelations about the book's angelic mythology fall into place with as much grace as a sack of wet laundry. Nora sees scars on Patch's back, thinks "angel!", investigates fallen angels on teh Google (and if you've read my reviews, you know how much I hate internet research scenes; writers, knowing that kids google sh*t does not equal being hip to the technology of young people), and decides that Patch must be an angel. This requires some logical leaps that would never work this neatly in real life.And then we get about fifty pages of really muddled angel mythology. It's incredibly convoluted and all wedged into such a small space that there's no time for the reader to digest the "rules" of angeldom. I'll put it this way: I have a terminal graduate degree, and I won't pretend for a second that I understood what was happening at the end of this book.The worst bit of this, for me, was the revelation that our anti-hero Patch couldn't feel anything, in a tactile sense. Because I'll say this for Hush, Hush: for all that I thought Patch and Nora's relationship was fucked up, I believed their sexual chemistry. Now I know that quite a few objections to this book have centered upon the adage that sex does not equal love, and that young adult writers shouldn't imply that it does. And I sort of agree with this, but I think it's an attitude that's not entirely tied to reality. Because sex--for teens and adults--very much makes up the foundation of most romantic relationships. And it can certainly draw people together who would--or should--otherwise despise one another. So I bought that Patch lusted after Nora, and vice versa, even if it wasn't necessarily a good match. But when Patch tells us that his feelings for Nora are chaste and entirely pure and all about love, my belief in the relationship flew right out the window. What do they have, if not sex? Not even biology class--because their sexual attraction to one another was all that was ever discussed there.Anyway, I really consider all of this a shame because, despite the above, Becca Fitzpatrick's stylistics are fairly solid. Her writing is readable, even if occasionally silly, even if the content is sometimes squicky. And she does setting extremely well. This foggy little Maine town is the perfect place for a thriller like this . . . if only it was a bit more, well, thrilling.
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already been said before, and probably better.Yes, Nora, our heroine, is little more than the traditional victim/cheerleader in a slasher movie. She's both bubble-headed and paranoid, and she alternately cowers and stumbles through our ramshackle plot--a story about how, after she gets a new lab partner in bio (yes, this is a new YA cliche that's already becoming old hat), her life is repeatedly threatened by not only her hot, but creepy, partner Patch but also a bevy of other parties in her small Maine town. And though, yes, Nora has plenty of justification for resisting Patch--he's condescending and smarmy, he threatens her repeatedly, he doesn't even seem to like her most of the time--it does indeed seem like Nora resists Patch only so that she can later relent to him, illustrating once again (ick) how when a teenage girl says no, she really means yes.The truth is, though, that after about a hundred pages of this sort of thing, I fear I started to become immune to it. Because, while my jaw literally dropped during an early scene where Nora is sexually harassed during her biology class by both her classmates and teacher, and while a few flies probably swarmed in after Nora goes to her teacher and protests, but is rebuffed, by the novel's middle I just didn't care any more what happened to Nora, good or bad. I was really just that bored.Hush, Hush's biggest problem, I would say, isn't in its Show Less
LibraryThing member Rinnreads
I read reviews of this book here on Goodreads, and as I'm a sucker for trashy YA paranormal romance, I thought I'd give it a try - and the next day, found it in a charity shop for 80p.
My first thought when looking at this book was Twilight - the cover, the font, the plot. Little list of
- Nora and Patch meet in Biology class
- he wants to kill her AND seduce her
- she finds him dangerous, yet attractive
- Patch has to 'rescue' her from a trip to the nearest big town/city where she cleverly went off by herself
And there are a lot of other similarities, but also some differences.
For one, Nora isn't as annoying a character. She's not a Mary Sue, but it almost feels like the author was trying too hard to make her 'quirky' - writes poetry in secret, plays the cello, only listens to baroque music. She is however, plain stupid. And is apparently applying to Stanford, Harvard and Yale. And then of course there's the token annoying best friend, who is a 'typical' teenage girl (although I don't actually know many teenagers who act like these typical teenage girls...).
Patch was a seriously disturbing character. If you thought Edward Cullen was twisted, wait until you meet this guy. He is manipulative, abusive and just plain nasty. I'm not sure what it is with these paranormal romances, but when did treating someone like that equate to caring for them? There's looking out for someone, and then there's... that.
Then there was the situation in Biology class near the beginning, where Nora's teacher essentially puts her on the spot and asks very personal, humiliating questions, and Patch plays along. I'm not sure what teacher would ever think that sort of thing was okay, but I'm sure if they actually did it, it would result in their dismissal.
Overall, no the book was not original. It's a very overused format, but instead of vampires or whatever we have fallen angels. Cookie cutter characters, very simple writing - yet honestly, I just kept reading. I'm not sure if it was because it was simple and therefore a quick read, because I just wanted to get it over and done with, or because I actually enjoyed it despite all the wrong moral messages it sends out, but I finished this book in just a couple of hours.
EDIT: A couple of mistakes I noticed. There is one point where Nora is in Patch's Jeep, and decides to look through his glove compartment for more information on him. She mentions how even just his cell phone number would be good enough - but she already has it. He wrote it on her hand on the first day.
When Jules' parents are described as being away, due to their jobs in the diamond industry, and that they go to Africa and Australia a lot, Nora queries why they would go to Australia since it's not big in the diamond industry. Do you know what country is pretty big in the diamond industry? Here's a few clues: kangaroos, Ayers Rock, kookaburras, the Sydney Opera House, koalas - yes! It's Australia!
Also posted on my blog, Rinn Reads.
My first thought when looking at this book was Twilight - the cover, the font, the plot. Little list of
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similarities:- Nora and Patch meet in Biology class
- he wants to kill her AND seduce her
- she finds him dangerous, yet attractive
- Patch has to 'rescue' her from a trip to the nearest big town/city where she cleverly went off by herself
And there are a lot of other similarities, but also some differences.
For one, Nora isn't as annoying a character. She's not a Mary Sue, but it almost feels like the author was trying too hard to make her 'quirky' - writes poetry in secret, plays the cello, only listens to baroque music. She is however, plain stupid. And is apparently applying to Stanford, Harvard and Yale. And then of course there's the token annoying best friend, who is a 'typical' teenage girl (although I don't actually know many teenagers who act like these typical teenage girls...).
Patch was a seriously disturbing character. If you thought Edward Cullen was twisted, wait until you meet this guy. He is manipulative, abusive and just plain nasty. I'm not sure what it is with these paranormal romances, but when did treating someone like that equate to caring for them? There's looking out for someone, and then there's... that.
Then there was the situation in Biology class near the beginning, where Nora's teacher essentially puts her on the spot and asks very personal, humiliating questions, and Patch plays along. I'm not sure what teacher would ever think that sort of thing was okay, but I'm sure if they actually did it, it would result in their dismissal.
Overall, no the book was not original. It's a very overused format, but instead of vampires or whatever we have fallen angels. Cookie cutter characters, very simple writing - yet honestly, I just kept reading. I'm not sure if it was because it was simple and therefore a quick read, because I just wanted to get it over and done with, or because I actually enjoyed it despite all the wrong moral messages it sends out, but I finished this book in just a couple of hours.
EDIT: A couple of mistakes I noticed. There is one point where Nora is in Patch's Jeep, and decides to look through his glove compartment for more information on him. She mentions how even just his cell phone number would be good enough - but she already has it. He wrote it on her hand on the first day.
When Jules' parents are described as being away, due to their jobs in the diamond industry, and that they go to Africa and Australia a lot, Nora queries why they would go to Australia since it's not big in the diamond industry. Do you know what country is pretty big in the diamond industry? Here's a few clues: kangaroos, Ayers Rock, kookaburras, the Sydney Opera House, koalas - yes! It's Australia!
Also posted on my blog, Rinn Reads.
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LibraryThing member renkellym
For some reason, I had some serious skepticism about reading Hush, Hush. I finally convinced myself to give it a go, and I’m so glad I did! I have no idea where that skepticism came from, but it’s definitely gone now!
Hush, Hush, is a fun, action-packed story that is written in such a way that
One thing I really enjoyed was the relationship between Nora and Patch. Though Patch is portrayed as your typical “bad-boy” character, he does more than just sit around and smolder mysteriously. I loved reading his flirtatious conversations with Nora, and the way he pursued her wasn’t too creepy (it was kind of sweet, actually). Nora herself wasn’t too terribly interesting of a character, but when she was paired up with Patch or Vee, her snarky side came out, and I really liked that about her. (Also, she has some serious guts, which is great in a female protag)
Hush, Hush was jam-packed with all kinds of things going on, but Becca Fitzpatrick still somehow pulled everything together smoothly at the end. All the bits and bobs added up, and there was a solid conclusion. I finished reading the book feeling satisfied. But still, the sequel, Crescendo, is sitting on my shelf right now, begging to be read. I’m excited to see what will happen with Nora and Patch now that all the mysteries have been solved!
(Originally posted to 365 Days of Reading)
Hush, Hush, is a fun, action-packed story that is written in such a way that
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you can’t stop wanting more. From the hilarious exchanges between Nora and Vee to the suspense of Patch’s true identity, Hush, Hush is a non-stop roller coaster ride that you will not want to disembark.One thing I really enjoyed was the relationship between Nora and Patch. Though Patch is portrayed as your typical “bad-boy” character, he does more than just sit around and smolder mysteriously. I loved reading his flirtatious conversations with Nora, and the way he pursued her wasn’t too creepy (it was kind of sweet, actually). Nora herself wasn’t too terribly interesting of a character, but when she was paired up with Patch or Vee, her snarky side came out, and I really liked that about her. (Also, she has some serious guts, which is great in a female protag)
Hush, Hush was jam-packed with all kinds of things going on, but Becca Fitzpatrick still somehow pulled everything together smoothly at the end. All the bits and bobs added up, and there was a solid conclusion. I finished reading the book feeling satisfied. But still, the sequel, Crescendo, is sitting on my shelf right now, begging to be read. I’m excited to see what will happen with Nora and Patch now that all the mysteries have been solved!
(Originally posted to 365 Days of Reading)
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LibraryThing member girlaboutbooks
Hush, Hush is a sexy, hot and thrilling debut novel of Becca Fitzpatrick, which follows Nora Grey, a 16 year-old typical highschool student, who's leading a perfectly normal life until she got paired up in a Bio class with Patch, a full-on sexy transfer student who gives out a mysterious and
This book is ON FIRE! It's downright fantastic--from the book cover which is just tempting until the very last page. I finished this book in just one sitting. I actually read this book twice in one week. And I just love my best friend for lending me this book because I know I'll be missing half of my life if I hadn't read this.
Moving on, the concept of the story was very well defined. I simply adore how Becca made the story incredibly without trying too hard. The writing was just awesome and there were remarkable dialogues. The characters complement each other very well and they are easy to like.
I find Nora's innocence quite amusing and she has a lot of common sense, well, atleast when Patch is not around. Vee Sky, Nora's bestfriend, is more outgoing, straight-forward, sassy and funny. She reminds me of my close friend so it was easy for me to like her. And then there's Patch, to make it short, he's one of the things that sets the book on fire. I saw an interview of Becca where she mentioned she wanted Patch to be the "Ultimate Bad Boy". I believe she justified that well enough in the book. For me, Patch is new definition of Bad Boy.
The climax was out of control and breath-taking! I just love how everything turned out.
I highly recommend this book to those who likes to read a Paranormal Romance mixed with humor and a braintwisting mystery.
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dangerous vibe. Having said that, Nora finds herself drawn to him the way she'd never felt drawn to anyone.This book is ON FIRE! It's downright fantastic--from the book cover which is just tempting until the very last page. I finished this book in just one sitting. I actually read this book twice in one week. And I just love my best friend for lending me this book because I know I'll be missing half of my life if I hadn't read this.
Moving on, the concept of the story was very well defined. I simply adore how Becca made the story incredibly without trying too hard. The writing was just awesome and there were remarkable dialogues. The characters complement each other very well and they are easy to like.
I find Nora's innocence quite amusing and she has a lot of common sense, well, atleast when Patch is not around. Vee Sky, Nora's bestfriend, is more outgoing, straight-forward, sassy and funny. She reminds me of my close friend so it was easy for me to like her. And then there's Patch, to make it short, he's one of the things that sets the book on fire. I saw an interview of Becca where she mentioned she wanted Patch to be the "Ultimate Bad Boy". I believe she justified that well enough in the book. For me, Patch is new definition of Bad Boy.
The climax was out of control and breath-taking! I just love how everything turned out.
I highly recommend this book to those who likes to read a Paranormal Romance mixed with humor and a braintwisting mystery.
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LibraryThing member Chase92
When I first heard of this book, I can't help but compare it to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight. It practically has the same plot, except for the vampires, which are replaced with fallen angels here. As soon as I started reading the book though, I realized that this book is nothing like Twilight.
It is
Let me start by saying that both Twilight lovers and haters will enjoy Hush, Hush. The plot isn't really original, but there are enough subplots to add depth to it. The plot twist was well-placed and really took me by surprise. I appreciate that the novel isn't very lengthy, and the story moves with just the right pace. I didn't think the characters develop very much. In fact, I was quite annoyed with Vee, who was, in my opinion, a clueless dumb blonde. On the other hand, the romance between Nora and Patch develops very nicely, and their portrayal of soulmates hits the right spot.
I'm particularly impressed with Fitzpatrick's writing style. It was very versatile and vivid, being able to fill scenes with the emotional depth needed. It was easy for me to believe that the narration was coming from a teenager, and not an adult. I also liked that the writing was very descriptive, but not until the point where it starts to become gibberish. It made it easier for me to visualize the story.
Even if you're not the most diehard paranormal romance fan, I doubt you won't enjoy Hush, Hush. If this review doesn't convince you, surely the fantastic cover will? Don't wait for the paperback -get it now!!!
It is
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better than Twilight.Let me start by saying that both Twilight lovers and haters will enjoy Hush, Hush. The plot isn't really original, but there are enough subplots to add depth to it. The plot twist was well-placed and really took me by surprise. I appreciate that the novel isn't very lengthy, and the story moves with just the right pace. I didn't think the characters develop very much. In fact, I was quite annoyed with Vee, who was, in my opinion, a clueless dumb blonde. On the other hand, the romance between Nora and Patch develops very nicely, and their portrayal of soulmates hits the right spot.
I'm particularly impressed with Fitzpatrick's writing style. It was very versatile and vivid, being able to fill scenes with the emotional depth needed. It was easy for me to believe that the narration was coming from a teenager, and not an adult. I also liked that the writing was very descriptive, but not until the point where it starts to become gibberish. It made it easier for me to visualize the story.
Even if you're not the most diehard paranormal romance fan, I doubt you won't enjoy Hush, Hush. If this review doesn't convince you, surely the fantastic cover will? Don't wait for the paperback -get it now!!!
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LibraryThing member elissajanine
I finished this book, but I'm definitely not the target audience for this one, so I'm not rating or reviewing it.
LibraryThing member Malbebe
When I first saw this book I had no idea how amazing it was going to be. But I took a chance on it when I joined the First Look book club for Hush, Hush. I'm proud to say that I am one of the first selected amount of people to read this book before it hits selves, and becomes a bestseller. This
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book is addictive and when I was supposed to stop reading it for the book club, I couldn't I had to keep on reading. It's a sweet mystery, romance book that will having you on the edge of your seat. Show Less
LibraryThing member klast7
Captivating, mysterious, fast paced, spine tingeling and a little scary. Loved it, can't wait to read the sequel.
LibraryThing member Irisheyz77
What can I say about Becca Fitzpatrick's debut novel, Hush Hush, that hasn't already been said? I don't think my voice will add anything new with the exception that I am not entirely on the Hush Hush bandwagon. There is a lot of hype surrounding this novel and many reviews that gush extensively
Angels seem to be the up and coming hot topic though and so this book has taken off in a way that I just don't understand. The writing wasn't bad and shows promise for the future but the plot was at times overly simple and at others seemed a bit messy and improbably. Like the time that a few days after a major accident & surgery Vee helps Nora scope out place were Patch works - where Nora for some reason must wear a wig and sluttish clothes while she reads questions off a list. And then she wonders why she doesn't get many answers - especially with such hard hitting subtle ones like "does Patch have a girlfriend?" or "does Patch have a criminal record?"
Flaws aside, the book was engrossing and it only took me a few days to read it. It held my attention and climatic ending had me curious as to where this story would be going next so I will probably check out Crescendo when it is released in the fall of 2010. Though as of now its not a book that I see myself rushing out to get.
As originally posted on my blog Ticket to Anywhere.
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over the main characters of Nora and Patch. When reading those reviews that say how amazing the two are as a couple I wonder if they've read the same book. Throughout most of the story Patch, a fallen angel, is trying to kill Nora. So...um...how is that romantic? Patch is hailed as this Bad Boy to love and I just don't see it. He is rude and creepy and I have mentioned that he is intent on murder? To me that does not make a swoon worthy leading man. As for Nora...oy...I did not like this character at all. She was vapid and a bit dense. Although I disliked her friend Vee more. Of all the characters I couldn't form any sort of attachment to any of them. And the purpose of Marcie Millar still stumps me. She was just there in random scenes that did nothing to move the story along.Angels seem to be the up and coming hot topic though and so this book has taken off in a way that I just don't understand. The writing wasn't bad and shows promise for the future but the plot was at times overly simple and at others seemed a bit messy and improbably. Like the time that a few days after a major accident & surgery Vee helps Nora scope out place were Patch works - where Nora for some reason must wear a wig and sluttish clothes while she reads questions off a list. And then she wonders why she doesn't get many answers - especially with such hard hitting subtle ones like "does Patch have a girlfriend?" or "does Patch have a criminal record?"
Flaws aside, the book was engrossing and it only took me a few days to read it. It held my attention and climatic ending had me curious as to where this story would be going next so I will probably check out Crescendo when it is released in the fall of 2010. Though as of now its not a book that I see myself rushing out to get.
As originally posted on my blog Ticket to Anywhere.
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LibraryThing member CuteMcGinn
Enthralling, suspenseful, and completely engrossing. "Hush, Hush" by Becca Fitzpatrick was a book a friend loaned to me and sat on my shelf for months because I simply had no interest. This of course, could be do the failed attempt to read the oh-so not interesting "Fallen" book previously. With
Nora is a high school girl going through all the normal high school girl experiences alongside her best friend Vee until one day a new guy enters her life. Suddenly, everything in Nora's world is frightening and confusing. To top it all off there are a host of new characters that have entered Nora's life and are all toying with her like a cat playing with a ball of string. Now its up to Nora to straighten her life out and differentiate up from down and it is an interesting story getting there!
Nora certainly is a glutton for punishment, constantly putting herself in dangerous situations with her poor decision making skills. After all, what kind go sixteen year old girl wouldn't call their mom after a near murder multiple times? To not call the police because you don't want your friend, who could be murdered, to be accused of breaking and entering? Very unrealistic.
Vee, Nora's best friend, never misses a beat in encouraging her friend to do the wrong thing. Luring a stalker, going out with strangers over night, sneaking onto school property, and defending male violence towards a young teenage girl. Vee, is definitely not the kind of friend anyone should want. She never listens to Nora, even when Nora repeatedly warns her about a dangerous boy.
As much as I loved the story, however, there were a few details that were hard to over look. For instance, the two characters named Hollstijic (a minor player) and Kjirsten (who's name is mentioned so often in one passage that it was annoying distracting). If Fitzpatrick had gone with slightly more normal names it would have not stopped me dead in my tracks every time.
I also have some continuity issues with the book as there seemed to be a lot of spacial confusion. For instance, Nora is supposed to live way out in the country. So far, in fact, that she has to settle for dial-up internet at her house. *Slight Spoiler* At one point the police arrive at her house fifteen minutes after being called but when she is at the school she notes that it would take more than twenty minutes for the police to respond, and the school is in town. *End Spoiler*
All the places Nora goes seem simply to be a stones throw from home. It is even described that Nora's house is a mile from the nearest neighbor but one evening her mom asks her if she is alright walking home. This really threw me for a loop as walking would seem really, really far with Nora living out of town. When Nora goes to Portland she doesn't take her car because she doesn't want her mom to see all the miles which would lead me to believe it was quite far but Patch got there in less than fifteen minutes! Who knows how far away anything really is!
I had some issues with Nora's mother as well. I was supposed to believe that her mother only took a job working away to support Nora and keep their farmhouse, but even when she is in town she is running out for Yoga and smoothies afterwards with her friends? She spends an entire afternoon at a wedding out of town? It seems like she would have made a little more effort to spend time with her daughter and perhaps re-evaluate her daughter's relationship with Vee.
There were a plethora of characters to keep interest high, especially suspect characters. Dabria was amazing, it's a toss up whether her or Patch was the least forced character or at least the two who make the least poor decisions. Although I did enjoy Patch, after a while, I found it hard to find him alluring as Nora did immediately. He always came across dark and creepy to me. Its obvious from the cover art that Patch is a fallen angel; translation:daemon. No wonder Patch is so hard to fall for!
Despite my continuity issues with this novel it was still an excellent read and I look forward to the sequel, though I believe this one really could have stood on it's own as a solid solo novel. Thankfully, in the end the story was enough to save this novel from all of its downfalls and the ONLY thing that makes me rate this book as really three and a half stars as opposed to three.
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this novel I found myself unable to put it down at the end of each chapter and I kept telling myself JUST one more chapter. Nora is a high school girl going through all the normal high school girl experiences alongside her best friend Vee until one day a new guy enters her life. Suddenly, everything in Nora's world is frightening and confusing. To top it all off there are a host of new characters that have entered Nora's life and are all toying with her like a cat playing with a ball of string. Now its up to Nora to straighten her life out and differentiate up from down and it is an interesting story getting there!
Nora certainly is a glutton for punishment, constantly putting herself in dangerous situations with her poor decision making skills. After all, what kind go sixteen year old girl wouldn't call their mom after a near murder multiple times? To not call the police because you don't want your friend, who could be murdered, to be accused of breaking and entering? Very unrealistic.
Vee, Nora's best friend, never misses a beat in encouraging her friend to do the wrong thing. Luring a stalker, going out with strangers over night, sneaking onto school property, and defending male violence towards a young teenage girl. Vee, is definitely not the kind of friend anyone should want. She never listens to Nora, even when Nora repeatedly warns her about a dangerous boy.
As much as I loved the story, however, there were a few details that were hard to over look. For instance, the two characters named Hollstijic (a minor player) and Kjirsten (who's name is mentioned so often in one passage that it was annoying distracting). If Fitzpatrick had gone with slightly more normal names it would have not stopped me dead in my tracks every time.
I also have some continuity issues with the book as there seemed to be a lot of spacial confusion. For instance, Nora is supposed to live way out in the country. So far, in fact, that she has to settle for dial-up internet at her house. *Slight Spoiler* At one point the police arrive at her house fifteen minutes after being called but when she is at the school she notes that it would take more than twenty minutes for the police to respond, and the school is in town. *End Spoiler*
All the places Nora goes seem simply to be a stones throw from home. It is even described that Nora's house is a mile from the nearest neighbor but one evening her mom asks her if she is alright walking home. This really threw me for a loop as walking would seem really, really far with Nora living out of town. When Nora goes to Portland she doesn't take her car because she doesn't want her mom to see all the miles which would lead me to believe it was quite far but Patch got there in less than fifteen minutes! Who knows how far away anything really is!
I had some issues with Nora's mother as well. I was supposed to believe that her mother only took a job working away to support Nora and keep their farmhouse, but even when she is in town she is running out for Yoga and smoothies afterwards with her friends? She spends an entire afternoon at a wedding out of town? It seems like she would have made a little more effort to spend time with her daughter and perhaps re-evaluate her daughter's relationship with Vee.
There were a plethora of characters to keep interest high, especially suspect characters. Dabria was amazing, it's a toss up whether her or Patch was the least forced character or at least the two who make the least poor decisions. Although I did enjoy Patch, after a while, I found it hard to find him alluring as Nora did immediately. He always came across dark and creepy to me. Its obvious from the cover art that Patch is a fallen angel; translation:daemon. No wonder Patch is so hard to fall for!
Despite my continuity issues with this novel it was still an excellent read and I look forward to the sequel, though I believe this one really could have stood on it's own as a solid solo novel. Thankfully, in the end the story was enough to save this novel from all of its downfalls and the ONLY thing that makes me rate this book as really three and a half stars as opposed to three.
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LibraryThing member quirkysecrets
THIS BOOK I SO GOOD (i dont know what to say)I've always seen this book in the bookstore and its always staring at me in my face heehe and I always pick it up but never buy it because I thought it was gonna be a disappointment and a waste of money BOY WAS I WRONG I'm glad I brought this book. I
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didnt excepted that "a certain person" was behind all of this,it was totally switch around and everything came all together!!!!!!!! I LOVE BOOKS LIKE THAT I cant wait to buy the second one,I finished this book in 2 days,well 3(finished at 1 o'clock in the morning. I didnt like Vee,Patch,I always thought as Patch as a bad guy not the good guy,Elliot started to be creepy I thought it was gonna be a love triangle thing (but it wasnt) and the person in the Ski mask i thought it was Dabria,Julies!!! I didnt except he was behind all of this and was the one put words into Nora mind he totally used her body and i didnt except Nora to be part Nephilim ever i cant wait to buy the second book I hope it's as good as this one xD Show Less
LibraryThing member MickyFine
A YA paranormal romance set in Maine, the story revolves around Nora who begins to deal with all sorts of weird and dangerous occurrences that happen around the same time she meets a guy named Patch.
I found the book to be a fun and fluffy read which I sped through in a little over a day. At first
The characters were fun and Patch (other than his ridiculous name which reminds me of 101 Dalmatians) is swoonworthy. While figuring out how the plot would be resolve was pretty easy, the journey to the resolution wasn't what I expected and was thoroughly enjoyable.
I found the book to be a fun and fluffy read which I sped through in a little over a day. At first
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the book felt a little bit like Twilight (not an issue for me because *tiny voice* I like Twilight *end tiny voice*) especially since Nora meets Patch in biology class. However the relationship dynamic is very different and the plot is absorbing in a very different way. Also, instead of vampires, the supernatural element in this book is angels and Nephilim. However, Fitzpatrick establishes a unique mythology that bears no resemblance to that of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series with the reality of angels and Nephilim being the only commonality.The characters were fun and Patch (other than his ridiculous name which reminds me of 101 Dalmatians) is swoonworthy. While figuring out how the plot would be resolve was pretty easy, the journey to the resolution wasn't what I expected and was thoroughly enjoyable.
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LibraryThing member macart3
Nora Grey, intelligent, worry-wart, quiet, high school student gets the quiet, sullen, mysterious Patch as her bio partner, who teases and intrigues her by his unpredictability. (Kind of like Edward does to Bella in 'Twilight'). When he obviously implies he's been stalking her by telling Nora all
I would not recommend this book at all. Some of the scenes are completely unrealistic. Like when Nora trying to get info out of the waitress at Blind Joe's, Wendy makes Nora order a huge meal and giver her a large tip, but Wendy spills secrets before Nora's eaten and paid. And Nora eats pays! Huh? If that happened to me, as soon as the waitress went back to place the order, I'd get the heck out of there and eat somewhere else. Free info, chick. Recognize it.
Also, this book advocates that you need to be what your true love wants you to be. Example, Nora's mom keeps a housekeeper because she's on the road dong auctions along the coast. When Nora says a boy's interested in her, the housekeeper says don't change yourself because a boy wants you to be a certain way. Well, after Patch catches Nora wearing lip gloss (shocking!), he tells her not to wear makeup. So, next time when she's about to put it on, she thinks about what Patch would want her to do and decides against putting lip gloss on. Further proof that makeup's bad: the girls in the story that wear makeup, Vee and Marcie, get hospitalized. Moral of story: bad things happen to you when you use cosmetics.
I saw no character development, a repetition of scenes (ex. Patch makes it frustrating for Nora to get info on him. He lures her into situations that make her uncomfortable with the promise of info. She delays. She eventually does the thing that makes her uncomfortable. She gets no info on Patch. Repeat for 400 pages.), condescending attitude from Patch, and general stupidity. I want my fours hours back.
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her habits in biology, and while this disturbs her (for the requisite two seconds) she's completely attracted to him. While he shadows her every move and coerces her into dangerous situations by manipulating her sexual attraction to him, she senses harmful intentions from him yet disregards her feelings because she *knows* he is good (like Bella's opinion on Edward) even if the butcher's knife he's holding while he bullied his way into her house looks as if it's aiming towards her.I would not recommend this book at all. Some of the scenes are completely unrealistic. Like when Nora trying to get info out of the waitress at Blind Joe's, Wendy makes Nora order a huge meal and giver her a large tip, but Wendy spills secrets before Nora's eaten and paid. And Nora eats pays! Huh? If that happened to me, as soon as the waitress went back to place the order, I'd get the heck out of there and eat somewhere else. Free info, chick. Recognize it.
Also, this book advocates that you need to be what your true love wants you to be. Example, Nora's mom keeps a housekeeper because she's on the road dong auctions along the coast. When Nora says a boy's interested in her, the housekeeper says don't change yourself because a boy wants you to be a certain way. Well, after Patch catches Nora wearing lip gloss (shocking!), he tells her not to wear makeup. So, next time when she's about to put it on, she thinks about what Patch would want her to do and decides against putting lip gloss on. Further proof that makeup's bad: the girls in the story that wear makeup, Vee and Marcie, get hospitalized. Moral of story: bad things happen to you when you use cosmetics.
I saw no character development, a repetition of scenes (ex. Patch makes it frustrating for Nora to get info on him. He lures her into situations that make her uncomfortable with the promise of info. She delays. She eventually does the thing that makes her uncomfortable. She gets no info on Patch. Repeat for 400 pages.), condescending attitude from Patch, and general stupidity. I want my fours hours back.
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LibraryThing member onyx95
After the tragic death of her father, Nora Grey just wanted to be a normal teenager again. The recent incidents that have been occurring around her, leave her wondering if that is ever possible again. Accidents were happening around her but then there was no proof of anything being amiss. With her
Another great Young Adult novel. This is a fantasy adventure with the added bonus of the angel angle that gives just enough suspense to make it so I couldn’t put the book down. How intense and intriguing this story is from the prologue set in France, 1565 all the way to the end of the nearly 400 pages. Patch is a mixed bag of characters all on his own and the straight thinking character of Nora pulled me in and made it easy to root for her to come out on top. This is a good book that went by entirely to quickly, good thing that it says there is to be a sequel (Crescendo) but I can’t find when it is due out. Hopefully soon.
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new biology partner (Patch Cipriano)she didn’t feel safe at school, after having the feeling of being watched and then her room being ransacked, she didn’t feel safe at home or with her friends either. Trust had always been tough for Nora, but now it’s not an option, the question is who to trust. Who is trying to kill her and who really can or will be her guardian angel, or does she have the strength to save herself. Another great Young Adult novel. This is a fantasy adventure with the added bonus of the angel angle that gives just enough suspense to make it so I couldn’t put the book down. How intense and intriguing this story is from the prologue set in France, 1565 all the way to the end of the nearly 400 pages. Patch is a mixed bag of characters all on his own and the straight thinking character of Nora pulled me in and made it easy to root for her to come out on top. This is a good book that went by entirely to quickly, good thing that it says there is to be a sequel (Crescendo) but I can’t find when it is due out. Hopefully soon.
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LibraryThing member PrettyDeadlyReviews
You know how when there's a 35 car pile-up on the turnpike, and there's just carnage everywhere, and all the drivers are siphoned into one lane, and you pass the crash going 12mph. You're not going so slow because people can't drive faster. No, you're going that slow because every person on the
That is exactly how I felt about this book.
I really liked Patch. He was always very frank, and as a plus I've always had a thing for guys who only speak in innuendo. What I did not like was Norah's 'attraction' to Patch. Honestly, this book would have been way better if they didn't become romantically involved. If Patch just stayed the villain it would have been way more satisfying.
Bella, whoops I mean Norah, was quite literally the stupidest character I've ever read about. If a guy says directly what he wants to kill you, and points a knife at you, you do not dry hump him. No. Just... why. Why do you hate me, Becca? What have I done? Instead, Bella Norah runs into his harms, eschewing the nice guy with a firm hand. Then, when the nice guy goes bad guy, she thinks it's a fan-freaking-tastic idea to throw herself right in harm's way. JUST NO.
As a rule, I don't read books about angels. I was a staunch atheist for a very long time, and now I'm slowly moving towards Wicca. But old habits and beliefs die hard. The idea of angels is laughable to me. But whatever. I can suspend my disbelief for nearly everything. However, if you're going to write about a mythology that all ready has been created and has its own set of rules, you shouldn't directly contradict those rules. Fallen angels have turned their backs on god. They serve Satan and that was their choice. BAH BECCA COME ON. Read the damn bible before you write about its myths.
Also, there's the whole thing with the car crash. I've asked this on Becca Fitzpatrick's page and haven't received any answers. The crash: Norah sees a yellow light, STOPS, LOOKS BOTH WAYS, and then continues on through the intersection. What the hell? Have any of you stopped at a yellow light only to continue through it after you've made sure the coast is clear? No. Either you are going to blow the yellow light, and just blow it, or you're going to wait until it's green again to drive. The light never turned green. Now, she's made sure no one is coming through the intersection during her yellow-light-rendezvous and starts driving again. Half-way through said intersection, she hits a man. She just started driving, and hit a man walking across the street. She's probably only going 15mph tops, and hit a man, NOT A BUS, so tell me why she spins. After hitting a man. I just... can't compute. If you get, it please tell me.
There were other grammatical problems in the book too. Like Norah can somehow shake pills in a bottle and swallow them at the same time. Whatever.
I really shouldn't have picked this book up. Its only saving grace was Patch. I'm thinking about reading the next book, Crescendo. Why not follow through, right? Stay tuned.
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road must, must, must know what happened. Everyone has that bloodthirsty craving, that need to witness the devastation. You just can not look away.That is exactly how I felt about this book.
I really liked Patch. He was always very frank, and as a plus I've always had a thing for guys who only speak in innuendo. What I did not like was Norah's 'attraction' to Patch. Honestly, this book would have been way better if they didn't become romantically involved. If Patch just stayed the villain it would have been way more satisfying.
Bella, whoops I mean Norah, was quite literally the stupidest character I've ever read about. If a guy says directly what he wants to kill you, and points a knife at you, you do not dry hump him. No. Just... why. Why do you hate me, Becca? What have I done? Instead, Bella Norah runs into his harms, eschewing the nice guy with a firm hand. Then, when the nice guy goes bad guy, she thinks it's a fan-freaking-tastic idea to throw herself right in harm's way. JUST NO.
As a rule, I don't read books about angels. I was a staunch atheist for a very long time, and now I'm slowly moving towards Wicca. But old habits and beliefs die hard. The idea of angels is laughable to me. But whatever. I can suspend my disbelief for nearly everything. However, if you're going to write about a mythology that all ready has been created and has its own set of rules, you shouldn't directly contradict those rules. Fallen angels have turned their backs on god. They serve Satan and that was their choice. BAH BECCA COME ON. Read the damn bible before you write about its myths.
Also, there's the whole thing with the car crash. I've asked this on Becca Fitzpatrick's page and haven't received any answers. The crash: Norah sees a yellow light, STOPS, LOOKS BOTH WAYS, and then continues on through the intersection. What the hell? Have any of you stopped at a yellow light only to continue through it after you've made sure the coast is clear? No. Either you are going to blow the yellow light, and just blow it, or you're going to wait until it's green again to drive. The light never turned green. Now, she's made sure no one is coming through the intersection during her yellow-light-rendezvous and starts driving again. Half-way through said intersection, she hits a man. She just started driving, and hit a man walking across the street. She's probably only going 15mph tops, and hit a man, NOT A BUS, so tell me why she spins. After hitting a man. I just... can't compute. If you get, it please tell me.
There were other grammatical problems in the book too. Like Norah can somehow shake pills in a bottle and swallow them at the same time. Whatever.
I really shouldn't have picked this book up. Its only saving grace was Patch. I'm thinking about reading the next book, Crescendo. Why not follow through, right? Stay tuned.
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LibraryThing member lizziewrites
More of a 2.5 rating but I'll list it as 3 stars.
After hearing so much raving about this book, I bumped it up on myto-read list. I thought it sounded pretty good anyways, but it helped that so many people appeared to be in love with it. Sadly, I was a bit disappointed.
To me, the book was just
I really, honestly wanted to like this book. I did. I tried pretty hard but at some point, I was just forcing myself to finish it, hoping that I'd like it better by the end. I did like the mythology in the story (angel legends seriously fascinate me), which is what earned it the rating I gave it. I just hated most, if not all the characters. I might give the sequel a chance but I really don't know.
After hearing so much raving about this book, I bumped it up on myto-read list. I thought it sounded pretty good anyways, but it helped that so many people appeared to be in love with it. Sadly, I was a bit disappointed.
To me, the book was just
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boring. I liked the setting and the idea behind the plot but the main character was just so Bella Swan-ish, that it completely ruined it for me. She keeps on insisting that Patch just might be following her, just might be stalking her but from that page to the next, she's suddenly falling in love with him. Um? Instead of Patch being "oh so hot and irresistible," I found him extremely creepy. If you think a guy is stalking you, why would want to be alone with him? Why would you want to kiss him? Maybe I'm just being my paranoid self who has actual experience with being stalked, whereas the author clearly does not, but Nora instantly went on my Most Annoying Characters list because of her reaction to Patch.I really, honestly wanted to like this book. I did. I tried pretty hard but at some point, I was just forcing myself to finish it, hoping that I'd like it better by the end. I did like the mythology in the story (angel legends seriously fascinate me), which is what earned it the rating I gave it. I just hated most, if not all the characters. I might give the sequel a chance but I really don't know.
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LibraryThing member dizzyweasel
Hush Hush is the story of a teenage girl and the dark and mysterious high school boy she begins to fall for. When she finally gets to the bottom of those secrets, she may be getting more than she bargained for.
This book has given me considerable cognitive dissonance. I enjoyed it, but for reasons I
First, the good: Nora is a quiet, reserved, cautious, and very intelligent girl. She has a quick wit, subtle beauty, and an impressive vocabulary. She doesn't automatically throw herself into danger, she loves her mother, and she tries to be a polite and respectful daughter. Nora is the voice of reason when her flighty best friend Vee conceives of doing something stupid. And most of the time, she tries to comport herself as a adult. I admired these things about her character.
Nora lives in a sleepy town in Maine, covered in perpetual fog and subject to frequent rains - this gothic atmosphere provides a stark, stripped down backdrop to the increasingly frightening events in Nora's life. Soon after being paired up in her bio class with Patch, an unabashedly sexy roguish character, Nora begins seeing things. She imagines being attacked by a dark figure in a ski mask, being followed through the streets at night, even her own death. While these strange events are unfolding, she is being semi-stalked by Patch, who seems to always be around with some quippy sexual innuendo. Despite my initial disdain for the character, eventually Patch's perseverance and charisma won me over.
This is what gives me cognitive dissonance.
At some point in the novel, characterization and plotting veer into old-school romance territory, complete with the dangerous, threatening, alpha male "hero." Nora remarks repeatedly that she thinks Patch is stalking her, she more than once wonders if he's going to rape her, and (SPOILER ALERT) HE ADMITS THAT HE CAME TO TOWN TO KILL HER. And all the while, Nora is still thinking, 'gee whiz, I'm still pretty attracted to this guy. I know I shouldn't trust him, but he's seducing me with his sexy charm.' This isn't so much sexy as abusive and HORRIBLE, but the way the author has written it, the narrative still manages to come across as thrilling and seductive - you want to be turned on by the vicarious thrill of the danger. As a reader who enjoys being entertained, I admit, I edged around the borders of titillation. As a feminist and a student of gender studies, I was considerably affronted. Even now, I'm having difficulty reconciling the pleasure in reading with the offensive subtext. In addition to this, strong, intelligent Nora is frequently reduced to quivering, cringing, vulnerable female status when Patch is around. Was I reading a Harlequin romance from the '70s?
The sexism & outmoded gender roles parade invites some comparison with Twilight, another series in which a female protagonist is excited and seduced by an emotionally manipulative but beautiful boy who deals with competing desires of lust and murder while dating the heroine. Both novels are set in sleepy, rain-and-fog drenched towns, both novels feature frequently absent parents, and both novels have their heroines making irrational decisions that perpetually put them in danger.
All things considered, I think this series shows potential, at least in premise. Crescendo, book 2 in the Hush Hush series, comes out next week, and I'm looking forward to seeing if the author has matured in her characterization in the interim. I would like to think we can have an entertaining, sexy, and adventurous YA romance series without resorting to sexist voyeurism and damaging gendered stereotyping, but I may find myself disappointed here. I guess we'll just have to see.
This book has given me considerable cognitive dissonance. I enjoyed it, but for reasons I
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shall explain, the very act of liking it is giving me mental upset. (If you haven't read the book yet, you might want to avoid reading this review further, as there are a couple of spoilers below.)First, the good: Nora is a quiet, reserved, cautious, and very intelligent girl. She has a quick wit, subtle beauty, and an impressive vocabulary. She doesn't automatically throw herself into danger, she loves her mother, and she tries to be a polite and respectful daughter. Nora is the voice of reason when her flighty best friend Vee conceives of doing something stupid. And most of the time, she tries to comport herself as a adult. I admired these things about her character.
Nora lives in a sleepy town in Maine, covered in perpetual fog and subject to frequent rains - this gothic atmosphere provides a stark, stripped down backdrop to the increasingly frightening events in Nora's life. Soon after being paired up in her bio class with Patch, an unabashedly sexy roguish character, Nora begins seeing things. She imagines being attacked by a dark figure in a ski mask, being followed through the streets at night, even her own death. While these strange events are unfolding, she is being semi-stalked by Patch, who seems to always be around with some quippy sexual innuendo. Despite my initial disdain for the character, eventually Patch's perseverance and charisma won me over.
This is what gives me cognitive dissonance.
At some point in the novel, characterization and plotting veer into old-school romance territory, complete with the dangerous, threatening, alpha male "hero." Nora remarks repeatedly that she thinks Patch is stalking her, she more than once wonders if he's going to rape her, and (SPOILER ALERT) HE ADMITS THAT HE CAME TO TOWN TO KILL HER. And all the while, Nora is still thinking, 'gee whiz, I'm still pretty attracted to this guy. I know I shouldn't trust him, but he's seducing me with his sexy charm.' This isn't so much sexy as abusive and HORRIBLE, but the way the author has written it, the narrative still manages to come across as thrilling and seductive - you want to be turned on by the vicarious thrill of the danger. As a reader who enjoys being entertained, I admit, I edged around the borders of titillation. As a feminist and a student of gender studies, I was considerably affronted. Even now, I'm having difficulty reconciling the pleasure in reading with the offensive subtext. In addition to this, strong, intelligent Nora is frequently reduced to quivering, cringing, vulnerable female status when Patch is around. Was I reading a Harlequin romance from the '70s?
The sexism & outmoded gender roles parade invites some comparison with Twilight, another series in which a female protagonist is excited and seduced by an emotionally manipulative but beautiful boy who deals with competing desires of lust and murder while dating the heroine. Both novels are set in sleepy, rain-and-fog drenched towns, both novels feature frequently absent parents, and both novels have their heroines making irrational decisions that perpetually put them in danger.
All things considered, I think this series shows potential, at least in premise. Crescendo, book 2 in the Hush Hush series, comes out next week, and I'm looking forward to seeing if the author has matured in her characterization in the interim. I would like to think we can have an entertaining, sexy, and adventurous YA romance series without resorting to sexist voyeurism and damaging gendered stereotyping, but I may find myself disappointed here. I guess we'll just have to see.
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LibraryThing member MargK
Did Not Finish
The only reason I picked this book up at my local library was out of sheer frakking curiosity. I heard & read so much debate about it that when I saw it sitting on the shelf, my fingertips were practically itching with the need to see what all the hoopla was about. As it turns out, I
The story was so damn boring. Nothing happened aside from some hormone-driven teenage flirting. I found Nora to be irritating & frustrating and the romance to be shallow & disturbing. If someone creeps you out and makes you feel uncomfortable & unsafe, you stay the hell away from them and tell them to do the same. If they don't get the message, then you go tell your parent(s) or the authorities. And while I'm on the topic, let me just say that I thought Patch was a cocky, lecherous, bad-boy-wannabe douche bag. I found nothing hot or sexy about him. Quite frankly, it both perplexes and irks me to know that his inappropriate treatment of Nora is being excused, accepted, and viewed as swoon-worthy.
The only reason I picked this book up at my local library was out of sheer frakking curiosity. I heard & read so much debate about it that when I saw it sitting on the shelf, my fingertips were practically itching with the need to see what all the hoopla was about. As it turns out, I
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should have slapped myself...repeatedly and with much force. Admittedly, I only managed to get through the first 100 pages (plus some skimming), but from what I've read I can say that the negative reviews about this book are right.The story was so damn boring. Nothing happened aside from some hormone-driven teenage flirting. I found Nora to be irritating & frustrating and the romance to be shallow & disturbing. If someone creeps you out and makes you feel uncomfortable & unsafe, you stay the hell away from them and tell them to do the same. If they don't get the message, then you go tell your parent(s) or the authorities. And while I'm on the topic, let me just say that I thought Patch was a cocky, lecherous, bad-boy-wannabe douche bag. I found nothing hot or sexy about him. Quite frankly, it both perplexes and irks me to know that his inappropriate treatment of Nora is being excused, accepted, and viewed as swoon-worthy.
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LibraryThing member highvoltagegrrl
I’m torn in my feelings for this novel. I like the general writing style and the quick pace of the story towards the end. Though halfway through the book there had only been one mention of something being “otherworldly” and that was only in the setup for the story.
Many of the flaws are in
There are also a lot of fallen angel stories saturating the market (is everyone tired of vampires and werewolves? Not me!!!) and I believe there are better ones out there. I wanted to like this book so much, but now I feel there is nothing to talk about within the story, nothing to think about, nothing to ponder, and no desire for this to be made into a movie or tv show or even to read the sequel. In writing this review, I’ve realized my feelings aren’t so torn over the novel. It’s just too empty to care about.
Many of the flaws are in
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the characters, they don’t feel as fleshed out as they should be. Everyone is fairly one-dimensional. Nora is the good girl, Patch is the bad boy, etc., etc. There isn’t enough there to form a connection to either of them. I wanted to like Patch, knowing he was playing a pivotal role in the story, but he constantly puts Nora down and treats her like crap, making his bad qualities unredeemable.There are also a lot of fallen angel stories saturating the market (is everyone tired of vampires and werewolves? Not me!!!) and I believe there are better ones out there. I wanted to like this book so much, but now I feel there is nothing to talk about within the story, nothing to think about, nothing to ponder, and no desire for this to be made into a movie or tv show or even to read the sequel. In writing this review, I’ve realized my feelings aren’t so torn over the novel. It’s just too empty to care about.
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LibraryThing member bibliophile.brouhaha
My immediate reaction: I liked it, it was enjoyable, but I am not going to make it a permanent addition to my personal library. I started reading it around 7:00p.m. one evening and I finished around 11:00p.m. It wasn't an "Oh, I gotta see what happens," feeling; the book simply held my interest,
Overall, it was a fun book, and I likely will read its recently released sequel, Crescendo. If Hush, Hush had come out in the early 2000s, my personal opinion is that it might have been the book to kick the nation's love for the paranormal back into action (Patch would have needed to be a wee tad more personal). As this is the author's first book, I look forward to seeing where her writing goes from here. In conclusion, Hush, Hush didn't give me the squealy delights, but if you are looking for a good escape one evening, this might fit the bill.
Grade: C+
My overall issue with YA paranormal romance: This book brought to the surface an issue I've been thinking about lately. It is not just with this book per se, but with many others that are like this right now. It is too formulaic: slightly introverted, but intelligent girl meets mysterious guy who is either highly aloof or downright rude. They develop the tingles for each other. Guy is a supe of some sort, is dangerous to the girl, but gosh darn it! He just can't help himself! His mere presence is a threat to her, but he is falling in love and won't leave her alone/feels compelled to protect her. This formula is wearing thin, and I doubt that I am the only reader getting bored with it. The next author who writes to this plot needs to be on fire with writing skills; otherwise, it is just another YA paranormal romance with a very obvious ending.
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and I had no need to stop. I like a literary bad boy (hey, who doesn't), but Patch didn't just reek of danger; he seemed to be the kind of 'don't-go-there-girl' sort of guy who takes relish in causing havoc. Actually, between his rude arrogance and his down right manipulative and threatening mind games, the word 'socoipath' frequently flashed in my head. He truly seemed to get a high kick out of giving Nora the extreme heebie-jeebies, and in the process, gave them to me, as well (kudos, Becca). In one instance, he does something towards Nora that, were I her or were she my daughter, cops would have been called. Of course, I would have done that a few different times in this book with more than one guy, but no spoilers here! A HUGE annoyance were Nora's frequent comments about how Patch's physical proximately made her feel and her struggles with those feelings. At those times, I just thought, "Shut up, Bella Swan."Overall, it was a fun book, and I likely will read its recently released sequel, Crescendo. If Hush, Hush had come out in the early 2000s, my personal opinion is that it might have been the book to kick the nation's love for the paranormal back into action (Patch would have needed to be a wee tad more personal). As this is the author's first book, I look forward to seeing where her writing goes from here. In conclusion, Hush, Hush didn't give me the squealy delights, but if you are looking for a good escape one evening, this might fit the bill.
Grade: C+
My overall issue with YA paranormal romance: This book brought to the surface an issue I've been thinking about lately. It is not just with this book per se, but with many others that are like this right now. It is too formulaic: slightly introverted, but intelligent girl meets mysterious guy who is either highly aloof or downright rude. They develop the tingles for each other. Guy is a supe of some sort, is dangerous to the girl, but gosh darn it! He just can't help himself! His mere presence is a threat to her, but he is falling in love and won't leave her alone/feels compelled to protect her. This formula is wearing thin, and I doubt that I am the only reader getting bored with it. The next author who writes to this plot needs to be on fire with writing skills; otherwise, it is just another YA paranormal romance with a very obvious ending.
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LibraryThing member katiedoll
What can I possibly say about Hush, Hush that hasn’t already been said? I had no doubt in my mind that I would like it, according to the major hype it’s received, but I ended up totally falling for it. (Falling, get it? Like a fallen angel? I’m lame, I know)
To start off, I’ll admit that I
I very much enjoyed the characters as well. Nora, while she isn’t my favorite female character ever, was surprisingly awesome. Unlike certain main female characters, she wasn’t completely focused on some kind of blossoming romance. Which I could easily say for the entire story. While I’m probably being really confusing, what I mean is- though the relationship between Nora and the main male character -Patch- was very hot, it wasn’t the center of the entire story- yet it still managed to snag a leading conflict without being written in every chapter. I really admired that.
And Patch? Well, just the name Patch screams sexy. He was arrogant, obnoxious and his constant innuendos were perverted, but he has officially made my list of favorite fictional characters. Underneath all of that immaturity, there was something kind of sweet and likeable that you can’t really put your finger on.
Overall, before I write about ten more paragraphs, I loved this story. Becca has written a beautiful, down-to-earth story with edge and sexiness and gah! I’m sure I don’t need to say it, but I definitely recommend it. Definitely.
To start off, I’ll admit that I
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got a bit confused in places, but before I would even consider flipping back pages to re-read, whatever I was pondering was always brought back up and answered. Aside from that, this story was completely addicting. It was definitely one of those stories that I had to force myself to put down at 5 AM, and kept myself awake for another hour just itching to pick it back up again.I very much enjoyed the characters as well. Nora, while she isn’t my favorite female character ever, was surprisingly awesome. Unlike certain main female characters, she wasn’t completely focused on some kind of blossoming romance. Which I could easily say for the entire story. While I’m probably being really confusing, what I mean is- though the relationship between Nora and the main male character -Patch- was very hot, it wasn’t the center of the entire story- yet it still managed to snag a leading conflict without being written in every chapter. I really admired that.
And Patch? Well, just the name Patch screams sexy. He was arrogant, obnoxious and his constant innuendos were perverted, but he has officially made my list of favorite fictional characters. Underneath all of that immaturity, there was something kind of sweet and likeable that you can’t really put your finger on.
Overall, before I write about ten more paragraphs, I loved this story. Becca has written a beautiful, down-to-earth story with edge and sexiness and gah! I’m sure I don’t need to say it, but I definitely recommend it. Definitely.
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LibraryThing member nn5327
This is one of my favorite fantasy novels, hands down. Usually, I like fantasy novels, but they all seem the same to me. Except this one. Hush, Hush is full of unique characters and revelations that make you say OHMYGOSH!HE DID WHAAAAT?!?!?!. A lot of people compare it to Twilight, but I am
Similar to the Evernight series, Hush, Hush had several mind-bending, shocking twists that really blew my mind. I don't want to spoil the book for you, so just be prepared for some out-of-this-world shifts.
Let me end by saying I am neither a die-hard Twilight lover or hater. I am neutral, despite what it may seem, and I can honestly say Hush, Hush is not a Twilight knock-off. It is a great read for people who recognize the difference between a Twilight romance and other fantasy romances.
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inclined to boldly state it is NOT Twilight. Does it have a bit of an intriguing boy-loves-girl-but-is-bad-for-her thing going on? Absolutely. Is it like the Edward-Bella romance? NO! Patch's character and Nora's character actually evolves, unlike Edward Cullen's(cringe). The book has an even more interesting set of characters than Twilight ever had. The "love" triangles were more intense and were definitely darker. I love YA fantasy novels that have forbidden/unique romances in them, and Hush, Hush definitely falls into that category.Similar to the Evernight series, Hush, Hush had several mind-bending, shocking twists that really blew my mind. I don't want to spoil the book for you, so just be prepared for some out-of-this-world shifts.
Let me end by saying I am neither a die-hard Twilight lover or hater. I am neutral, despite what it may seem, and I can honestly say Hush, Hush is not a Twilight knock-off. It is a great read for people who recognize the difference between a Twilight romance and other fantasy romances.
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LibraryThing member JCShoffitt
OMG. PATCH. IS. HOT. I loved this book and tore through it in less than 36 hours. The chemistry between Patch and Nora was....WOAH to put it lightly. Unlike a lot of paranormal, teenage romance heroines, Nora is a strong, likable character. I can't wait to read Crescendo that is for sure.
"...Im not
"...Im not
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good", he said, piercing me with eyes that absorbed all light but reflected none, "but I was worse." Show Less
Pages
387