Review first published on http://rubysreads.com.[return][return... s Saturday and I ve had a long day of shopping in the midst of the Christmas rush, so I m going to keep this review short and sweet.[return][return]I might be overreacting after the disappointing reads I ve muddle through this week, but I really enjoyed Unearthly. I didn t really expect to. Angel stories aren t my favorite, though I don t hate them. This, however, was an angel story I could get behind. The narrator, Clara, is likable and far from perfect simply because she has angel blood. I also really enjoyed that the book took place in Jackson, Wyoming. Not a place you see featured in much teen fiction. I was pleased that the action moved pretty swiftly from California to this less well-known part of the US. After all, part of the fun of reading is armchair travel.[return][return]So, what did I like about it? Well, Clara for a start. She s refreshingly flawed and this makes her a relate-able heroine. I also enjoyed the twist that Hand plays with the soulmates theme that pops up so often in Teen fiction. The whole book basically reflects on the question of what you re supposed to do when the person your fated to be with doesn t feel the same way? That s a bit spoilery, but not too much, I think.[return][return]Clara s two love interests are equally interesting, though I admit that I was rooting for Tucker the moment he sauntered on screen. Christian, the boy who features in Clara s visions is the guy she moved to Wyoming to find. She s understandably obsessed with him. Unfortunately, he s got a girlfriend. No surprise there, since he s the hottest guy in school. Things get even more complicated when Christian proves hard to get. I liked that as soon as Clara moved to town, he didn t just forget his girlfriend.[return][return]The other love interest is Clara s friend Wendy s twin brother, Tucker. He s good-looking and a hard worker. God, I liked that. He s one of the have-nots in the socioeconomically divided Jackson, but he doesn t have a chip on his shoulder about it. He simply finds work that gets him enough money for his needs. It s probably the adult in me that found that so sexy. But, really, I liked Tucker and was rooting for Clara to get over mooning for Christian and notice who was right under her nose.[return][return]Hand had me racing to the end of the novel. I really, really wanted to see the outcome of Clara s purpose and what all her visions meant. More than anything, though, I really wanted to know more about Clara s mom. It s clear from the get-go that she s holding something back. There s a lot about being an angel-blood that she s not telling Clara either because she can t or she won t. We don t find out the answer in Unearthly but breathe easy. There s going to be a sequel. I can t wait for it to come out.[return][return]Did I say something about short and sweet? Woops.