Title: Hush, Hush
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Genre: YA (Urban Fantasy)
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children
Publishing Date: October 13 (US) / October 29 (UK)
Hardcover: 400 pages
Stand Alone or series: first in a planned duology
Why did I read the book: I love the cover and the premise. Plus the hype surrounding the book.
How did I get the book: I received an ARC from the publishers in the UK.
Summary
A sacred oath, a fallen angel, a forbidden love…This darkly romantic story features our heroine, Nora Grey, a seemingly normal teenage girl with her own shadowy connection to the Nephilim, and super-alluring bad boy, Patch, now her deskmate in biology class. Together they find themselves at the centre of a centuries-old feud between a fallen angel and a Nephilim…Forced to sit next to Patch in science class, Nora attempts to resist his flirting, though gradually falls for him against her better judgment. Meanwhile creepy things are going on with a mysterious stalker following her car, breaking into her house and attacking her best friend, Vi. Nora suspects Patch, but there are other suspects too – not least a new boy who has transferred from a different college after being wrongly accused of murdering his girlfriend. And he seems to have taken a shine to Nora…Love certainly is dangerous…and someone is going to have to make the ultimate sacrifice for it
Review:
A warning: this review contains spoilers. You have been warned!
There has been great hype and positive reviews over Hush, Hush until last week when a couple of negative reviews started to surface. After reading the latter, which had some well-thought out criticisms, I braced myself not to like the book as much as I hoped but I was not prepared for what I eventually got. Suffice to say that: the cover of the book is awesome. And that is just about as positive as this review is going to get.
The plot is simple: Nora Grey is the uncoordinated, plain girl who walks into Biology class one day to find out that the teacher wants to shake things up by moving the kids around. Instead of sitting with her best friend Vee as per usual, Nora ends up sitting next to the new kid, Patch. The dark, hot, mysterious Patch whom as soon as Nora sits next to him, starts to tease, argue, behaving like a jerk to Nora. Then, weird things start to happen, Nora believes she is being watched; someone jumps in front of her car when she is driving home one day and almost rips the door out. She immediately thinks that Patch is behind those incidents. She notices that everywhere she goes, he is there. More weird things happen, Patch can put thoughts inside her mind, he has a scar in his back. An internet search is in order: “angel wing scar” she types and is frightened that OMG Patch may not be human. She fears him, he is certainly dangerous, can she trust him? But yes. But no. But he is hot. But he is dangerous. He loves her! She loves him! He saves her from himself (he wants to kills her!) and from the dangerous lunatic who wants revenge. The end.
The first question I have for you dear reader, is this: How is this book NOT Twilight by Stephenie Meyer but with Angels? It is uncannily similar. But unfortunately, it is also worse than Twilight. (Take that as you will.)
Starting with the characters. Patch has been hailed as the Ultimate Bad Boy by some or as a Stupid Jerk by others. In all honestly, I could not care one iota for Patch: I have seen better Bad Boys and worse Jerks. He falls right bang in that middle ground of mediocrity. One thing is certain, I don’t see the attraction and I didn’t see any chemistry between the characters.
Now, Nora. Nora, Nora, Nora. I have yet to see a worst TSTL (Too Stupid to Live ) heroine. Let me count the ways: Nora is attacked or followed or stalked. Over and over again. Yet it never occurs to her to call the police, talk to the school principal, talk to her mother until it is too late. She talks with suspect number one instead. She is afraid of Patch for most of the book and keeps changing her mind about him every two seconds. It gets tiresome pretty soon:
He is hot. But he is dangerous. Can I trust him? But his dark smile and dark eyes! OMG he wants to kill me! But he smells good!
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Then her best friend is attacked by someone who mistakes her for Nora. Vee ends up in hospital, having surgery. They think it might have been Patch attacking her. One DAY later she is out of the hospital (without the police ever questioning them about the attack. No sign of the parents in the hospital either) so that they can go to the bar where he works to do some sleuthing (their words). This pinnacle of stupidity that is Nora, goes into the bathroom to put on a wig, a hot dress and gets a LIST of questions out of the pocket to ask the bartender. Her questions:
“Do you know if Patch has ever had any restraining orders?
Does he have a history of stalking?
Does he have a girlfriend?”
No, seriously. I ask myself if this is supposed to be cute or quirky. I ask myself if I shouldn’t just walk away from the book before my brain explodes or my eyes get stuck in the back of my head after that much rolling! I carry on though because I want to know how this is going to end and I am mildly curious about the Fallen Angels Mythology. I guess that counts as a positive too? That I want to know more? But I wish I hadn’t because once all is explained, it lacks inherent logic.
This is where things get really spoilery so avert your eyes now if you don’t want to know.
Firstly, Nora does her internet search and THE FIRST PAGE SHE OPENS after typing “Angel Scar Wings” is the correct page which relates this specific obscure mythology, because that is exactly how it happens when you Google something. Patch is supposed to be a Fallen Angel who wants to become human. He says he “found” the Book of Enoch that says there is a way of doing this if he sacrifices a descendent (that would be Nora, by the way) of the guy who swore fealty to him because that would kill the GUY and that would make him human. How exactly did Patch find the elusive Book of Enoch, if he was out of Heaven? How exactly does killing Nora kill her ancestor?
In addition: Patch is a BAD person because he Fell. And he fell because of lust for a woman he loved. At the end of the novel, he becomes an angel again and yet he proceeds with a relationship with Nora which is of course, based on lust as well. Isn’t that the same situation as before? Shouldn’t he fall again? This is completely illogical!
And then there is the fact that both as an angel AND as a fallen angel, Patch can not feel anything physical. So, let me make this clear: Patch can not feel Nora’s touch, he can not feel anything only what is inside his heart (yeah, seriously). Only what is emotional – except that he feels desire and lust for her. But surely that means that they can never have sex – if he can’t feel anything corporeal he surely can not get it up (and if he can, well then. Yet another nonsensical detail). How exactly does that work?
In the end I am supposed to believe these two loved each other so much they would sacrifice for one another. And yet. how can I possibly believe that, if every single interaction they had in this book is Patch being a jerk, and Nora reacting to his jerkiness? They hardly ever had an entire conversation that did not go around one of them doing or saying something nasty. I absolutely abhorred the fact that Nora was prepared to give up her life so easily so that Patch could become human. It’s not even about saving his life, only granting his wish.
So, yeah, Hush, Hush did not work for me in any level and I am most aggravated about it.
Notable Quotes/ Parts: …….
Verdict: This book did not work for me at all. And it is time that the Twilight train left the station.
Rating: 2 – A complete waste of my time.
Reading Next: Austenland by Shannon Hale
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131 Responses to Book Review: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
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… the age issue makes me laugh. because well, Becca Fitzpatrick? NOT A TEEN EITHER.
I agree with rebecca. I’m also a young adult who loved this book, and of course Crescendo
I think you were reading the book upside down because most of your points aren’t very valid. It was very similar to twilight but I loved hush hush better.
^^so true!
Actually he CAN have sexual relations. He feels desire, gets ‘horny’, and can have an erection. Read the damn book before you give these bullshit reviews. Your just saying all the book we SHOULDN’T read. *smh
Unless you are a teenage girl or young adult, I don’t know why you read it because it wouldn’t appeal to you. It’s pretty ignorant that people say they won’t read it now because of this review. I guess you won’t be reading alot of books because everyone has atleast one bad review. Read the book yourself. Get an ACTUALopinion.
^ soooo true. Everyone has different likes and dislikes. Stop being robots v
Are young adults not allowed to read adult fiction? Same way, they have every right to read young adult fiction if they so please. These comments are getting so nasty and rude, and for what? Their opinion is their opinion, same way your opinion is your opinion.
Don’t make bad reviews if you were warned that you might not like it. I don’t see any nasty or rude comments. I only see a nasty and rude review.
You review this book like you haven’t even read it. Why are most of your points a twisted version of the truth?
She had two choices for death. Either she gets killed for evil purposes or something good comes out of her death. Read the book if you are gonna give it a review.
I agree. If you haven’t even read the book, its pretty hard to say you don’t like something. And true, most of the points in the review aren’t valid or true.
I agree with Emmy and the reviews about the non-valid points. I can write an essay on a counter-point with the actually facts from the book to argue with this review. At least read the book.
That’s nice. ^^
Book Review: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick – The Book Smugglers…
[...]But i think Becca Fitzpatrick really just meant to write about something she was interested in. Thanks for the review. You’ve funny, by the way =). 48. Comment by Dragon on December 27, 2009 at 8:37 am … I didnt ever think she loved patch until…
this book was ok but other then that yuck!!!!!!!!!
Wow. Unbeleivable. I wanted to read this book so bad, because I thought it would be fantastic. urns out, it’s just another Twilight wannabe. Seriously people, enough is enough. Thanks for the review. It would’ve saved me the regret of spending my money on such a book.
Seriously? I hate that people are saying “You saved me from reading a terrible book” when you haven’t actually read it. Don’t let other people make your opinions for you.
I totally disagree with this review. I mean come on who didn’t love the Twilight series? But seriously this book has more interesting features in it then Twilight did! Well worth the read!
I LOVED THIS BOOK YO THE CORE N WUD ADVISE IT TO OTHERS MAN IF U DNT HAV NYC COMMENTS FUCK THE HELL OF MAN JOH
Ok this book is probably the best romantic book i have read so far since twilight! i love the whole bad boy character patch he is so cool and i believe way more sensual than edward and nora always the naive one is….ok! But the two are perfect but the roamance is kind of similar to twilight but with alot of twist to it it kept me guessing what the next plot will be i could’t put the book away or forget about it after i was finished i love this book!
I dont believe it is similiar to twilight but to Halo. Their story lines are VERY alike. Im not sure if I even want to get it because of that. Halo is a VERY good book and I think Im going to just give this one a chance too. Also cause im a bookaholic and need something to read
And for twilight: I loved the books, they definatly were amazing regardless of the people who think otherwise but the movies? I only pay to watch them because I loved the books so much and want to see what their going to mess up next. The movies are horrible, I get so upset because I love Harry Potter and the graphics are amzing and realistic but they made twilight look so fake and lame. It was such a turn off
Jasmine, I read Halo and Hush, Hush and I thought Hush, Hush was even better. If you loved Halo, there’s not doubt you’re going to love this one too!
I was searching for book, in which engels played significant role and it was when I discovered Hush,Hush, since lot’s of people were recommending it. And here I am – reading your review and thanking you at the same time, because you just warned me from reading another Twilight. I don’t want a story like that.
Oh, and I had a nice laugh on the comments too.
If only this book came anywhere *near* being as good as Twilight! (Not that I think Twilight was that great. Greatly overrated, yes. But a whole lot better written, emotional, no incomprehensible plots, our ‘heroine’ Bella knew what she wanted.)
Hush, Hush is so idiotic it becomes funny again. And Crescendo gets even funnier! (Couldn’t make any sense of it, at all!)
From your review I can tell you HAVE read the book and thought things through. Okay, I am an adult too, and I like to read YA. But this book was an insult. It had some nice bits, some wickedly cool dialogues, but overall it was written by a twelve-year-old, and aimed to be read by the same category. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it was too much over the top. All those people wanting to kill Nora, and Nora herself suspecting everyone and chasing after them too! She was playing detective in a bad way, with dangerous things.
If we ‘hush, hush’ about this book, maybe it’ll be forgotten. Such a waste of a good theme.
Patch is cute
So I think that you are way too critical to actually be reviewing a book. Do relate every book to Twilight? Because if you do you like it more than you think. Just that you’re even RELATING it to Twilight makes me think you think about it a lot. And you can put whatever you want in a book. Does it have to be realistic all the time? I want to see you write a book that I would absolutely LOVE, that I couldn’t put down. Try making some valid points next time. (And this is coming from a seventeen year old teenager)
After pinballing about between several different books as a gift, I stumbled upon Hush, Hush, and seeing the similarities between it and Twilight, the book du jour at the moment for the person I intend to give it, figured I’d hit upon a sure fire result. After absorbing so many reviews (both positive *and* negative, to those commenters above who seem to decry the writer of the review and the supportive commenters), this one was the clincer, so thank you.
Only problem is, it’s narrowed it down to Hush, Hush being a bad book in my eye, but one that the person would love. The dilemma is now no longer choosing a book, but giving poor literature to one who’d uncritically enjoy it, or find a more stimulating book, but at the risk of dislike.
Oh, the perils of Christmas book shopping. Thanks again.
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