The Hush Hush Saga by Becca Fitzpatrik

Hello Lovely People!!

OMG! OMG! OMG!! Everyone, I am years too late but the Hush Hush Saga is actually one of the greatest group of books I have ever read! I'm so excited to talk about this I can't type fast enough!! For those of you who don't know what Hush Hush is about... it is basically the hottest bad boy and a normal girl falling in love except it is a YA book so he is a fallen angel and she is apart of the Nephilim race therefore it is a forbidden love story! :)

I have had Hush Hush on my shelf for a couple of years now but just kind of left it there. Then, I had this strange urge to read a fantasy novel and my eyes drifted over to my shelf and met with Hush Hush's beautiful shiny, red title and I was drawn to it like Patch and Nora! Anyway, I picked it up thinking I'll read just a little before bed-- well a little before bed turned out to be a little before waking up and going to school because I ended up finishing it and having withdraws. My entire school day was awaiting for the time where I could bolt out the door and go to any bookstore closest to me. I ended up finishing all the books that Friday night which is incredibly impressive considering I had school and multiple tests to study for!

The entire Hush Hush saga has everything dramatic I love in books
Hush Hush- bad boy falls in love with good girl
Crescendo- boy and girl have a rocky relationship
Silence- memory loss but will remember boy
Finale- A full on war but lots of love

I mean that pretty much sums up my favorite plots in four books!

BOOK HANGOVER ALERT:

Patch is on my fictional boyfriends list because he is so perfect but he really isn't. I mean he is a fallen angel meaning he broke a few rules but hey, whatever. Patch and Nora are forced to be lab partners *screams* and have this "I don't want to have anything to do with you" relationship, which makes Patch's comments towards Nora the funniest and best. Always him always calling her Angel made me so happy, sometimes I couldn't breath I was swooned.
As the story moves forward, their relationship becomes so nice and protective. It isn't too overprotective because there is still a great deal of womanism (!!!!) but also you have a love interest, so it is a win-win. Although Patch is a fallen angel, I love how this story also shares that he is still a good guy and looks out for others. I'm obsessed with Patch's protectiveness for example when Nora went to Dante's and Patch said he didn't like seeing her at another man's house-- I started to laugh like how nice of him and the tracking device he put on her was quality!
Hush Hush was a great beginning novel because it was very no big deal but a great plot and it was very ordinary/introduction to new life. Also, I think you have to warm up to this book because there were some creepy moments with the car and the rollar coaster, but we must not forget about the tacos and the pool games!
Crescendo had me on my toes because everything was going so well and then the ship just tore apart because Patch and Nora are both so stubborn! Anyway, the only way he could talk to her was in her dreams (ahh!) but Marcie Miller ruins everything. Honestly, she is so annoying. When they kissed I was reconsidering Patch (Jk never) but I knew he still cared for Nora because he gave her all his earnings to make sure she was safe (swoon!). Scott was scaring me for a 1/3 of the series.
Silence might have been my favorite of the four because it reintroduced Patch and Nora's love story along with better relationships except I am so angry because Vee and Nora's friendship started to not be as prominent :( The entire Miller family twist shwished me up- I loved it.
Finale was so different and enjoyable that I am so thankful that is the way the saga ended. Scott's death saddened me but I loved to see Nora struggle after she takes this big leadership role because she is described as independent to dependent with her guardian angel to now being in charge of an entire race and I loved to see her confidence but also insecurities arise. This was a big leap for Nora compared to the last three novels and she has changed due to these big moments in her life, but her addiction to devilcraft was a common human moment if you will. I see it as, she wants to be perceived as a good leader and if it helps then great. Then she lies to Patch and her guilt is so strong I feel bad for her because there is this burden of needing to be the best when she hasn't been exposed to this race long enough to meet their needs. It also must be tough for your boyfriend to be apart of the other side, but I thought that was an interesting POV because we had two sides but one goal which was interesting!
I loved all the introduction of characters there were quite a bit but they all served a good purpose. I mean I hated Rixon and Dante but they were great plot twists. Scott's death hurt my heart because he ended up being one of the loveliest people watching out for Nora. Detective Basso ended up being one of my favorite off side characters. Dante was awful but his character served importance, so ehh. Vee's ending shocked me but the epilogue had tears in my eyes especially because she married a mortal <3

TO TREAT HUSH HUSH HANGOVER:

* I strongly suggest watching fan made videos dedicated to the Hush Hush series on Youtube because there are some very talented people out there who have great casting ideas, and it is so fun to watch people's interpretations.
* Fanfiction is like Advil it numbs the pain until you find another story to love (maybe not as much).


Thank you all so much for ranting with me! If you want to discuss please comment I'm always up for a good 'ole book chat!

Much Love,
Channy

Happy New Year!

Hello Lovely People,


I can't believe that it is already 2017 and that I have started a new Goodreads Reading Challenge! My goal for 2016 was 42 books, but I ended up with reading 53 books! I am really proud of myself. I hope you all met or surpassed your 2016 challenge.

As it is a new year, my goal was to not only read many books but to diversify the books I read. I believe that the first book you read sets the tone for the new year. With that said, my first book for 2017 is If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo. This is a story that I picked up because I wanted to broaden my reading styles and be exposed to stories I wouldn't typically pick up. If I Was Your Girl was a recommended book on Ibooks, and I saw it as a perfect opportunity to meet my goal.

If I Was Your Girl explores Amanda's story as she moves to a new town and falls in love. The biggest complication in her life and falling in love with Grant is that in her old town she went by Andrew.

Russo's story introduces the topics that people are commonly afraid to bring up but it is populating. I am fascinated by this novel because it sheds light on feeling like you are not alone and becoming familiar with being yourself. I praise YA novels for being a genre that is free enough to discuss these topics that adults are afraid of. It is stories like this that need to be read to appreciate a new perspective. Our world is growing and who are we to judge if we aren't brave enough to share these topics? Meredith Russo deserves a round of applause for being able to share a story that demands to be read. I am better for reading this story and you will be also!

As a sixteen-year-old girl I am not familiar with transgenders I have not experienced this situation, but when I opened up Amanda's story on page one I was fascinated by her tale. The chapters alternate between Andrew and Amanda. Amanda moves to live with her Father and it broke my heart at how uncomfortable he was with this transition. When he called her Andrew I could hear my heart cry. I mean you have a mentor and he has not accepted who you are yet has to be difficult. Amanda's new school is pretty good, but I felt the same panic that she did when she felt that people knew about her. As we learn more about Grant, I think she transitions smoothly and he is always so kind toward Amanda. I was not a fan of Amanda's friends, they were not helpful or interesting to me. They were too much of a mess for me to handle. Although I did not like Amanda's friends, I enjoyed the perspective on Andrew. I felt more sympathetic to the situation and was there with Amanda. The displays between Andrew, Amanda, and the Mom were insightful. Honestly, I can't explain my favorite parts because they were all so sad, but I learned so much.

This story needs to be read by people who want to appreciate literature and commemorate Russo's work. This is not a story for everyone but it is a situation that people need to become aware of. YA is growing to be a liberating genre that explores topics that others are afraid of. I love that we are the audience authors are writing to. We are the group that cares and wants to make a difference. I am elated to know that I am a person reading a work that is a difficult subject and I loved it! As YA people we need to expand these topics because our world will be better because of it.

Much Love,
Channy