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Hush, Hush

Becca Fitzpatrick

Published 2009          400 pages

Reviewed by Ania Tyburska

Summary (from the book jacket)

Falling in love was never so easy... or so deadly.

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

The Review

I have a kind of bumpy relationship with the young adult literature. On one hand I thoroughly enjoy the teenage angst and geekiness of it all and am prone to forgive a too thickly laid moral message. But it really makes me angry when the author assumes that young readers are somehow less probable to spot inconsistency in the plot line or lack of motives behind the heroes’ actions. That is just plain right sloppy writing, unforgivable in any kind of publications.

That was what initially put me off the Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instrument Trilogy and what caused me to reach for Becca Fitzgerald’s book with trepidation. Both stories are really similar. Girl meets a dangerous boy and a series of scary and otherworldly events follow. The heroine gets sucked into the ongoing war between the forces of good and evil and that’s just to top up all her “normal” teenage problems.

There are no vampires in the Hush Hush universe, although I can see them easily fitting in. The story evolves round the Fallen (angels whose wings were stripped away) and Nephilim (decedents of the Fallen and mortal women). Of course these super beings posses all the lures that are typically attributed to urban fantasy heroes. They are dark, mysterious and beautiful and have a hidden agenda when it comes to the clueless heroine.

This time the heroine’s name is Nora and she is a geeky bookworm with no interest in boys or the finer points of high school social life. She is also horribly cautious and dependable which makes it bit hard to sympathize with some of her decisions, but that is just an example of the moral message I mentioned in the beginning. All in all she is a perfect target for the bad boy Patch and his nefarious (kindergarten nefarious in comparison with grown up urban fantasy) plots.

It is a good story all points considered. It is fast paced, when it finally reaches its peek, full of unexpected events and till the last few pages the main mystery remains unresolved. On the down side there is not enough humor to make the initial description of normal teenage life bearable and the heroes use some strange language that has more to do with gothic novels than high school nowadays. Not a “Twilight” like break through in the teenage literature, but not a total waste of time either.

LoveVampires Review Rating:

Hush Hush is Becca Fitzpatrick’s debut novel. Featuring mortal teenagers and fallen angels, not to mention it’s beautiful gothic cover art, this book is bound to be a sure-fire hit with it’s Young Adult audience. Angels are tipped to be ‘the new black’ of fantasy fiction this year (2010.) Whether angels take over from vampires as the most popular fantasy fiction characters remains to be seen but Hush Hush is sure to help them on their way! - Amanda, LoveVampires Editor