Review: Finale

Finale (Hush, Hush Series) Book #4
Release Date: 25th October 2012
Pages: 464
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Source: Purchased signed edition (Waterstones)
Purchase Book: Amazon UK | Amazon US

Goodreads:
Will love conquer all?

Nora and Patch thought their troubles were behind them. Hank is gone and they should be able to put his ugly vendetta to rest. But in Hank's absence, Nora has become the unwitting head of the Nephilim and must finish what Hank began. Which ultimately means destroying the fallen angels - destroying Patch.

Nora will never let that happen, so she and Patch make a plan: lead everyone to believe they have broken up, and work the system from the inside. Nora will convince the Nephilim that they are making a mistake in fighting the fallen angels, and Patch will find out everything he can from the opposing side. They will end this war before it can even begin.
But the best-laid plans often go awry. Nora is put through the paces in her new role and finds herself drawn to an addictive power she never anticipated.
As the battle lines are drawn, Nora and Patch must confront the differences that have always been between them and either choose to ignore them or let them destroy the love they have always fought for.

Review:
I had ordered this book long before it was due to come out as Waterstones had issued a limited number of signed copies for pre-order. Obviously, with the series being my favourite, I bought my copy. Before I go into my review, I must remind you there are three books before this and this is the very last in the series.
I suggest if you haven't read Silence, you should probably skip down to my final comments to avoid minor spoilers.

As with each book in the series, Silence ended with a cliffhanger. With Nora left in charge of the Nephilim, she is left with a choice, to take a side - stand with Patch or take the take lead of the Nephilim against everybody else. Both sides are under risk of major losses, so she must grow up and understand the world outside her Patch and Nora bubble, to take charge and protect those she loves.

Nora is a much stronger character in this book and she finally develops a spine. Patch... well lets just say he is just as strong as he always was, if anything he becomes less mysterious and you he finally opens up.

With a clear line now between the two sides, Patch and Nora must fight for each other and decide if they are strong enough to be together, or give it all up to join their sides.
The book is full of drama, scheming, back stabbing, lies, romance, suspense, action and more! By far the most compelling of the series, Becca leaves you wanting more.... but sadly this is where it all ends.

Cover:
Keeping in line with previous covers, we see the same thing, Nora and Patch. Like Silence, it's again on the rocky shore, this time with Patch reaching out to Nora. A very dramatic cover with black feathers floating everywhere. As this book is full of suspence and romance, I couldn't have chosen a better cover to finish off the series. Below is a photo of Becca's autograph:

Final Comments:
I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it to fans of Becca, along with any YA readers. Again I suggest you read the previous books as they all tie in together and it would be a shame to miss something.
As mentioned above, there is no lack of drama, scheming, suspense, romance and action. It is utterly compelling and probably the best in the series. Becca has out done herself and well so since this is how we are parting ways with Patch and Nora.

Rating:

Finale cover reveal and BookExpo America

For those of you who regularly read my posts, you know I am a big fan of Becca Fitzpatrick and Patch. If you are a fan of the Hush, Hush saga and based in New York, you will be pleased to know that Becca will be revealing her FINALE cover at BookExpo America on Wednesday June 6th at 8:45am in the lobby of the Javits Center. I assume for those of us not in NY, we will be able to see the cover shortly after the reveal.

The cherry on the cake is Becca will also be signing at the Simon and Schuster booth from 9:30am until 10:30am.

On another note, if you are a blogger, the BookExpo is a fantastic opportunity to mingle with other bloggers, authors and publishers. Head over to the website to find out what is involved and how you can be a part of the action. Not only will you have a chance to network but there will be some great sessions on a range of topics, from general blogging, making money, building a community, reviews and tips on how publishers and bloggers work together. It is honestly a great chance to gain some invaluable advice if you are starting out or want a fresh perspective on your blog.

Live Video Chat With Becca Fitzpatrick and Moira Young

For those of you that are fans of Becca Fitzpatrick and Patch and Nora from the Hush, Hush series, there will be a live video chat with Becca at 7pm ET/4pm PT on Tuesday, January 10th. For us UK readers, that is midnight on the same day.
To celebrate the paperback release of Crescendo (book two), Becca has a major announcement about the fourth and final book in the series! So if you would love to know what it is or simply want to ask her some questions, pencil in the date and watch the video chat with me on the 10th!

On the same day, author of Blood Red Road, Moira Young will also be doing a Q&A. I have not read this book myself, but I will definately tune in to learn more about it.

To join in on the chat and discussion, click here.

A great event for the new year not to miss!

Review: Silence (Hush, hush)

Goodreads description:

"The Hush, Hush series has captivated readers with the story of Nora Grey, her friend Vee, and a mysterious fallen archangel named Patch. In the gripping conclusion of the trilogy, Nora finds that as things start to unravel around her, she is more drawn to the enigmatic Patch. She soon discovers that the answers lie closer to home than she realized, and it is time for her to take control of her destiny once and for all."

I am happy to announce that the third book "Silence" in the Hush, hush series has been released. I had been eagerly awaiting this book and managed to read it in a day.

This book was absolutely brilliant. After leaving with a cliffhanger in Crescendo where Patch and Nora were suddenly surprised with a guest attacker, I was unsure where this book would begin. Thankfully the story continues on where it left off, however instead of a boring play by play, author Becca Fitzpatrick spins it around a little bit and lead character Nora is brought back to us with amnesia. This book focuses on Nora's return after her abduction and the lead up to the battle between Fallen Angels and Nephilim, including the development of the key players of the two sides and the motives behind the need for a war.

For those readers who like Patch, he is a bit annoying to begin with in this book, however things turn around when you realise he only does what he needs to in order to protect Nora from further harm. Knowing Nora though, you can expect her amnesia and love for Patch is tested again in this book. As she is a teen, she did annoy me with her constant jelousy and bad calls.
While we did have a few characters leave us in the last book, you will be happy to know some favourites are back in action here, including Vee (although slightly different now) and Scott. We even see a whole collection of new villians!

Without spoiling the book, the ending was fantastic! A cliffhanger ofcourse, but a complete unexpected turn of events that not even I saw coming.
Becca Fitzpatrick shows the world and her readers how she really is an outstanding writer and you can feel the emotion and suspense in this book through her words.

While many of us did think there would only be three books in the series, a fourth book has been announced and will be released next year in the fall.

With a battle ahead, which side do you think Nora and Patch will take?

Cover:

I adore this cover. In the first book we had Patch, in the second we had Nora, now we have them together as they are reunited and Patch stops at nothing to protect Nora, hence the carrying in his arms. It's a very dramatic scene by the water with one single red feather falling from Nora's hands. The lack of colour in this suits it perfectly well as the focus as the wings and feather are the focus of this image. Any additional colour would have taken away from it.

Final Comments:

I loved this book. I highly recommend it to any YA or paranomal romance readers, but be sure to read the previous two books so that the story makes sense. This book is less about the romance between Patch and Nora and more about mystery, history and the upcoming battle. If it was simply about their relationship, I don't think it would have been as good. Thankfully we were spared the lovey dovey teen romance for most of the time, but don't worry, if its the romance you want, the book still has it.

Release Date: October 2011 (Hardback)
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Childrens Books
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Silence (Hush, hush)... coming soon

To finish up Hush, hush week, I am giving you guys a preview to the third and final book in the trilogy, Silence. The wonderful people at Simon and Schuster have finally released the official Uk book trailer... and not to worry, it wont spoil anything for you if you havent read the previous books.

For those of you that have read the previous two, Silence continues where Crescendo left off... Patch and Nora have fought their own personal battles and discovered their love can stand the test of time, even knowing who Nora's father is. It will be the final test of their relationship, where we will get to see what happened after the final chapter of Crescendo and how the battle between Fallen angels and Nephilim will end.
I look forward to reading Silence!

Release Date: 4th October 2011 (Hardback)
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Childrens Books
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Review: Crescendo (Hush, hush)

The second book in the Hush, hush trilogy by Becca Fitzpatrick is Crescendo.
Crescendo continues on from where Hush, hush left off.

Life gets a bit complicated for Nora, with Patch now as her guardian angel; he still has his secrets that Nora can't figure out and it doesnt help that the archangels have forbidden their relationship. Nora is also on the hunt to discovere the truth about her fathers death.
Expect drama, jelousy and more action! With a battle brewing between Nephilim and Fallen Angels, you can expect there to be a little hostility as everyone is in a war to protect their best interest.

First impressions can be deceiving and we are left to figure out who to trust. Nora gives us a bit more teenage drama than usual and her best friend Vee is drawn into the mix. It's times like these, I wish I could step into the book and give Nora a wake up call because when it comes relationships, Nora is a bit clueless. I imagine the author chose to make that a strong part of Nora's personality as that seems to attract the drama and conflict in the story.

I wont spoil the rest of the book but the author leaves us wanting more at the end, and I for one can't wait for Silence to find out what happens next!



Cover:
Once again the cover is brilliant. The image is stunning, the contrast and dark, mysterious feeling of it gives you a sense you are in for drama and anguish from the get go.

Final Comments:
I have to admit, while I loved the first book in the trilogy, I love this book the most. While we still had all the teenage drama, we got to learn more about the main characters and overall it was a more thrilling read.

Rating: 5/5
Release Date: October 2010 (Hardback), April 2011 (Paperback)
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Childrens Books
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Review: Hush, hush

Hush, hush is a YA trilogy by Author Becca Fitzpatrick. The first book in the trilogy is titled "Hush, hush."
Hush, hush is a first person story told by Nora Grey who falls for a mysterious and bad boy/fallen angel named Patch. The story follows Nora as she tries to learn more about Patch, particularly since he already knows everything about her. She runs into several hiccups along the way, such as trying to protect herself and her friends from danger.

As she is so determined to get her way and know everything, you can expect this not to be your boring and predictable teen romance; there is action, jelousy, drama and an interesting turn of events. What is even more interesting is that the author introduces something new to the genre; Nephilim, who act as vassals for fallen angels for two weeks during the Hebrew month of Cheshvan.

There is a great collection of characters that support the story, such as Nora's best friend Vee, who is your typical sidekick friend. Elliot and Jules; both of which I will let you figure out and Rixon, an Irish fallen angel who brings some fun to the mix.

I instantly fell in love with this book after reading the Prologue and first chapter. Unlike other books, it doesnt take hours for the reader to get into the book. In the prologue we are given a short introduction to explain the difference between fallen angels. nephilim and humans (read the book if you would like to know what the difference is.)

Cover:
As an art school graduate, I tend to be picky when it comes to book covers. I am in fact a huge fan of the cover art for this series. A combination of the photography, contrast, colour and font are perfectly combined, drawing in anybody walking past. I happened to be one of those suckers. I was walking to the checkout at Waterstones to pay for a book in my hand, when I walked past hush, hush and replaced the one in my hand for it.

Final Comments:
The thing that separates this book from others in the genre firstly is that its not about vampires or witches, its about fallen angels. There is something more pure about the idea of falling in love with a fallen angel as opposed to a monster. It also doesnt leave teenage girls asking boys to bite them, and yes I am referring to Twilight.

Becca Fitzpatrick turns a teen novel into an exciting and modern tale of romance, mystery and drama, with a dash of humour. I highly recommend this series!

Rating: 5/5
Release Date: May 2010 (Paperback)
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Childrens Books
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush Hush week!

As a big fan of Becca Fitzpatrick, I thought I would dedicate a week to her Hush Hush trilogy, sans the third book "Silence" as we are still eagerly awaiting its October release. While I love the first two books, I will be reading them again this week so I can give a fresh review on them.

For a young adult fantasy series, I think it is amazing! It is written by the one and only Becca Fitzpatrick. The story is told by the main character Nora Grey who is a young student, thrown into a world of fallen angels, not surprisingly, she falls for the fallen angel Patch. What I like about this trilogy is that its not your typical girl falls for guy who she really shouldnt story.... but we get more action and a whole group of other characters thrown into the mix. To learn more about the series, keep track of my blog this week for reviews and comments. The third book is going to be amazing!

For those already a fan of the series, the author is also going on a UK tour! Details below.

The books in the series are:
Hush Hush
Crescendo
Silence (out October)

UK Tour details:

Tuesday October 18
6:30 pm
Talk & Signing at Foyles Bookshop
The Gallery space
Foyles
Charing Cross Road
London
WC2H 0EB

Saturday, October 22
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Signing at Eternal Twilight 6
Hilton Metropole,
Birmingham NEC

For more UK locations click here.
For US tour details click here.