Review : Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Title : Hush Hush
Author : Becca Fitzpatrick
Publisher : Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Genre : Young Adult, Paranormal
ISBN : 978-1416989417
Series : 1st in a Series
Release Date : October 13, 2009
Rating : 3/5 - Good

Description from Amazon :

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.

Trailer :

Review :

Nora Grey is just your average high school student. She's smart, does her homework, and for the most part listens to what her superiors tell her. Rarely do you see Nora doing something that she's not supposed to do, unless she's pushed into it by her best friend Vee. She's more quiet then anything, and just wants to get good grades so she can go to a good college. Vee on the other hand, wants her to have some fun, and finally get a boyfriend.

Nora has other plans when it comes to boys, and the plan is, don't bother. She doesn't want any distractions, because when your floating between A's and B's, you need to put your attention back on the school work so you can fix the problem. How will she get into a really good college if she doesn't have straight A's?

Nora is usually home by herself a lot, despite the fact that the cleaning lady comes after school to clean up and make her dinner. Nora's mother works a lot of hours, and does a lot of traveling, so there isn't much time to spend with Nora. It's the only thing her mother could think to do to keep the farmhouse they love so dearly. Her father isn't in the picture anymore, for lack of trying. He was killed and now Nora and her mother are struggling to keep the things they had before his passing, as well as trying not to be overcome with grief.

Despite Nora's attempts at keeping boys out of her main priorities, she finds herself paired up with one during her Biology class, and his name is Patch. He's arrogant, pushy, and yet down right sexy. He knows things about Nora that he really should never have known, and seems to always be following her around. Although Nora is pretty much freaked out about the fact that Patch knows so much about her, and that he seems to be stalking her, she is completely drawn to him. She finds herself thinking about him more and more everyday, and starts doing things that are completely against her code of ethics. She tells herself she has to though, because it's the only way to find out the mystery behind Patch, and whether he could be dangerous.

I, for the most part, can say that I enjoyed this novel. It was a little slow from the start for me, but picked up nicely toward the middle. I was hoping that there would be more paranormal activity going on, but it was more of a mystery than anything else. The writing flowed very nicely though, and made it easier for me to read most of this book during my hour lunch breaks at work. I was actually surprised how fast I was flying through it.

I'm on the fence about whether I can say I really liked Nora. While she was a smart girl, she was also quite stupid as well. She seemed to always put herself in dangerous situations, and was baffled by the outcome. I for one, would have gotten the hint the first time around.

I was drawn to Patch the same way Nora was, even though at first I thought she was crazy for even being attracted to him. He was way too pushy, and more often than not, rude. He was also extremely mysterious, and always seemed to point out things about Nora that no one else ever noticed. I would probably compare Patch to chocolate, because despite the fact that it looks so good and you want it, it's probably best that you stay away from it.

If I had to compare this book to another book that I enjoyed in the past, I would say it reminded me of Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, in fact it was a good thing. The story flowed very nicely, and much of the characters reminded me of the ones in Twilight. I would have to say, that in all honesty, I liked Nora more than Bella though.

I'm very greatful to have been able to read this book, although the ARC that I received has a different ending than the final release. I'm curious to see how they decided to end it, and will be going out to buy myself a copy.

Where did I get this book? :

I received my ARC from Barnes & Noble's Teen First Reads Club.