Hush, Hush

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Hush, Hush # 1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Number of pages: 391

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.

* * *

I first learned about this book while I was on the MRT. As the train passed by SM Megamall, I saw a huge billboard with Twilight on one half, and I thought it was just another Vampires vs. Werewolves thing. But instead, it asked, “Are you on Team Vampire or Team Angels?” Then I saw the cover, which, as everyone says, is one of the really good covers of YA books lately.

It only took me until now to actually sit down and read the book, since I’ve been wary of Twilight like novels ever since I finished reading Breaking Dawn (oh the horror), so I’m not too keen on reading stories about a girl who can’t stop being attracted to a guy who she knows is bad for her.

But eventually this book found its way to me, and last weekend got me reading this after I finished reading the last book I read. And what do you know — I finished it within two days.

I guess I really can’t stop comparing this book with Twilight because they have the same elements inside: girl gets attracted to a guy who has a “bad” side, and everyone’s telling them not to get together. Still the girl gets together with the guy, who turns out to be supernatural, and more or less wants to kill the main character. Then there’s the climax, and then more stuff happens and the guy and the girl end up together. It’s basically the same.

Here are the main differences I saw in this novel from Twilight:

  • The main character is not weak, or totally helpless or stupid. Sure, Nora made a lot of wrong moves in the story, but at least she had a personality. Bella Swan irritated me from the start, but Nora Grey had more spunk than Bella. She had her own looks, her own personality and she actually resisted Patch almost all throughout the novel until the end. Plus, Nora had actual, normal friends, who are not another supernatural creature. :P
  • The main guy is not really that attractive. Well, at least for me. I admit to liking Edward Cullen on Twilight…but Patch is different. There is something seemingly sexy about him, but I wasn’t attracted. Of course we know what he is from the start, based from the cover, but that’s it. It’s not that I don’t like him; I just don’t feel him that much. He is kind of stalker-ish, but I really didn’t get to know him that well in the story, except on how Nora described him. But at least he didn’t have “marble arms.”
  • The story had a climax. Well, at least some kind of climax. I found myself holding my breath on the high part of the story. The thing with having a first person story is that when the narrator blacks out, all we can see is what happens after. But at least this one had a lot of action on the climax, which I really appreciated.

It’s actually a lot better than Twilight, although the ending felt a bit anticlimactic. But the concept is good, and I was in the dark until the last part of the story when the reveal is done — I actually thought it was the best friend for a while. It’s not my favorite book, but I’m not sorry I read it. And I’m curious to know what the sequel, Crescendo will be about.

Rating: [rating=2]

4 Thoughts on “Hush, Hush

  1. Pingback: One More Page » Blog Archive » Waiting on Wednesday: Perfectly Dateless by Kristin Billberbeck - Because I can't stop reading them, it's just right to write about them, don't you think?

  2. I actually hated this book and I’m not coming from a place that was an avid Twilight fan. I’m coming from the place of a long time YA Fantasy fan and I thought this book was an example of the increasingly sub-standard writing that is now sadly taking over the YA genre in no small part, I admit, due to Twilight’s success. I found the main character hard to relate to, aloof to the reader even though the book is in her POV. Patch was a sorry excuse for a love interest and just downright creepy with nothing remotely redeeming about him. The plot was weak at best and the author’s mythology of angels, which could have possibly been the most interesting part of the book, wasn’t properly expounded upon. I didn’t know there’d be a sequel but I’m not surprised. It’s interesting to see the different opinions on this book. I guess it’s one of those love it or hate it things.

    • Kat: I’m fairly new in the fantasy genre (I read more romances and chick lit), so I guess you can say I’m still quite easily amused with fluff like Hush, Hush. It’s like reading those extremely fluffy chick-lit that doesn’t really have a lot of substance, one that used almost every cliche in the book. And yes, Patch is creepy and stalker-y, even more than Edward was.

      It’s definitely not my favorite book, but I can see why there’s such a hype in this book. It could have been better, though.

  3. Pingback: One More Page » Blog Archive » Big Fat YA Giveaway from Simon and Schuster UK - Because I can't stop reading them, it's just right to write about them, don't you think?

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