Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Pages: 391
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
#1 in Series
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...until Patch comes 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 whom 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 far 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.
Quick Thoughts
No. That's all I have to say. No to the book, the characters, the plot, everything.
Review
I wanted to like Hush, Hush because I read from many bloggers that it was such a great romance, and the story was so original, ect. Unfortunately, I just did not like Hush, Hush, at all. I had some pretty major issues with it. Funnily enough, a majority of the people who disliked this book had a problem with Patch. He was actually the only redeeming thing in the whole novel for me... but more on that later.
Firstly, Nora. I'd like to just give a big resounding WHAT THE HELL, for her actions the
entire freaking book. She continuously puts herself in this ridiculous and dangerous situations that no actual human being with two brain cells to rub together would put themselves in.
Yes, if you go walking to dark alleys, bad things are going to happen, Nora. Another thing that irritated me was that she decided that she was just going to become little miss detective, going after a hunch that she has about some guy that she's known for all of a
day, so she basically starts interrogating people in her spare time. Seriously? What teenage girl would actually do that? And how is it any of your business?
My BIGGEST problem with this story was Nora's best friend, Vee. Nora gets
physically assaulted by one of the other characters--I'm talking thrown against a wall here--and Vee just brushes it off like "He was just drunk, he didn't mean it... HEY LET'S GO CAMPING WITH HIM BY OURSELVES!" I'm sorry for cursing, but what the
actual fuck? No, that's definitely NOT okay that this dude just freaking assaulted Nora, no matter how much I disliked her. You don't just brush that off. And then she wanted to go somewhere alone with him? No, I don't think so. Honestly, every time Vee talked, I rolled my eyes. She was an absolutely terrible best friend.
Oddly enough, the best part of this book for me was Patch. I felt like he was the only character in the entire novel with actual substance, and dynamic. I've read reviews that stated they hated Patch because he was way too forward or whatever, but I actually liked that about him. My thing with Patch is that he was
an honest to God bad boy. Those are severely lacking in YA. He was an actual bad boy, just like the ones in real life, that treat their women like crap and seduce their way into getting what they want, just because they can. I don't condone this kind of behavior at all, but what I'm saying is that, it's refreshing to see someone actually sitting down and writing a bad boy that feels no remorse for the way he is, and who isn't likely to change who he is just because he fell in love. That's how bad boys are in real life. And in this is where I find yet another character flaw with Nora. Here's what I wrote as my status update on Goodreads:
I do like Patch, despite what others say. He's a bad boy--a very literal bad boy, and that's how they act. It's up to the girl to put her foot down and not take his shit, which Nora isn't doing. So I don't have a problem with Patch, just with Nora.
Don't let Patch walk all over you! Assert yourself! I didn't like Patch as a love interest at all (just liked him fundamentally as a character), and I found his possessiveness and even borderline abusive behavior revolting, but what I found even worse was that Nora
just took it. If you're in a situation like that, you get the hell out. But instead, she just kept falling more in love with him, and I didn't understand why! There was
nothing attractive about him, especially when he just kept invading her personal space and manipulating her mind.
2 out of 5 stars
Who Should Read This Book?
I can't in good conscience recommend Hush, Hush to anyone.