Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Clara is an angel-blood (part angel) as are her mom and brother.  When Clara learns her "purpose" in life through visions, she and her family move from California to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to accomplish her task.  Apparently she is to save Christian, the hottest and most popular boy from a forest fire.  Meanwhile, Clara befriends a few schoolmates and over the summer, while she learns to fly, she slowly falls for all around nice guy Tucker.  Cynthia Hand goes into detail about how Tucker and Clara spend their time together from hiking to fishing, how Clara learns to fly, introduces the concept of glory and begins the tale of the dark angels.  While the writing is simple the story is divine.  The Wyoming scenery is described in wonderful detail.  Clara's powers grow as the summer wears on and there is a great big twist at the end that I was not expecting. "Unearthly," the first in a planned trilogy only begins to tell the story of angels and Clara's family history.

Never in a million years did I think that I would enjoy a book about angels. And yet "Unearthy" was an extremely enjoyable, romantic, exciting quick read.  Cynthia Hand, in her debut has a pulse on what the YA audience wants.  There is just enough romance to satisfy those who crave it while it is adventurous and thrilling too.  It is refreshing to read a YA book with so much to offer that doesn't include drugs and sex (one scene with drinking but it's quite minor) .  Recommended for tweens and teens.  "Unearthly" was read as an ebook arc courtesy of HarperCollins via Netgalley.  It will be published by HarperCollins on January 4, 2011.