Review: Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush #1) by Becca Fitzpatrick

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: October 13, 2009

Pages: 391

Source: Won from Simon and Schuster Canada (Thank you!)

Rating: 3 Stars - I Liked It

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.

In short: Though Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick has a cliched plot and romance, it also has an addicting quality that compels you to read on.

So a boy and a girl meet in Biology class and the boy proceeds to stalk said girl. The girl is taken with the boy but cannot help but notice that something is not quite normal with him and does some research online. Turns out he is a paranormal being! Where have I read this plot before?

So yeah, my main beef with this book was that it was just a little too reminiscent of Twilight for my liking. One might argue that most paranormal romances follow a similar formula but I thought Hush, Hush had numerous plot points that were just uncanny in their similarity to Twilight. The dynamic of the developing romance between Nora and Patch was thankfully much different than Bella and Edward's though.

That said, while I was happy that there was a sufficient difference in the dynamic of their romance, I have to say Nora and Patch's particular brand of romance really didn't appeal to me. You see, Nora is frightened of Patch, but "that fright was equal part allure." Hmm. It's just not my thing. I don't find anything alluring about being flat out stalked by a guy and feeling frightened for my life. I think there was a time when I used to be much more tolerant of bad boy-good girl relationships but I find now that I'm, at the very least, annoyed by them, and at the very most, angry by them.

I was slightly more amused by the dynamic of Nora with best friend Vee. Their dialogue together was a constant source of hilarity. Even still, many of their shenanigans in Hush, Hush were outright silly. Their attempts at interrogation and sleuthing to solve a murder mystery were ridiculous and juvenile. And for an honours student, Nora makes some pretty stupid and questionable decisions. Her character was bordering on TSTL territory.

All these faults set aside, I cannot deny that Hush, Hush was an addictive read. At the same time that I was finding the romance and characters frustrating and annoying, I was compelled by some unknown force to keep reading and keep reading quickly. I might put this down to the simplicity of a well known plot and the state of mindlessness and ease that I achieved while reading it. Hush, Hush may have been cliched but it was an easy read and I could not help but be entertained throughout the majority of it.

Other Reviews:
365 Days of Reading
Alison Can Read
Just Another Story

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*Read as part of the YA Series Challenge