Third Place Ain't So Bad

hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
(Teens and Up)

It is unfortunate that one can’t help comparing every paranormal romance to Twilight, the same way one compares every summer night to a magical one of their youth.  Every other book just doesn’t quite measure up, no matter how good it is.  Now, the lightning bugs I catch aren't so bright, but they are beautiful.  The ice cream not so sweet but still delicious.  hush, hush is like that for me.  Not as good as Twilight but still a great read.

hush, hush lends itself to such a comparison easily, though.  The main character, Nora, is odd and brooding and ill-tempered.  The paranormal, Patch, is elusive, handsome and mysterious.  The setting is cold and chilly.  There are forces at work beyond the main characters that throw them together with an explosive chemistry.  There are so many similarities that it draws your mind back to Twilight at every turn and I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed because it seemed to be a pale comparison.

Yet, there are things about it that is much better, more masterful and powerful than ‘the book that shall not be named’.  I thought that fallen angel idea to be one of genius.  I loved the history and references to this idea.  I loved Patch’s motivation.  He was so flawed, like Heathcliff, that one couldn’t really help but love him.  Really, if I had to choose between Patch and Edward Cullen, I would go with Patch.  He was so much more mysterious and smoldering and broken that one couldn’t help but be drawn to him.  I liked Nora better than Bella as well.  She also seemed to be to be a much more realistic and likable character with motivations and interests that I understood.

So, if you can put Twilight aside, this is a really good book, one that will have you flipping through pages to its conclusion.  One that will make you wonder and sigh.  One that will make you want to go and buy the second in the series.  Certainly, a book to spend time with.

And, if you are one of those obsessed with this genre, then this is a book you will surely love.  Of all the ones I’ve read, I would definitely rank it second or third in line of ‘Best Paranormal Romances’.  Being in the company of such greats as Twilight and Maximum Ride is certainly not a bad thing.