Author: Cynthia Hand
Release Date: January 22, 2013 (hardcover)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 448
Source: Bought
Overall: 4 Stars
Summary:
The past few years held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner ever could have anticipated. Yet through the dizzying high of first love to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she could no longer deny was that she was never meant to have a normal life.
Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seemed like the best option, so she's headed back to California—and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.
As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he's not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny. But it won't come without sacrifices and betrayal.
In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must choose her fate once and for all.
My Thoughts:
Cynthia Hand's Unearthly series is one of my favourites featuring angels, and the wait for Boundless has felt ever so long to learn what would happen to Clara next. When my fingers brushed the first few pages of the novel, they shook with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Would the book live up to my high expectations? I sure hoped so.
Clara wants to lead a normal life and attend Stanford University like a typical student, but she knows she can't ignore her angelic responsibilities. She's really come a long way since Unearthly, from fighting her destiny in the past to rising to the challenge and preparing herself to meet it head-on. Joining her in California are her angel-blood friends Angela and Christian, who would do absolutely anything for Clara. Christian's feelings go beyond friendship for her, but he understands that even months after Clara broke up with Tucker to protect him from danger, she still can't forget about him.
I was completely surprised by the direction Angela's storyline took in the novel, but I found it so intriguing how it was somehow connected to Clara and Christian's terrifying visions. Cynthia Hand has left so many signs and clues in the first two books, and the greater picture is finally revealed in Boundless. The Black Wings must be stopped and they're already stretching their influence to someone very close to Clara...
Honestly, when I finished reading Boundless, I wanted to hurl the book at a wall and break down in tears. No matter what the outcome, I'm sure I would have been emotional because this is the final book and I've always kept these characters so close to my heart... but the ending was much more on the bittersweet side than leaving me with feelings of joy. I loved everything about Boundless except the last chapter or so, which I'm denying ever occurred and changing in my head. Depending if you're Team Christian or Team Tucker, you may or may not feel the same way as me.
When you conclude a series, sometimes you like the ending, and sometimes you don't, but it's the author's decision and I respect that. If anything, the intensity of my feelings are a credit to Cynthia Hand's amazing writing because she writes such compelling characters that you sincerely care about and hope for the best possible outcome. Without a doubt, Cynthia Hand's Boundless is a heart-stopping conclusion to the Unearthly trilogy.
