Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

 5 of 5 stars

From Goodreads:

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

My interpretation:

When Clara tells her Mother about the visions her entire life is turned upside-down. Her mother insists on leaving the home she's grown up in, the school she's attended forever, every friend she has ever known, and moving to Wyoming to seek out the setting from the vision. Clara is discovering her divine purpose, the only reason she's here according to her Mom. Clara has to rescue the boy from the fire. Failure is not an option and distraction is the last thing she needs. Enter Tucker, the obnoxious but chivalrous (oh, and H.O.T.) twin brother of her first friend in her new school. As Clara tries to adjust to her new surroundings, deal with the physical changes that entail coming-of-age as an angel-blood, and decipher the visions that seem to confuse her more than comfort her she discovers this new town is not as treacherously dull as it first seemed.
Throughout the book the most prominent aspect was Cynthia Hand's ability to express the stunning beauty and complexity of Clara's world. I sincerely contemplated moving to Wyoming while reading this. Every aspect of Clara's transformative journey was so vividly illustrated I was transported entirely.
I think this story would be most enjoyed by Teens looking for a good light romance with a smidge of drama. Once the relationships started developing I had a really hard time putting it down (I read it while *trying* to grocery shop).
I hope to see much more from this author, she's definitely one to watch.

Huge thanks to HarperTeen and NetGalley for letting me review this beautiful story!