Book Review: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

CRESCENDO BY BECCA FITZPATRICK
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (October 19, 2010)
Language: English

The sequel to the New York Times Best selling phenomenon, Hush, Hush!

Nora should have know her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Preview Prologue & Chapter 1

Book Opening Chapter 1:
"Patch was standing behind me. His hands on my hips, his body relaxed. He stood two inches over six feet tall and had a lean, athletic build that even loose-fit jeans and a T-shirt couldn't conceal. The color of his hair gave midnight a run for its money, with eyes to match. His smile was sexy and warned of trouble, but I'd made up my mind that not all trouble was bad." 

Notable Scene:
Angel.

I looked up when Patch spoke my name in my thoughts.

Being close to you on any level is better than nothing. I'm not going to lose you. He paused, and for the first time since I'd known him, I saw a flicker of worry in his eyes. But I already fell once. -Pages 54-55

Love is never easy, especially when the man you love is a guardian angel forbidden to love you back.

Last year I became swept away in the fever surrounding the release of Hush, Hush, the first book in this series. I absolutely adored that book. Even though Patch was more than a little dangerous (and stalker-ish), I still believed in the romance between him and Nora. I devoured that book in one gulp and was left hungry for more. When it came time to read Crescendo, I was over the moon with anticipation.  While I definitely enjoyed it, I have to admit that this book was a bit of a disappointment for me.

Throughout most of Crescendo, it seemed to me as if Patch and Nora barely spoke at all.  And let's face it- it's Patch we all have our eyes on. For him to have such little "on screen" time was a major disappointment for me. Almost immediately after Crescendo kicked off, he began pulling away from Nora with practically no explanation. I didn't understand that at all. Don't get me wrong though. I know there needs to be tension in a novel. We all want our favorite couples to end up together in the end, but it's the struggle that keeps us coming back for more, right?  But Patch and Nora's interactions were so off kilter to me, that by the time things actually came together and did in fact make sense, I was really frustrated. 

On the flip side, I do want to mention that toward the end, there were some great scenes between Patch and Nora that really packed a punch. The dialogue was intense and emotional. It reeled me back in and actually saved my interest in this series. The character dynamics between Nora and hilarious best friend/shenanigan instigator Vee were hilarious to me too. Nora really comes alive when she interacts with the people around her, especially the vivacious Vee or the troubled Scott. The scenes with Harrison and the flashbacks into his troubled past were also a great source of added intrigue as well.

Hiding secrets and protecting the one you love from harm is never easy. Though I can't say I enjoyed Crescendo nearly as much as its predecessor, I will say it was definitely well written with a fast-moving plot. The cliffhanger ending was actually my favorite aspect of the book. Surprising and poignant, it left me reeling with anticipation for the next book in the series. Though I have my qualms with Crescendo, I will continue with this series and see what Becca Fitzpatrick has in store for us next with Tempest, scheduled for release in October 2011.

Becca Fitzpatrick's first book, Hush, Hush debuted as a New York Times bestseller. She graduated college with a degree in health, which she promptly abandoned for storytelling. When not writing, she's most likely running, prowling sales racks for shoes or watching crime drams on TV. She lives in Colorado. Visit Becca Fitzpatrick's Official Website & Blog