Book Review: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Posted By CarrieK on November 3, 2009
Title: Hush, Hush
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Genre: YA fantasy, paranormal fiction
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Source: ARC from Shelf Awareness
First line: Chauncey was with a farmer’s daughter on the grassy banks of the Loire River when the storm rolled in, and having let his gelding wander in the meadow, was left to his own two feet to carry him back to the chateau.
I recently read on one blog or another that fallen angels are the new vampires. It seems this could be the case, since while reading Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush
In Hush, Hush, the smart girl is Nora Grey, a smart high school student living with her mom. The dangerous boy is Patch, her new biology partner. (Yes, biology partner – more on that later.) He seems to know things about her that he shouldn’t, but Nora can’t find out anything about him. He has no school records and turns all her questions around. Nora knows she should stay clear, but there’s just something about him…
In the meantime, her best friend, boy-crazy Vee, continually wants Nora to double-date with her and Elliot and Jules, two more mysterious boys who seem to have a dangerous past. When Nora becomes the victim of mysterious attacks, she has to figure out who’s after her – is it Elliot or Patch?
Now, I know that this plot line is very popular with teens lately. And yes, the story was engaging enough to keep me reading. But I had a few beefs with Hush, Hush.
First of all, there were many parallels to the storyline of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I know Meyer wasn’t the first author to write a smart girl falls for bad boy book, but there has to be a way to take a formula that works and make it original. (Case in point: Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, which is a completely original take on the familiar theme.) But in some ways, Fitzpatrick has taken the Twilight formula and plugged in fallen angels for vampires. They were even paired up in biology, just like Bella and Edward.
The other thing that bothered me, and in hindsight bugs me about Twilight, is that you have an otherwise smart girl who lets all of her intelligence fly out the window because of a boy. Yes, I loved Twilight. But at the time that I read it, I hadn’t read a YA book (other than Harry Potter) since I fit the demographic. Now that I’ve immersed myself in the world of YA lit, I find that this formula has gotten repetitive. And maybe it’s because I’m a mom, but there were many times while reading Hush, Hush that I wanted to reach into the book and shake Nora for the foolish decisions she was making.
Having said all that, I still think that Hush, Hush will probably be a big hit with teen readers. There is something about teenage girls that relates to this storyline, and Fitzpatrick certainly knows how to write romantic tension.
I was talking about this book on Twitter with some other book bloggers, and we decided that it would be nice to see a smart guy falls for bad girl story for a change. 
Disclosure: An ARC of Hush, Hush was provided to me by Shelf Awareness for the purpose of review. The above link is an Amazon Affiliate link. If you click on the link and then purchase anything, I receive a small percentage.
I think the cover is amazing, but yes it does seem very Twilight-ish in plot. I know it sounds pretty stuffy, but I hate that this type of book is what is setting the example for teens these days. I won’t let my daughter read Twilight yet, because I just shudder at the whole smart girl throwing it all away and wanting to kill herself over a boy! Ugh. They get all that soon enough!
Sandy´s last blog ..Lena – Jacqueline Woodson
Sandy – I agree – I love the cover! And I did let my almost 13-year-old daughter read the Twilight series, but we had lots of conversations about the choices Bella makes and the difference between infatuation/obsession and true love. I didn’t hate this book, but not sure I liked it enough to pick up the sequel next year.
I think the smart boy falling for the bad girl storyline is all great but I’m sure that more girls are reading and that’s the audience that’s buying these books and they want this silly fantasy. It’s sad. I read all the Twilight books but do not understand the mass adoration and following by young girls. It’s almost upsetting.
Amy S.´s last blog ..Embroderies: book review
Amy – I agree – but since so many adults are reading YA, and most adult women read books with either male or female protagonists, why not switch it up a bit?
I wasn’t a fan of Twilight, but it sounds like the author definitely knows who her audience is.
carol´s last blog ..Teaser Tuesday
Carol – that she does!
I think this is the first review I’ve read that hasn’t just gushed over the book. I have a feeling I’d feel more like you.
Kathy´s last blog ..Reminder: That’s How I Blog!
Kathy – I know, after reading other reviews, I can see I’m definitely in the minority.
Not to sound completely sexist here, but it’s comforting to see the beginnings of a female backlash towards these YA books that have this “sameness” and clichéd themes/storyline.
Unfortunately, it’s this clichéd sameness that young girls are craving right now. I’ve asked a few of my friends about it, and the unanimous response is that there is a certain amount of safe comfort in the familiarity and similarities.
And yes, I agree, having these two characters meet in a biology class…that’s just blatant. At least she could have had them meet in history, or geography, or maybe even choir or something.
Michael OCD´s last blog ..One of Three
Michael – I hope that young girls are smart enough to read and enjoy something that doesn’t fit the same formula if it’s published! As a homeschooling mom, I try to steer my daughter toward a variety of genres, authors, etc. It doesn’t always work, but I’ll keep trying because a book with a plot that is comforting and familiar isn’t necessarily a good book.
I think familiarity is okay to a certain degree.
As a self-professed geek, when I return to a certain fantasy or science fiction series, there is a certain comfort reading stories set in worlds I already know – so I can’t fault anyone for doing that.
It’s these recycled plots that we have to battle, and the best way to do it is by what you’re doing now. No, it may not always work, but the fact that it works some of the time is a spark of hope. Plus, homeschool kids tend to have better reading comprehension skills and level than the average bear – so just keep at it, the rewards will make it worth it.
Michael OCD´s last blog ..One of Three
I understand what you mean that is why i’d rather pick FALLING or SIHVER for a great book to seat down and read.
I liked this one. Mainly because I really am a sucker for a bad boy! Patch really worked for me (singularly) and his attraction to Nora worked as well. I agree, however that Nora’s character was a bit lopsided. I think there might have been a way to write her having this attraction to him while being inquizetive about the situation and still having a brain. I’d have to really analyze the moments where Nora loses her common sense and devise how it could have been done differently. But then teens probably really don’t care about that….they just want to see the conflict and the danger and the romance, the other stuff is just stuff.
Michelle´s last blog ..Sunday Salon – November 1
Michelle – I think that my opinion of this one may have suffered because I read it so soon after Wicked Lovely, which I thought was a fantastic story and was well-written.
I have not read this one yet, but it is on my shelf. Thanks for the honest review. I heard the ARC has a different ending than the finished hardcover.
Serena (Savvy Verse & Wit)´s last blog ..Interview with Jane Odiwe, Author of Willoughby’s Return
Serena – a friend on Twitter sent me the link to the new ending. I didn’t find it all that different, although it seemed to leave it more open for the sequel.
I haven’t read this one yet, either, although I plan to. I have encountered a few books that were so blatantly tweaks of Twilight that I just couldn’t read them. How derivative can we get, people? I don’t mind formulas–I read romance novels, for god’s sake–but I agree with you, there has be some bend or twist that makes the story seem original.
As for who said angels were the new vampires, I believe that was Amy from My Friend Amy.
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Tasha – I think you’re right, it was Amy!
I actually really love the twilight but do have to agree that some of the messages it sends to young girls is a little messed up. I allowed my 13 year old to read this book, but we too had discussions about what was normal and very wrong with it. My daughter liked the books also, but really is more fascinated with sci fi, or fantasy fiction
books….”Sea Clearwater” by Selene Cardenas is her newest favorite. It is filled wizards, fairies, gentle and violent creatures, black benders and water benders. I actually prefer she read these types of books… not filled with unrealistic romance.
Becky´s last blog ..beckybooks: I am so sick! This sucks!
[...] CarrieK at Books and Movies talked a bit about this issue the other day in her review of Hush Hush. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Fan Made: The “I Can Read Movies” [...]
I was thinking about the smart boy/bad girl idea while I was writing my review for The Hunger Games just now, and I think that this one comes close to that idea. The girl is still smart but definitely surly and mysterious. And she doesn’t lose her head and get all silly when the guy comes along.
I haven’t read Hush Hush yet, but I appreciate reviews like this that prompt so much discussion.
Alita´s last blog ..Book #39 – The Hunger Games (final thoughts)
Alita – you’re right – I hadn’t thought of Hunger Games that way.
[...] Book Review: The Dead of Night by John Marsden ~ Book Review: Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris ~ Book Review: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick ~ Movie Review: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs ~ Movie Review: Aliens in the Attic ~ Book Review: [...]
it would be nice to see a smart guy falls for bad girl story for a change.
Maybe Paper Towns by John Green? It fits that description, although in most other ways it’s very different from the Twilight/Hush Hush formula.
Fyrefly´s last blog ..Andrea Barrett – Ship Fever: Stories
Fyrefly – I’ll have to check that one out!
I felt like Lauren Kate’s Fallen had the same problem as Hush Hush – too close to a Twilight formula. I haven’t read Hush Hush, but I have it to review. I think I’ll put it off a little longer.
S. Krishna´s last blog ..Sunday Salon
Swapna – I decided to wait a while to pick up Fallen because I thought it was going to be similar. I think it will bother me even more if I read them too close together.
hiya i am 13yr old girl and i love to read this type of books, i think the book is great and i love the twilight books too
can’t wait wait for hush hush book 2 to come out
and if i find a guy like patch i know i will be in love with him how can you not be!!!
love the plot and patch i think the cover makes him look fit and i love it so much (patch i love you ) fallan angles love it.
you have to read night world lots of fit boys
Millie-lee´s last blog ..Book Review: Best American Nonrequired Reading 2008
I myself have read the Twilight series and Hush, Hush.
Being a young adult myself, I enjoy these types of books, but I find them to be a bit redundant after a while.
And quite personally, I think Wicked Lovely was better.
hey there! i’m a 17 year old girl and i’ll be honest…i definitley thought twilight and fallen was a waste of my time. im so sick of reading books where the girls are so vapid and bland and make stupid decisions and the guys are so controlling/stalkerish and “perfect”. not to mention the authors takes on high school – high school is NOTHING like that! totally unbeleivable! not all teen girls are vapid boy crazy and completley spineless…okay. end rant lol.
hey im 12 and when i saw hush hush i wanted it. For christmas i got 16 books and i left hush hush to last because u no the saying best to last. i finnished it in two days because it was so goodddd. I love hush hush. hehe and Patch is such a badass and thats wat i love about him hehehe. my rating is 5 out of 5
i used to be a twilight freak. but i started reading other books and i think they are so much better hehehe. so i say twilight is good but no girl should be obsessed with it because its not the best. One of my friends read twilight she was obsessed with it. she read another book said it was better but now she is in love with jacob. she talks about him all the time and it annoys me. she doesn’t even like the book or taylor lautner she just likes jacob and so i think she is stupid for that