Crescendo

Gr 9 Up—In this sequel to Hush, Hush (S & S, 2009), 16-year-old Nora Grey (still leggy, naïve, and constantly home alone in her farmhouse, but inexplicably no longer anemic) starts summer school in Coldwater, ME. It's been a few months since her sleazy lab partner, Patch, turned out to be a fallen angel bent on killing her to acquire a human body, then saved her from his murderous Nephil (half-human/ half-fallen angel) vassal and became her guardian angel. Now they're dating, but Nora starts to doubt his love and her safety when she realizes that he's holding back information about a secret Nephilim blood society; its mysterious leader, "the Black Hand"; Nora's mean-girl nemesis, Marcie; and Nora's father's murder. Fitzpatrick jumbles together a large cast of inconsistent, stereotyped characters and familiar teen horror/thriller scenarios as a foolish Nora wrestles with her tortured passion for Patch and gets drugged, shot at, chased, and seduced sleuthing for answers amid teen parties, seedy pool halls, a creepy amusement park, and cryptic dreams. Pseudo-biblical supernatural elements are confusing and underdeveloped, as is the cluttered, illogical plot. Nora's narrative and the story's pacing suffer from awkward phrasing, clichéd dialogue, and persistent use of the passive voice. An unsatisfying ending, mid-scene, anticipates a third book, but readers may be unwilling to put in the effort.—Riva Pollard, Prospect Sierra Middle School, El Cerrito, CA