Review: Hush, Hush

Hush, Hush

Becca Fitzpatrick 

Published by: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Released: October 19, 2009

 

Hush, Hush is about a girl named Nora who finds herself stuck with the darkly (and annoyingly) compelling Patch. Patch is everything Nora isn't - fearless, flirty, bad-boy. Nora should be frightened by Patch, who turns up nearly everywhere she goes, but isn't. What does scare her is *spoilers!* the startlingly violent and feminine figure that is stalking her. Then, to make matters worse, it looks like the boy Vee, her best friend, is trying to set her up with is a murderer and wants to kill her and Vee. *end of spoilers!*

Ms. Fitzpatrick weaves a story that will keep you guessing, filled with fear, danger, and romance. It comes to a shocking conclusion with only a few mysteries solved. But the main question at the end of the book is: Was that an illusion? 

I found this book enticing to read, but it wasn't always my cup of tea. There were parts where it felt as if Nora was drunk or high - through no fault of her own, she wasn't really - and it messed with my head. There was a reason for that in the story, but I still didn't like it. Another thing I didn't fully appreciate was Patch. He's dark, yes, and has his secrets, but that's not always the best thing. There are some secrets you must keep in stories, but the level in which he was keeping Nora in the dark astounded me. I am generally an open person and I don't think the relationship between Nora and Patch can be sustained unless he stops lying to her and keeping secrets from her. 

What I did think Ms. Fitzpatrick did very well were some of the characters, Vee and Elliot. I feel like the relationship between Nora and Vee was thought-out and real. Even when they were in an argument, Vee still let Nora borrow her car and said something along the lines of "I love you, but you're wrong." I've been in that situation with friends of mine, too. With Elliot, he was kind and caring when Nora thought he was, but then turned *spoilers!* slightly psychotic. *end of spoilers!*I felt that she portrayed him really well and it was believable. You believed what Nora believed about him.

All in all, Hush, Hush was a decent book, but like all books, a book may be perfect for you but not for me.  

 Written by Magnus