Note: If you haven’t read any of the Hush Hush books, this review has spoilers. This review contains NO spoilers on Finale though.
If you thought the three previous Hush Hush books were crazy, well, be prepared for Finale, the last installment of the Hush Hush saga. Finale is quite the finale. I picked up Hush Hush this past summer and enjoyed it, along with its sequels Crescendo and Silence. I thought it had a great story and an irresistible male lead (Oh how I love you, Patch!). It did an interesting job setting up with what could lead to an epic ending. Finale delivers on this, if not right away.
Silence left Nora and Patch united under difficult circumstances. Nora is now the leader of the Nephilim’s army and must lead them to war against the fallen angels. If she doesn’t, she breaks the oath that her biological father, Hank, forced her into swearing before she killed him; by breaking the oath, that means Nora and her mother will die. Now replacing Hank as the new Black Hand, Nora is overwhelmed with responsibility. A prominent Nephilim, Dante, steps up to help Nora with handling the army and politics of being leader. All the while, Nora is gaining strength and adjusting to her new Nephilim body. Can Nora and Patch overcome everything at odds between them and team together to settle this warring between Nephilim and fallen angels?
The whole “love can conquer’ notion has been present throughout the saga, but it’s really tested in Finale. So much happens in this book; everything is put into motion. At the beginning, I was put off because it felt a bit directionless. Then again, Nora, herself, had no idea where she was going or what to expect. It’s kind of a strange juxtaposition to sit back and go with the flow when a story is filled with tension and such anticipation. However, it finally hits a point where the pacing speeds up and the story progresses. This is when it finally gets very good, even if frustrating. Everything is nearly unpredictable. There are many twists and turns, emotional ups and downs, and once I got to ending, I almost couldn’t believe I had gotten there.
Transitioning from reading the series to listening to it wasn’t that easy. All of the audiobooks I’ve listened to in the past have either been standalone or the first of a series. So my visions of the characters and their stories were shaped by an audio experience. With reading, it’s shaped differently. I had already assigned certain voices and expressions with Nora, and especially Patch. Listening to Finale, it was hard to adjust to the new voices. Actress Caitlin Greer narrates the novel, and she does a great job. But in my head, Patch’s voice was deeper, less nasally and smoother, and Vee and Nora sounded way less shallow. The differences were distracting at times, hence messing with my experience with the audiobook. However, a positive thing was that I was able to focus more on the quality of the dialogue. Most of it good, but at times, it sounded a little cliché and corny. (Another good thing is that I finally learned how to pronounce “Nephilim!”) If you have listened to the audiobooks of Hush Hush from the beginning, I’m sure you’ll be happier with the production and presentation of Finale than I was.
Luckily, I found the final half so engaging that it dispelled any frustrations I’ve had with adjusting to the narration. Becca Fitzpatrick ended Nora and Patch’s story with a bang. It has about everything: mystery, romance, betrayal, actions, surprises, heartbreak and some much-welcomed Patch sexy moments. There’s no doubt that Hush Hush fans will be very happy with this finale.
Rating: 8.5/10 ★★★★★★★★☆
Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick is now available where audiobooks are sold. Support The Young Folks and purchase the book from our TYF Store, powered by Amazon.
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Book info:
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster AUDIOWORKS (October 23, 2012)
- Length: Approx. 9.5 Hours (8 CDs)
- Series: Hush Hush Saga #4
- Source: Audiobook – Unabridged
- Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal
- Completed: October 2012
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