Thursday, February 3, 2011

Hush Hush--Becca Fitzpatrick

According to Scripture, we all live in a fallen world.  This seems like an obvious statement.One look around shows us the evil humans inflict on one another. But what if there's more to this fallen world than meets the eye? What if, in addition to us, there were other fallen creatures?

The Bible talks about the fallen angels, led my Lucifer, who, though once an arch angel, became the Devil when his jealousy of God got in the way. Our ideas about the fallen angels come more from John Milton's 'Paradise Lost.' While a work of fiction, it's considered to be accurately based in the scriptures and, in my opinion, is a probable description of what may have happened in the beginning. (Thank you Dr. Hurley for making me read it!)

In Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush, fallen angel, Patch, attempts to become human. He didn't follow after Lucifer. Rather, he "fell" for love. It gives new meaning to the phrase "falling in love!" Ah yes, love, the strange, crazy things it makes us do!

And then there's Nora Grey.  She's not interested in a relationship when she has grades to focus on. But there's something about Patch that sucks her in. The problem is she can't decide if she can trust him. Something about him isn't quite right. But let's admit the obvious, there's something about a dangerous side that intrigues even the strongest of us.

After reading some reviews on this book, I've discovered some people find the fact that Nora is attracted to Patch's dangerous side ridiculous. They think having her follow after him after he's thrown her a snide remark or treated her like trash is ludicrous and degrading to any strong young woman. What young girl in her right mind would do such a thing?  Um... Have you been in a local high school lately?  Do you know any teen girls?  Yeah, enough said.

How many movies have you seen where the monster is hiding in the closet and the heroine still reaches for the door nob? How many times have you personally known something might not have been on the up and up, but you still stepped through the door or answered the call or chosen something dangerous?  It's part of our fallen nature to be curious about what we can't control, to test the boundaries of safety, and to be attracted to danger. I wish it weren't the case.

But on the up side, just as in all of us, we have to fight our fallen nature, so does Patch. He has to decide if the  mission he began is the one he wants to finish. Sure it would include personal gain, but sometimes there are times when we need to set aside our own personal gain and come to the aid of others.

Does Patch do this? You'll have to read the book to find out.