Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

I sort of have this problem where I keep reading books in a series, even when I don’t like the first one. I really did not like book 1: Hush Hush. The only reason I read it is because it kept showing up for me on lists, on YA read alikes, on all my Amazon recommendation and suggestions pages, and so on. So finally, I picked it up at a Barnes and Noble and just read it in the store. It was not terrible. It could easily be compared to Twilight in the sense that the main character needs a lot of saving and continues to fall harder for this guy who seems terrible (and clearly because of the cover must be a fallen angel).  I’d probably give the first book a 4 or 5 out of 10.

So why did I bother with book 2? I came across both books in a thrift store where YA books are always limited. Both looked fairly new and I spent six dollars for both of them (less than the amount of the first one in paperback).  And okay, I guess I have a book-buying problem. Who buys a book they don’t like that much, along with its sequel? Maybe it was optimism that it would get better. Maybe I need to know how things end, despite how much the story was not that great. Maybe I feel like since I invested my time in reading the first book, I deserve to know what happens, or I deserve something better in the sequel. Who knows why I bought them. But, I am super glad I did!

Crescendo started out in much the same lame way as book 1. The main character stays comparable to Bella Swan. However, as the story continues, Nora is anyone but Bella. She even accomplishes the one thing Bella was never able to do; she breaks up with the creepy guy who is not looking all too good for her! I love Nora’s best friend who has more personality than most YA heroine best friends. I especially love that her best friend kept telling her to back off from the creeper. So, in book 2 Nora became much stronger! Also, the story became a whole lot more interesting. Secrets about Nora’s parents are revealed. You learn about the death of Nora’s father, you learn why the mean girl is so mean to Nora (there is actually a plausible explanation for the cruelty of the mean girl), you learn about these deadly fallen angel cults that force teenagers to join them. You learn about the war between the angels and which angels actually care about the lives of humans (it’s not what you expect). And most of all, the book works like one giant action movie from one kidnap, to a breaking and entering, to a party, to another kidnap, to running for your life, to so much more!

And okay, you learn that the creepy fallen angel love interest isn’t actually the creepy guy he appears to be, but still…just the fact that the main character could put the guy’s bad qualities above her soul mate, crazy love for him, at all, made me give this author a whole new form of respect! Girls need to know that their safety should come before love! Thank you, Becca Fitzpatrick for writing that!

For once, my optimism paid off and I really enjoyed this book (a whole lot more than the first one). I am excited for the third book to come out! Maybe there’s actually a rule that when it comes to fallen angel YA boks, the sequel is always better than the first one. This was also the case with Lauren Kate’s books: Fallen and Torment. Torment was a lot better than the first one in my opinion. Any way, I give this an 8/10.