Book Review: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Today I'll be reviewing "Hush, Hush," a young adult fantasy novel by Becca Fitzpatrick. It's the first book in a series of four novels.

Overview: 

Nora Grey, a high school student from Maine, becomes biology partners with Patch Cipriano. Although Nora feels a romantic connection to Patch, she can't help thinking that he's a threat – especially since he seems to be stalking her. Eventually Nora learns the truth: Patch is a fallen angel with a dark past.

Before she knows it, Nora becomes immersed in a dangerous world of fallen angels and Nephilim (the offspring of humans and angels), with a side of forbidden love.

Opinion: 

I loved the basic premise of "Hush, Hush" – a love story between a human and a fallen angel. The plot line was dark and suspenseful, which drew me in from the start. And you can't ignore how gorgeous the cover looks!

That being said, I had a couple of problems with this novel:

1.) It's eerily similar to "Twilight."
Don't get me wrong, I loved "Twilight" back in middle school. However, Fitzpatrick seems to borrow heavily from the popular vampire romance series. First off, Patch and Nora meet in biology class – just like Bella and Edward. Patch is mysterious and brooding, and he has a dark secret – just like Edward. And, finally, Nora knows that Patch is a threat but she can't seem to stay away. Sound familiar?

2.) The writing could use improvement
I understand that Fitzpatrick is writing for a younger audience, but some of the sentence structure and punctuation seems a little off. Some sentences don't flow together well, and others simply don't make sense. For example: "His eyes looked like they didn't play by the rules." What is this supposed to mean?

3.) Patch is creepy
Some of Patch's flirtatious remarks really creeped me out because they verge on harassment. He's manipulative and violent with stalker tendencies, but Nora is still fascinated by him. No wonder she finds herself in many life-threatening situations.

However, pushing those criticisms aside, I really did enjoy reading "Hush, Hush." I constantly wanted to know what happened next. The slow-paced beginning gave way to a fast-paced ending, and I stayed up late into the night finishing the novel.

Rating: 3.5/5

Although "Hush, Hush" had some problems with writing style and character development, the interesting plot makes up for the shortcomings. I plan on reading the other three books in the series – "Crescendo," "Silence," and "Finale" – very soon.

Photo from Amazon. 

DIY Wine Cork Poster

When my mom needed a wall decoration for our basement bar, we went right to Pinterest for some DIY inspiration. We wanted to find a crafty way to turn my parent's wine cork collection into a piece of art. I was shocked at how many cute ideas I found! Apparently you can make anything from dart boards to picture frames out of old wine corks.

After some perusing on Pinterest, we decided to make a poster that depicted wine corks falling out of wine glasses (we got the inspiration here). We loved the final results, so I thought I'd share the DIY project on my blog.

Materials:

• Wine corks (my parents had been collecting these for years)
• Poster board 
• Frame
• Hot glue gun
• Wine glasses (we bought plastic ones at the Dollar Store) Instructions:

To make the craft, we simply glued the wine glasses and the corks onto the poster board. The wine corks appear to "fall" out of the glasses and onto the board, making a 2-by-2 pattern as they reach the bottom of the frame. The craft took roughly three hours to complete, and it was free since we used materials that we already owned.

I'm very pleased with the final product since it adds lots of character and charm to our bar. This goes to show that DIY products can be just as good (if not better) than artwork bought from a store. All you need is a little work and a lot of creativity.

New York City Apartment: Bedroom Inspiration

Since I'm moving to New York City to pursue a career in magazine journalism, my mom and I have been obsessed with planning and decorating my future apartment. She's an interior design whiz who sees the potential in every space. I'm an organizing freak who taught myself about home decor through my favorite blogs and HGTV shows. Together we're trying to convert a tiny NYC apartment into a cozy and functional living space.

Of course I'll share updates once we start the actual decorating process, but today I thought I'd talk about my interior design inspiration for my future bedroom.

A cozy feminine bedspread
Picking out the perfect bedspread is always the hardest part of the bedroom decorating process for me. I have some strict requirements: it has to be plush and cozy with a not-too-busy pattern in relaxing neutral shades. My search led me to this Martha Stewart Collection Regal Filigree 22-Pc. Comforter Set, which I found at Macy's for $85 (it's originally $400!). The set comes with a comforter, bedskirt, curtains, valences, throw pillows, and more. As soon as I saw it, I knew it suited my tastes perfectly. We nabbed it for less than 25% of the original price, and now I can't wait to decorate my bedroom around the beautiful gray-and-green pattern.

Soft paint colors
When it comes to paint, I'm drawn to soft colors on the cool end of the spectrum. I find that these calming shades help me relax, and they look pleasing in most rooms. My two favorite paint colors at the moment are Sea Salt and Comfort Gray by Sherwin-Williams. How cute would they look on my bedroom walls when paired with the above comforter?

Complementary furniture

Given my cool-toned bedspread and paint colors, I decided that my furniture should be some shade of grayish-brown. My mom recently painted her bathroom cabinets in Urban Bronze by Sherwin-Williams, and we both fell in love with the results. I want to paint my headboard and bedroom furniture in the same hue. Urban Bronze would look great with Sea Salt and Comfort Gray, and it's incredibly similar to the shade of my throw pillows and curtains.

Unique decor 

I'm a sucker for whimsical artwork, vintage clocks, and one-of-a-kind trinkets. I haven't picked out any decor items yet, but I've been eyeing the city prints by Ork Posters because they add a bit of personality and charm to your living space. I might buy this Berlin poster (since I studied abroad in the city for four months) or this Queens poster (since my apartment will probably be in Queens). 

I also like the idea of New York City-inspired wall art; I just have to ensure I pick one that's not too tacky or tourist-y. My favorites so far are this three-piece painting from Wayfair, this digital watercolor print from ArtPrintsVicky on Etsy, and all of the NYC artwork from ClareCaulfield on Etsy.