Crescendo (Hush, Hush #2)

*Disclaimer* I felt it was virtually impossible to properly review Crescendo without revealing spoilers from both it and Hush, Hush. So while I usually don't do this, this review DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS - please do not read if you haven't read either Hush, Hush or Crescendo, and you don't want insider knowledge.

I am left feeling like Hush, Hush was originally written as a stand-alone, and that Crescendo is a botched attempt at turning it into a feasible series. "Why do you think that Kelly?", you might be asking. Let me count the reasons why!

1. By the ending of Hush, Hush, Nora and Patch are both ecstatic that Patch has been assigned as Nora's guardian angel, because they can continue to be together. Within the first few chapters of Crescendo, however, Patch explains that he will be banished to hell for loving Nora - and that the archangels are watching closely for any excuse to revoke him of his new-found angel status. Nora responds to this in the only way she knows how, by jumping to the most ridiculous conclusion - Patch is cheating on her with her arch nemesis, Marcie. So she calls off their relationship under the pre tense that because Patch cannot physically share in the pleasure of her touch, he must not love her (great message there). Luckily for us (please not my sarcasm), we get to repeatedly bear witness to Nora's angst and confusion over the reason(s) for their breakup, and her lack of courage leaves her unable to do the right thing, and walk away.

2. Clues are leaked throughout Crescendo, and eventually we find out a (not-so) shocking truth (for those who were paying attention) about Nora's past: Harrison Grey is not her biological father! In fact, her biological father is her arch-nemesis Marcie's father, Hank Millar! Dun dun dun! But wait, didn't the entire premise of Hush, Hush revolve around Harrison being a descendant of Nephilim and that's what makes Nora an acceptable sacrifice in Patch's quest for a human body? Looks like we have a gaping plot hole to fix! The solution? Are you sitting down, because it's going to make your head spin! Harrison and Hank are distantly related to the same Nephilim blood line! Phew, that explains everything then! But wait, does it? Because in Crescendo we learn that Hank gave Nora to Harrison to protect, as he feared his Nephilim heritage may come back to harm her later. But if both men are descendants of Nephilim, granted Hank is a much closer descendant then Harrison, would that not put Nora in danger either way? And if Hank was that concerned about his offspring, why did he keep Marcie? So terribly confusing, that I'm sure that was the point. Maybe if we're confused enough, we won't question the inconsistencies.

3. Considering it's maybe a month or two since we left Patch and Nora in Hush, Hush I got to wondering how the rise of the Nephilim under "the Black Hand" is only now becoming news. Wouldn't that have explained Patch's desperation to get his own human body in Hush, Hush?

4. Why couldn't Patch just tell Nora she was in danger? He ended up going rogue for her in the end anyways, why risk her life? Or why didn't he just tell her the truth in her dreams, where the archangels couldn't hear their conversations? Why did he try to feed her clues instead of just being straightforward? Considering absolutely nothing happens until the last few chapters, we could all have been spared the 350 pages of angsty filler fluff if Patch hadn't been so elusive about everything that was happening. Oh I know why, because this was never meant to be a series, and Fitzpatrick had to come up with something to cause conflict.

I was hoping that at least the ending would have some redeemable qualities, but alas, it wasn't the case. The final showdown between Nora and the person looking to harm her is one big bad guy tell-all info-dump (such a cop out) and after passing out from being shot in the arm (I wish this girl would grow a pair) she awakes to forgive Patch for all of his transgressions and they live happily ever after!

Joke!! How could there be two more books in this series if that was the case?! Of course we're left with a cliffhanger ending, but at this point I couldn't care less.