Boundless

by Cynthia Hand
Read: January 16, 2013
Published: January 22, 2013 by HarperCollins
Source: A gift from the publisher*
Category: YA Paranormal Romance, Angels 
Series: Unearthly series book 3

NOTE: Boundless is the third book in a series. See my spoiler free thoughts on Unearthly and Hallowed HERE. I encourage you to hold off reading below until you've read the first two books. This review is spoiler-free for Boundless. 

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfil her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all. (From Goodreads)

Discussing books is my favorite. Add a love triangle, and I have even more to say. 
One of the marks of a great series to me is how much it makes me think, ask questions and want to discuss it with others. The Unearthly series is every one of those things, so much so that I bought several copies of the first book for Christmas to give to my friends. Thankfully, Boundless is no less discussable than Unearthly and Hallowed were. Unfortunately, most of my conversations about Boundless have centered around my disappointment about the love triangle. I will tell you all about why I'm feeling that way (without spoilers), but first I want to mention several elements of the series that I've LOVED from beginning to end. 

What came first, the chicken or the egg? 
Underlying this entire series is a free will/destiny debate that has fascinated me since I read the first book Unearthly. I've especially loved the way that the idea of the angel-bloods' Purpose has become a catalyst for that debate. In Boundless, Clara and her friends continue to wonder whether they drive their Purpose or it drives them. Do their visions alter their actions and that makes their visions come true? Or do their visions show the path they would have chosen anyway? Like the first two books, this one doesn't give a straightforward answer to the question, and that makes the series more complex. It is also one of the reasons that I love it so much.  
 

Family is important to Clara, a rare treat in this genre.

One of my favorite aspects of this entire series is Clara’s relationships with her mother, father and brother. Despite the fact that Clara's family is gone when Boundless begins, she maintains a dynamic connection to each of them. She misses her mother, worries about Jeffery, and is still trying to figure out how to relate to her father.  I was really glad to see that in the wake of her own problems, Clara does not forget about their influence in her life. Some of the strongest moments in this book take place between Clara and various family members.

Clara also has female friends, another rarity. 
Despite Clara's time consuming love situation, she has always been able to maintain solid girl-friendships. One of her closest and most complicated friend relationship is with Angela, who has always been somewhat of a mystery and wild card. Even after reading her perspective in the novella Radiant, I was unsure about her. In Boundless we finally get to see Angela stripped down to her most vulnerable and true, and I found Clara's dedication to Angela to be particularly moving in this story. 

Angel-bloods are real people too.
Despite its paranormal themes, many elements about the Unearthly series make it almost seem like a contemporary story. That is no more true than in Boundless, when we get to see Clara transition from high school to college. Clara navigates classes, new friends and contemplates future career choices. But Clara isn't a regular human girl. In addition to her homework, she is training for a battle between good and evil, and desperately trying to discern her Purpose in all of it. I've consistently appreciated the fact that this series has been written in a way that makes it relatable and also extraordinary. 

This is when I talk a lot about the love triangle, without telling you WHO.  
Although I don’t care for love triangles, this is one that I’ve always thought was an exception. Throughout the first two books of the series, the love story developed naturally and realistically. And despite the paranormal-angel theme, it was both contemporary and relatable. I've also felt like it consistently maintained respect for all characters involved. Unfortunately, those elements seemed to go away in the final book, leaving me disappointed and confused.

Despite the fact that I had a ‘team’ preference when Hallowed ended, I have always trusted Clara’s decisions and how she’s previously handled her relationships with Christian and Tucker. Although she’s made mistakes, I've thought that she's faced them with a honesty and maturity rarely seen in YA fiction. That is to say, I felt certain that I would BELIEVE in whatever decision she made at the end of the series. But Clara and I never seemed to arrive on the same page in Boundless, and I became increasingly frustrated with her.

Please don’t read too much into my comments so far, because I’m not talking about WHO Clara picks, but HOW she went about making her decision. While the previous two books managed to avoid most of the common Love Triangle Traps, Boundless got stuck in them. It also felt like much of the growing up Clara did in the first two books went away in the last one. In Boundless Clara waffled back and forth constantly. She did not have much (if any) honest internal dialogue to sort through how she was feeling or behaving towards both guys, and in some cases came across as selfish and unsympathetic. The one thing that her constant indecision accomplishes is that it keeps the reader guessing until the very end. But in so doing, the book sacrificed many of the reasons that I enjoyed this triangle in the first place.

I don't want you to panic about what I'm saying. Most people don’t react as viscerally as I do to love triangles, and the story does end in a way that I think the majority of readers will be happy about. I was just unsatisfied by how the author got to the conclusion, and more than a little unsettled about the resolution for the One Not Chosen. I am curious to see what other readers think about that, or if they read the end in the same way at all.

I tried to be as candid about my feelings here without giving away the answers. As someone who talks a lot about triangles in general and this one in particular, I felt that I owed it to myself and my readers to be honest and clear about my reaction to the final book. But though I am disappointed about one aspect of this story, it is excellent over all. I still think Cynthia Hand is a fantastic author and that this is a great series. 

Of course I have a lot more to say about this book and the love triangle that is a SPOILER. If you have read Boundless and are curious about my specific (and sometimes emotional) thoughts, read the Discussion under Wendy Darling’s Goodreads review of Boundless. (The actual book discussion begins at message 198). Going back to my very first point about this series, I’d love to talk about Boundless with you. I’m very curious about others’ reactions to the conclusion of this series

Love Triangle Factor: DANGER! Very High

Cliffhanger Scale: Series conclusion

Two fantastic reviews of Boundless   
Wendy Darling's review @ The Midnight Garden - I love all of this review, but especially take note of Wendy's list of favorite moments in the book.
Jen's review @ The Starry-Eyed Revue - I love that Jen talks about Clara being relatable, friend material. 

 *Received in exchange for an honest review. THANK YOU THANK YOU HarperCollins!