“ His eyes sliced into me and the corners of his mouth tilted up. My heart fumbled a beat and, in that pause, a feeling of gloomy darkness seemed to slide like a shadow over me. It vanished in an instant, but I was still staring at him. His smile wasn’t friendly. It was a smile that spelled trouble. With a promise.”
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Everything Nora Grey had ever believed to be made up became a reality when she met Patch Cipriano. At first she believed he was just someone who liked to keep his past just that, the past, something that wasn’t worth bringing up again. But, when she got to know him better she was faced with an uncomfortable realization that perhaps Patch wasn’t the person she had first thought he was. Perhaps she had grown to trust and love the one person she was trying to run from.  After a number of thrilling events and encounters, Nora began to ask herself questions: Who was Patch? Could she trust him? Was there really a guy in a ski mask following her? And the most terrifying question…  Who killed her father?

The beginning of the novel ‘Hush hush’ intrigued me in a way that it became almost impossible to put the book down. The main character that I was drawn to right from the beginning was Patch. This is because even though he was just a teenager in high school, he gave the impression that perhaps there was more to him than he was willing to show.

I believe the characters chosen in this novel were very believable, as they reacted in a way that I believe most teenagers their age would in certain circumstances. For example, Nora who is known as the ‘Good girl’ falls in love with the ‘Bad boy’ Patch.  There were a few moments in the book where I would have enjoyed more action and frightening encounters but over all it was a fantastic book.

Throughout the novel “Hush Hush” I believe the characters grew in bravery, trust and love. This book is the first of four in the series, and with so much that has already happened I can’t wait to read the next three books and see how Nora changes and develops an even further relationship with some of the main characters.

I would rate this a five star book and advise those who enjoyed the Twilight series, or are into romance and fantasy, that this is the book for you!

Tianah. M

Year 9

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Have you met Nora Grey? She’s just an ordinary girl. Or is she?

Nora is a 16 year old school girl at Coldwater High. Her Dad was murdered so she lives with her mother on the outskirts of Coldwater, in a drafty 18^th century farmhouse. Ever since Nora’s Dad has been gone, her mum has been working fulltime and it requires a lot of travelling, so she is hardly at home with her daughter.

One day Nora turns up to her biology class and finds out that her best friend, Vee Sky, was not her partner anymore. Instead she has a new partner. His name is Patch Cipriano. Nora suspects something very weird about Patch. He’s tall, dark, has black eyes and smells of cigars but there’s something about him that Nora wants to find out.

Nora Grey, a girl who didn’t expect romance to be a part of the plan, had her life changed upside down ever since Patch Cipriano arrived. His smile and eyes seemed to see inside her. They draw her to him, lowering her resistance to her better sense.

However, Nora is faced with terrifying events that make it hard to decide whether to fall into Patch’s arms or to keep herself hidden. The truth that Nora finds out will disturb her mind more than thinking about Patch.

“His eyes sliced into me and the corners of his mouth tilted up. My heart fumbled a beat and, in that pause, a feeling of gloomy darkness seemed to slide like a shadow over me. It vanished in an instant, but I was still staring at him. His smile wasn’t friendly. It was a smile that spelled trouble. With a promise.” – (Chapter 1, page 11). From that first moment onwards things were about to change for Nora and the wrong choice will cost her life…

I absolutely loved this book because there is an ongoing mystery throughout the story  yet a cute, romantic relationship building up between the two main characters.

I would recommend this novel to mainly teenage girls who like a hint of romance and mystery because this story will fill you with mixed emotions and hope that the story never ends. I wish that this story could come true! I rate the novel ‘Hush, hush’ a full 5 out of 5 stars.

Sarah .W., Year 9.