Crescendo (Fitzpatrick novel)
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Books |
| Website | www |
Crescendo is a paranormal romance novel targeted at young adults, authored by Becca Fitzpatrick. It serves as the second book in the Hush, Hush collection. Released on October 19, 2010, by Simon & Schuster, the novel remained on the New York Times Best Sellers list for ten consecutive weeks and was honored as one of the YALSA Teens’ Top Ten selections in 2011.
Plot
The bond between Nora and Patch becomes strained as Patch hesitates to openly express his affection and shows interest in Marcie. Feeling hurt, Nora reconnects with Scott, whom she suspects might be a nephil. Patch confirms Scott’s true nature, but Nora regards Scott as her guardian angel after witnessing him with Marcie. Subsequently, Nora receives a letter disclosing that the "Black Hand" was responsible for her father’s death, intensifying her turmoil when she observes Patch involved with Marcie. Following multiple attempts on her life and fraught interactions with Patch, Nora seeks to incite jealousy by kissing Scott, which provokes a confrontation between Patch and Scott.
Patch proposes going rogue to protect Nora, but she refuses to prevent his possible ruin. Her emotions grow more complex when Rixon, who is dating her best friend Vee, accuses Patch of being the Black Hand. Marcie reveals that Nora’s mother has been having an eleven-year affair with Marcie’s father Hank, which fuels Marcie’s hostility toward Nora. In a dream, Patch confesses he is Marcie’s guardian angel but refuses to end his relationship with Nora, prompting Nora to attempt breaking up with him.
The narrative reaches its climax when Rixon is exposed as the actual murderer of Nora’s father and the mastermind behind the unfolding events. He plans to sacrifice Nora to obtain a human body and shoots both her and Scott; however, they survive. Patch intervenes to stop Rixon, who is subsequently condemned to Hell. The story concludes with Scott departing to evade legal complications, Nora and Patch reconciling, and Hank questioning Nora about Chauncey’s death.
Development
In an interview with Metro France, Fitzpatrick disclosed that she completely rewrote the manuscript after her editor rejected the first version. The idea of communicating through dreams between Nora and Patch was introduced by her editor, leading to a significant plot twist at Crescendo’s conclusion—a twist Fitzpatrick had not initially envisioned but ultimately welcomed.
Reception
Reviews for Crescendo were varied. Kirkus Reviews highlighted that the story resolves previous mysteries while paving the way for future installments. The Manila Bulletin criticized it for lacking a cohesive plot, whereas News de Stars described it as "easy and catchy."
Additionally, the novel received a nomination for the 2010 Goodreads Choice Award for Goodreads Author.