Hush, Hush: Becca Fitzpatrick

With the megaton of YA paranormal romance out there, I was interested in figuring out what separated Hush, Hush from the rest. Undoubtedly, it had some bestselling kernel nestled in its pages, setting it apart from its numerous contenders, and I was on a mission to find it.

Without further ado, I believe what made Hush, Hush a bestseller was because ….

Characters that Rang True

Let’s be realistic, it’s hard not to be attracted to an otherworldly person when they are attracted to you. I would almost say that it’s nearly impossible. But despite what I believe to be a fundamental truth, Becca Fitzgerald used the whole “bad boy” persona to knock the appeal factor into double digits.

So this is how Fitzpatrick did it:

1. The love interest is a fallen angel (the ultimate bad boy).
2. The main character falls for said bad boy and sacrifices herself for him (the “I’ll change him” phenomena).
3. The bad boy transforms into an “almost” good guy and gets his wings back (the ultimate goal for a girl that falls for a bad boy).

As far as romance, Hush, Hush teaches us the importance of hitting all the right spots on a psychological level. It doesn’t matter how otherworldly our characters are if they don’t ring true to real life. They must connect to us on a level we understand, such as the idea of a bad boy. And why do we love bad boys? Maybe it’s a rebellion thing. Maybe it’s a “we’ll change him” thing. Who knows? It just works.