Cynthia Hand is the American author behind the "Unearthly" young adult urban fantasy series, which commenced with the novel of the same name. The narrative centers on Clara Gardner, a teenager who learns she is part angel, a status shared by her mother and brother. This hybrid nature, referred to as angel-blood, bestows upon Clara supernatural abilities and an as-yet-unknown mission.

Clara's journey involves navigating romantic entanglements with two boys, Christian Prescott and Tucker Avery, and forging friendships with characters like Angela Zerbino and Wendy Avery. The series delves into Clara's struggle to understand her identity and purpose, her relationships, and a conflict involving fallen angels. A significant revelation is that Clara is a "triplare," possessing a greater angelic proportion and enhanced powers compared to other angel-bloods. Hand has stated that despite the paranormal elements, the series is fundamentally a human story about finding one's purpose, drawing inspiration from her own life experiences of self-discovery.

Cynthia Hand describes the "Unearthly" series as primarily a "human story" focused on personal journeys, using Clara's angelic heritage as a metaphor for the universal human quest to understand one's purpose. Hand's own experiences of personal re-evaluation after significant life changes, such as having a baby, a new job for her husband, and moving to an unfamiliar town, directly influenced the development of Clara's character and her internal struggles with identity. The author intentionally crafted the male romantic interests, Christian and Tucker, with similar positive qualities to create a more complex and meaningful choice for Clara, rather than relying on a simple good-versus-bad dynamic. She also noted that Clara, like the other characters, is intentionally flawed to allow for growth throughout the series. Hand also expressed particular affection for supporting characters like Wendy, whom she envisioned as a loyal and truthful friend, and Angela, whose complex nature and occasional rivalry with Clara provided engaging narrative possibilities.

In constructing the world of "Unearthly," Cynthia Hand drew upon a variety of angel mythologies, but she intentionally avoided adhering strictly to any single tradition. Instead, she synthesized ideas from diverse sources and then developed her own unique mythology. This approach allowed her creative freedom to shape the narrative without being bound by established lore. The series introduces the concept of "angel-bloods," individuals who are part angel and possess supernatural abilities. A key element within this framework is the "triplare," a rare designation indicating a being who is three-quarters angel and possesses powers significantly exceeding those of standard angel-bloods. This hierarchical structure within the angelic beings adds a layer of complexity to the supernatural world Hand created, influencing the characters' destinies and conflicts.

“My story is about a girl who wants to understand her purpose on this earth. Her situation is a metaphor, I think, for a basic question all human beings ask themselves at some point: Why am I here? Clara isn’t trying to find her place in some epic struggle between good and evil. She is trying to find herself.”

“I’d just had a baby, my husband had a new job, and we’d moved to a town where I didn’t know anybody, and I really had to stop and ask myself, Who am I? What am I doing here?”

“I think one reason why I created Christian Prescott and Tucker Avery to both essentially be good, decent people, was because I wanted Clara to have to make a real choice. It would have been easier, I think, if when she came to her big decision, one guy was kind of a jerk and one wasn't.”

“Clara is flawed, but I think that gives her room to grow as a person throughout the series.”

“that kind of steadfast friend who's always there for you, who tells you the truth when you need to hear it, who stands by your side when you need backup, and who doesn't take herself too seriously. Clara needs a friend like that.”