Cursed | Jennifer L. Armentrout | Hodder and Stoughton | Stand Alone | 5 Stars| Source: Review (Bookbridgr) | 305 pages | Young Adult | Fantasy
Release Date: September 18th, 2012
ISBN13: 978-1937053123
Goodreads
Goodreads Synopsis:
“Dying sucks–and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows. Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things–including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he’s a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she’s more than interested. There’s just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden’s adopted father, a man she’s sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she’s willing to do anything to hold her sister’s hand again. And hell, she’d also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn’t? But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not’ve been an accident at all, she’s not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time”
Review:
A standalone young adult fantasy tickles my fancy and leaves me sceptical in equal measure. I think striking the balance between having the right amount of character development, world building and plot in a standalone can be difficult. With young adult being saturated with series and trilogies, I was happy to find something different in Cursed.
Cursed follows the story of Ember. Her baby sister, Olivia, brought her back with her touch after a car accident and now she has a death touch. Anything she so much as grazes with her thumbs will die within seconds. This makes daily life difficult and with her flesh toned gloves in tow, makes her high school life a living hell.
This is probably one of my favourite standalone novels of all time. It provides all of the above with the perfect balance and I finished it in one sitting!
We don’t learn too much about how people with certain gifts came to be or how they are policed. All we know is there is “The Facility” and a gentleman named Cromwell makes it his duty to look after other children like this. This was enough for me considering it was more about the characters and their development rather than the fantasy.
I definitely have a soft spot for our main character. Ember is easy to empathize with, strong willed and level headed. At points in the novel she is taken out of her comfort zone and introduced to new things. Her reactions to these are so plausible! Recently I have found main characters to be quite limp and Ember definitely breaks that streak for me.
The mystery aspect of this novel is so gripping! Following Ember on her journey to finding how and why the car crash with her family happened kept me guessing and the twist at the end was so well done!
This was my first taste of JLA and it definitely won’t be my last! Half-Blood here I come!
I didn’t even know about this book – I will definitely have to try it out now. I’ve enjoyed the Lux series and am about to start White Hot Kiss, so it would be interesting to read a JLA standalone.
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
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I need to get round to the Lux series. I have been told that it is the best one out of all her books. I know nothing about White Hot Kiss except that I despise the cover! :’)
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂 xxx
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Glad to see that you liked this one, Alex! I find paranormal powers like this a tad bit “too-out-there” so I’m on the fence. But your saying it’s one of the best standalong you’ve ever read in the genres seriously do make me consider!
Faye at The Social Potato
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I really enjoyed it. I think as far at stand alones go, it was very good! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by! 😀 xxx
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I wasn’t a big fan of this book and it was my first by the author and I haven’t tried any more though I will one day. 🙂
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A lot of mixed reviews have come from this one! I hope you will someday! I have just read Half-Blood and I loved it 🙂
Thanks for stopping by lovely! xxx
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I wanna read this so bad, I’m super glad you enjoyed it.
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It is good! A lot of mixed reviews but I enjoyed it :3
Thanks for stopping by sweetpea! 😀 Hope life is treating you well! 🙂 xxx
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Believe it or not I still haven’t read anything by Jennifer L. Armentrout…. I seriously need to get on that but I don’t know where to start, This one looks interesting though, I love standalones because they don’t have any strings attached, I don’t have to pine for a year for the next instalment. Great review, I’ll add this one to the list.
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I say go for this one! I think starting with a stand alone is a good idea just to get a feel for the writing!
I hope you get to it soon and thanks for stopping by! You went in my spam by the way, so sorry if this reply is late for you! ❤ xxx
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I’ve seen this book on Goodreads but saw that the ratings are not so high and it’s a standalone so wan’t sure, you know? Although your review pretty much convinced me to pick this one up! Maybe I won’t buy it but borrow it why not. Great review! 🙂
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I’ve read this author’s Lux series and loved it, but I’ve been iffy about reading this book so far. I think I’ll see if my library has a copy and just give it a try, for all I know I might like it 🙂
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I recommend you do it! I am a huge fan. A very good stand alone. More character driven than anything else!
Thanks for stopping by lovely! 🙂 xx
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