Book Review: Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Cursed 

By Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: September 18, 2012

Source: Publisher

Summary: 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 have 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: When I first saw the cover of this book, I knew I had to read it. I didn't even know what it was about, I just had to read the story inside. I know you aren't supposed to judge books by their cover, but lucky for me this one definitely lived up to it's cover!

The book starts off a little slow, opening up with Ember being an outsider at school and a mother to her younger sister at home. Ember has to live a secluded life after her sister brought her back from the dead after an accident that had killed their father. When Ember came back, she had gained gift too; everything she touched died. Being the living embodiment of what she had escaped, Ember has no idea how to live life normally ever again. Until Hayden shows up. 

Hayden is definitely someone I would love to have show up in my life. Incredibly attractive, intelligent, and very understanding of Ember's complete disaster of a life, Hayden shows Ember a world of people she had no idea existed. These people have "gifts" too, but Ember doesn't know how much she can trust them. Who's really trying to help her, and who really wants her dead? 

I absolutely LOVED this story once it got going. Ember is such a strong character, but it can never hurt to have a cute guy to lean on every once in a while. Every time it seems like everything will be okay, though, something always happens to throw things off. I loved this aspect of the book because it always keeps the readers on their toes. Some reviews said that this book was too cliche, but I totally disagree. Yes, the big picture may seem a bit cliche, but how everything happens is so intriguing and mysterious that you can't put the book down. 

I haven't read any of Jennifer's other books, but if they're anything like Cursed, I will definitely have to check them out! If you're in the mood for a really juicy paranormal read with romance, mystery, and action, pick up Cursed now!