Review: Cursed by Jennifer L Armentrout

Book: Cursed, Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: stand-alone

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Release Date: September 18^th, 2012

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.

It’s my unofficial booknerd mission to read every single one of Jen’s books. I’m up to date on all her latest releases, so let’s step back five years: to 2012, which was when this book was released. I was a little worried, as Jen has improved loads as a writer and I thought the writing wouldn’t be as good, but I was wrong! This was, just like the rest of Jen’s books, really enjoyable.

It tells the story of Ember. At first, you think she’s just an ordinary high school student, but then you discover that she’s had a unique experience: she’s died, and was brought back to life. This was due to her five year old sister’s unusual ability to bring back the dead. When Ember was in a car crash with her family two years ago, Ember’s survival seemed miraculous, especially since her father died. But his death knocked Ember’s mother to the core, and now she can’t get out of bed to take care of her children.

So it’s been Ember’s responsibility to be both a parent and a sister to Olivia, and it’s taking its toll on her. Especially since when Ember was brought back, she was got this mysterious ability that means she will kill anything she touches. Pets, plants, even people. Ember’s life is incredibly tough as she alienates herself from her classmates and struggles to accept the hand she’s been dealt, when suddenly, her life changes drastically again! A man called Jonathan Cromwell takes in Ember, Olivia and her mother, stating that his home full of people with different gifts, like Ember and Olivia, so that they will be safe and taken care of. This house also includes Hayden, who really impacts Ember’s life, and he says he knows her, understands her and just wants to help her.

But after two years of hating her “gift” and avoiding people at all costs, why should Ember trust any of them? She’s not gifted, she’s cursed. And why does she suddenly get the feeling that these people also have something to do with the infamous car accident?

This book constantly had me wondering who could be trusted, or couldn’t, just for something to happen for everything to change again. Ember went through so much, and I don’t blame her for not believing she could control her gift after constantly being told what a freak she was. She and Hayden were really cute as well.

The only thing I didn’t like was the fact that Hayden was a little bit obsessed with her and the only reason he has for why was because she felt bad for her.

Other than that, I would recommend this book if you’re a fan of Jennifer L Armentrout like I am.