Cursed

Aug 13, 2012 ♥Rachel♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, cover-love

3.5 Stars

Ember McWilliams feels cursed. I think I would feel the same way if I had her ability. Two years ago she was in a car accident in which she died and was brought back to life by her little sister, Olivia. Ever since then her touch kills any living thing. She goes around with gloves to prevent any accidents but also to cover scars all over her arms left by the accident. As if that wasn’t enough, her normally brown eyes were turned sky blue after the accident. Ember once was a popular outg...more 3.5 Stars

Ember McWilliams feels cursed. I think I would feel the same way if I had her ability. Two years ago she was in a car accident in which she died and was brought back to life by her little sister, Olivia. Ever since then her touch kills any living thing. She goes around with gloves to prevent any accidents but also to cover scars all over her arms left by the accident. As if that wasn’t enough, her normally brown eyes were turned sky blue after the accident. Ember once was a popular outgoing normal girl in school and now because of the changes, is ridiculed and treated like a freak at school. School isn’t the only challenge in Ember’s life though. Her father was killed in the accident and her mother is basically catatonic, leaving Ember to care for Olivia, who is now five years old. Talk about being dealt some bad cards! Ember starts seeing a mysterious boy, Hayden, show up all over the place, seeming to know way more about her than she does of him. Okay, he’s sort of gorgeous, but that doesn’t make it any less creepy!

For two years Ember has managed to keep things together but after an ex-boyfriend, and now bully, backs Ember into a corner and pretty much assaults her, he dies from her touch. Hayden and an unknown group steps in to cover the accident, and takes her whole family in. Well, maybe not takes in as much as kidnaps. Ember does not go willingly, and they don’t care. Turns out there are others with special abilities that all live together as a family with Hayden’s father, Jonathan Cromwell as the leader. Olivia couldn’t be happier and bonds with this “family” immediately. Ember is a different story though, because of her ability, none of the others besides Hayden want her there. Ember is drawn to Hayden, understandably so because he is basically her only friend and advocate. Sparks fly between these two, but she wonders if she can trust him with his obvious devotion to his father. Ember is completely suspicious of Mr. Cromwell’s intentions, and he’s not so friendly to her either. Then, Ember discovers there may be more to her “accident” two years ago and no longer knows who to trust.

I really felt bad for Ember. She really had her life go down the toilet, and then had to shoulder such great responsibility on top of coping with her power. The members of the Cromwell house, with the exception of Hayden, Parker and Ms. Liz, are downright rude to her. Phoebe, the twin sister to Parker, really got under my skin. I thought she was a hateful, jealous, witch! I can’t imagine living a life where you couldn’t touch another living being. How horrible would that be?! Hayden has a power that helps with that issue, but I don’t want to say anymore and give anything away. I really liked Hayden in this story! The fact that he made it his goal to make Ember feel welcome and normal again totally won me over. Well that and of course some swoon-worthy scenes! Here’s one that got my blood pumping in anticipation:

Hayden opened his eyes. “Em….?” His stare held so much intensity that I found it difficult to breath. A look of yearning, of desperation, and he was studying me. Studying my face, the way my top had slipped down. And is stare was spreading a hot flush over my body. Slowly, he dipped down, placing his weight on one arm. He brought his hand to the side of my face, his fingers hovering over my cheek. My own fingers curled into the sweater. God, I wanted him to touch me so badly. The need consumed me—burned like fire.

I’ll leave you to wonder whether he touches her or not!

While I enjoyed Cursed and had a lot of fun reading it, it’s not my favorite of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s. With that said, I still think any JLA fan will still enjoy this story, as I did. If the first half was as engrossing as the second, I would’ve rated this higher; it just dragged a little in the beginning. Also, while the mystery does wrap up in this book I felt like we could have more to this story. I was a little surprised that this is a stand-alone. Unless someone knows something I don’t. But don’t worry; it doesn’t leave off on a bad note or anything.

I just want to shout out a thank you to my wonderful blogger friend, Alexa
over at Collections for lending me her copy! She’s a book lover’s dream-friend!

You can find this review and more at The Readers Den.(less)

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Aug 02, 2012 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-galley, fantasy-or-paranormal, romance, paranormal

In Cursed, the whole touch-of-death issue is one a few of us may have come across before. Ember McWilliams, our protagonist, has the ability to kill all living things with a single touch. Although this idea is not particularly new in young adult fiction, Jennifer L. Armentrout puts her own twist on it to deliver a fairly entertaining supernatural tale.

After having been brought back to life following the fatal car accident responsible for her father’s death, Ember is left to deal with her unrespo...more In Cursed, the whole touch-of-death issue is one a few of us may have come across before. Ember McWilliams, our protagonist, has the ability to kill all living things with a single touch. Although this idea is not particularly new in young adult fiction, Jennifer L. Armentrout puts her own twist on it to deliver a fairly entertaining supernatural tale.

After having been brought back to life following the fatal car accident responsible for her father’s death, Ember is left to deal with her unresponsive shell of a mother and to care for her younger sister, Olivia. She is an admirable character, albeit a little forgettable, especially as it is instantly apparent her sister’s needs and happiness are always put before her own. Once the story gets going, Ember has a hard time believing that her ability is anything more than just a curse – a repercussion of having been brought back from the dead. This was understandable, of course. The thought of having to wear gloves at all times and needing to avoid physical contact with others is a pretty depressing one. I appreciated her way of thinking but do have to admit that she was really quite dull at times as a consequence. She is not unlikable, but I wish there had been something more to grasp hold of when it came to her character, as I’m sure then I may appreciated her further.

Olivia, like Ember, has her own ability. She has the power to bring people and animals back from the dead with a touch. She is the reason Ember is still walking and talking, and perhaps even the reason for Ember’s unexplained new capability. I actually really liked her, which surprised me as she’s somewhat bratty, but then again, she is only five years old. She has a bubbly personality which brought a smile to my face and I wouldn’t mind reading about her again.

Now this wouldn’t be a Jennifer L. Armentrout book if there wasn’t a steamy romance present. The love interest, Hayden Cromwell, may not be quite to the standard of Armentrout’s Daemon or Aiden, but he was still pretty likable. Seeing as though touching is off-limits where Ember is concerned, the romance in this book was slow-moving but very sweet. It was interesting to see how the author managed to get around the issue, although somewhat torturous in the process. It takes a while for the swoon-factor to drop in, but it’s worth the wait. Their interactions with each other were not of the irritating kind and Ember never lets her feelings for Hayden overcloud her judgement, which I appreciated a lot.

Unfortunately, I was left a little disappointed by the plot. Even though I was not expecting anything of great complexity, I did find it incredibly easy to identify the ‘bad guy’. There was a slight element of mystery surrounding the car crash, but nothing exactly enthralling or mind-blowing. In fact, I feel that way about the book as a whole; it is not a particularly staggering read and it failed to blow me away. However, I did still mostly enjoy it (quite a bit, at times) and was adequately invested in the characters. Cursed is currently a standalone novel with the potential for a series. If Jennifer L. Armentrout does decide to add a sequel or two, I do think I am curious enough to want to pick those up, provided that they are better polished than this book.

(This review also appears on my blog)(less)

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Oct 02, 2012 Eunice rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: out-2012, arc-netgalley-edelweiss

3.5 stars

Cursed is a fantastic novel that even though has a pretty common trope - the touch of death - was still able to offer something that is quite different and fresh. And although I did find it not as striking as Armentrout's first two published novels it was still a fairly entertaining read with outstanding characters and fantastic twists.

Embers suffered a lot since the accident that caused his father to die and her to have the ability of touch of death. Her mother had gone into depressio...more 3.5 stars

Cursed is a fantastic novel that even though has a pretty common trope - the touch of death - was still able to offer something that is quite different and fresh. And although I did find it not as striking as Armentrout's first two published novels it was still a fairly entertaining read with outstanding characters and fantastic twists.

Embers suffered a lot since the accident that caused his father to die and her to have the ability of touch of death. Her mother had gone into depression after that thus leaving her alone to take care of her younger sister, Olivia. Ember is a character that is easy to sympathize with especially with how things turned out for her after the accident - inside and outside of her home. Yet she became a determined and strong-minded character especially when it comes to Olivia. I like how much she cared for her and loved her. But it was also saddening and yes, quite frustrating with how strongly she believed that her ability is a curse - that she is cursed.

In all honesty, I was actually really frustrated with her especially with the trust issue she had with Cromwell's group and how long it took her to realized that she'd been wallowing herself for so long and that it was finally time for her to take action and help herself with her ability. Although I think it was already a little late for me to make me like her as much as I did with Katy and Alex, I do still think that she is a person that has a lot of admirable and desirable
characteristics.

As for the Hayden Cromwell, Ember's love interest and also someone with ability, he is a character that is so easy to like. He is a total sweet heart and although could be described soft if compared to Armentrout's other boys he has this edges in him that makes him definitely crush-able and swoon-worthy. And yes, hot too! His patience and hard work in helping Ember control her gift is admirable and I like how much he loved his adopted family.

Overall, this is definitely an entertaining and fantastic read albeit a bit predictable and in my case, quite frustrating. But I can still say that Armentrout's writing is indeed really good because even with those issues I had I can't seem to put this down when I started reading it. This may pale compared to her Obsidian and Half-blood but this book is still a very worthy read. And yes, I guess I treasure this because this is my first ever physical ARC! Haha! I recommend this.

Thank you so much Spencer Hill Press for sending me an ARC of this book! You guys rock!

This review is also posted at Book Overdose (less)

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Sep 24, 2012 Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: death, powers, loved, favourite-series, cute, awesome, different

Another amazing book by Jennifer Armentrout, I wouldn't say I loved it as much as I love her half-blood and lux series but I don't think I could ever NOT enjoy one of her books.

I was fixated by this series when she released the first 2 chapters so I was eager to snap up this book and read more. I could not put it down. Once I started it was like I could think of nothing else.

The whole story had me second guessing from the beginning. I didn't know who to trust, who was innocent and who was the...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Kayleigh {K-Books} rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: jla, shp

Cursed Review on K-Books

"Hayden was kind of drool-worthy. Okay. Not kind of. Definitely drool-worthy."

Wow, I don't even know where to start with this review. Cursed was the first book by Jennifer L Armentrout I ever heard about. It's been added to my must-have list for over a year so you can imagine my excitement when I found out I was getting it for review from the awesome Spencer Hill Press. Since hearing about (and dying to read) Cursed last year I have read all of Jennifer's other books and...more Cursed Review on K-Books

"Hayden was kind of drool-worthy. Okay. Not kind of. Definitely drool-worthy."

Wow, I don't even know where to start with this review. Cursed was the first book by Jennifer L Armentrout I ever heard about. It's been added to my must-have list for over a year so you can imagine my excitement when I found out I was getting it for review from the awesome Spencer Hill Press. Since hearing about (and dying to read) Cursed last year I have read all of Jennifer's other books and she is just amazing. I adore both the Lux and Covenant series and have fell in love with her adult book Tempting The Best Man too. I knew Cursed would be incredible. I did not under any circumstances expect it to be this incredible. If I had to describe cursed in one word it would be: Phenomenal!

Ember has a gift, well she sees it as more of a Curse. Ever since that fatal accident that left her dead and her gifted sister brought her back she hasn't been able to touch anything living. Her touch is toxic and kills. When Ember meets the mysterious but gorgeous Hayden she thinks he hot (obviously) and crazy but when he suggests there may be a way to control her gift Ember can't help but try. But was the accident that left Ember with this gift really an accident, or is someone still out there after her?

I seriously cannot put my thoughts about this book into words. I just want to scream "IT'S AWESOME! READ IT NOW!" When Cursed came through my door this week I started squealing and jumping round like a crazy woman. After reading: I want to squeal and jump round the room like a crazy woman because it is just that phenomenal. Minutes after finishing reading Cursed I wanted to go back to the beginning and read it all again. Jennifer is without a doubt the most amazing author in the world. There is nothing, NOTHING she could ever write that I would absolutely adore and completely obsess over. Cursed is definitely 100% different from all her other books but it is just as addictive and brilliant. I think this really shows her versatility as an author and I am convinced that there is no author in this world that is better than she.

Ember is such a fantastic character. I really love her. You really feel for Ember throughout the book. I mean really how could you not. She can't touch anyone. She can't even hold her beloved sister's hand. I think Ember is such a strong character. She breaks down and is very emotional but she is so strong to keep fighting. To keep going and look after her little sister after all the things that has happened to her. If those things had happened to me I'm pretty sure I'd be in a mental institute banging my head of the padded walls.

Hayden, oh where do I even start with Hayden. He is just the perfect guy. I definitely have a new book boyfriend. He is so sweet and perfect and he is the character every girl wishes was real and that they'd fall in love with her. He's so adorable. And hot! Very hot! Prepare to drool and swoon and sigh. A LOT! But really what did you expect, all of Jennifer's lead male characters make you drool and swoon and sigh. I have never in my life read such a hot scene where the characters aren't even touching.

This book is just phenomenal. It has you guessing what's going to happen and it has so many twists and turns it will leave you dizzy. From the very first page I could not put this book down. It's heart-stopping and exciting and every page leaves you breathless and needing more. I think Cursed is my favourite book of all time, yea not just of Jennifer's but ever. But really no books in the world can top Jennifer's her books are just that good. Cursed is a mind-blowing story that is unputdownable and will stay with you long after you have finished the last page.

I cannot praise this book enough. The last thing I will leave you with is this:
GO BUY IT NOW!
If I could give this book a million stars I would. This book is not to be missed out on. A must-read that I will read over and over again!

"You know my dad has always thought that Olivia was the amazing one, the one who has this remarkable gift. But I've always thought it was you." (less)

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Mar 15, 2013 Jessie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: series

Sounds a bit like Pushing Daisies. I loved that TV show.

Paranormal meets sci-fi in this book about a girl who dies, and is brought back to life by her sister. Olivia's touch heals things, but now Emerson's touch kills. For two years she tries to continue normal life wearing long sleeves and gloves and being called a freak by people who were once her friends. Then one day, Emerson and her family are kidnapped by a man who claims he wants to help them. Emerson doesn't trust him, or any of the othe...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Susana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: jennifer-l-armentrout, 2012

I liked reading this story. (Honestly this shouldn't come as a surprise to me, since the author's series Lux, is one of my favorites at the moment...yes, i'm fickle like that, when it comes to literature).

Regarding this one, i have to say that i absolutely adored the way the author wrote that first page! Seriously! From the moment that i finished reading the first paragraph _YES!_ i KNEW that this story was going to be a really good one( the way my eyes popped out, as i was reading that first se...more I liked reading this story. (Honestly this shouldn't come as a surprise to me, since the author's series Lux, is one of my favorites at the moment...yes, i'm fickle like that, when it comes to literature).

Regarding this one, i have to say that i absolutely adored the way the author wrote that first page! Seriously! From the moment that i finished reading the first paragraph _YES!_ i KNEW that this story was going to be a really good one( the way my eyes popped out, as i was reading that first sentences, was really a good indication of how i was going to enjoy this book).

I liked the idea of a character who had (view spoiler)
I have to say that so far, this author's characters are amongst my favorites. I particularly love the interactions that the author creates between siblings. Who can forget the Black's triplets?

So following the same tradition, five year old Olivia, was able at a few scenes to remove the spotlight from the older characters.

The romance between Hayden and Ember was cute (view spoiler).
I guess there were times, when Hayden reminded me a little of Simon in KA Darkest Powers, in the way that he is such a good guy, and calm and balanced, i guess. (view spoiler)
The story was interesting, and the last part of it really addictive. There were some developments that i definitely didn't see coming _ that was good! _ unfortunately i would have liked to have been surprised by the bad guy identity. Which i certainly didn't. That part was a little predictable.

But on and on it was a good story. I guess it was meant to be a stand alone. I don't have a problem with that. But i guess, if the author wants, there would still exist much more to say about this group of teens.(less)

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Aug 04, 2012 Donna {Book Passion for Life} rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, for-review, from-publishers, ya-paranormal-romance

It's no secret that Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of my favourite authors, so it was a given that as soon as I heard about Cursed - I knew I'd read it. And after reading it I can say, it's another great story from this fantastic author!

After a fatal car accident Ember McWilliams died, well that is until her little sister bought her back from the dead, and now Ember's life has changed forever. Anything Ember touches - dies, so she goes out of her way not to touch anyone. But when she accidentall...more It's no secret that Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of my favourite authors, so it was a given that as soon as I heard about Cursed - I knew I'd read it. And after reading it I can say, it's another great story from this fantastic author!

After a fatal car accident Ember McWilliams died, well that is until her little sister bought her back from the dead, and now Ember's life has changed forever. Anything Ember touches - dies, so she goes out of her way not to touch anyone. But when she accidentally kills a school bully, her life is turned upside down and she soon discovers there are more people like her...with special gifts and soon her life is more danger than ever.

I really liked this book and it is another story from Jennifer that is fantastic. She's got the knack for great story telling and for creating paranormal setting that are easy to imagine with adding that perfect blend of romance and excitement into the story. This story is not completely new to me as ha've read another books with similar story line but Jennifer really makes this book her own and puts her own spins on it.

The character were a joy to read about. Ember and Hayden are unique in their own ways. Their both strong and loveable and I enjoyed their romance the most. It wasn't an instant connection, they grew to love each other but my only problem with them both was, I found that they were slightly forgettable once I finished the book. Even though I enjoyed them while reading, I didn't have that after feeling for them that I do for Jennifer's other characters like; Aiden, Alex, Katy & Daemon. These characters are completely EPIC and I think it's always going to be hard to try and top these characters. I don't think it helped that I read this book after reading Deity and well, that's always going to be a hard act to follow. But don't let that put you off from reading this book. It was still a great read and I'm sure any fan of Jennifer's will love it.

So all in all, Cursed is a gripping and heart-pounding read - one that is full of mystery and enjoyable scenes. If you've never read a book by Jennifer L. Armentrout then I highly recommend you do, I promise, you won't be disappointed.

A big thank you to Spencer Hill Press for giving me the opportunity to review this book.(less)

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Aug 02, 2012 Courtney rated it 3 of 5 stars

More reviews at Rondo of a Possible World: YA Book Reviews

This being my first book by Jennifer L. Armentrout I can definitely say that I will be reading more books by her in the future.

Cursed had me feeling for Ember McWilliams, bring brought back from the dead after a car accident and burdened with a killer touch. She's a strong character even through the constant bullying by her classmates and the lingering remains of an accident that plagues her. Out of the whole novel, I enjoyed Ember's c...more More reviews at Rondo of a Possible World: YA Book Reviews

This being my first book by Jennifer L. Armentrout I can definitely say that I will be reading more books by her in the future.

Cursed had me feeling for Ember McWilliams, bring brought back from the dead after a car accident and burdened with a killer touch. She's a strong character even through the constant bullying by her classmates and the lingering remains of an accident that plagues her. Out of the whole novel, I enjoyed Ember's character the most. She's a gentle heart trapped within the confines of a mangled and disastrous past, and the way she stands tall and keeps walking forward with her eyes straight ahead gives her my respect.

From time to time when Ember and her sister, Olivia, are forced to move in with the Cromwell's and the assortment of Gifted teenagers, I had moments where I connected the novel to Kelley Armstrong's The Summoning. The force that really ties the two together is that teenagers are gathered in a home under the guidance of adult figures, and the teens harbor powers of a supernatural kind. I also found it easy to weed out the antagonistic characters and predictable as some instances were, it didn't really ruin the ending for me. I just wished I could have been surprised, is all. Besides that, Cursed was well executed and kept me entertained.

As the story progresses and the more Hayden comes into her life, I found that I couldn't really connect with him or dubbed him a strong male lead. He seemed really bland to me and I couldn't picture him like I could Ember. In the beginning he's extremely captivating and mysterious, making me want to know more about him. But the more he and Ember meet and talk, he just became another pretty face that I really couldn't find redeeming qualities in. Whenever he came into play and tried to help Ember control her deadly touch or explained his feelings towards her, I found myself rolling my eyes at his whole "From the moment I first laid eye on you," spiel. I found Adam a much more fitting character and possible love interest and he was in and out of the book like wind. I felt more connection from the scenes with Ember and Adam than all the Ember and Hayden scenes combined. If there was more character development and back story to Hayden and less love at first sight syndrome, I probably would have liked him a lot better.

Final Summation: An enjoyable read that didn't have me lose interest. By the end I was left wanting more back story as to why in the first place these gifts are subjected upon these teenagers. I hope there is another installment to this novel explaining some of the gifts and their history as well as witness what really goes on in the Facility. That would be interesting. A very good read, I do recommend purchasing, snuggling up with the novel, and rooting for Ember, because with a past and life like hers, she needs a few friends on the side to cheer her on.(less)

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Apr 16, 2013 Victoria added it

originally posted on http://victoriant.wordpress.com

hey y’all so im still waiting on my mac and my current laptop is a piece of shit so i struggle to type these bad boys up, also i haven’t been reading as much as normal *eek* because im selfish and got sucked into ANOTHER tv show and i moved cities which i think is a pretty big excuse but now im here and settled and i finally have a bed (dont ask…) im ready to go caving and rape the fuck out of this blog with ridiculous Victoriants from the hund...more originally posted on http://victoriant.wordpress.com

hey y’all so im still waiting on my mac and my current laptop is a piece of shit so i struggle to type these bad boys up, also i haven’t been reading as much as normal *eek* because im selfish and got sucked into ANOTHER tv show and i moved cities which i think is a pretty big excuse but now im here and settled and i finally have a bed (dont ask…) im ready to go caving and rape the fuck out of this blog with ridiculous Victoriants from the hundreds of books i read; if my laptop permits.

okay so this book sucked me in straight from the blurb and its by Jennifer L. Armentrout who writes the lux series that i am seriously in love with so it seemed like a natural progression to read her other works (haven’t quite braved the sex books yet, don’t judge me) Jennifer writes the most amazing male characters EVER, like seriously every single male lead is phenomenal and i have now added FOUR of them from three series to my list of book boyfriends… which is ever growing. i need to get a grip. but anyway onto the story;

the idea of someone being bought back from the dead and then dealing with that really interested me, maybe i owe that to my morbid curiosity. not only is she dealing with the death of her dad and her mum becoming a recluse she also is raising her 5 year old sister (the one that bought her back) now she my problems with these books is when she was “kidnapped” and i say that lightly because i know it was for her own good and blah blah but seriously she acted rationally in that situation and her putting up and fight and wanting to leave was totally justifiable. man it actually broke my heart when her little sister picked them over her and then she caught hayden (lovelovelove) cuddled up with that bitch thats been tormenting her (not to mention she wasn’t even punished for it, WHAT?!) and then she got shot with an arrow. like i truly believe this girl maybe even more unfortunate than my friend charlotte, and thats saying something. so the story progresses from how miserable her life is, to her being taken to a place for the gifted (hello x-men…) and then dealing with the fact the accident that killed her and her father may not have been an accident. i have to say i did see the massive twist coming but found it really cool (cools probably not the right word…) that the reason Ember did all the things you were SCREAMING at her not to was because someone was in her head! MINDFUCKED. at that point i truly appreciate what a great writer Jennifer L. Armentrout was and then the twist at the end was a real kicker. i did kind of see it coming just because im pathetic and have a suspicious nature… blame all the books. i honestly thought the inner struggle ember faced because her touch could kill was heartbreaking, i cant imagine not being able to touch anyone and then meeting hayden, omg! someone she could finally touch because of her gifts. it was bloody heart warming that was. so even tho it pissess me off that everyone was so awful to Ember and nobody gave a shit or did anything about i think how amazing, funny and sexy and UNDERSTANDING hayden was about not only Ember’s Gift and issues but her scars was amazing. i don’t quite love him more than Daemon (because seriously, he takes the cake.) but he was truly spectacular, even though he was slightly stalkery in the beginning.

also its a stand alone book with a nice rounded ending so im not dying inside currently.

until next time….
(less)

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Apr 08, 2013 avery added it

Shelves: books-that-should-be-made-n2-movies, l-o-v-e-d

I.AM.SO.IN.LOVE.AGAIN!!! YUP! with Hayden! how come super droool-worthy hot guy like him and Damon only exist in books?!!! urrrgh....

this is the first time of the year, that i get soooo emotional and feels the pain and hurt of the heroine, i think i cried a lot more than i could remember... got more paper towels!!!

description

anyway... Ms.Jennifer L. Armentrout you never failed to AMAZE me, us! Of ur writing! You r superfab! Cursed is one of those Amazinngly story that I've ever read! Remarkable and unfor...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Allyssa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: death-depression-suicide-etc, young-adult, standalone, romance, paranormal, kidnapped

"No soul,...Nothing but but scars and an empty shell"

I really don't think this book got enough praise, not enough atleast I really liked it.

Before the curse, Ember had a family. Before the curse, Ember was alive and believed she had a soul. A fatal car wreck changed everything. Ember died in that wreck along with her father. Her younger sister Olivia was gifted and with a touch she brought Ember back alive. When Ember came back, other things came back with her. She now was cursed with a touc...more "No soul,...Nothing but but scars and an empty shell"

I really don't think this book got enough praise, not enough atleast I really liked it.

Before the curse, Ember had a family. Before the curse, Ember was alive and believed she had a soul. A fatal car wreck changed everything. Ember died in that wreck along with her father. Her younger sister Olivia was gifted and with a touch she brought Ember back alive. When Ember came back, other things came back with her. She now was cursed with a touch of death and she was freakishly scarred. Her normal high school life was over and her mother was suffering still in shock and unable to care for her two daughters. Ember took on the motherly roll and took care of Olivia.

The money left behind after her fathers death starts dwindling down to nothing and how long can Ember go pretending she is normal and not touching anyone? Things change when she see's a boy watching her. Hayden Cromwell, he is gifted like Olivia and him and his father bring her and her sister to live with him and the other gifted he has found previously. But what will Ember find out when she arrives here, was there something more to what had happened to her? Is her curse really a curse or a gift?

I liked this book a lot, I am a huge fan of J. Armentrout. She has two huge series going on that I am in love with and I understand why this book is a stand alone and not a series, but I think a series would have been pretttyy cool.

I was reading an looked at the percentage I had left and I was like damn, almost done and things were still just casual. BAM! Shit just goes nuts, gets intense and it's over. I wanted to keep following but oh well. All the character were well rounded and I think the major conflict was resolved and she put a clever twist into it towards the end. It was very clever.

Very adventurous read, you'll be on the edge of your seat begging for Ember to be able to touch Hayden. Very clever and mysterious also, definitely a page turner.

4.5 stars mainly because I wish this was longer maybe two books or even just more pages.(less)

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Oct 10, 2012 The Bumble Girl {Margie} rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-signed-books

Jennifer L. Armentrout always creates the most strongest and unique characters that always stay with me. The story starts out wonderfully and within the first few chapters, really builds up and takes off with a great ending that was quite satisfying but definitely has the potential to turn into a series - I really love that!

Ember's 5 year old little sister has the ability to bring people and animals back to life. And after a horrible car accident that kills Ember and her father, little Olivia wa...more Jennifer L. Armentrout always creates the most strongest and unique characters that always stay with me. The story starts out wonderfully and within the first few chapters, really builds up and takes off with a great ending that was quite satisfying but definitely has the potential to turn into a series - I really love that!

Ember's 5 year old little sister has the ability to bring people and animals back to life. And after a horrible car accident that kills Ember and her father, little Olivia was able to get to Ember, touch her, and bring her back to life. Ever since then, Ember has been "cursed" with the the ability to kill all living things with the slightest touch - whether she touches you or you accidentally bump into her, there is absolutely nothing that can save you. Imagine being a teen that not only has to cope with everything that she has lost, but keep on a brave face and have to force herself to move on for her little sisters well-being and safe-keeping? I was amazed on how well rounded Armentrout created Ember's character - we were able to see her at her most vulnerable typical teen state, to how she is coping with her new responsibilities and loss, how she deals with her "curse" and then eventually, her interest in Hayden.

Armentrout definitely knows how to create the most swoon-worthy love interests. Hayden is, of course, another strong male character who is genuinely caring and over-protective of his "family" and with Ember too. He may come off a bit creepy at first, but definitely likable. His abilities took me by surprise and are amazing. He is definitely one to keep your eye on. His family dynamic is unique and their abilities, although not surprising and a bit predictable, their personalities were right on target.

Although the story has somewhat been done before and was a bit predictable too, it did grab and hold my attention and I ended up reading the whole book within a day. There is a mystery going on, I just couldn't put it down. And it did help that the relationship growing between Ember and Hayden was different and very moving. We definitely need more Hayden's in this world...

Overall, I loved the entire story - it definitely gave me a 'X-Men' vibe with a contemporary mix and I really enjoyed all of the characters! I am definitely hoping that there will be a second book!... and soon! (less)

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Aug 21, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ember died in a car accident and was brought back to life by her sister, Olivia. But ever since she was brought back two years ago everything she touches dies, the plants, and even her cat. :-( Her dad died during the crash and now her mom isn't the same. Ember has to take care of Olivia and try to survive high school where she is now known as the freak. She notices a new boy named Hayden hanging around, then after making a deadly mistake, she comes home to find out they plan to kidnap her famil...more Ember died in a car accident and was brought back to life by her sister, Olivia. But ever since she was brought back two years ago everything she touches dies, the plants, and even her cat. :-( Her dad died during the crash and now her mom isn't the same. Ember has to take care of Olivia and try to survive high school where she is now known as the freak. She notices a new boy named Hayden hanging around, then after making a deadly mistake, she comes home to find out they plan to kidnap her family.

Cromwell helps gifted children. He is the mayor and has a mansion and many other gifteds living with him. Ember does not trust him and I really can't blame her because he did kidnap her! That doesn't exactly instill trust. Cromwell handled things horribly so I could understand the caution. I liked how even though sometimes you did guess what was happening, there was suspicion thrown on all the characters. Right along with Ember I was very cautious. I felt horrible for Ember because she is forced into this new life. The one friend that accepted her and Cromwell took that away from her. Also it seems maybe the car accident that killed her wasn't an accident after all. Maybe someone wanted Olivia and her gifts all for themselves and that someone might just be Cromwell, the collector of gifted children.

I found the mystery a bit predictable. I called the baddie the moment I met them. But there were little mysteries along the way and like Ember I was not trusting anyone. I loved the romance and the struggle for Ember to take control of her power and self-confidence. Hayden is sweet and understanding. The only boy that can touch her. I read this right after reading Unravel Me which might have been a mistake on my part since these books have similar themes. Ember trains with Hayden to learn to control her powers and they slowly fall for each other. A nice friendship built first with no insta love or love triangle. I also really loved the secondary characters that Ember lives with. Pheobe who feels emotions, Parker who can get inside minds, and Gabe who can move things. Each one was dealing with rejection and fitting in and feeling different although I hated that they all gave Ember such a hard time! Meanies! lol Hayden was the only understanding one. He fought to make sure Ember was safe and happy. Swoons! This was my first JLA book.

"I know you do, because I wouldn't want to...to kiss you if you didn't have a soul."
I froze. "You...you want to kiss me?"
His gaze lifted as he learned in, placing his mouth an inch from mine.
The air was sucked right out of the room, and I felt dizzy again.
"Ever since I first saw you." He moved so that his mouth was angled with mine.
"And right now I want to so badly it hurts. You have no idea, Em, but I don't want to hurt you."(less)

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Aug 25, 2012 Julianna Helms rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-tours, skimmed-like-milk-jk, way-too-cliche, rockin-the-minority-yo

Quick Reaction: I feel kind of bad about the two-stars thing. But the truth is, Cursed was at best just a mere okay for me...

**Actual, full review** Original is here on my blog. (Note: due to copy-and-paste, most formatting and links have been lost.)

If you are a frequent reader of book blogs, you're probably more-than-familiar with Jennifer L. Armentrout. She wrote the Covenant and Obsidian series, both of which are quite the hit, especially among bloggers. So I would like to preface this review...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Madison ♡ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: proreview

I have mixed feelings about this book. Like... ugh. For me, it was a bunch of books and characters mixed into one interesting read.
Let's start with things I didn't care for:
1.) Ember. I liked her at times and I hated her at times. One thing that I hate in stories is when the main characters moves into this house full of other characters, and the one love interest likes her and everyone else hates her. Okay, so the reader is supposed to feel bad for the main character, but I actually hated Ember...more I have mixed feelings about this book. Like... ugh. For me, it was a bunch of books and characters mixed into one interesting read.
Let's start with things I didn't care for:
1.) Ember. I liked her at times and I hated her at times. One thing that I hate in stories is when the main characters moves into this house full of other characters, and the one love interest likes her and everyone else hates her. Okay, so the reader is supposed to feel bad for the main character, but I actually hated Ember for making everyone else's life miserable! I mean, she's just in the way and nobody likes her, and she should get the point! I know, it's rude, but still. I also didn't like how much Ember didn't trust people. And she was naïve and a crybaby and oh Ember you're almost as bad as Clary from The Mortal Instruments Series (the Clary from the first 3 books).
2.) The big twist at the end. I actually really liked this book, but then the twist at the end happened and I was like "Are you serious?" For one thing, I TOTALLY saw that coming. But I wish it didn't happen because it made Cursed like any other book. It was intense, but seriously dramatic. Almost too dramatic for my liking. Very cliché. Sigh.
3.) Ember.
4.) Olivia. I didn't like her because she caused everyone's problems by bringing Ember back in the first place. And she was a bratty little kid. Reminded me sort of like Angel from Maximum Ride.
5.) Ember. I mean, I really did like her at times. She was cool sometimes. Though, she reminded me of Jace Wayland from TMI because she complained every other paragraph! Yes, we get it. You touch things and they die. How sad. Now stop complaining. And I hate when the main character makes me mad because then the book is no fun.
Sigh. Now for the things I liked.
1.) Background characters! And by background, I mean Gabe and Kurt and Hayden and Parker. Phoebe was okay. I liked the kids in the house and felt bad for them. If I were them, I would have killed Ember right on the spot!
2.) Plot. It reminded me of Shatter Me by Tahera Mafi. I love that book so much. Touching things and they die. Luckily, Mafi's main character doesn't complain every five pages, nor is that book incredibly cliché. That end--I'll never get over it!

I made this book sound bad, didn't I? Well, it's not. I mean, I did bother to finish it, which is saying something. Read this if you must. I really did like it until the last 90%. (THAT STUPID ENDING.) I am not sure if this is a series but if it is then I am definitely not excited to read the sequel. I don't know if I even will.
That ending. Ugh.
Well, yeah. This was my first book by Armentrout, and I don't think I'll be reading any others. I'm having such mixed feelings though. Part of me loved it and part of me despised it. So curse you Armentrout for writing so interestingly that I love/hate it. That's all for now. (less)

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Feb 18, 2013 Dee Amis rated it 5 of 5 stars

FULL REVIEW AT MY BLOG Perks Of Being A Book Lover

I love Jennifer already because of her Lux Series books ( Obsidian, Onyx, Opal )so when I saw this one, I just had to read it. And Boy did she deliver.

I kept thinking about Rogue from the X-men when I started reading this book and I don't know why but it kind of made me like it even more.

Imagine not being able to touch people ever. No one, not your young sister, your mom, your friends. I suppose if you are a "germophobe" this isn't so weird....more

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Jan 31, 2013 Kandle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-romance

I had reservations about reading this book after being horribly disappointed with Armentrout's Half Blood. However, I found that I actually enjoyed this book. A lot more than her Half blood series. I gave this book two stars because, even though I did like it quite a bit, the main character (Ember) had her own pity party going on for more than half the book. I mean, I can totally sympathize with her crappy situation and I think she was entitled to her self pity when she was (sort of) kidnapped,...more

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Dec 25, 2012 Alivia Anders rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, ya-paranormal

Technically, 3.5/5.0 stars.

This was one of those books that left me feeling both happy and sad in the same breath. The potential for this book was right there, sitting pretty and glittery and filled with so much promise, and yet it was never cultivated.

Let me first start by saying that I am a HUGE fan of Jennifer's work. I LOVE the Lux Series, Katy and Daemon are a new form of crack for me, and I know when I finish Opal I'll sob waiting for the next one. So when I saw she had a stand-alone comi...more Technically, 3.5/5.0 stars.

This was one of those books that left me feeling both happy and sad in the same breath. The potential for this book was right there, sitting pretty and glittery and filled with so much promise, and yet it was never cultivated.

Let me first start by saying that I am a HUGE fan of Jennifer's work. I LOVE the Lux Series, Katy and Daemon are a new form of crack for me, and I know when I finish Opal I'll sob waiting for the next one. So when I saw she had a stand-alone coming out about a girl who couldn't touch without killing things, I was burning with excitement. Jennifer definitely knows how to create a strong female heroine with a vulnerable spot, a hot male main to swoon over and dream about, and a mix of characters in the back to grow and fill and create new wavelengths of action and drama.

But in Cursed, we don't get much of that magic Jennifer has created in her other books. Ember is somewhat flat, and very temperamental for a main heroine. Hayden feels like a rough cut-out of Daemon, only less appealing to read. And the rest of the cast is equally infuriating and lacking in depth.

The premise to the story was easy enough to grasp; girl dies and is brought back to life by her gifted younger sister, and together they make due for two years. Ember is stressed, isolated, and very closed-off to the world. I can understand that, easily. But Ember's lack of any real depth chewed at me through the whole read. We're given glimpses at who she was, along with big pieces of story that could have played for massive parts in the book, but were denied.

Fast forward a hint, to where Ember, her sister, and mother are all kidnapped by this dude named Cromwell, who's apparently into collecting kids with weird gifts. I could have seen his role played in a greater level, more methodical and thought-out, but I felt he was rushed, and prone to the same sporadic outbursts all the characters seemed to exhibit.

In the mini-mansion Ember is held 'captive' in, she meets a variety of characters. Hayden, the main male and brooding being sporting a rockin' bod and tortured soul to make a lady melt, and Phoebe, Gabe, Kurt, Liz, and a few other souls. Aside from Hayden, not too much is given about the rest of the crew other than the bare minimum needed to progress the story. I definitely did not like this. If you show me a character, I expect a little growth on them.

The story arc overall feels rushed and chopped. Certain items could have been placed in better locations through the book for better pacing and timing, and a little more drama build, but instead they were strung together awkwardly and a little off-key. I do not like chopping up a book like this, especially being an author myself and KNOWING how it feels to hear something along these lines about my own book. But Jennifer CAN do better, she HAS done better.

My advice? Grab the Lux Series, that's pure gold. (less)

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Nov 12, 2012 Dani Morales rated it 5 of 5 stars

So I've read the Lux series by this author and loved them! Everyone has been talking about Diety, the next book due out on the 6th for the Covenant series, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and start reading the series so I'll be caught up for the release. However, my blogging partner has already read them so we decided to read Cursed since it looked really good and we both haven't read it. Let me tell you how awesome this book is, I'm really hoping it's going to be as series because I'm not...more So I've read the Lux series by this author and loved them! Everyone has been talking about Diety, the next book due out on the 6th for the Covenant series, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and start reading the series so I'll be caught up for the release. However, my blogging partner has already read them so we decided to read Cursed since it looked really good and we both haven't read it. Let me tell you how awesome this book is, I'm really hoping it's going to be as series because I'm not ready to say goodbye to Ember and Hayden.

So about this book, but where to begin...sigh.. Love is all I can say right now. So Ember died, literally, but was brought back. Oh, I should warn you that this is sorta paranormal so if you don't believe in reading about people who have "abilities" though this is a really good book that's written very well, it's probably not the book for you! So Ember's sister Olivia is considered "gifted" with the ability to bring you back from the dead. That's what happened to Ember. There was a car accident that killed Ember and her father, but Olivia brought back Ember. Now Ember's skin is scarred from the accident, her eye color changed to a pale blue, oh and if you come into contact with her skin you die. With a catatonic mother, Ember raises her sister for two years, that is until Hayden enters the scene.

Hayden Cromwell has a past and a secrete of his own. He's been watching Ember for two years. It started with interest in Olivia, but the night Olivia brought Ember back, John Cromwell with the help of Liz,another gifted, a new gift was born that night. That brought them to check on Olivia and Ember, but that's also when Hayden's interest in Ember began surfacing. Realizing Ember saw him at the school he decided he was going to talk to her. He followed her to the library and spoke a few words, which only furthered his curiosity. The next contact they had was when he was bringing Ember to his home.

Ember has trust issues and when thrust into a situation that wasn't talked about before hand, made you less inclined to be nice.Struggling to be in a house where your own sister rather stay than be with you, surrounded by people with a variety of gifts who obviously didn't want you there, Hayden was the only one who didn't make her feel unwanted. Not to mention wiping the memory from the only friend she had after the accident, which made me bawl by the way, I seriously cried every time Adam was brought up, makes it hard to trust the people who say they are trying to help her. Even with her doubts, Hayden wants to help her control the gift she refers to as a curse, but someones out to get her. With feelings soaring high between Hayden and Ember, will she be able to trust him fully? Will the person who wants her dead succeed? Will Hayden and Ember be able to love? You're going to have to read this book to find out!(less)

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Nov 12, 2012 Jacqueline The Everyday Shopaholic rated it 3 of 5 stars

Firm 3 stars

The first Jennifer L. Armentrout book I read was Obsidian, I loved it so much I quickly went to read book 2, Onyx, which I thought was equally, if not better than book 1. Book 3 doesn’t come out until December, so I thought I would continue my Jennifer L. Armentrout fix and read Cursed.

Cursed is about a teenager name Ember. She was in a horrible car accident and died, and was brought back to life by her 5 year old sister, Olivia. Olivia has a “gift” she can bring back the dead with a...more Firm 3 stars

The first Jennifer L. Armentrout book I read was Obsidian, I loved it so much I quickly went to read book 2, Onyx, which I thought was equally, if not better than book 1. Book 3 doesn’t come out until December, so I thought I would continue my Jennifer L. Armentrout fix and read Cursed.

Cursed is about a teenager name Ember. She was in a horrible car accident and died, and was brought back to life by her 5 year old sister, Olivia. Olivia has a “gift” she can bring back the dead with a touch. The book begins with Ember’s daily struggles in taking care of her sister, while her Mom maintains a catatonic state because her husband, Ember and Olivia’s father died in that car accident. When Olivia brought Ember back to life, she didn’t come back normal, Ember realizes as soon as she touches anything living it dies; it’s her “curse”.

Ember encounters a boy, Hayden, who has a “gift” too and tries to help Ember cope with her curse, but as you read throughout the book, there’s a lot of twist and turns and someone is out for Ember and she just doesn’t know who to trust.

I liked the beginning, I thought it was somewhat sad, yet enduring, how does Ember keep her wits? I liked the fact within the first chapter the Author lays out the story line for you, Ember died, her sister brought her back to life and now Ember has this curse, bam, summary over in the first 10 pages. Awesome.

Ember has a witty friend, Adam, who I liked a lot and I wished he was more prominent in the book, but the main character is Hayden. I am not sure how I feel about Hayden. His character is sort of a mystery to me. He seems to care about Ember, but at times he is distant and closed off, the author tires to get you to understand that Hayden has issues too, but I felt like I just couldn’t empathize with Hayden, probably because the book is told from Ember’s point of view. I think I would enjoy the book more if it was from both Ember and Hayden’s point of view.

I loved Olivia, she’s a cute 5 year old and she should have had been in the book more. I know Ember was going through her daily struggles, but I felt like Ember was trying to take on too much on her own. At one point she really was on her own, but I kind of wanted to say “see you did that, you made yourself on your own”. I don’t think Ember had to struggle that much, I mean, she has the death curse, she is bullied, she has to take care of her sometimes bratty sister, she has no friends and someone is out to kill her, could it be any more sad?

The book did end, but I felt like there was a lot more room for book 2, it just didn’t seem like everything was summed up in one happy package.

If there is a book 2, I hope the book opens up with a huge plot and we get a better glimpse of what goes on in Hayden and Olivia’s head. Also, I don’t want Ember to struggle anymore, I want her to be strong and who knows, maybe get other “gifts”. It was a good read, nothing out of the park, but enough for me to hope there’s a book 2.
(less)

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Nov 01, 2012 The Y.A. Bookworm Blogger rated it 4 of 5 stars

As seen on: The Y.A. Bookworm Blogger

The book revolves around the struggles of Ember- a teenager who has the touch of death (an element Shatter Me fans will greatly appreciate!) What I really loved about reading through Ember's POV was how much I really felt all of the emotions she was going through! When an author is able to make me feel the same anger or passion a character is feeling, I feel like they've done an excellent job!

Of course what we all want to hear about is the romance (Don't fe...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Alyssa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Cursed really hit hard for me tonight because I just found out that one of my classmates decided to end her own life. My heart goes out to my community right now as we mourn the loss of a wonderful girl.

Cursed is about a troubled girl named Ember who believes she has no soul. This book is her story.

Cursed is an emotional rollercoaster, and guides you through all the steps of coming to accept yourself and open yourself to love.

The plot of this book was masterfully woven.

The setting was interestin...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Belinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: change-of-heart, coolest-powers, dark-pasts, heavy-drama, hidden-troubles, high-school, hot-leading-men, unrequited-love

Love Jennifer L.Armentrout.. all her books seem to be a hit for me, and I knew this would be no exception..

The story is based around a girl who is raised by the dead by her little sister after a fatal car accident - ending up with her father's death, her mother's mental break down where she refuses to acknowledge she is alive, and resulting in her gaining her own special set of powers.. the power of death.. Cue a kidnapping and her being forced to live with others just like her who hate her guts...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Tania rated it 3 of 5 stars

Cursed was an okay book. That’s really the best way to describe it. Its not very good, the kind I’d recommend, but its not something that anyone needs to be warned about either.
The basic plot is pretty good. Ember dies and her little sister brings her back to life because of her gift. Since then however, anything living she touches, dies. Her mom loses her mind after the accident, so at fifteen, she practically raises her 3 year old sister for two years. Then comes some strange guy, James Cromwe...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Bayan Basri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: characters-in-school, favorite-mysteries, female-pov-only, never-wanted-to-end, no-love-triangle-thank-god, stand-alone, strong-heroin, ya-paranormal, my-book-boyfriends

Cursed is about a teenage girl named Ember(view spoiler)whom can kill with just a touch after her sister-Olivia-brought her back from death after a car accident which her father died in and left her mother sick in the head(view spoiler). One day her ex attacks her which must mean that he touched her-So he died, maybe he didn't deserve to die but I think he at least deserved to get kn...more Cursed is about a teenage girl named Ember(view spoiler)whom can kill with just a touch after her sister-Olivia-brought her back from death after a car accident which her father died in and left her mother sick in the head(view spoiler). One day her ex attacks her which must mean that he touched her-So he died, maybe he didn't deserve to die but I think he at least deserved to get knocked out with a baseball bat a couple of times, he's that much of a jerk. So a couple of strangers kidnap(not really, but it still qualifies)her, claiming they did it to give Olivia a better life. One of those strangers is Hayden, kind, sweet, powerful, energy sucking(literally), Oscar Wilde quoting, and undeniably hot Hayden, oh and the best part is that her can absorb her power so she can touch him for a little period of time. He's-of course-the love interest, that doesn't mean it's insta-love. It's anything but that for Ember and Hayden, she totally hates and mistrusts him in the beginning, but can you blame her? She was kidnapped and brought to a mansion in a different town with people who are gifted, kinda like her (view spoiler)out of the blue. But throughout the novel she gets to know him and ultimately, falls in love with him. But that's not the case with the other residents of the house. Jonnathan Cromwell the father is the mayor, and the one who wanted Olivia(view spoiler)to be brought to the mansion. Ember knows the he's lying to her about something, his gift is that he can put thoughts into other people's minds, like mind control. Liz is the woman who takes care of Olivia, and much to Ember's dismay, is like a mother to her, her gift is that she can sense when a gifted is born. Parker and Phoebe are the twins, Parker never speaks and Phoebe hates Ember's guts, Parker reads minds, Phoebe reads emotions-You can tell that they're twins, although Parker isn't evil like Phoebe. Kurt's the guy with the cowboy hat, he's really rude and my awful memory fails to remember what his gift is. Gabe is the only one who actually physically harmed Ember, his gift is to move stuff with his mind(now you know how he attacked her). What they all have in common, besides being gifted? They all think that Ember's a threat to them(view spoiler), and Ember doesn't trust any of them. But is anyone of them capable of putting sick references of Ember's gift-or curse-in her locker and attempt to murder her more than once?

I guess you'll have to read this well written, fast paced, awesomely plotted book with lots of twist and that has realistic characters, but was kind of too fast paced at points that felt rushed and should've had more depth to the mystery, to find out!!

I've never read any of Jennifer L. Armentrout's works, but this book is making me want to check them out. Anyways I give this wonderful book 4 Stars!!

P.S: Sorry for having a lot of spoilers in this, but it's hard to write a review for a mystery novel without giving much away.(less)

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Oct 04, 2012 Wafiyah rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who's a true J. Armentrout fan

Recommended to Wafiyah by: No one

Shelves: anticlimactic, contemporary-romance, action-suspense, family, fantasy, horrible-romance, worst, not-so-good, asap, paranormal-romance, terrible-protagonist, romance, stupid, tragic

I tried really hard to like this book. I tried. Really, really hard, especially because although Obsidian was a flop, I loved Onyx. And I purposefully waited until a while after I'd finished the book to decide to write a comment about it without my anger taking over. The truth is that I was extremely irritated with the book. The plot may have worked well, the pacing was alright, but the one thing that completely ticked me off was the continuous non-goodness in the characters. They were all eithe...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Theodora Catalina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Cursed
By Jennifer L. Armentrout

My thoughts: I was in this state of “just got back from the death” because of a serious illness and I was checking my recommendations on goodreads when this book popped out. I gave it a ‘Want to Read’ button and moved on, but the book kept coming back in my mind. It was hunting me and after my nearly ‘let’s meet death’ situation I wanted to read it.

So I’ve started it without further notice.

“I guess it could be worse, I admitted. If I was going to hallucinate, then...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Rachel rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. So many issues, so, so many issues I hardly know where to start. First off, I guess I should preface my review by saying I like Obsidian and Onyx, and Jennifer Armentrout's Lux series. They are what drew me to Cursed in the first place. I think they're fun, have great characters, and a good plot. I also think Armentrout is a good storyteller. Her books draw you in and make you want to keep reading, so I will absolutely keep reading other books by her.

But.

Yes, there is a but.

This book drove me...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Annie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fall-winter-2012

My Rating: 3.5 stars

My Thoughts:

As a HUGE fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s series, I had extremely high expectations for this book. Lets just say, those expectations weren’t quite met. This book was fairly generic, where her others were anything but. The book started off too slow and didn’t really pick up until the middle unlike both the Covenant and Lux series that were action-packed the whole time.

I did like Ember’s character, especially her relationship with her sister, Olivia. Their relation...more

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Jennifer L Arment...: Cursed	75	100	Nov 27, 2012 10:14am
YA Buddy Readers'...: Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout → Start Date: September 28, 2012	45	25	Oct 01, 2012 01:08am
Spencer Hill Press: Cursed by Jennifer L Armentrout	21	35	Sep 24, 2012 03:28pm

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