Glass Heart (Cold Kiss, #2)

Jul 10, 2012 Wendy Darling rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-publication, harpercollins, pn-zombies-biters, young-adult, september, ala-2012, snowy, pn-witches, read-2012, 2012-favorites, gorgeous-prose

3.5 stars I love the way Amy Garvey writes. In the middle of a book about girl who brings back her boyfriend from the dead and here in its sequel, there is a keen sweetness of emotion that swirls through the pages in a way that thoroughly pleases my sensibilities. Those who appreciated the surprisingly thoughtful, sad rumination on first love and sudden death in Cold Kiss will likely find this sequel to be just as appealing. While it offers a more straightforward paranormal story, its sincerity...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Mitch rated it 2 of 5 stars

Like many of you may be thinking of doing, I picked up this sequel to Cold Kiss even though the first book didn't exactly blow me away because curiosity and a few questions got the best of me. Like, is a sequel really necessary? Or, is Danny back for a rehash of the grieving mess that was the first book? Or, is there a non-contrived plot that really stands on its own? And I’ll answer all those questions … right now: no, no, and no.

I will say, though, I do feel Amy Garvey’s writing has really im...more Like many of you may be thinking of doing, I picked up this sequel to Cold Kiss even though the first book didn't exactly blow me away because curiosity and a few questions got the best of me. Like, is a sequel really necessary? Or, is Danny back for a rehash of the grieving mess that was the first book? Or, is there a non-contrived plot that really stands on its own? And I’ll answer all those questions … right now: no, no, and no.

I will say, though, I do feel Amy Garvey’s writing has really improved in Glass Heart. I think she tried a bit too hard to make Cold Kiss intensely emotional to the point that Wren letting go of Danny, rather than coming across as sad or moving, was - at least for me - the emotional equivalent of putting down a dying dog. And as Danny’s a person - er zombie, that’s an odd, not to mention socially unacceptable and unpleasant, thing to feel. Glass Heart though is a different book that doesn’t dwell on loss nearly as much as Cold Kiss did, Danny’s mentioned but Wren’s moved on, obviously, so the story doesn’t have the same oversentimental just to get across a point feel like its predecessor did. Wren’s emotions this time around, her banter with her friends Jess and Darcia, her relationship with Gabriel, doesn’t feel as intentionally and artificially sappy as it did before - nope, it feels much more natural. Kinda cute even, if more than a bit slow. Oh, and Amy Garvey rocks at writing dialogue.

On the other hand, the improved writing really doesn’t begin to cover the problems inherent with an unnecessary sequel. Don’t worry, even if the plot seems to meander around, with Gabriel being difficult about Wren’s magic and the mysterious college students showing up and the missing dude, there is a plot and all those things that seem rather random do, predictably, come together. That’s not my issue with Glass Heart. My issue is, while there is a conflict, while there is a ‘bad guy’ so to speak, the entire book hinges on a lack of information. If Wren and Gabriel had a heart to heart after Gabriel makes his feelings for Wren’s magic clear, the entire book would’ve been unnecessary. If a certain someone had spoken out the first time Wren asked instead of being evasive, a lot of the worst stuff could’ve been avoided. It’s even alluded to with Wren’s sister and how unhappy she is. And every time it seems like one character would go on a limb to deal with their miscommunication, someone else would be stubborn or drop it, so the characters, particularly Wren, just feel hot and cold all of a sudden and all the drama just feels like it’s manufactured just because these characters would rather make out with or avoid rather than talk to each other. That’s not a cool relationship.

Then there’s the whole attitude towards magic. I suppose that’s the rationale for writing this sequel after all, Cold Kiss explored the morality of using magic to do something really unnatural, bringing someone back from the dead, and Glass Heart tries to go in and fill in the blanks with a little more finesse. Nothing wrong with that in theory. In practice though, I’m not sure where the lines are. There’s stuff about using magic responsibly, using magic for fun, and being addicted to magic, but the entire book just left me confused as to where Garvey is drawing the lines. Gabriel’s against Wren using magic, then won’t talk about it, and it turns out his secret doesn’t even have anything to do with magic at all. And then Wren basically uses her powers to save the day. I’m very confused, beyond one very clear ‘bad’ character everyone else’s attitudes and opinions are all over the place, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to get out of it at all.

In short, Glass Heart is the kind of sequel that’s written as I have these characters and I wonder what should happen to them next, rather than I have this story that would be perfect with these characters I’ve already created from my last book, so it didn’t work for me.(less)

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Sep 24, 2012 Tt rated it 1 of 5 stars

Original review posted here: Tt@NeverEndingStories

*Shakes Head....*

Where to start on this one? Okay, I will say that the first book was okay and I was confused on why the author would make a sequel when Cold Kiss could have been a stand alone with no damage done. So when I got word that their was indeed going to be a sequel I was very curious on how she was going to continue the story. Yes, their were only a few loose ends from Cold Kiss but not enough loose ends to make another book.

The Good:...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-michelle

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: A different departure from the first book. More of a contemporary story about self discovery with paranormal hints.

Opening Sentence: I’m flying.

The Review:

Glass Heart by Amy Garvey is the follow up book to Cold Kiss. Garvey made a fan out of me when I read Cold Kiss and couldn’t wait to read Glass Heart. There was something about the way Garvey wrote Cold Kiss. How it symbolized love as unforgiving and relentless. Garvey writes in a way whe...more

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Oct 11, 2012 The Fictionators rated it 4 of 5 stars

Do you guise remember how much I loved Cold Kiss ? If you don't, I'll just remind you--I really loved it. And I loved Wren, which usually never happens to me (ya'll know I'm all about the swoony boys).

I didn't know that there would be a Cold Kiss sequel, but I'm really glad that there is. Glass Heart picks up not too long after Cold Kiss and is beautifully written. We get a more-mature Wren, dealing with her powers and learning how to use them. One of the things that I love about her is tha...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Rhiannon Ryder rated it 5 of 5 stars

I can't tell you how excited I was to hear that not only did Cold Kiss have a sequel, but it would be at the BEA, along with Amy Garvey herself! I dutifully lined up in one of the signing lines for my copy, and told Garvey that Cold Kiss broke my heart, and I loved every minute of it. Then danced away excited to delve back into Wren's complicated life.

Once again Garvey tells a heartfelt story of teen love, self-discovery and the many difficulties of growing up, with a paranormal twist. Once agai...more I can't tell you how excited I was to hear that not only did Cold Kiss have a sequel, but it would be at the BEA, along with Amy Garvey herself! I dutifully lined up in one of the signing lines for my copy, and told Garvey that Cold Kiss broke my heart, and I loved every minute of it. Then danced away excited to delve back into Wren's complicated life.

Once again Garvey tells a heartfelt story of teen love, self-discovery and the many difficulties of growing up, with a paranormal twist. Once again she beautifully captures all the angst of being a teenager, while using magic as a way to highlight it all, instead overwhelming the story with the paranormal aspect. In other words, once again she's written a lyrical book full of heart which I can't recommend enough.

Wren is all the things I want in a female protagonist. She's independent, she's strong, she's imperfect. She's short, and not at all the "pretty one" in the group, but she exudes self confidence, and cares deeply about people, so she's the pretty one in every way that honestly counts. Her magic, and her belief it's the only thing she excels at, while simultaneously being the one thing she can't share with people, so perfectly encapsulates the very real fear of not being "good enough" or "special" that virtually every teenager has.

Gabriel, Jess, Darcia, and Robin are all struggling with problems of their own, falling for the wrong guy, stepping out in the lime light, sharing your secrets, the insanity that is tween hormones, and although they're all secondary in Wren's story, Garvey gives none of them short shrift. I especially like that despite her own problems, Wren takes the time to help with everyone else's, she doesn't abandon her friends for Gabriel, or treat their issues as second to her own.

Garvey's paranormal twists were creepy and thoughtful, but also largely left open for a third part. Which, although I can't quite imagine where she would take it, I sincerely hope is in the works. I'm not ready to be done with Wren or her family and friends just yet. Fiona and Bay were an intriguing enigma, and I would love to know more about what was going on there.

After being swept away by both Cold Kiss and Glass Heart I look forward to whatever Garvey has for us next. If you haven't read either of these books, I would highly recommend adding them to your collection.(less)

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Jan 29, 2013 Sunil rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

Although a sequel to Cold Kiss wasn't planned, I was certainly happy to read more of Wren's story. This book is more complex than the first, juggling a few subplots that all generally deal with the same thing: Wren's relationship with magic and how dangerous it is. At times, it veers annoyingly close to Willow's magicrack storyline (MAGIC IS A DRUG YOU GUYS), but, thankfully, Garvey never takes it that far, instead using the metaphor as, well, an actual metaphor. To stick with the Buffy compari...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Kim Smiley rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was ok, nothing special, (just like the first one). Wren is still working on figuring out her powers as she is levitating in the subway tunnels. Two older teens see her and she stops, but thinks nothing of it.

Then she goes to meet boyfriend Gabriel. These two are now seeing eachother and they're all lovey dovey. The only thing that bothers her about him is she really doesn't know much about him and he knows all about her. And, he doesn't like her using her powers for anything.

Enter Bay...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, paranormal, ya-books, books-reviewed

I really liked Cold Kiss, so I wasn't sure if I was ready for Glass Heart, especially since the synopsis makes it obvious that this book explores Wren's powers more in-depth. I know. I tend to like books with magic and supernatural elements, but Cold Kiss was so focused on the emotions that I wasn't sure if I wanted to explore more of the magic side. I kind of liked being mystified by it. This book is so diferent from the first book where the magic was so secret and not as prevalent as in Cold K...more I really liked Cold Kiss, so I wasn't sure if I was ready for Glass Heart, especially since the synopsis makes it obvious that this book explores Wren's powers more in-depth. I know. I tend to like books with magic and supernatural elements, but Cold Kiss was so focused on the emotions that I wasn't sure if I wanted to explore more of the magic side. I kind of liked being mystified by it. This book is so diferent from the first book where the magic was so secret and not as prevalent as in Cold Kiss.

Nevertheless, I did end up enjoying it in its own way. Wren needs this book to explore her abilities without being afraid that her mom would disprove of it. It gives her the chance to figure out who she wants to be and what her abilities shouldn't be used for. It also gives her the chance to figure out her relationship with Gabriel.

Cold Kiss was about the emotions. Glass Heart is about Wren's growing powers. We all know the saying, "With great power comes great responsibility." Well, it also comes with a thirst for power and the desire to test the limits. Wren begins using her powers outside of the house, deluding herself into thinking that no one will see--or that if they do see, they'll think their eyes were playing tricks on them. It lands her into a load of trouble and gets her into fights with Gabriel over her misuse of her powers.

So, yes, Wren annoyed me for much of this book. She no longer has Danny as an excuse to be unhappy or the wreckage of her life; rather, she's supposed to be happy. She has the sweetest boyfriend ever (who I seriously want to steal), and she abuses him emotionally because she's afraid that he's going to turn out to be a dream and because she's afraid to listen to his voice of reason. I do understand why she's afraid though. It's the whole reason for this book--so that Wren can mature and find her place in life. Through all this, Gabriel remains understanding, giving her nothing but unconditional love and only raising his voice when she really pushes things too far. Wren is so, so lucky to have him.

Overall, I adored this book and will definitely be reading Amy Garvey's next book!

On a side note: Amy Garvey is pretty lucky with covers. Honestly, I'm not much of a fan of covers that zoom in on faces, but that's because they're just faces and they tell us nothing about the story. With the Cold Kiss books, however, the faces aren't just faces. They have pretty magical light colors, and they do tell us about the stories. Cold Kiss is about Wren's inability to let go of her boyfriend, whom she's brought back from the dead. Glass Heart is about Wren's fragility now that she's begun exploring her powers.

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For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.

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Dec 03, 2012 Ashley Fierro rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: lovely-covers, appealing-but-something-was-missing

I really enjoy a second peek into Wren's life because the book delves into an area that usually isn't written about: The time after "The End"...still, that been said, like I said, I enjoyed Glass Heart, BUT, I didn't quite love it as much as Cold Kiss.

The pull of magic is strong; Wren has an ability that few witches of her age have experienced. Theres definetly some up's & down's with Wren and Gabriel relationship. Wren's powers worries Gabriel, he has his reasons behind that; that and hesi...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Isamlq rated it 3 of 5 stars

A sweet story that focuses on the girl and her wanting the boy to accept her for who she is but failing miserably to see the whole picture. Sweet how she describes things, lovely how different this time around feels to her, but frustrating too because there’s this refusal on her part to see things from his point of view. She knows how things were with Danny, but with Gabriel it’s a different thing. She’s all these comparisons and all these feelings but fails to say anything about it when it coun...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 3 of 5 stars

As you can see, lately I have been catching up on a lot of sequels. After Cold Kiss amazed me, I'm totally thrilled to have had the chance to read this story.

Right at the start of this story, the reader steps right into the story where the author left off. If you have not read the first book, I strongly suggest you do. I'll do my best not to have any spoilers in this review, but be aware that a lot of what is going on in this story, jumps into this one. So, with that said, things get much more d...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Antoinette rated it 5 of 5 stars

This one I think is more of a thriller than the last. It is a great read, a must read that you find yourself not wanting to put down. It starts right on up after the first one.... everything seems to be going good. Wren and Gabriel are together and in love and happy. She seems to have her life back and moving on..... But she is using her powers more and more and enjoying it. Gabriel has told her to be careful, but she doesn't want to hear it and do her own thing. She is caught using her powers.....more

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Sep 06, 2012 Brittany Rehage rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love the way Garvey can intertwine a paranormal story with a romance. Neither side feels overdone or left out. Each side balance out perfectly, and in the end, Glass Heart leaves your soul feeling happy and content.

After the heart wrenching story of Cold Kiss, it was nice to see Wren happy and in love once again. It's a different type of love, though. Not only because you can only have one first love, but because Wren isn't the same person with Gabriel as she was with Danny. She's also explori...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Renae M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013, magic, paranormal, published-2012, series-finished

Much like its prequel, Glass Heart is far from your typical paranormal novel, and readers should adjust their expectations accordingly. The magic these characters wield is kept low-key and subtle, and Garvey treats it more like an everyday staple than a specialty item on the menu. The major themes in this novel are family dynamics and relationship struggles—magic is a secondary, but all-consuming, background player. As a reader who likes books about people as opposed to things (magical powers ar...more Much like its prequel, Glass Heart is far from your typical paranormal novel, and readers should adjust their expectations accordingly. The magic these characters wield is kept low-key and subtle, and Garvey treats it more like an everyday staple than a specialty item on the menu. The major themes in this novel are family dynamics and relationship struggles—magic is a secondary, but all-consuming, background player. As a reader who likes books about people as opposed to things (magical powers aren’t people), Glass Heart is a great book for me; other readers may feel differently and bemoan the lack of paranormal elements present in this book.

After the events of Cold Kiss, Wren is finally getting her life back together. She and Gabriel are officially a couple now, and she’s back on good terms with her best friends. But she’s also dealing with a hormonal pre-teen sister (I have one of those right now, and it’s seriously insanity), a mom who doesn’t always do the right thing, and a dad who wants back in Wren’s life after walking out of it years ago. And if all that isn’t enough, Wren’s also dealing with figuring out how to deal with her powers and control them. The great thing about all of this is that I never felt like there was too much going on; Amy Garvey managed to weave everything together and make it fit without making her plot clunky.

The really fantastic thing about Glass Heart is how flawed and real all the characters are. Wren and Gabriel both make mistakes, Wren’s little sister is a total mess, and her parents are trying but not quite succeeding. That presence of layered and well-rounded personalities was what really made this book for me.

All that being said, the plot of the book deals with Wren and an evil witch (or whatever terminology we’re using). Said evil witch attempts to seduce Wren for his own uses, and Wren kind of goes along with it until Gabriel gets involved. I think because of the fantastic portrayal of family relationships and romance troubles, I was expecting a plot that was a little less predictable and more in keeping with the standards Garvey had already set. Don’t get me wrong: there’s nothing at all wrong the story told in Glass Heart—I was just expecting more, perhaps.

This book is also a teensy bit cheesy, and the final sentence induced eye-rolling. However, I do think it was tasteful cheese (possibly Gouda or Havarti). In spite of the themes it deals with, readers should still be aware that Glass Heart is relatively fluffy. It’s a light-hearted and upbeat novel, and even when bad things are happening, there’s always the knowledge that a happy ending will come.

In comparison to Cold Kiss, I think I liked Glass Heart about the same. This book is unique and fun, totally outside the sphere of typical paranormal fiction, and features a cast of great characters who tackle real problems. I did see room for improvement while I read, of course, but I liked this book a lot anyways.

Read more reviews at Respiring Thoughts.(less)

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Oct 04, 2012 Darkfallen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, read-n-reviewed

Wren and Gabriel are trying to get past the whole "Danny Incident" that took place in the first book. The only problem is that Wren is trying to learn more about using her powers and Gabriel isn't so sure if she should be doing that. Without being able to turn to her mom for guidance she turns to the most unexpected place; to two strangers that caught her using her magic in public. Only problem is these strangers aren't all they are cracked up to be. Can she really trust them over Gabe?

First I w...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Donna Gambale rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the sequel to COLD KISS, we explore more deeply into Wren's magical abilities and why discussing them has been so taboo in her family.

I enjoyed this second glimpse into Wren's life because the book delves into an area that usually isn't written about: The time after "The End," when the crazy plot has wrapped up and the main character is adjusting back to being normal (or some semblance thereof, in Wren's case).

Her relationship with Gabriel is developing and hitting a few bumps, and she's test...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 out of 5 rating

I enjoyed reading the first book in the series, Cold Kiss, last year so I was excited to read this next book. And I was right to be excited.

Once again, I loved Wren. She had a sarcastic streak that I loved and I liked her relationship with Gabriel. It was fighting and making up, which teenagers do all the time. I also enjoyed Wren's relationships with Jess and Darcia...they seemed like a great and true trio of friends (although I could do without the smoking references). And...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

I adore Amy Garvey's writing style. And this book had me literally laughing out loud many times. But I think Cold Kiss should have been left as a stand-alone. The only real purpose I found was to tie up the loose ends from Cold Kiss. We also see Wren learning about and trying out her magic a lot more. (Robin, too!)

I still love Wren and her two friends, Darcia and Jess, but something about how Gabriel is portrayed in Glass Heart made me like him a little less. We do get about three significant ne...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Step Into Fiction rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: jessica

I feel like I really should've read Cold Kiss again before reading Glass Heart. For some reason, I really don't remember exactly how it ended so I was a little thrown off with how it began. That being said, I did enjoy this book. I didn't love it but it was an enjoyable read. It took some time for me to really get into it but I've always like Gabriel since he was first introduced. That hasn't changed.

Read full review at Step Into Fiction

Review completed by: Jessica

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Apr 04, 2013 Candace rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read Cold Kiss and Glass Heart back to back and I rarely ever am able to do that. I think reading them back to back sort of changes how I see things. In Cold Kiss I wasn't very annoyed by the main character, Wren, but there were a few things that sort of bothered me. Those things kind of carried over to Glass Heart for me and so what annoyed me about her kind of doubled my annoyance. Does that make sense?

So I really like the concept of the story and the whole story line. I like the whole witch...more I read Cold Kiss and Glass Heart back to back and I rarely ever am able to do that. I think reading them back to back sort of changes how I see things. In Cold Kiss I wasn't very annoyed by the main character, Wren, but there were a few things that sort of bothered me. Those things kind of carried over to Glass Heart for me and so what annoyed me about her kind of doubled my annoyance. Does that make sense?

So I really like the concept of the story and the whole story line. I like the whole witch aspect of it all quite a lot. And I love the names of the characters, which doesn't really matter, but yet I want to comment just cause I love the names so much. I also really like Gabriel, a lot. I actually don't have any complaints about him at all. He was totally the kind of guy I like to read about. He's not a bad boy or anything, he's just a normal guy and really nice. And hot, apparently.

So now we're back to Wren. In the previous book she dealt with her dead boyfriend who she brought back to life and should have learned her lesson about her powers. But yet I understood she wanted to experiment with them a bit so when she met two people who also have powers she was drawn to them and wanted to be friends with them. I never understood why she'd want to be friends with Fiona and Bay. They never showed anything likable about them. At all. But in Wren's defense, she actually started noticing things a bit 'off' about them fairly quickly. It's just too bad she wasn't smart enough to listen to that little voice inside her telling her to stay away from them. And while hanging out with them she's blowing off Gabriel and making up excuses to herself about why he's not good for her, etc. I just didn't really get that. So my issue is her bringing a bunch of unnecessary drama to their relationship. Oh, and also I didn't get her whole father issue. She's told she can see her father when she's ready, and we don't know what the deal with him is, at all. But instead of being curious about it she's just mad and refuses to see him which makes it so her sister can't see him and she clearly really wants to. This aspect also drove me slightly crazy. And I didn't understand why her mom was so secretive about stuff.

Another thing is that there's a slight mystery as there's a boy that goes missing. This mystery was something I had figured out almost the moment we hear about him going missing. Yeah, maybe not all the details of it, but the general idea of what happened. That kind of made it so I never had that urge to know more and keep reading to find out. It wasn't a huge issue for me, but it's something that could have been expanded on and a bit more suspenseful.

Now Wren drove me a bit nuts in this book, but like I said, I like the concept and witchy factor in the book. It was an enjoyable read for the most part. I just wanted to slap Wren a time or two about her stupidity.

You can find this review, and others like it, on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com (less)

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Oct 21, 2012 Marcia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Finished this one late last night before starting the final Secret Trinity novel.

It's getting 1 star less than the first book. The first one was raw with emotion and it left me feeling every emotion a human can feel ... which is hard for an author to do.

I did enjoy this book a lot, but it feels as if many of the emotions felt strained and 'forced'. As if she were trying rekindle the affect of the first novel but not quite making it. I still enjoyed it and it was still a good book. It will be in...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dft, read-2013, young-adult, paranormal, need-review, fiction

3.5

Posted on Dark Faerie Tales.

Glass Heart by Amy Garvey is the follow up book to Cold Kiss. Garvey made a fan out of me when I read Cold Kiss and couldn’t wait to read Glass Heart. There was something about the way Garvey wrote Cold Kiss. How it symbolized love as unforgiving and relentless. Garvey writes in a way where her message stands out, becomes powerful and emotionally crushing. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to dive in.

In Glass Heart, Wren is a little more sure of her power. Her relat...more 3.5

Posted on Dark Faerie Tales.

Glass Heart by Amy Garvey is the follow up book to Cold Kiss. Garvey made a fan out of me when I read Cold Kiss and couldn’t wait to read Glass Heart. There was something about the way Garvey wrote Cold Kiss. How it symbolized love as unforgiving and relentless. Garvey writes in a way where her message stands out, becomes powerful and emotionally crushing. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to dive in.

In Glass Heart, Wren is a little more sure of her power. Her relationship with Gabriel is growing, but they still haven’t fully addressed the issue of Danny. Picking up right where Cold Kiss left off, Wren is intoxicated with the adrenaline rush of her powers. Where she was reluctant before, she feels more confident and sure. But she only hesitates using it because of her conscience, and because of Gabriel. Wren’s newfound addiction to magic becomes dangerous, and she slowly begins to slip. Wren loses control of her life at home, of her relationship with Gabriel, and everything else around her.

Wren is a lot stronger, a little more grown up, and a lot more confident. She’s more outspoken, never backing down from what she feels. Magic plays a large role in her life, and it seems to consume her. For a while, I thought she didn’t learn from the incident with Danny. Wren’s emotions consume her, allowing her to act before thinking. It brings her to a lot of danger, many things that I couldn’t believe she did. It wasn’t as easy to love Wren. I thought she was making the same mistakes. I wish that she would just learn from someone properly, instead of living through her life blindly.

I loved Gabriel in Cold Kiss, but had a hard time feeling the same in Glass Heart. Where I thought he was someone who stood by Wren, he was distant now. I realize that he has his own issues, but it seemed that his character persona change a little. He wasn’t the saving grace anymore, but that was probably the point. Wren probably had to find her own way, learning the hard way and etc.

Magic in a contemporary setting is never easy. Garvey wrote this world very realistically but with a few paranormal elements here and there. The introduction of new characters, writing to get to know existing ones, Garvey did it in a way that wasn’t mundane or uninteresting. Garvey wrote in twists and a plot that flowed well with the main characters issues. Garvey also hints on acceptance of self and the discovery to it. Wren falls in the wrong crowd, lured by what she believes is “right now.” It was interesting to see how Garvey wrote that problem and brought about the solution.

Glass Heart is a different type of story, not necessarily following in the same pattern as Cold Kiss. It’s okay, because it drew me in more. I was hooked; intrigued to how Garvey would develop Wren and where she would take her. Glass Heart was darker and edgier, definitely appealing to my age.

Great read. Looking forward to more of Garvey’s work.
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Dec 15, 2012 Shoshanah rated it 5 of 5 stars

One thing I loved when I read Cold Kiss was that it seemed to start in the middle of the story. By putting Wren in her awful situation from the stop there was no build-up, and we jumped right into the action. Which is why I was so disappointed that this time it took so long for the story to take off. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, but it just took a while to understand what the point of the story was.

In the first book, you expected to be reading a zombie book. Except this time, there is no...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Joanne♥~Bookworm Extraordinaire rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-publication, non-owned-books

CONTAINS SPOLIERS

Where to begin? This book was ehh for me. I felt that it was a complete unnecessary sequel to Cold Kiss. Cold Kiss would of been a fine stand alone book.

I guess the reason that I didn't really like the book was because I can't stand Wren. She's annoying, whiny and a coward who runs away from her problems. I guess you could say the whole premise of the book is her finding out her and testing her powers and her boyfriend Gabriel, who is kinda against that.

First off, she had a bo...more CONTAINS SPOLIERS

Where to begin? This book was ehh for me. I felt that it was a complete unnecessary sequel to Cold Kiss. Cold Kiss would of been a fine stand alone book.

I guess the reason that I didn't really like the book was because I can't stand Wren. She's annoying, whiny and a coward who runs away from her problems. I guess you could say the whole premise of the book is her finding out her and testing her powers and her boyfriend Gabriel, who is kinda against that.

First off, she had a boyfriend already? Wasn't she so heartbroken over Danny's death and the fact that she had to send the zombified Danny back to the dead? Guess she didn't care that much since she jumped right into Gabriel's arms. Throughout the book Wren uses her powers for kinda stupid things and Gabriel is worried about her and basically tells her to stop using them at least until she finds out more information about them. She gets mad at this and instead of listening to Gabriel she goes to hang out with shady witches who use their power in the open and are no good. Hmmm yeah she makes good choices.

What bothered me most is that she keeps saying how she learned her lesson from the whole Danny situation but obviously she didn't since she's wandering around with the "bad" guys and doing magic in the open. And to top it all off she gets mad at Gabriel so many times in the book when all he's trying to do is help and when he is usually right about everything. But no, she had to be a whiny brat and try to prove that she can handle everything by herself. When she can't, who does she always run back to? That's right- Gabriel. I don't know why Gabriel puts up with her- she clearly doesn't deserve him.

My other problem with this book is that nothing really happens. There is no plot except for Wren discovering her powers and her incessant talking and mood swings. Sure a missing boy was thrown into the mix but it certainly wasn't the focus of the book and in the end nothing came of it. The bad guy who killed the kid, who was one of the witches Wren hung out with, disappears and is never brought to justice.

Wren is a very selfish character. While she was supposed to be watching her best friend perform, she invites the bad witches to join her, so that Gabriel can use his psychic abilities on the guy, Bay. I mean come on. That was an incredible stupid idea and I can't believe Gabriel let her do that. How could she not think that something bad would happen. Of course it does- Bay puts a curse on Gabriel who almost dies and Wren misses half of her friend's performance. That was such a selfish move on her part that almost gets the boyfriend she loves so much killed. Way to go Wren.

The only saving grace of the book was Gabriel. I really liked him and it made me upset the way Wren treated him throughout the whole book. Instead of talking to Gabriel about her magic and how he feels about it, all she does is get pissed off and stops talking to him for days. Talk about running away from your problems. Gabriel is stupid for going back to Wren again and again. He's too good for her.

I also didn't like how all the "action" scenes were hyped up and then they just end at the end of the chapter. Then in the next chapter we have to hear Wren recap what happened. Talk about anti-climatic.

Any who, this book was not my cup of tea. However if there is another book in the series, I will read it to see how much farther this train wreck can go. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.

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Oct 03, 2012 Vivian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, 3-stars, reviewed

I was definitely a fan of Cold Kiss, it was different and genuine and I really liked the characters, so when I heard there would be a sequel, I knew I had to give it a read. Turns out there wasn’t really a point to having a sequel. The word I would best use to describe Glass Heart is subtle. Everything was pretty low-key, in that nothing jumped out to me as exciting or riveting, but then again, it’s not like I didn’t like the book and the pacing was steady enough which allowed me to finish it pr...more I was definitely a fan of Cold Kiss, it was different and genuine and I really liked the characters, so when I heard there would be a sequel, I knew I had to give it a read. Turns out there wasn’t really a point to having a sequel. The word I would best use to describe Glass Heart is subtle. Everything was pretty low-key, in that nothing jumped out to me as exciting or riveting, but then again, it’s not like I didn’t like the book and the pacing was steady enough which allowed me to finish it pretty quickly. It was great to see all the characters again and to get a better understanding of Wren’s history, but I felt that with the way Amy handled the story, it could’ve easily been included in the first novel.

In Glass Heart, Wren is having fun with her powers and enjoying the freedom to use it whenever she wants, but she has to deal with the fact that Gabriel isn’t too happy with her doing so because he’s worried that bad things can happen. Of course Wren is rebellious and stubborn and set on doing things her own way, which leads to her run with a different kind of crowd that hiding a dark and twisted past.

Wren’s character matures and develops throughout this book and I think that’s pretty much the basis of the entire story. I couldn’t really connect with her this time around and often times thought her to be a bit too whiney and short-tempered, especially when it came to Gabriel and his issues with her powers. There also wasn’t really as much of Gabriel as I would’ve liked. And if you read Cold Kiss, you’d guess Wren’s father would play a big role in Glass Heart, but really, his part wasn’t as important or as big as I expected. I feel like Amy simply touched base with all the aspects of Wren’s life that happens after the whole “Danny incident” so readers would see what her life is like now, but then she doesn’t add enough detail, often times going off on tangents, and some moments were a bit too choppy for my liking.

Probably the worst part for me was the ending. It felt very rushed and underdeveloped for me, as with much of the entire book, I’m afraid. The ending was pretty much anti-climatactic and a bit disappointing. I was expecting more resolution, but Amy leaves things pretty wide open and I don’t know if she means for readers to interpret things on their own, or if she’s leaving room for herself in case she wants to write more of Wren’s story.

I know I’m pointing out a lot of the negatives, but don’t get me wrong, I liked Glass Heart, just not as much as I had hoped. Yes, there were choppy moments and times when I wished Amy would’ve elaborated on more important details rather than fill it up with trivial moments, but she kept the story going and it’s not like I was bored at all while reading this. I don’t know if I’d consider it much of sequel as far as sequels tend to go, but it’s a nice story if anyone’s wondering what’s up with Wren after Danny.(less)

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Aug 13, 2012 Wanda (Good Choice Reading) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, read-in-2012, own, reviewed

I'm going to start this review in a bit of a rant. I have to let that go first so I can continue. Ms. Garvey, did you by any chance read some popular books prior to writing this novel? I'm only asking because there is this one specific thing throughout the story that a couple of her characters did quite often that I found so annoying. If I had read this on my kindle, I could tell you how many times I've read a character doing this. Biting their bottom lip. This gesture is not sexy or endearing....more I'm going to start this review in a bit of a rant. I have to let that go first so I can continue. Ms. Garvey, did you by any chance read some popular books prior to writing this novel? I'm only asking because there is this one specific thing throughout the story that a couple of her characters did quite often that I found so annoying. If I had read this on my kindle, I could tell you how many times I've read a character doing this. Biting their bottom lip. This gesture is not sexy or endearing. It's actually quite annoying. I know that a few popular unnamed books have this going on with their characters. It didn't work for them and it's not working here. End Rant.

When I heard Cold Kiss had a sequel I was caught by surprise. I didn't expect there to be a sequel because the story ended quite well in Cold Kiss. Either way, I really wanted to get my hands on Glass Heart because I thought Cold Kiss was an interesting story. Plus, I had to find out how she can come up with a sequel to a book that had a complete ending to it. I found Glass Heart to be a bit more of Wren and Gabe's relationship than anything else. Wren's actions are all based on Gabriel's attitude.

In Glass Heart, Wren experiments more with her powers. But Gabriel doesn't like her playing with her powers. Controlling much? Well he has his reasons behind that. Since he's psychic he is very well aware of the dangers behind Wren using her powers. But since women (for the most) part don't like being told what to do, she decides she's going to do what she wants to do regardless of what Gabe says. So she pretty much makes a mess out of things. In this story, Garvey introduces you to a few new characters that you can tell right away are going to be troublesome. But these characters, in my opinion is what makes this book worth reading. The magic inside this book is interesting and the dilemmas are quite entertaining. You'll see how crazy magic can be in the hands of irresponsible teens.

Since I didn't expect Cold Kiss to have a sequel, I opened Glass Heart with caution. The story was interesting but it didn't grab me. However, I did enjoy the scenes between Wren and the new characters. They really are what made this story. Wren was just a bit of a rebel in this story if you ask me. And as for Gabe, instead of really telling her why he thought she shouldn't use her powers. He didn't, so there wasn't an understanding between him and Wren. There will be another installment to this series. Now that I'm aware of this, I am looking forward to that last book in this Cold Kiss series. I'd like to see how this all ends. I give Glass Heart a 3.5 stars.

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Mar 31, 2013 Andrea at Reading Lark rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-stars, arc, fantasy, read-in-2012, young-adult

Review Posted on Reading Lark 8/17/12: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2012/...

I was ecstatic to learn that there was more of Wren's story. I loved Cold Kiss so much it was featured in the Best I've Read 2011 event. It took all my will power not to dive right into this one when it first arrived. My expectations for this one were so high that I'm worried that I placed unrealistic expectations on the story. Don't get me wrong - this one is a great read - it just didn't appeal to me as much as the...more Review Posted on Reading Lark 8/17/12: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2012/...

I was ecstatic to learn that there was more of Wren's story. I loved Cold Kiss so much it was featured in the Best I've Read 2011 event. It took all my will power not to dive right into this one when it first arrived. My expectations for this one were so high that I'm worried that I placed unrealistic expectations on the story. Don't get me wrong - this one is a great read - it just didn't appeal to me as much as the previous book did.

One of the things I loved about book one was watching Wren grow as a character. She makes some pretty selfish decisions that are driven by emotion rather than logic in Cold Kiss, but as the novel unfolds she matures. I was bummed to find that she loses some of that growth throughout the course of this novel. Yes, she is a teenager, so she is entitled to mood swings and moments of selfishness, but I just didn't like how whiny she was about her magic in this one. I was also frustrated by how she treated Gabriel - she was constantly taking out her anger on him. He was only trying to protect her, but she couldn't take a moment to pause and see that. She just kept plowing forward with her own agenda. As in book one, Wren finally realizes how stubborn she is being and snaps out of it. Luckily, Gabriel is the type of guy who has a vast amount of patience. He truly loves Wren so he's able to look past her flaws.

Other than my gripes with Wren's behavior, I loved this book. The plot allows the reader to learn more about the magic and Wren's family situation. I really enjoyed watching Robin as she comes into her magic and all the havoc she causes as a result. Being a teenager is emotional - I recall my highs and lows being so intense at that age. I felt anger and love with the same degree of passion back in those days. I can't even imagine how difficult all of that would be if I also had magical powers that would unleash anytime I felt strong emotions. I felt so bad for Robin at some points since I knew she couldn't really control her emotions or her magic. I wish that Wren had been more a guide for her little sister in this respect.

Another element I really loved about this one was the relationship aspects. Not only do you get to see Wren and Gabriel's romance evolve, but Wren's friendships and family ties also play dominant roles. While Wren still can't share her magic with her best friends, it was nice to see that she wasn't keeping a secret like a zombie boyfriend from them this time around. Wren is learning to trust other people - she doesn't have to rely on herself for everything.

There are also some interesting new developments that make this book a suitable companion novel. Not only do we learn more about Wren's brand of magic, but we also get to meet some other characters who practice the craft. Some of them are delightfully wicked and add a sinister layer to this tale. In addition to the new characters, there is also a missing teen in town, so there is a mystery to solve as well. There were moments were I wasn't sure how the personal drama, magic, and missing guy would all work together, but in the end Amy Garvey ties everything together nicely. She has once again crafted a paranormal fantasy that I loved living in for awhile. Dare I hope that there will be a third book? I still think Wren and Gabriel have more stories to tell.

One Last Gripe: I don't feel like things with Bay and Fiona are truly resolved.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: There is just something compelling about Amy Garvey's writing style that I adore - she has a way of bringing the emotions and actions of her characters to life that sucks me in every time

First Sentence: I'm flying.

Favorite Character: Gabriel

Least Favorite Character: Fiona
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Aug 20, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

So after reading/liking Amy Garvey’s Cold Kiss I was really interested to read Glass Heart. And while I mostly liked it, I had more problems with this entry into the series than I did the first.

First off, since I’m fresh off of reading the first book, there are some things that are still bothering me about Cold Kiss that I was hoping would be resolved here, and for the most part they just weren’t. First and foremost, I still can’t help but feel that things ended a little too easy for Wren in the...more So after reading/liking Amy Garvey’s Cold Kiss I was really interested to read Glass Heart. And while I mostly liked it, I had more problems with this entry into the series than I did the first.

First off, since I’m fresh off of reading the first book, there are some things that are still bothering me about Cold Kiss that I was hoping would be resolved here, and for the most part they just weren’t. First and foremost, I still can’t help but feel that things ended a little too easy for Wren in the last book, like there should have been greater consequences for her actions. I mean, hi, SHE BROUGHT HER DEAD BOYFRIEND BACK TO LIFE. And then realized that – uh oh! – this might not be such a good idea when he started getting progressively weirder (and deader). And also when she met a new boy. Granted, she did come to the realization that keeping Danny around was a bad idea somewhat independently of Gabe, but man…it would have been nice to see her do the right thing without a guy to fall back on. But anyway, it is what it is. I just felt like aside from some what I considered to be fairly minor guilt considering that what she did was horrific, she got off a bit too clean. To Amy Garvey’s credit, though, Wren doesn’t act like Danny never existed in this book. He is mentioned from time to time, usually as a result of Wren’s guilty conscience or as a point of comparison between her relationship with Gabe & her relationship with Danny. Which, I dunno, came off as kind of macabre considering the events of the last book. But again, whatev. I was hoping that this book would tie into the last and not pretend like Danny never existed, and it did. So yay.

I’m also still a little fuzzy on Wren’s power. I mean, firstly, WHY does she have it? I get that it runs in her family, but why? Where did it come from? I did like that it was explained why Wren’s power seems to be so ‘roided out compared to her mom’s. I thought it was a nice little touch, so even though I didn’t really get the questions answered to my satisfaction I did like that the idea of the source of her powers was built upon a bit.

See, here’s the thing for me – I can’t stand Wren. I am just now realizing that as I’m writing this review, but I can’t. She’s just one of those people who can’t resist doing the dumb thing every chance she gets, and inevitably it blows up in her face and the faces of anyone within a 5 mile blast radius. She can’t not make terrible decisions. She hides things from the people who care about her and gets herself into precarious situations on the constant. I just…don’t really care for her much at all. She even acknowledges that she’s doing dumb shit out of vengeance or or anger or whatever and then when someone has the balls to call her out on doing something that she herself has admitted was a totally bonehead thing to do, she has a hissy fit, bursts into tears, and storms out of the room/house/building. Literally. She does this at least three times that I can remember. She’s constantly bursting into tears and running away. And the thing is, main characters I don’t like are usually a kiss of death for me, but in this case it really wasn’t. Amy Garvey must tell a really good story because even though Wren is the kind of girl I’d like to kick in the neck, I kept right on reading and let it slide.

I also can’t figure out what Wren & Gabriel’s relationship is all about. She mentions repeatedly that she really doesn’t know anything about him, yet she loves him. Really? I mean, it’s nice that she notices little things like how he bites his lip when he reads, but that isn’t knowing someone. That’s noticing their affectations and maybe loving how you feel when you’re around them, but sorry boys and girls, you have to know someone to love them. Feeling infatuated is not the same thing as being in love. She’s also always comparing Gabe to Poor Dead Danny – usually in a negative way – so that was kind of a head scratcher as well. And Gabe…just…I don’t get why he didn’t kick her to the curb multiple times because her behavior was off the charts bratty for much of the book. The boy must be a fictional saint.

I realize I’m kvetching endlessly about this book and it’s probably giving the impression that I didn’t like it, but that’s not the case. I just liked it less than the first one so maybe I’m focusing more on the negative whereas with Cold Kiss I focused more on the positive. I didn’t love Glass Heart and I certainly had some problems with it (obviously), but I didn’t dislike it. I’ll most likely read the next book in the series.

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Sep 18, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-paranormal

When I finished Cold Kiss, and wiped all my tears away, I imagined that Wren and Gabriel had a sweet "happily ever after". But considering that Wren is a witch with unharnessed powers and Gabriel is psychic, I suppose I should have known better. Wren is happy with Gabriel, slowly and surely falling in love with the boy who supported her when she needed to save herself. But the pull of her magic is strong. Wren has the ability that few witches her age have experienced. Wren's power worries Gabrie...more

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title link	preview: Glass Heart
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Glass Heart (Cold Kiss #2)

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