CURSED by Jennifer Armentrout-a review

CURSED by Jennifer L Armentrout

LINK TO Jennifer’s WEBSITE

CURSED is the new Young Adult release (September 2012) by Jennifer Armentrout.  Focusing on 17year old Ember McWilliams, CURSED follows the young woman as she makes her way through a world where everything she touches will die.  After the accident, 2 years prior, that claimed her father’s life, Ember awakens to the knowledge that she has been ‘gifted’ with a curse.

Ember’s mother remained catatonic.  With her mother “refusing” to acknowledge her children, Ember became the parent to her younger sister Olivia.  But within a short period of time, Ember realized that her touch could kill.  The kids at school called her a freak. But when a beautiful stranger was able to ‘touch’ Ember, she knew her world was about to change once again.

Hayden Cromwell had been watching Ember since the accident. Something about Ember drew him to her. It was only when he realized that everything was falling apart, that he knew he and the others would have to intervene. Taking her back to his father was his only option.  But the others did not agree.

Like something from X-Men and Professor Xavier, Ember and Olivia will find themselves in a home for gifted teens, only Ember is not nearly so well received-Olivia becomes the child prodigy but Ember is feared by the others.  And school is not much better.  But Ember will find support with the assistance of one of her teachers who appears to sympathize with Ember about the daily attacks.

The relationship between Hayden and Ember grows as Hayden tries to help Ember with her gift.  After experiencing a horrific childhood himself Hayden knows only too well the repercussions of a powerful gift left out of control. And he fears The Facility as much as Ember.  Ember is continuously threatened with The Facility if she is unable to control her temper.

There are several household members that both fear and loathe Ember’s ‘curse’.  With their eclectic family of gifts, each will find their way into Ember’s life, whether she wants them to or not.  But following a series of threats and near-fatal accidents, Ember is sure that one of the household members is willing to take the next step to ensure that she stays dead this time. Only it is not just one of the family members hoping to end her life-there are others who are willing to see her die as well.

CURSED is a fantastic new storyline from the mind of Jennifer Armentrout.  The similarities between X-men cannot be denied, but Jennifer does address the issue in the novel when Ember researchers the household specialties and Googles the likes of the comic book heroes. A group of gifted children, whose parents were unable to handle their situations or refused, and their father-figure who took them in and raised the children as his own.  Along the way, Ember must earn the trust of the others, but it is difficult when she believes she is betrayed every day by the people with whom she now lives.  A wonderful start to a new series, I congratulate Jennifer on another wonderful novel.

LINKS TO ORDER:
Amazon Paper Books
B&N Paper Books
The Book Depository

Copy supplied by publisher

Reviewed by Sandy