Cursed [Hardcover]

Jennifer L. Armentrout (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 2012

Dying sucks--and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blow
Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he’s a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she's more than interested. There's just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she's willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't?
But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not've been an accident at all, she’s not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in West Virginia. All the rumors you've heard about her state aren't true. Well, mostly. She spends her time reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent her time writing short stories... therefore explaining her dismal grades in math.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Spencer Hill Press (September 18, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0983157278
• ISBN-13: 978-0983157274
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #620,377 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great JLA book! September 17, 2012

By BookcaseLaura

Format:Hardcover

My favorite part of romance novels is the tension and build-up, and Jennifer L. Armentrout writes it like no one else. In my opinion, she is the queen of romantic paranormal YA fiction. In a few short months, I have devoured every one of her books, starting with Obsidian and the Covenant series -- and now with Cursed, she has hooked me again. She just loves to frustrate us readers by erecting barriers - whether society rules and taboos, or in this case, physical issues - which keep young lovers apart. But, that frustration only fuels the fire of romance and keeps us reading to find out how it will all work out (and we know it has to, because YA/paranormal or not, they are all still romance novels at heart!).

Cursed brings us into the world of Ember McWilliams, a high school senior who was killed in a car accident two years ago, and then miraculously brought back to life by the special touch of her younger sister, Olivia. But, that event apparently awakened her own "gift" -- killing anything living she touches. What she thinks of as a curse, has made her an outsider with very few friends and an obvious lack of a love life. Enter Hayden Cromwell. A mysterious boy with a "gift" of his own who promises refuge and help controlling her gift. He gives her hope that maybe she doesn't have to be quite so alone in this world...but only if she can trust him. Which means trusting his family, who may or may not have had a role in the accident that caused her father's death and brought upon her curse.

The beginning of Cursed starts out a bit slow, even though there are some fairly interesting events that occur right away, I found it a bit difficult to get into because Ember's world just seemed so bleak, and it just kept getting bleaker. Ember herself describes it accurately as "desolation". There didn't seem to be a bright spot or silver lining to be found in the first 100 pages or so, and that desolation was palpable, even a bit hard to read. But, as Ember and Hayden get closer, and more is revealed about the true nature as to why they are all where they are and how they got to be there, some of that darkness starts to lighten. I flew through the last 100 pages felt a little sad it had to end just as things were really getting good. Not sure if this is one in a series as a lot of her other YA books are, but I, for one, would love to read more. For fans of Obsidian and Half-Blood, Cursed is a must read -- you will not be disappointed! 4.5/5 stars

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Intense, both emotionally, romantically and in action. Great characters and love the premise. September 21, 2012

By brandileigh2003

Format:Hardcover

I know that you've heard me go on and on about how great the writing of Jennifer Armentrout is... and big surprise here: I LOVED this book too.
Jennifer has this gift for writing books that make me swoon, fan myself, make sure my husband isn't reading over my shoulder and admire the main character for being awesomesauce.
Cursed is a bit different from Obsidian and Half-Blood meaning no gods, aliens or apple throwing, but it is still captivating. One plus is that it is currently a stand-alone so we get a wrapped up ending that doesn't make me want to pull my hair out because I need more Aiden/Seth/Daemon... Although I do miss Hayden, and definitely wouldn't mind seeing more of him... And more of Ember's adventures of course.
While I totally understood where Ember was coming from and I felt for her, there were times that I just wanted to whisper some sense into her ears. But then I guess the book wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining. Given if I were in some of the situations she was in, I would probably threaten to unleash my deadly touch on them too. That aside, I really enjoyed being in Ember's head. She was so selfless and it was great to be in her head and watch all of the interactions with her little sister Olivia. It was emotional everything that the girls had to deal with, and the guilt and fear that Ember carried around on a daily basis. I can't even imagine having to avoid touching others and it being a life or death situation.
Cursed features quite a few characters and while all of them were not immediately likable, in fact rather suspicious, they still added to the story. There were all kinds of special gifts and powers, and it felt like a teenage X-men moment going on there, with the JLA twist and a much hotter love interest.
There was always action or emotional issues to keep the plot moving and keep me on the edge of my bed wanting more.
Bottom line: Intense, both emotionally, romantically and in action. Great characters and love the premise.

25 of 31 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars What a waste of money December 27, 2012

By MKSchnyder

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This was a terrible book. The premise wasn't bad. She kills people when she touches them. Okay, I could see that being interesting. However, that is the only good thing about the book. The main character, Ember, is whiny, unintelligent, and irresponsible. The emotional plot twists and turns were not well developed and weren't believable. Still, I could have dealt with all this if it weren't for the "hero."
Hayden confesses to watching Ember, following her around for two years before she even knows he exists. For some reason, Ember finds this attractive. I have something to say about this. Stalkers are not hot. They're creepy. Teen novel writers need to get that in their heads. None of this "he pays so much attention to me because he loves me" and "he can't bear to be away from me" BS. Stalkers. Are. Not. Hot. Hayden is an overbearing creep who conspires with his family to kidnap Ember and her sister and hold them against their will. Not hot.
I do not recommend this book. The characters were unlikable and underdeveloped, the plot too sudden and unbelievable, and the overall quality of writing was poor. Also, it was way overpriced. I could buy a book ten times better for a tenth of the price. It was a waste of money.
I give it 1 1/2 stars.