Book Review: Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Cursed
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Supernatural
Release Date: September 18th 2012
Review Source: Spencer Hills Press
Available: Amazon

Summary: (from goodreads) Dying sucks--and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows.

Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he’s a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she’s more than interested. There’s just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she’s willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't?

But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not've been an accident at all, she’s not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time.

Remember when I wrote in my past reviews that pertained to Jennifer's writing, I mentioned I'd read anything from her. Well I wasn't lying when I said it. Jennifer took her writing somewhere else when she wrote Cursed. It was a little nice to read outside the Covenant or Lux world for a change. Cursed brought all the great storytelling Jennifer is good at and more. Fans of Jennifer will be very pleased when they sit down and read Cursed. 

Cursed is the story of Ember. See Ember is special compared to you and I. Ember was brought back from the dead by her 5 year old sister when Ember died in a car accident. Now because Ember was brought back she acquired a special touch. Basically anything Ember touches that is living DIES. Yes you read that right, if Ember touches a human, animal or even a plant, it withers away and dies. So Ember has been struggling for the past 2 years since that accident that changed her life. She must make sure she wears gloves, pants and long sleeved shirts so that no one by accident will touch her while she is at school. Ember also struggles with the fact that she looks somewhat different, especially her eyes. Now you think thats enough for a girl to have on her plate right? Well poor Ember also has been raising her little sister since the accident, because their father died in the accident and her mother is alive but is pretty much disconnected from the world. Poor Ember just doesn't get any kind of a break. 

Well when Ember runs into a ex-boyfriend and things get severely out of control and that boy dies because her touch. People Ember does not know show up and they are taken to live with them. The explain they want to help her sister with her gift and also try and help Ember with hers. Of course they don't consider what has happen to Ember a natural gift and warn her that if she causes any problem she will be shipped off to The Facility. Ember will do everything in her power to stay with her sister, no matter the cost. Of course during all this Ember doesn't expect to find love and possibly fix what is wrong with her. 

Cursed will keep you guessing and wondering what next in Ember's life. What I really like is that Cursed ended on a good note, but has the possibility of becoming a series if Jennifer wants it too. I would like to explore more in the world of the gifted and even possibly The Facility.