Header Menu

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

117) Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

The Blurb :

“It seemed so right. Danny was mine, I was his, and that wasn’t going to work if he was dead. So I would make him not dead, not anymore. I didn’t think any further than what it would feel like to kiss him again, to wrap my arms around him and bury my head against his shoulder. That was my first mistake. It also turned out to be the biggest.”

When Wren’s boyfriend Danny died in a car accident, Wren couldn’t imagine living without him. Torn apart by grief, she decided to use her witch-like powers to raise him from the dead. But the Danny who returned is nothing but a pale imitation of the boy he once was—cold, lifeless, and consumed by a desire to be with Wren at all times. Wren has spent four months keeping Danny hidden. But when Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school, he tells Wren that he can sense her powers, and he quickly figures out her terrible secret.

Wren is irresistibly drawn to this mysterious boy who is so much more alive than the ghost of the boy she once loved...and while she’s trying to sort through her tangled emotions, Danny is becoming harder for her to control. As Danny’s behavior gets more erratic, Wren is faced with the magnitude of her mistake—and in the end, she must make a heartbreaking decision.

My Review :

Cold Kiss appealed to me because the cover looked really nice and the blurb sounded interesting. Despite those factors though it took me a while to actually get around to reading this one. There are so many Paranormal Young Adult books around these days that it is hard to get too excited about more. However at least this one tried to be a little different and original.

The concept wasn't that bad once I realised what was going on and I couldn't wait to read this to the end and see what happened. The author has picked up on an idea that can speak to everyone in some way. After all I am sure everyone has someone close to them that has died who you would love to bring back to life.

However good the plot was there were just so many things that made me unsure about this book. Firstly, as you may guess, it is quiet depressing and moody. I found myself taking breaks between the chapters because the emotions of the lead character were just too heavy to keep reading in one gulp.

The writing style was a slight problem for me at first. I liked the way the author tried to keep little pieces of the plot a secret till later. It kept me reading. Although when the little revelations did come they seemed to be revealed quickly and awkwardly. Sure they made you go wow but the moment didn't get the attention it deserved.

Then there was the paranormal aspect. Amy has powers and so does the rest of the family but for some reason nobody seems to want to talk about it. This is something I didn't completely understand. Was there some special reason for this or was the author just not sure how to deal with the magic aspect either? Sure it lent some depth to the story but by the end it was just annoyed me.

I have no idea if the author plans a sequel to Cold Kiss but I certainly would like to see a second part explaining about the magic and family. If this was a stand alone then some readers may be left frustrated at the lack of depth and development.

All in all I have to say I was slightly disappointed in this book. Maybe my expectations were too high but for a YA this was not exciting or very addictive. It was slow, sad and clumsy. It was however a good concept and for that alone it gets a 'try it you may like it' recommendation.

Cold Kiss releases in September.

1 comment:

Aurian said...

So not a book I want to read, thanks Amber for the review.