Book Review: Cold Kiss

Novel: Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey
Release Date: September 20th, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen

Format: Hardcover Novel

Source: Won from Katie's Book Blog

It was a beautiful, warm summer day, the day Danny died.

Suddenly Wren was alone and shattered. In a heartbroken fury, armed with dark incantations and a secret power, Wren decides that what she wants—what she must do—is to bring Danny back.

But the Danny who returns is just a shell of the boy Wren fell in love with. His touch is icy; his skin, smooth and stiff as marble; his chest, cruelly silent when Wren rests her head against it.

Wren must keep Danny a secret, hiding him away, visiting him at night, while her life slowly unravels around her. Then Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school, and Wren realizes that somehow, inexplicably, he can sense the powers that lie within her—and that he knows what she has done. And now Gabriel wants to help make things right.

But Wren alone has to undo what she has wrought—even if it means breaking her heart all over again.

(Synopsis from Goodreads)

Willa's Rambles:

   Cold Kiss had been recommended to me by so many blogs, and I have seen rave reviews of multiple of my favorite blogs, so it was on my to-read list. Then, when I won the Dark Days of Supernaturally Tour Giveaway at Katie's Book Blog, I couldn't wait to read it!

   First and most important - Cold Kiss didn't do it for me. It didn't live up to the high standards I had been hearing about it, and I wasn't impressed. That is not to say that it wasn't interesting - it kept me reading and turning pages - it just didn't give me that "WOW" factor I was expecting.

   That aside, let's move on to characters. The biggest reason I wasn't in love with this book was Wren. I couldn't connect to her! I didn't understand why she made some of the decisions she did or why she couldn't make herself get rid of Danny. I didn't feel a drive to want her to live or be alright. Honestly, if the book had ended where she had died, I probably would have put it down and said, "Hmm. That was interesting." I could feel more of a connection to Danny than Wren, which isn't a good sign.

   Danny was a I love you and a You scare me combo because we as readers learn about two different versions. Version one being alive and happy Danny who Wren fell in love with, and the other Danny being brought-back-to-life Danny. Brought-back-to-life Danny scared me out of my wits and every scene I was like, "GET OUT OF THERE WREN!" and rapidly flipped the pages. Scenes with sweet, loving Danny I was acting like Wren and falling head over heels for him.

   Mixed feelings but over-all it was memorable!