Cursed By Jennifer L. Armentrout

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 have 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.

Holly's Review:

I have definitely found another must read author in Jennifer Armentrout! What a magnificent story teller!

Cursed it the story of Ember, a seventeen year old girl who has the power to kill with a single touch! She did not ask for this gift, or curse as she refers to it, but she has it now none the less.

Two years ago she was in a horrible car accident with her parents and younger sister. Unbeknownst to Ember, her sister Olivia has the power to bring things back to life. This is exactly what she did when she touched her big sister. Unable to reach her father, he died in the crash. Now two years later, Ember is the freak of the school, with her clear blue eyes, scars and the inability to touch anyone or anything without constantly wearing gloves. Also, due to the fact that her mother has basically mentally checked out, Ember is pretty much sole guardian of Olivia. I know, a lot to heap on a 17 year old, right?

Ok then, que the hot mysterious stranger.... Oh yeah, you knew there would be one, right? Ember has noticed this guy a couple of times watching her and it creeps her out a little, if he wasn’t so beautiful I mean! =)

Hayden has a gift like Embers, well sort of like hers and HOLY CRAP! He can touch her without dying, if only for a moment. Hayden’s ‘father’ takes her and her mother and sister and basically uproots them to West Virginia where he houses a group of gifted kids. Oh, and is the mayor of the town. Now, this part had a little Xavier and the X-men feel to it but that’s ok, it was still really cool.

Now, as not to give too much away here I am going to stop with the detail, other than there is more going on here than meets the eye and Ember knows it! She is determined that someone in Hayden’s family is out to get her because the basically all want her gone. All except Hayden of course! Hayden and Ember and watching their love unfold was the highlight of the book for me, but that is just because I am a hopeless romantic. This book has it all though, seriously, love, hate, super powers, villains, suspense, wow you name it and it was in there!

I really, really enjoyed this story! So much so that I devoured it in one day!