Review: Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: September 18th, 2012
Page count: 304 pages
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Format: E-book
Who I'd Recommend it To: Fans of other Jennifer L. Armentrout books & Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.
Rating: ★★ 1/2

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.

Review...

I bought this one as soon as I knew it was out, seeing as I'm a fan of the author's Lux series. Unfortunately, I was not as taken with this one as I was with that series. This one failed to meet my expectations, for a load of various reasons.

In the beginning of the book, we get to see a glimpse of what Ember's life is like after she's had the accident she died in -- she has to take care of her 5-year-old sister (who just happens to be able to bring things back to life), her mother thinks she's dead and she's constantly bullied and ridiculed by the kids at her school -- it's pretty damn crappy. Then, a boy called Hayden comes along (shocking, I know..) , some crazy stuff happens, and the next thing Ember knows, she's being relocated to Hayden's fathers house (unwillingly, might I add) and has to learn to control her power.

I think that the main problem I had with this one was the characters, and I found this strange because I usually adore Jennifer's characterization--it's one of the things I loved the most about Obsidian and Onyx. I liked the main character Ember well enough, but she got on my nerves constantly. I just felt like I couldn't connect with her and most of the time she just came off as the helpless victim. Hayden and all the other males in there book always seemed to saving her. Frankly, I missed the spunk that Katy has and the will to be able to defend herself.

The other characters seemed to be all undeveloped, and most of the were quite cliche, also. I couldn't seem to understand why some of the characters did what the things they did, and found it hard to comprehend their reasoning behind things. I didn't buy the Ember/Hayden romance either, to be honest. It felt forced and I particularly didn't like the dialogue between them. It was cheesy most of the time. Another thing I like about her Lux series is that it's full of witty dialogue and it never seems to take itself too seriously, which is a factor that I think Cursed seriously lacked.

With all that said, I did enjoy the book whilst reading it. I devoured it in under 24 hours, and I really did want to know what would happen next. It was interesting take on the whole kids-with-powers thing, but I felt like I had seen most of it before.

In short: Cursed failed to meet my expectations, unfortunately. Uninteresting, undeveloped characters and full of cliches. Cursed is a fast-paced easy read, although unsatisfying.

Regan's Rant of the Day: Bring Perks to Australia!

I think it was a little over a year ago when I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I remember seeing loads of people on Goodreads talking about, many people quoting it on Tumblr and even YouTubers going on about it, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I only knew a little bit of what the book was about prior to reading it, and little did I know that it had made such an impact of people's lives, nor did I realise what an impact it would make on mine. If you're not familiar with Perks, the book is about a young, introverted boy called Charlie who is going through his first year of high school. Things aren't going too well for him until he meets two seniors named Sam and Patrick, who take him under their wing and welcome him to real world. Find out more here on Goodreads.

The book covers a whole load of various topics like suicide, depression, teen pregnancy, first loves -- you know, all that jazz. What I love about this book is that it doesn't sugarcoat anything; it's a very accurate portrayal of Highschool and life in general. Even though it's set in the 90's, the stuff that Charlie goes through is still extremely relevant today. Perks has shown teenagers that they're not alone, that many people all around the world are going through the same things. Perks has given people hope. Perks has literally saved people.

Not only did it introduce me to some crazy awesome music, it made me realise some very important things. When Emma Watson was asked "When people walk away from seeing this movie, is there a message you hope they take away from the experience of seeing it?" a part of her answer was "Everyone has a story. People tend to judge and interpret behaviour without going to the source of the behaviour ... People can change and people make mistakes and people are human and you kinda need to love them for that." I think that is a big part of what I learnt from this book - that people have a reason for acting the way they do, and that people are human and make mistakes and have imperfections, and you've got to love them for that, because that is what makes them human.

The amazing book has now been made into a feature film starring the fabulous Emma Watson, Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller, as well as many other great and talented actors (it's also directed and written by the guy who made the book!). Unfortunately, this movie isn't being released everywhere around the world, and one of those places it isn't coming to (so far, anyway) is Australia. When I heard about this, I was pretty upset, to say the least. I couldn't understand why it possibly wouldn't be over here, seeing as the book has a massive fan base and it has some pretty big names it. Here is the trailer:

Seeing how many people were upset about it not getting released here in Aus, I decided I wanted to do something about it, and I thought that if Roadshow Films (a movie distributor in Australia) saw how much people wanted to see the movie, they would get something done about it. I ended up starting a petition. So far, the petition has over 300 supporters, and that number is growing rapidly. So, if you're a Perks fan, Australian or not, I urge you to sign this petition, share it around to your friends and spread the word. This is a movie that needs to be seen, and it's a story that needs to be heard.

Sign the petition HERE.

In My Mailbox #3

 In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Its basically gives us book bloggers a chance to show what books we've bought, won, recieved for review, etc.

Sadly, I haven't recieved many books lately, but here are the ones I have gotten in the past few weeks:

For Review:

• Ever by Jessa Russo.

Thanks to Curiosity Quills Press.

Bought:

• Eona by Alison Goodman.
• Take Me There by Carolee Dean.
• Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Won:

• The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina.

Thanks to Vegan YAnerds and Walker Books! Can't wait to read this one.

Book2Movie! The Beautiful Creatures Trailer is Here!

The Beautiful Creatures trailer has arrived and it's fantastic. I especially love the opening sequence with Emma Thompson; it really sets the feel of it all, which is much like the feel of the book--small town and very gothic-like. In this teaser, we get to see pretty much all of the main characters--Ethan, Lena, Amma, Macon, Ridley.. and we even get to see a glimpse of Link. The music in the trailer is Florence + The Machine's Seven Devils, which is very fitting.

I don't know how I feel about Alden Ehrenreich as Ethan yet (All I know is that his last name is freaking hard to spell), but I'm sure he'll be fantastic. The rest of the cast will be amazing in their roles as well, I'm sure, as they're all seriously talented actors. I mean, Viola Davis, Emma Thompson and Jeremy Irons--wow. 

Beautiful Creatures is set to hit theatres on February 14th next year in Australia. 

Waiting on Wednesday #8: Let The Sky Fall

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

Let The Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger.

Release Date: March 5th, 2013

Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them. 

OK, this cover is gorgeous and I'm a sucker for the whole forbidden romance thing + I've never read a book about a sylph before, so this should definitely be interesting!

Book2movie! Beautiful Creatures Stills + Trailer News.

Ok, I'll admit, I wasn't the biggest fan of Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl's novel Beautiful Creatures, but oh my God, am I looking forward to this movie adaption. Since about a month or so ago, a couple of stills have been released and just now more have been to. And from the look of the pictures, this movie seems like it's definitely going to stay true to the novel.

Also.. the first trailer will be released on Friday 9:30am Australian Eastern time, so make sure you check it out! Without further ado, here are the recent pictures released: 

Emmy Rossum as Ridley Duchannes, wearing a very. . interesting dress.

Amma (Viola Davis), Lena (Alice Englert), Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich).

Lena showing Ethan the number on her hand, counting down the days to her 16th birthday.

The ever-so-fabulous Macon Ravenwood played by the equally as great Jeremy Irons. 

Lena in the library!

Top Ten Tuesday #5

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday, book bloggers post a top ten list in response to a predetermined prompt. To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday, or see a list of future topics , head on over the The Broke and the Bookish. 





September 11:  Top Ten Books That Make You Think (About The World, People, Life, etc.)


1.) If I Stay by Gayle Forman.
Never take anything for granted, because in a flash, it could be gone. And it also made me wonder: If I was in the same situation as the main character was in, what would I choose?

2.) Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.
I was in my second year of highschool when I read this book, and it opened my eyes to many things, to say the least. It made me realise that everyone out there is fighting their own battles - and so much more.

3.) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

This book, I think, made a huge effect on me. It made me realise that perhaps the world of The Hunger Games isn't too far off if we keep going to way we do. Our obsession with reality television and so many more issues.. It was a big eye opener. 

4.) Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.

It makes you re-think some of your actions, for sure.

5.) On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.

6.) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
This book makes me think about life, and love, and just so many things. Makes me feel all the things. 

7.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusack.
(Although I haven't finished it yet.) I am haunted by humans. Just.. that line. 

Book2Movie: Perks premiere!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower movie adaption premiered at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) earlier today. The film stars Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller, Emma Watson, Paul Rudd, Nina Dobrev and many more talented actors. Set in the 90's, the book centres around Charlie (Lerman), an awkward, troubled teen who is having a hard time at highschool before meeting and befriending two seniors (Watson and Miller), who gladly take him under their wing and pretty much welcome him to the real world.

Fans of the book can breathe a sigh of relief, seeing as the movie has been met with mostly positive reviews so far, a lot of them praising Ezra Miller and Logan Lerman on their portrayals of Patrick and Charlie. Reviews also say that the film definitely stays true to the book! 

The cast at the premiere.

Sadly, for us Aussie fans, there isn't any release date for this movie yet, so chances are that we'll have to wait for it to come out on DVD here (which I'm super angry about, might I add.) The film hits theatres in the USA on the 21st of this month.