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.Title: Cold Kiss
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. - Goodreads
Author: Amy Garvey
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 20th 2011
Format: eBook
Pages: 180
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Sub-Genre(s): Romance
Rating: ❤❤❤ ½
Where to Buy: Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository
Cold Kiss is a fascinating story, one that is filled with suspense, romance, even a little magic.
The readers are introduced to Wren, the protagonist of the story. She is 17, emotional, and has one big secret: she brought her boyfriend, Danny back from the dead. Her first real love. The only problem is he doesn't seem like he use to be when he was alive. Something is 'missing', besides his pulse, when she seems him.
It's bad enough the way everything fell apart for Wren, but she has no one to talk to when Danny is back. This forces her to lie to everyone, including her own mother and sister. Her best friends are barely talking to her because of Danny. But then someone new walks into town, Gabriel, the new boy. As time goes on he won't leave her alone and he feels compelled to know Wren. From there the two begin a bond, one that started on an off note.
Now for the thoughts on the book...
The story itself was entertaining. However it left me feeling as thought something was missing, not the characters, but the way the plot played out. I think it has to do with how many horror movies I've seen and such shows as Tales from the Crypt that got me to think Danny as going to go a little choo-choo towards Wren and everyone else by the end of the book. But that is just me in regards to the dead boyfriend coming back.
Once I got past that and let those expectations go, I enjoyed the book.
I simply reveled in the aspects between Wren and all of her family, including her Aunt Mari. The reasons for this stem from the secrets that surround Wren's family that her mother just won't talk about; yet it's vitally important that someone should. It all comes down to how everything was before Wren's father left and before her grandmother passed away. When she was a child, Wren was entertained by her aunt and grandmother always being over at her house, her mother laughing, her father smiling and love just filling the air. Overtime, that all changed and Wren is devastated by this during the book.
The character dynamics played out between Wren and Danny start off simple. But by the end, was tangled up and heartbreaking. You could tell she truly loved Danny with all her heart, that kind of young love at 16 that you never forget. But I was worried for Wren, because Danny had changed. He was actually starting to remember things and how he died, which led to his manic moods. The frantic parts were when Danny forget where he was and who was there. It made Wren start to cry sometimes or get scared a little. Something a person shouldn't have to feel about love and was tainting the memories of Danny when he was alive.
And then the other boy, Gabriel. Something about him and the way he interacted with Wren was captivating. I wanted more between them, but they're young and the story wasn't all about how it unfolded in that direction, maybe in the sequel it'll happen more. Anyway, you could tell Gabriel cared about Wren in the way he was being patient and protective. I think he wanted to wrap her up in bubble wrap and keep her away from the insanity, keep her safe from Danny. This storyline needs more development, but I loved how it was in the last few chapters, because that's what sold me on the believability in how Wren finally understood what love should be between two people.
Now the story felt a little flat here and there in the book, which is okay, I was still enjoying the journey. Not sure how to describe it, but it lacked a little fire or a little more action or depth, but first books do that sometimes. It's always the sequels that go deeper and explain more. I have so many questions and I need answers.
Overall, this was a good book and worth every second that I read it. The trek from the beginning to the end was delightful and simmering, but also was cold (no pun intended!)
It may not be for everyone, but if you appreciate a good love triangle story with a twist that has a magic undead element, this could be for you.
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