Cursed

By: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

Length: 11 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

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.

Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things - including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming that Ember's 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 weird even her out.

When Ember learns that 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 gets to losing not only her heart but her life. For real this time.

©2012 Jennifer L. Armentrout (P)2014 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Armentrout puts a fresh twist on this occult tale, creating a paranormal setting that has the right mix of suspense, mystery, romance, and adventure. Gripping characters with an X-Men feel drive the plot, leaving readers wondering who is innocent and who is guilty."----School Library Journal

Why did I wait so long to listen to this GEM!

In a word this book was emotional. I really enjoyed the ride the author took us on.
Ember is struggling not only with being her sister’s caregiver but because of what her sister can do and the results of the tragedy she has lived through.

I loved the world building Jennifer gives us, it’s never forced it always seems so organic. It makes for an intriguing story and one you won’t want to put down.
I kind of wish this was a series because I would love to know more about some of the other characters and even more Ember I mean the way the book ends it could lead to so much more.

I loved the narration Saskia gives the emotion the inflection and the heartbreak in her voice it's wonderful and keeps you gripped in the story.

Wonderful!!

It's a mix of mystery, intrigue, and romance. And excellent listening experience. Your heart will wrench one moment, and skyrocket the next.

Awesome

Favorite author. Never disappoints. I hope this one gets a sequel but still great as a stand alone. Also it's not about what you expect.

Couldn't decide if the family was good or bad

Ember's gift was triggered by her death & resurrection. Her new life sucked but she did everything possible to care for her little sister. Not being able to simply touch her sister w/o gloves is heartbreaking. All that I could empathize with but being immediately attracted to a guy who is clearly dangerous, especially when all Olivia has is Ember to care for her. I don't understand but maybe that's just my wariness showing. Then the whole kidnap/adopt thing, again hard to believe & the family just seems off, morally ambiguous, broken, etc. The one redeeming thing about the Cromwell family is that they love each other. Hayden, is a stalker & totally messes with Ember's head. She is so vulnerable after being unable to touch or get close to anyone for two years. Add hormones to that & Ember was in trouble. Hayden didn't act like a gentleman. The story was interesting in a read once kind of way. The narrator was good but I prefer the males to sound more male. This definitely isn't one of my favorite books but I did like the book.

Great

Great story! I enjoyed listening to this book. Narrator did a good job. Crazy twist and turns in the book.

Not a Favorite, But Good

I love this author and the series she writes. This one was a good read, but not a favorite of mine by this author. Still, if you love her other books, it's a decent read!

Definitely recommend

LOVED it. first audio book since Harry Potter that I've liked and have been able to finish. Jennifer L Armentrout's novels are beautifully written. I just wish there was more to this story.

least favorite book from Jennifer

I really wanted to love this book as I have loved every book I've read written by Jennifer so far but this one just fell incredibly flat. one of the things I love about her writing is how unpredictable the turns of her stories are but this one couldn't have been more predictable if it tried. the story also doesn't really go anywhere it all just feels like a giant preamble and then it ends. I kept waiting and waiting for it to pick up and then it just ended. I think the universe could be interesting to explore and it could definitely go somewhere if the story was continued but as is unfortunately not worth it.

Lots of mystery

All of JLA's books pull me in immediately and I ever want to leave. There is a lot of action, mystery, and always second guessing everyone. This is an awesome storyline. A lot of the characters have gifts that they had to figure out how to use.

Ugh

I really wanted to like it. I loved her other books. This was was simple, predictable with sappy romance. I finished it - but it was a struggle.

Yet another irritating female lead

I really wanted to like this story, but unfortunately that was made almost impossible by the female lead character. She's yet another whiny, infuriatingly weak-willed female character that just lays down and takes all the abuse and rubbish that is thrown at her, rather than stand up for herself. It's impossible to like her or feel and kind of sympathy for her. You just want to shake her and tell her to grow a pair.

The narrator did a really good job, and I would be happy to listen to another title narrator by her.

Not one of her best too much bullying.

I found the storyline good, but it could have been better. The female lead was unfairly bullied, tormented, treated less than a person, and blamed for things that were out of her control right up until the end. There was no compassion from the adults who said they cared, and she was treated like a bad experiment. She was kidnapped from her life, cut off from her only friend, and expected to be happy, do as she was told and not act out, and rebel when she was terrified for her family. The end was abrupt and could have done with another couple of chapters as many things were left hanging, which left the reader frustrated. Perhaps there will be a sequel. If so, I hope it's better than this one. If you like a story where someone is bullied, tormented, and blamed throughout the entire book for something out of her control with limited help offered, then have at it otherwise steer clear.

easy reading

Overall, an appropriate story for the intended target audience (young adult/older teen). The narrator was great to listen to and ‘performed’ the story very well. The story itself is not complex, some aspects are quite predictable or expected. At times perhaps the lead character could have been portrayed somewhat ‘stronger’, and perhaps less ‘whiny’. I liked the range of ‘superpowers’ and perhaps these could have been built on. Whether the outside world aware of these powers or not, was unclear. There are a few other unanswered questions and characters that seem to ‘disappear’. An easy read, but, for me, the story could have moved a little faster in places. I liked the twist.

sweet young romance

ember being a newly gifted girl can sometimes in the story there were moments you wanted to shout at her to just stick up for herself. however the overall story is a sweet story of a girl managing a little romance in an impossible situation, bullied and made to feel an outsider who has little say in her life's journey. the narrator did a marvelous job and has a great voice to listen to. did I find this story the best ever, no, but it isn't as bad as the review left previously. I didn't expect the bad guy to be who he was so this was a good little twist. I think this is an easy listen with a little supernatural, young teen appropriate romance, nothing heavily sexual at all, just a little bitter sweet story. I enjoyed it, can't rave about it, but it's worth a read when you want something light with a supernatural element and a little mystery.