Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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.

Wren has the perfect relationship with Danny. She believes her relationship will last forever, however, fate has a different plan for her. When Danny is killed in a car accident, Wren finds herself overcome with grief. She takes drastic measures, using her witch powers to bring Danny back from the dead rather impulsively. Yet, reanimated Danny is not the same as before. Wren must figure out how to undo her spell while juggling a new boy, Gabriel, who has caught her eye at school.

The writing in Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey reminded me of Maggie Stiefvater’s writing in Shiver. The wording is very lovely and descriptive. I had a good sense of Wren as a person and her feelings. I could feel her grief for Danny. I think the writing is a bit more stylized than a totally plot-driven, action book.

Oh and holla, Cold Kiss is a standalone, which is like finding a magical diamond among the paranormal genre. So don’t fear reading this and ending up with some contrived cliffhanger to make you buy the next book, instead, Harper Teen rocks out again with a true ending. (Note: at time of reading, this WAS a standalone, as of 2014, it is no longer a standalone book)

I also loved the idea that people are able to fall in love multiple times and that the first person you fall in love with may not be your true love forever. I liked that we see how your high school boyfriend isn’t necessarily going to be the person you end up with. I mean, far too often we see the whole ‘fated for forever’ high school love troupe, especially in these paranormal YA books, and it’s nice to see that flipped. Even if it isn’t forever because of death, still, I liked that.

I did think Cold Kiss was a bit slow, I did feel a little distant from the story. However, I wonder if that’s because much of the story is Wren’s introspection. She wonders if it was a good idea to bring Danny back. She’s dealing with her feelings about Gabriel. She’s questioning who to turn to for help. It’s not like there’s this big huge danger driving the book, so perhaps plotwise that’s why it’s not Divergent fast.

I also found Wren annoying at times, because I thought she was too stubborn. And I realize that is me looking at this from my tower of infinite adult wisdom, and honestly I wanted to shake her and be like LADY you don’t have to deal with this alone, it’s okay to ask for help.

That said, Amy Garvey’s debut, Cold Kiss is very romantic and I think you should check it out if you are in the mood for a kissing book.

Other Reviews of Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey:

Chick Loves Lit
My Overstuffed Book Shelf
A Story Untold

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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