Review: Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

When her boyfriend, Danny, is killed in a car accident, Wren can’t imagine living without him. Wild with grief, she uses the untamed powers she’s inherited to bring him back. But the Danny who returns is just a shell of the boy she once loved.

Wren has spent four months keeping Danny hidden, while her life slowly unravels around her. Then Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school and somehow, inexplicably, he can sense her secret. Wren finds herself drawn to Gabriel, who is so much more alive than the ghost of the boy she loved. But Wren can’t turn her back on Danny or the choice she made for him—and she realizes she must find a way to make things right, even if it means breaking her own heart.

Amy Garvey’s transcendent teen debut is perfect for fans of Shiver and Beautiful Creatures. Wren’s unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

When I first started reading Cold Kiss, I was admittedly a little confused. The mix of past and present tense caught me off guard a bit, as I'm used to books that are mostly written in past tense only. However, as the story began to pick up, I started to understand the need for two tenses in order to relive memories from the narrator's mind.

Wren, the female protagonist, and her boyfriend Danny are living perfectly happy lives until tragedy strikes. When Danny is involved in a fatal car crash, Wren's grief is insurmountable. Blessed with magical powers beyond imagination, Wren does the unthinkable--she tries to bring Danny back to life. To her shock as well as delight, the spell is successful. Danny is back, and Wren is ecstatic. She hides him in her neighbor's garage and tells no one, sneaking out at night to see him. At first, Danny just wants to be with Wren all the time. After a while, however, he starts to remember things like friends, family, even the crash. He's different; pale and cold, only a fraction of how he was before. Wren is frightened, but she knows Danny wouldn't hurt her...or would he?

I adored Wren as a character. Though she makes some poor decisions, she'll stop at nothing to make things right again. She gains mental and emotional strength as the plot progresses, and even meets someone who could help her and love her at the same time--Gabriel. Gabriel has some powers of his own, and he eventually finds out what Wren has done. He's a complete sweetheart, and though her does try to play the savior card more than once, Gabriel is always willing to trust and support Wren.

I was so happy with the ending of Cold Kiss. Even though it was pretty predictable, the resolution left me smiling in satisfaction. I also love the fact that this book appears to be a stand-alone novel. So many YA paranormal romances are made into series these days; it was refreshing to read a story from start to finish in one sitting. Give this one a shot, and let me know what you think!

Rating: 4/5 stars