Title: Cold Kiss Series: Cold Kiss #1
Author Amy Garvey
Release Date: September 11, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 292
Genre(s): Paranormal
Source: Purchased
Summary from Goodreads:
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 is hiding the zombie remains of her boyfriend in the neighbor’s garage. She resurrected him because, after Danny died in a car crash, she couldn’t move on past her grief. But he’s not the same anymore—he’s not alive like he was, even though he’s not dead. And some way or another, Wren’s going to have to figure out how to make things right, even if it means letting Danny go for good.
As far as YA paranormal romance and zombie fiction and teen love go, Cold Kiss comes out of left field and does its own thing. Instead of dealing with new love and the beginning of a relationship, Amy Garvey writes about the end of one, about letting go and moving on even if it hurts. In that, I think this book is much more heartfelt and touching than is the norm for this genre or subject.
Wren definitely stole my heart in the end, proving herself to be a protagonist worthy of my esteem. She stood up for herself, she didn’t take crap from anyone (especially her mom), she made mistakes but owned up to them and did her best to make amends, and in the end she did the right thing even though she didn’t want to. At the same time, I would have liked to see a bit more depth from her, but what Garvey supplied I was more than willing to take. And there’s a sequel, which I’m expecting will expand on Wren’s personality a bit more, hopefully.
Inter-family relationships also play a role in Cold Kiss, which was fabulous—more books need to realize that most teens have some kind of “family” or support system. Wren had her mother and sister, both of whom also had magical powers (I guess you could call them witches if you want). Wren’s mother tries to pretend the magic doesn’t exist, and it’s created a huge barrier between them, especially since Wren’s dad walked out ten years ago and hasn’t been heard from since. In that context, it’s not at all surprising that Wren attached herself to Danny in the way she did, that she was unable to let him go.
I was also impressed with the romantic relationships Garvey presented in this novel. New boy in town, Gabriel, plays a somewhat important role in the plot. He also has supernatural powers—mind reading—and he knows something wrong in Wren’s world. At the end of the book they’ve only known each other for a week, and though they’ve formed a bond that’s definitely not platonic, they don’t declare undying love for each other or act in any way silly or unrealistic. And though Cold Kiss is mostly about Wren and Danny’s relationship coming to a close, Garvey does give the reader glimpses into the initial stages of their love as well.
“It wasn’t love right away, because nothing ever is, no matter what the songs say, but it was the start of it. A beginning in one way, and the end in another. I think that might always be true of love” (pg. 6).
Thank goodness for a YA author with her head screwed on right!
Sad to say, though, that as much as I loved Cold Kiss as a whole, I did have some issues. In general I feel like this book only scraped the surface of its potential. Amy Garvey could have done so much more—deeper emotion, broader themes, etc. That she didn’t was disappointing, as I can’t help but feel like there’s a piece missing from this novel to make it truly wonderful.
But overall, Cold Kiss the type of paranormal novel I love to read and tend to look desperately for but almost always end up not finding. I’m extremely impressed with both this novel and Amy Garvey’s ability to relate a unique story. This author has talent, and this book has real merit. Cold Kiss is a great novel for those looking for an out of the ordinary experience.
YES. I’m glad you liked this one so much. I totally thought I knew where it was going, because of the cover and because of what paranormals tend to do, and it ended up being the exact opposite novel from what I expected. It’s actually a sort of classic tale, a be careful what you wish for sort of thing. There’s a similar plot in Fullmetal Alchemist, when the boys try to bring their mother back to life. When she comes back, she’s not their mom anymore, and they have to make huge sacrifices to even get that. Wren gets off pretty easily.
Like you, I did feel like something was missing, but it was still utterly delightful for stepping outside of the standard box and showing that every relationship isn’t true love and that, no, love doesn’t conquer death.
That was one of my favorite quotes too. I may even have used it in my review.
Christina (A Reader of Fictions) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday (42): Still Star-Crossed
I really feel like I would dig paranormal a lot more if it wasn’t filled with Special Snowflakes, love triangles, and alpha males. Grr, all things I don’t enjoy.
Have you read the sequel, Christina? I checked it out from the library, but I’m not sure what to expect. More zombies?
I feel the same about Paranormal. There’s great source material in there, but they do the lamest stuff with it most of the time. Creatures that should be edgy end up being fuzzy and romantic. Ugh.
No, I haven’t yet. The EpicReads fairies sent me the sequel around Christmas, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. Will probably be a while tbh.
Christina (A Reader of Fictions) recently posted…Review: Gamers
Oh wow I picked this one up a while back when the ebook was free but I haven’t picked it up yet. This sounds really good! I admit I picked it up on a whim and had no idea what it was about at all but you have me wanting to pick it up now. I love that her family is also present in the book because that doesn’t happen enough in YA these days. Great review, Renae!
Jenni @ Alluring Reads recently posted…J.L. Bryan’s Songs of Magic Boardgame
Same here, Jenni! I figured a free book was a free book and thought I’d get around to it eventually, but man do I wish I’d read this sooner. I have the sequel, too, and I hope it’s equally awesome.
I got this book when it was on for a deal on Kindle, but I have still not read it! It sounds really good, and such an interesting and different idea. I didn’t know what it was about when I saw it, but the cover just drew me in! It’s nice to hear that this author has talent and knows what she is doing. I think I need to move this up my TBR list!
Andrea @Cozy Up With A Good Read recently posted…Review: Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick
I got this back when it was free as well, but I wish I’d read this sooner! It was really surprisingly awesome.
I’m so glad that you liked this one! I’ve had it on my Kindle for awhile, but didn’t know too much about it. It sounds amazing though from the way you described it.
Angie F. recently posted…Review: Blood Warrior (Alexa Montgomery, #1) by H.D. Gordon
I think it’s worth reading, though I do admit that it could have been better in spots (like, more character depth, for instance). But still, I recommend Cold Kiss just because of its uniqueness.
I got this one from amazon when it was free because of the pretty cover, and I didn’t even knew it was about magic and zombie and letting go. I’m not really a zombie fan, but I don’t think that’s the main part of the story. I liked that it is about moving on from a relationship instead of starting one. It’s so different, and I love heroines who don’t take crap from anyone. Fab review!
Aman recently posted…Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The zombie aspect is definitely pretty minimal. Danny is never referred to as a “zombie” even though that’s technically what he is, and there’s only the one undead creature. So this book is probably good for those who don’t enjoy zombie novels too much.
Oh wow. I was about to say that zombie romances are really not my thing. I don’t get turned on by zombies and rotting flesh, nopers! lol. But I like how you say this is the story of the end of a relationship. About moving on and it definitely sounds much more emotional than I thought it would be. And finally! Family! It’s such a big part of a teenager’s life–wanting to be independend etc, butting heads, changing family dynamics, etc, yet it’s so rarely brought up in YA books I’m always happen when it’s part of one. Great review, love! I’ve actually got this one and everything but I’d kind of forgotten about it until now! >.<
Giselle recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday (73)
No rotting flesh of any sort in this one, pinky swear! Danny’s more of a cold statue zombie than a decaying corpse zombie. (I’m not even sure if “zombie” is the right word. He’s a resurrected dead person, so I guess it works, right?)
Anyway, if you do get to this (and I hope you do!), I wish you luck and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Thanks for stopping by, Giselle!
YES. I’m really happy that you enjoyed this one, and I definitely agree about it barely brushing the surface of it’s potential. And the closing of the relationship between Danny and Wren was kind of incredible… in a sad way.
Are you planning on reading the second one? Because I REALLY want to hear your thoughts on that one.
tabithasbookblog recently posted…Top Ten Favorite Romances
I will be reading the second book! Probably this weekend. It’s currently second in the queue behind the book I’m currently reading. Did you like Glass Heart at all, Tabitha? I’m not sure what to expect…
I really didn’t. I felt like a lot was missing, but I realized that I was one of the few that felt that way, so I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Tabitha S. recently posted…Top Ten Favorite Romances
I purchased this when the digital edition was on sale a LONG time ago, but never read it. I’ve seen positive reviews all over the place for it, though, so I’m not sure what I’m waiting for.
I love that family dynamics are important in this book. I’m so tired of parents being conveniently dead or neglectful, and I’m tired of the MCs either being only children, or completely alienated from their siblings. It would be nice to read about a YA heroine who actually had to deal with things like curfew and being grounded and the weird things that happen to your relationships with your parents as you grow up.
Also, I really didn’t expect there to be zombie remains. I thought that the boy was either going to be fully back to life, or a ghost or something. That’s definitely a surprise!
Bekka @ Pretty Deadly Reviews recently posted…Review: The Archived
I feel like a lot of authors are taking notice of how readers complain about their protagonist’s lack of support system, since most of the really new YA books have done better in that respect. It’s about time. But Cold Kiss is a bit older, so in my mind it’s a bit ahead of its time. The tension between Wren and her mother and Wren and her sister were so realistic; honestly the best part of the book.
I liked reading this especially noticing the ways it was different from other YA PNR but ultimately agreed with you that it was just too surface-level and could have dug deeper to make a more powerful read. Consequently I skipped the sequel.
Bookworm1858 recently posted…Quicksilver
I plan on picking up Glass Heart, but I’ve not been hearing good things about it, so I’m a bit nervous.
Ah, Renae, I feel like I’ve been away from your blog for too long! I love the design. It’s gorgeous. I’m happy to hear you liked this one. When it first came out, I heard “zombies” and ran in the other direction. I’m not very fond of zombies. However, it doesn’t seem to be that large of a focus in this book! I’m always looking for books with great relationships in them–romantic or familial, regardless. I think I’ll have to pick this one up. It sounds fantastic, and I’m so glad you liked it, Renae!
Sophia recently posted…Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
Aw, thank you, Sophia! My designer did such a fabulous job with the new site.
I actually am a sort-of zombie fan, but I don’t feel like Cold Kiss is really a “zombie novel” in any sense of the word. For one thing, the only “zombie” is Danny, and he’s more a reanimated corpse than a groaning and lurching rotting body. The entire concept is handled so uniquely, really, and there’s not really another book I can compare this to.