Glass Heart by Amy Garvey

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Wren can do things that other people can only dream of. Make it snow on a clear, crisp day. Fly through an abandoned tunnel. Bring a paper bird to life.

Wren knows her abilities are tinged with danger--knows how easy it is to lose control--but she can't resist the intoxicating rush. And now that she has Gabriel by her side, someone who knows what she can do--what she "has" done--she finally feels free to be herself.

But as Wren explores the possibilities of her simmering powers, Gabriel starts pushing her away. Telling her to be careful.  Telling her to "stop." The more he cautions her, the more determined Wren becomes to prove that she can handle things on her own. And by the time she realizes that Gabriel may be right, it could be too late to bring him back to her side.

 

So guess who went all fangirl in the bookstore when she eyed this one? That’s right – me. Cold Kiss was one of my Top 10 reads from last year so I squealed ever so slightly when I saw this. To recap, Wren’s a witch and in the previous book brought her dead boyfriend Danny back to life… sort of. He was really more zombie-like and eventually with Gabriel’s help (he just happens to be psychic); Wren righted everything by returning Danny to the afterlife.

In Glass Heart, Wren and Gabriel are together now and she's enjoying her newfound happiness though it’s clear that she’s still working on moving past Danny. Being her first love, she does tend to compare the two guys. The most notable difference that bothers her is that Danny was an open book to her and Gabriel is the opposite.

The struggle in Glass Heart is Wren’s curioisty to learn more about her powers, to let loose and be herself. She accepts that magic is a huge part of who she is and wants to be able to unleash that part of herself. Gabriel on the other hand is insistent on discretion. Gabriel has this quiet reassuring quality about him and he’s very much her protector. He’s constantly worried for her and admonishes her every now and again for her lack of judgment. This difference in opinion drives a wedge between them and forces Wren to fall in with other like-minded people with the same abilities. This spells trouble.

There’s a distinct difference between Cold Kiss and Glass Heart. Glass Heart doesn’t have the heavy weight of mourning and loss that the previous one did.  This time it's purely about high school and the growing pains of finding your place. Wren’s feeling hopless because she cannot publicly show her abilities and she envies her friends who can show off their talents.  Glass Heart is also about rebuilding family. Now that her mother openly admits to their magical inheritance, Wren, her sister, her mother and aunt have to work through the transition.

I was happy with Cold Kiss as a standalone and to be honest, I had no idea how it could even go further from there.  Amy Garvey did a wonderful job allowing Wren to be a typical adolescent. It’s tough enough being a teenager these days but being one with special abilities can be an isolating experience.  Wren may behave like a petulant child occasionally making some seriously questionable decisions but this is what Glass Heart is all about – developing into your own through false starts and rough moments. In the end she realizes where exactly she is.

 ~ Bel

 

 

 

 

Bel's "Top 10 Books I'd Give A Soundtrack To"

I thought I won the lottery when Nat told me about this meme. Take two things I love – music and books – mix and stir and I’m in heaven! So let’s get underway shall we?

Book: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

“Catch and Release” by SilverSun Pickups

Most readers really responded to the chemistry between Adam and Juliette. She experiences a sensory explosion because of Adam’s simple touch.  Not only does the very seductive bass echo their underlying sexual tension between them but the lyrics also describe her awakening.

Book: Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

“Afterglow” by INXS

This song always hits me hard. I can’t listen to it without thinking of Wren and Danny. And every time I hear it (on repeat), I fall in love with the book all over again. Wren desperately holding on to what’s familiar and reluctantly realizing that she has to let go. It really does make me teary-eyed... pass the tissue please …

Book: Matched, Crossed by Ally Condie

“Take The World” by She Wants Revenge

There’s something about the the tone of this song that reminds me of Cassia and Ky. The lines “Is this the life, the one you imagined? Is this the life, the one in your dreams?” sound like a challenge Cassia's grandfather would make to her.

Book: City of Glass

“Ride” by Carey Brothers

I cannot express to you how special this song is to me. I have loved it for so long and it still gives me goosebumps any time I hear it. It’s so simple and yet it’s a potent punch to the gut. “You saw all my pieces broken, this darkness that I could never show…” This is Jace by the end of the book, shattered and vulnerable as he tries to come to terms with the truth about his childhood. And there’s Clary by his side anchoring him.

Book: The Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner

“We’re In This Together” by Nine Inch Nails

Yeah, this very disturbing and relentless romp through hell and back needs a gritty song. In fact, if The Maze Runner should ever become a movie, they should have Trent Reznor do the entire musical score. Just sayin' ...

Book: Saving June by Hannah Harrington

“Cough Syrup” by Young The Giant

Many of our readers know how much I love this book being that it was in my Top 10 of 2011. It’s really unnecessary to add another song to a book that already has its own massive soundtrack provided by the author, but I included this one because it’s about pain and healing.  It’s so beautiful, sad and yet hopeful – just like how Harper, Laney and Jake evolve by the end of the book. (Funnily enough, Young The Giant used to be called The Jakes … and there I go sounding like Jake!)

Book: Wither (Book 1: The Chemical Gardens Trilogy) by Lauren DeStefano

“Possession” by Sarah McLachlan

Sarah McLachlan first wrote this song about a stalker. The song just like the book hides a very dark and sinister undertone beneath it's beautiful melody and lyrics. It just struck me as fitting for Rhine who is kidnapped, married off and kept against her will, devising her plan for her freedom. 

Book: Where She Went by Gayle Foreman

“Anyone’s Ghost” by The National

This is one of Nat’s favorite books and I hope I don’t disappoint her. I picked it because I think it captures Adam’s emptiness without Mia. And if you listen to the lyrics, "I had a hole in the middle, where the lightening went through it, told my friends not to worry", you can picture him walking around the streets of Manhattan a bit lost, confused, hopeless – and with his headphones on.

Book: The Iron Knight

“Don’t Take Your Love Away” by VAST

A powerful, sweeping story needs an equally powerful song. One of the things I love about VAST is that his songs are lyrically and musically dramatic. This beautiful song is perfectly matched for The Iron Knight ‘s majestic landscape and epic love story. Oh Ash ... *sigh*

Book: Fallen

“I Follow Rivers” by Lykke Li

Out of the series, I like Fallen the best.  I like the mystery of Luce’s inexplicable pull towards Daniel. I think that idea is conveyed in the song’s lyrics. Plus it has such as an ethereal feel that I associate with the book. 

Honorable Mentions:

I had so much fun doing this that I ended up having difficulty narrowing down my choices to just ten. There are also ones we’ve mentioned before but they’re so worth revisiting.  :)

Book: Hush Hush, Crescendo by Becca FitzPatrick

“The Big Bang” by Rock Mafia

Seriously? Do I need to explain this? If you’ve read my love letter to Patch, this should come as no surprise to you. 

Book: Hunger Games Trilogy

“Crossfire” by Brandon Flowers

Taylor who? Puhleese girl … step aside and let the Master (of Nat’s heart) sing this song that so perfectly captures the series.

Book: Silence by Becca FitzPatrick

"Need You Now" by Cut Copy

Okay I'm just looking for reasons to talk about Patch. This song just came to mind at the end of Crescendo and it happens to work for Silence. Plus, he does say "hush" a few times ...

Book: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

“We Found Love” by Rihanna

I picture this during that clandestine rave scene where the kids are reveling in the chaos and their brief freedom. Lena is there, exposed to all this for the first time as Alex encourages her to step out of her comfort zone. There’s no real deep meaning in this song for me. It’s just the rush and vibrancy of the music that connects for this one scene. 

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

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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 the shell of a 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.

Cold Kiss is such an absorbing, moving story about losing a first love and learning to let go. But the idea here is that Wren couldn’t let go and so messed with the laws of nature, used her magic, brought her boyfriend back from the dead and now bears the repercussions of her action. Anyone can comprehend the devastation of losing a loved one, so while the magnitude of Wren’s “blunder” is spectacular, there's still room to be sympathetic towards her.

Throughout the book, Wren wrestles with what to do with Danny – something she admits to not having thought through before she resurrected him. As the flaws in her plan become more apparent to her, you get just as apprehensive as she does about the impending moment when things come to a head. 

Keeping this secret has meant that she has detached herself from her friends and has had to resort to lying to everyone. She's slowly unraveling until Gabriel comes into her life. Turns out he has a special gift of his own and becomes the one person she can confide in. Of all the things in this book, the one moment that made me shudder most was when Gabriel said, “Wren, what did you do?”. With that said aloud, the fog is lifted and there’s no more running away. And it’s a relief that after all the self-imposed isolation and intense scrutiny that she has received from her friends, she finally has someone she can lean on – even if it’s begrudgingly.

Garvey does a marvelous job of showing Wren's emotional distress. Aside from Danny, she’s also dealing with past abandonment issues, the guilt over her lies and her desperate longing to connect with her mom about the magical powers she possesses. I like how Garvey gives just enough details about certain intimate moments between Wren and Danny when he was alive and leaves the rest to the reader’s imagination. They're powerful and tender moments that show how deeply they loved each other. Then there's also Wren moving forward. Making a connection with Gabriel is a reminder that not all was lost with Danny's death but she still has to find it within herself to make that one final act of letting go.

Cold Kiss is so many things at once – creepy, uncomfortable, sweet, suspenseful, romantic – unorthodox, yes – but nevertheless romantic. I was emotionally spent but it's well worth the read!

~ Bel

A Peek in the Biblio-Bin - #10

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.

This week Bel shares her finds.

It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet.

Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.

Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.

Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love

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

NEWSOUL

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL

Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART

Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life

Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.

Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”—known to everyone as the Glitterati—without them suspecting a thing is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected.

The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her: evening the social playing field between the haves and have-nots. There’s no time for crushes and flirting with boys, especially conceited and obnoxious trust-funders like Aidan.

But when the cops start investigating the string of thefts at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could Aidan wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?
 
 
 
What books are in your "bin" this week?