Glass Heart by Amy Garvey

Glass Heart by Amy Garvey
Release Date – September 18, 2012
Publisher Website –  Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader
Pages -  320 pages
My Rating- 3/5
**obtained from publisher via BEA for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

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.

It is rare that a paranormal element in a story takes a backseat to the emotional, but Amy Garvey does just that. In Cold Kiss the death of Wren’s boyfriend, and her subsequent emotions in dealing with his death were the heart and soul of the story. In Cold Kiss the paranormal aspect takes centre stage a little more, but the pains of growing into her powers are what shine. I love the ease in which Amy Garvey brings forth emotion and that she can make it feel real.

Wren’s powers are the focus of this story.  She is experimenting with them, and testing them. Gabriel is not pleased with Wren’s decision to use her magic and it is the main cause of friction between the two. Power has the capability to be dangerous because it can be addictive. We meet some new characters that quickly show the damage that powers like Wren’s can do in the hands of the wrong person (or someone without a proper support system). Wren deceives, and sneaks around to keep feeling the rush of using her magic.  Her behaviour runs between defiant and wanting to back off herself. Gabriel is wonderfully supportive, just as he was in Cold Kiss. Their relationship is filled with that wondrous first stages of falling in love. I appreciated that Gabriel was such a great example of a caring, sweet boyfriend, while still having him be a teenager.

The relationships in the story are all woven so wonderfully that they feel organic. The family relationships were especially fantastic. The relationship between Wren and her sister was a blend of love and aggravation. They love each always, but fight the way that only siblings can. Amy Garvey’s talent is bringing life to all these different relationship types - romantic, friendship and family.

The ending of the novel was the only draw back for me. It felt hurried and some things were not explored to their full potential. There is a major plot point that felt brushed aside in a couple of pages. The unexplored plot points reminded me of the storyline of Wren’s father in the first one. I am not sure if there is going to be another sequel, but there is certainly the opening for one.

A witch story that focuses on the ties in relationships rather than the paranormal. I wished some things had been explored more in depth, but still enjoyed Amy Garvey’s wonderful character development.

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey
Release Date – September 20, 2011
Publisher – HarperCollins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 336
My Rating- 8/10

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

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.

How would I describe Cold Kiss? It’s a relatable, haunting story that just happens to involve zombies. Those of you wanting to experience flesh eating and terror may want to skip this one. If you’re looking for a heart pulling, emotionally satisfying read that has shades of reality even with the paranormal aspects than Cold Kiss is for you.

Wren is a typical teenage girl…well except for the fact that she has powers. It was refreshing to see just a normal high school girl. She had normal high school girl issues. She was very relatable as a result. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Her boyfriend dies, she brings him back and is now having to deal with the consequences. Add this to a new boy in school that confuses her and she’s easy to root for. You want her to experience some happiness. Her grief, guilt, confusion and sadness is all very apparent, and as a reader you feel it.

Gabriel was very sweet. He pushed Wren without being obnoxious about it. I loved that he was willing to help her with Danny, even though he has a crush on Wren. He was the type of guy you can lean on, which is exactly what Wren needed at the time.

If you take away the paranormal aspect the story is one that people can really relate to. A girl loves a boy, the boy dies, and she is filled with grief. So much grief that he haunts her, the event changes her, and she doesn’t see a way out. She meets a new boy. This boy is kind, patient and willing to help her through the process of moving forward. The girl ultimately has to “bury” the past and come to terms with the loss of the first boy on her own and can eventually move on. I loved that the author decided to make Danny physically there, instead of just the “elephant in the room”.

The “sub-plot” of Wren’s powers and her family was interesting. Again, while it dealt with paranormal elements the core of very real: a family with secrets that doesn’t want to talk about the secret. Her mother wishes to not talk about Wren’s father, or the powers the females in the family have. The story shows that in a lot of cases not talking about it is even more detrimental than discussing it. Wren needed help, and support from people who knew what she was going through, and it lead to the situation of her bringing Danny back after the accident.

The ending is bittersweet. I felt both sad and hopeful. If you are looking for a quieter, but emotionally impacting read this will certainly satisfy.