Spellbound
Title: Spellbound
Author: Cara Lynn Schultz
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: June 2011
Pages: 341
How I got the book: E-book recommended
Summary
Stand alone or series: Series, this is the first one and it has a second part
Why did I read this book: A friend of mine was reading it and I’ve had it in my too-read list as well, so why not. Got it for my e-reader.
Cover impressions: I really like the font of the title, with all the swirls in it ^^ Apart from that, well not that special. It does give some mystery to the story, but it didn’t particularly attract me to read it.
Review
The characters are okay, but even though I read this book about a week ago, I can’t even remember their names. They weren’t that special you know. So Emma (yes I looked it up), I liked her, when one of the mean girls is being nasty she stands up to her (what later on, doesn’t actually works in her favor but well..) and when one of the popular guys hits on her she blows him off. She is also very protective of her niece, even confronts her bully though he is much stronger and bigger than she is ! She lost a lot in the past, and moves in with her aunt after having no other place to go.
The instant she lays eyes on Brendan (also looked up his name) she falls hard for him. In the beginning he stays out of her way, but later on they are the happy couple. (No big surprise there) Though of course they have their problems.. like a centuries old curse that will mean their love is doomed. They love each other too much and can’t stay away from each other. This puts Emma in danger, so they try to find out how to stop it.
I liked that one, they do the research, with help of a witch (yes nice a witch!) and try to find out how to break the curse.
What I enjoyed was the tale of the curse, how it came to be and how the family of Brendan is the offspring of the original man who activated the curse. But I do think she could have done more here, okay the series continue, but I feel it had more potential to really make something of it. I prefer original stories, and this was one of those, so some bonus point for that, but it just missed something.
Oh yeah, and Emma sees ghosts/has visions of the past. Oh and she’s a witch too ! Because of that last part she has a chance at beating the curse or so. Even though there were some clues and one or two spells, I disliked how little the witch part was evolving.
But what I disliked more was Brendan as a person… He was just too damn perfect. And you know what that means ? BOOOOORING. The love interest should be more of a mystery and sexy.. I just didn’t feel it with him. He was too nice, too much chivalry, too boring. He has a major Prince Charming complex and it is not attractive. I also felt his personality was kind of shallow, it didn’t go very deep…
Do not get me wrong though, the whole Prince Charming complex has it perks, but I think it gives the wrong impression about the real life man in this world. There are exceptions, but most men would react completely different that Brendan did.
Though what I disliked the most was Alexander, no ehm, Anthony? Yes Anthony. WTF ? He goes all psycho out of nowhere ! Someone has MAJOR issues here, but there is no explanation at all why he gets all freaky and tries to murder her ! Yes okay he get’s kicked out of school (which is his own fault really) and then blames her for it. Not her fault! I did get the main idea of him becoming a creepy murderer, but I feel there should have been more to it. It makes it kind of unrealistic to me. Is that just me, or what ?
Last, I have to make a comment about Emma’s stupidity to go in the basement when is asked by mean girl. Come on ! If a person who does not like you, hell even hates you, asks you to go all alone into a dark and creepy basement what do you say ? YOU SAY NO !!! You do not, I repeat, DO NOT go into that basement and act all stupid and surprised when it goes wrong !! Of course it goes wrong !!!
Emma was so smart and steady during the book, why did you ruin that ?
Rating
I liked it, but I didn’t love it.. so I would like to give it 3 Freyja’s. I got annoyed a couple of times, mainly with their instant love and Brendan as a too perfect person, but also with psycho Anthony and the basement scene. Emma was awesome, the story was original, so some bonus points for that. I will give the second part a change, maybe it will grow on me in the next one, you’ll never know. But it won’t be anytime some, there are more interesting reads.
Author: Cara Lynn Schultz
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: June 2011
Pages: 341
How I got the book: E-book recommended
Summary
What's a girl to do when meeting The One means she's
cursed to die a horrible death?
Life hasn't been easy
on sixteen-year-old Emma Connor, so a new start in New York may be just the
change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend?
Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's
irresistibly drawn to— Brendan Salinger, the guy with the
rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very
own white knight.
But even when Brendan
inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on
him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks,
and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives— visions that warn her to stay away
from Brendan. Or else.
Stand alone or series: Series, this is the first one and it has a second part
Why did I read this book: A friend of mine was reading it and I’ve had it in my too-read list as well, so why not. Got it for my e-reader.
Cover impressions: I really like the font of the title, with all the swirls in it ^^ Apart from that, well not that special. It does give some mystery to the story, but it didn’t particularly attract me to read it.
Review
The characters are okay, but even though I read this book about a week ago, I can’t even remember their names. They weren’t that special you know. So Emma (yes I looked it up), I liked her, when one of the mean girls is being nasty she stands up to her (what later on, doesn’t actually works in her favor but well..) and when one of the popular guys hits on her she blows him off. She is also very protective of her niece, even confronts her bully though he is much stronger and bigger than she is ! She lost a lot in the past, and moves in with her aunt after having no other place to go.
The instant she lays eyes on Brendan (also looked up his name) she falls hard for him. In the beginning he stays out of her way, but later on they are the happy couple. (No big surprise there) Though of course they have their problems.. like a centuries old curse that will mean their love is doomed. They love each other too much and can’t stay away from each other. This puts Emma in danger, so they try to find out how to stop it.
I liked that one, they do the research, with help of a witch (yes nice a witch!) and try to find out how to break the curse.
What I enjoyed was the tale of the curse, how it came to be and how the family of Brendan is the offspring of the original man who activated the curse. But I do think she could have done more here, okay the series continue, but I feel it had more potential to really make something of it. I prefer original stories, and this was one of those, so some bonus point for that, but it just missed something.
Oh yeah, and Emma sees ghosts/has visions of the past. Oh and she’s a witch too ! Because of that last part she has a chance at beating the curse or so. Even though there were some clues and one or two spells, I disliked how little the witch part was evolving.
But what I disliked more was Brendan as a person… He was just too damn perfect. And you know what that means ? BOOOOORING. The love interest should be more of a mystery and sexy.. I just didn’t feel it with him. He was too nice, too much chivalry, too boring. He has a major Prince Charming complex and it is not attractive. I also felt his personality was kind of shallow, it didn’t go very deep…
Do not get me wrong though, the whole Prince Charming complex has it perks, but I think it gives the wrong impression about the real life man in this world. There are exceptions, but most men would react completely different that Brendan did.
Though what I disliked the most was Alexander, no ehm, Anthony? Yes Anthony. WTF ? He goes all psycho out of nowhere ! Someone has MAJOR issues here, but there is no explanation at all why he gets all freaky and tries to murder her ! Yes okay he get’s kicked out of school (which is his own fault really) and then blames her for it. Not her fault! I did get the main idea of him becoming a creepy murderer, but I feel there should have been more to it. It makes it kind of unrealistic to me. Is that just me, or what ?
Last, I have to make a comment about Emma’s stupidity to go in the basement when is asked by mean girl. Come on ! If a person who does not like you, hell even hates you, asks you to go all alone into a dark and creepy basement what do you say ? YOU SAY NO !!! You do not, I repeat, DO NOT go into that basement and act all stupid and surprised when it goes wrong !! Of course it goes wrong !!!
Emma was so smart and steady during the book, why did you ruin that ?
Rating
I liked it, but I didn’t love it.. so I would like to give it 3 Freyja’s. I got annoyed a couple of times, mainly with their instant love and Brendan as a too perfect person, but also with psycho Anthony and the basement scene. Emma was awesome, the story was original, so some bonus points for that. I will give the second part a change, maybe it will grow on me in the next one, you’ll never know. But it won’t be anytime some, there are more interesting reads.
Comments
Post a Comment