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 Conner, 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.
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Expected Publication Date - June 28th, 2011
Favorite Quotes:
"I longed to know what it felt like to have one person eclipse everything bad in your life - be a place of pure joy."
"High School girls are demons, seriously."
Thoughts, Rants, and Raves
I was fortunate enough to be provided with an ARC of this book from Harlequin Teen through NetGalley.
From the very first page, I knew the author had a good understanding of teenagers. It hasn't been that long that I don't remember what it was like to be a teenager. If you remember it at all, you will know that Schultz gets them. She utilizes common teenage "slang", describes their dramatic reactions with flare, and provides a proper high school hierarchy since every school has one.
I thoroughly enjoyed Schultz' character descriptions. She seemed to represent at least one member from each "social class" in high school. Emma is sometimes a dark and angsty girl from a nowhere town in Pennsylvania. She just wants to be anonymous in her new school. One thing I liked about her character, even though Emma has been through a lot more than any normal teenager, she isn't portrayed as trying to be an adult. She acts her age, is self-conscious, and boy crazy (well, one-boy crazy). We are introduced to Ashley, Emma's cousin; she is young and a bit naive. She aspires to be popular, but has a pure heart. Anthony represents the typical arrogant jock in high school. It isn't until later that we learn how dark twisted, and evil that he is. Cisco is a great ally for Emma. He is candid, humorous, and witty. Angelique is what most teens in school would refer to as a "freak". She has black hair with blond roots and fuscia tips. She is the exact opposite of everyone else in this upper east side prep school. She proves to be a very loyal friend to Emma. We cannot forget Brendan. He is Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. Oh, and also mysterious.
The first half of the book is like a slow burn. We get introduced to many characters, drama starts to unfold, but you just know something more is coming. All of the early interactions between Brendan and Emma are very intriguing. You can feel that they are instantly drawn to one another, but Brendan often plays hot and cold with Emma. After you hit the half way mark, the book really picks up pace and is packed with suspense.
Overall, this is a beautiful forbidden love story packed with suspense with a dash of witchcraft. Think Gossip Girl with a supernatural twist.
** A bonus ** The very end of the book includes Brendan and Emma's iPod play lists. As a music lover, I appreciated this extra touch.
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