Spellbound Review

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.

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz has been around for a while now but is only recently being published in the UK.  Fast paced and somewhat entertaining, whilst there were some funny one liners from Emma, the main protagonist, I’m sorry to say that I thought this book was distinctly average compared to the outstanding quality of YA we’re seeing nowadays.  I really don’t like giving mixed reviews but there was nothing new or original about the story.  I didn’t mind the instalove but I thought that Anthony (the bad guy for want of a better description) was incredibly farfetched as a character and I just couldn’t believe that someone would go to those extremes.
 
Spellbound was not badly written at all but there was no spark there for me which is disappointing as I wanted to love it.  I would still read the next book in the series but it won’t be top of my priorities.   If you want a book about a curse that’s AMAZING, then read Anew by Chelsea Fine (review here).  Spellbound pales in comparison I’m afraid.

As always, I would urge you to check out a mix of reviews and try the book for yourself to make up your own mind.   Here are some positive reviews to balance this one:

Bookangel Booktopia
Serendipity Reviews

Spellbound was published on 21st June, 2011 in the US and will be published on 7th September, 2012 in the UK. To find out more about Cara Lynn Shultz and her books, please click here