Review of The Curse: Touch of Eternity by Emily Bold
Posted: 08 Oct 2014, 08:52
The Curse: Touch of Eternity
The Curse: Touch of Eternity by Emily Bold is a YA romance steeped in the mystical beliefs of the Scottish Highlands. The story is told from the perspective of two characters: Samantha (Sam) Watts, a 17-year-old high school student from Delaware, and Peyton MacLean, an eighteenth century Highlander who is cursed with eternal life for participating in a brutal massacre.
The book opens with Sam finding a tarnished pendant and an old journal while sorting through the belongings of her recently deceased grandmother. She takes both items as mementos and returns to her home, not knowing the true significance behind them. Not long after, Sam’s geography teacher suggests that she sign up for a summer exchange program to Scotland. Happy for an opportunity to escape what is projected to be a dull summer, Sam eagerly boards a plane for the United Kingdom.
Shortly after disembarking in Glasgow, Sam and Peyton meet in a chance encounter. Immediately, Peyton notices that the conditions of the curse are altered by Sam’s presence. For over two centuries, Peyton and his kin have been cursed not only with immortality, but also with a pervasive numbness that prevents them from enjoying life. The two fall in love, but when the truth of Sam’s ancestry and the implications of her effect on the curse are discovered, their relationship and their lives are endangered.
I was drawn to this book because of my Scottish ancestry, and because I have also had the pleasure of visiting Scotland. One of the most enjoyable aspects of The Curse is the author’s realistic descriptions of the Scottish Highlands, which brought back vivid memories of my vacation and convinced me that the author was familiar with her story’s setting. I also appreciated the references to Scotland’s history, in particular the Jacobite Uprising. While the author does not delve very deeply into this topic, the reference further aids her credibility, and could perhaps spark an interest in Scottish history among some of her audience.
Additionally, I was grateful that the author provided a translation guide for the many Gaelic words and phrases that are used by Peyton and members of his family. Few people in Scotland or elsewhere are fluent in this once-flourishing language, and the translation guide was extremely helpful. My only criticism regarding this is the lack of pronunciation guidelines to go with the translations. Although Gaelic uses the Roman alphabet, the letters make sounds that are quite different from their English counterparts. Knowing how to properly pronounce the Gaelic words would have enhanced the reading experience.
My biggest criticism of the story would be the inconsistent behaviors of some of the characters. Sam and Peyton seem intelligent and mature most of the time, but they have lapses in judgment that are frustrating, and they tend to overlook crucial details. For example, Sam’s inability to understand the meaning of her grandmother’s pendant, even when the answer is literally right in front of her, disappointed me (I can’t go into any detail without including a spoiler). Unfortunately, the author uses the characters’ lapses in judgment to move the plot forward more than once, which becomes tiresome.
But overall, The Curse: Touch of Eternity should be a good reading experience for its target audience (young adults). Older readers who have an interest in Celtic culture or fantasy may also find it enjoyable. While I sometimes became annoyed with the characters’ poor choices, I found the setting and the story itself engaging enough to compensate for this flaw. Hopefully, Emily Bold’s characters will mature in the following books of the series.
The Curse: Touch of Eternity by Emily Bold is a YA romance steeped in the mystical beliefs of the Scottish Highlands. The story is told from the perspective of two characters: Samantha (Sam) Watts, a 17-year-old high school student from Delaware, and Peyton MacLean, an eighteenth century Highlander who is cursed with eternal life for participating in a brutal massacre.
The book opens with Sam finding a tarnished pendant and an old journal while sorting through the belongings of her recently deceased grandmother. She takes both items as mementos and returns to her home, not knowing the true significance behind them. Not long after, Sam’s geography teacher suggests that she sign up for a summer exchange program to Scotland. Happy for an opportunity to escape what is projected to be a dull summer, Sam eagerly boards a plane for the United Kingdom.
Shortly after disembarking in Glasgow, Sam and Peyton meet in a chance encounter. Immediately, Peyton notices that the conditions of the curse are altered by Sam’s presence. For over two centuries, Peyton and his kin have been cursed not only with immortality, but also with a pervasive numbness that prevents them from enjoying life. The two fall in love, but when the truth of Sam’s ancestry and the implications of her effect on the curse are discovered, their relationship and their lives are endangered.
I was drawn to this book because of my Scottish ancestry, and because I have also had the pleasure of visiting Scotland. One of the most enjoyable aspects of The Curse is the author’s realistic descriptions of the Scottish Highlands, which brought back vivid memories of my vacation and convinced me that the author was familiar with her story’s setting. I also appreciated the references to Scotland’s history, in particular the Jacobite Uprising. While the author does not delve very deeply into this topic, the reference further aids her credibility, and could perhaps spark an interest in Scottish history among some of her audience.
Additionally, I was grateful that the author provided a translation guide for the many Gaelic words and phrases that are used by Peyton and members of his family. Few people in Scotland or elsewhere are fluent in this once-flourishing language, and the translation guide was extremely helpful. My only criticism regarding this is the lack of pronunciation guidelines to go with the translations. Although Gaelic uses the Roman alphabet, the letters make sounds that are quite different from their English counterparts. Knowing how to properly pronounce the Gaelic words would have enhanced the reading experience.
My biggest criticism of the story would be the inconsistent behaviors of some of the characters. Sam and Peyton seem intelligent and mature most of the time, but they have lapses in judgment that are frustrating, and they tend to overlook crucial details. For example, Sam’s inability to understand the meaning of her grandmother’s pendant, even when the answer is literally right in front of her, disappointed me (I can’t go into any detail without including a spoiler). Unfortunately, the author uses the characters’ lapses in judgment to move the plot forward more than once, which becomes tiresome.
But overall, The Curse: Touch of Eternity should be a good reading experience for its target audience (young adults). Older readers who have an interest in Celtic culture or fantasy may also find it enjoyable. While I sometimes became annoyed with the characters’ poor choices, I found the setting and the story itself engaging enough to compensate for this flaw. Hopefully, Emily Bold’s characters will mature in the following books of the series.