Touch by Jus Accardo

Source: eBook of ARC from publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

My Summary:

Deznee lives to piss off her dad.  It's really the only attention she gets from him but even that doesn't seem real.  He just seems to be going through the motions.  But Dez doesn't stop trying.  She has perfected the art.  So when a gorgeous boy stumbles down a river embankment running from strange men, she takes him home.  That's certain to make her dad mad.  But when this boy starts acting a little strange, Dez isn't sure what to make of him.  Her favorite vans go with him in the shower.  He thinks the DVD covers are family pictures. And he wonders about the plants that should be in a vase.  But it's his touch that she should really be wondering about and she does as soon as her dad comes home.  Who is this boy?  What is really going on in this town?  Most of all, who can she trust?

My Thoughts:

5 stars - a must read

So when you pick up this book, and you need to pick up this book, you need to have some time to read.  Then just hold on cause this book is one fast pasted roller coaster ride.  There is no easing into this story.  No we start with Dez riding her skate board off the roof of a barn and we just keep racing on from there.

The world building was on the fly.  Because of the racing plot, we learn about Dez's world on the run.  I actually really enjoyed that.  Dez kept her secrets even from the reader until she had to reveal them.  It was a believable world of mutant sixes with the evil organization trying to control them.  What was super exciting about this book was that it was impossible to keep up with who was on what side and what was really going on.  The plot twisted and turned and while I figured out some of them I didn't catch them all.  It was very enjoyable and impossible to put down.

As for the characters, I loved them.  Dez was spunky and very much the rebellious teenager.  It was fun watching her try and control that spunk for the greater good.  I laughed and I cringed as she did her thing.  Alex was a surprise for me.  Jerk of the year candidate went to selfless boyfriend and back again.  Still not sure how I feel about the boy but he added so much to the book.  The best character, though, was Kale.  I loved Kale.  Tall dark and gorgeous, Kale was experiencing life outside of captivity for the first time.  He was strong and badass but also innocent.  He had never kissed a girl before and we got to experience that with him.  I loved experiencing these first with him.  I loved listening to Dez try to explain things like holding hands and what that meant and what it meant to be in love with someone.  It was so much fun.  And frankly, it was fabulous to watch the closed heart of Dez affected by the sweet and totally good Kale.

This book is a refreshingly different experience.  I loved the fast paced plot.  I loved the strong character of Dez.  I loved that while Kale was badass in a fight, he was really a good and loving guy.  You should definitely pick this book up if you love YA anything!

I have a fabulous interview with Kale coming up on 11-28-11 so watch for that.

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