It’s been a while since I’ve had the pleasure of reading something filled to the brim with action. (Ok, it may not seem like it to you, but remember…I read 5 books for every 1 I post about.) So when I finally got around to picking up “Touch” by Jus Accardo I was excited. Hell.. just take a look at the cover quotes:
“Memorable characters, heart pounding action, and sizzling hot romance – TOUCH has it all!” Jennifer L. Armentrout, Author of Half-Blood
“Raw and emotional; just like it’s heroine, TOUCH packs a mean right hook. Jus Accardo’s action-packed debut is sure to win her a legion of fans.” Inara Scott, award-winning author of The Candidates and The Marked
Hard to ignore…right?
That’s not to say I didn’t have my reservations though. Coming on the heals of another book (about a GIRL who can’t touch anyone – “Shatter Me“) I was a tad concerned that my natural need to compare and contrast their greatness would start this little ditty off in the Southern Hemisphere of zero. And while yes… I still firmly believe that “Shatter Me” is the better book, (overall) I think it would be an injustice to compare the two. Why? Because (yay for Accardo) they are VERY DIFFERENT BOOKS!
“How?” you ask… Well, first lets find out what the book is actually about, and then I will tell you why I loved it.
When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.
Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.
Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.
A secret Kale will kill to protect.
I know that I have told you this before, but my best friend is a raging conspiracy theorist, (a lunatic… I assure you,) but a conspiracy theorist all the same, so when I realized what it was that I was actually reading; I started bouncing. (yes… bouncing, don’t judge me!) Aside from the romance, the somewhat spectacular action sequences and the amazing dip into “originality lake” this book is about a girl whose life is absolutely NOTHING like what she was raised to believe it is. (God that was a mouth full.) And… once she (being Deznee) actually realizes it for herself…all hell breaks loose. (Wait…daddy…you are a WHAT?)
So why is the conspiracy theory aspect of this book so important? Well…other than the fact that it pretty much drives every kick-ass (and I mean that literally) moment of this book, it is what keeps you in touch (<–ha) with the characters themselves.
HUH?
Ok…let me explain that a little better (cause I suck.) Jus Accardo wrote a novel that challenges human nature’s ability to trust. She thrust her characters into a VERY intricate web of lies, and then forces them to choose. The choices they make (or don’t make) then act as a catalyst in developing their relationships with each other. In essence, the conspiracy controls the outcome. (*takes a bow for sounding smart*) And since no conspiracy (geez I’ve said that world like 50 times now) is complete without a handful of misguided superheros and one very angsty girl with daddy issues, those are in there too.
So what about the actual plot? Well…if I tell you I’d have to kill you, but I assure you that it’s a fun ride with plenty of “ahhhs” stuck in for good measure.
There is 1 tiny problem I had with this novel though, and that is that it’s part of a new series, and God only knows I already have 70 of those going. That said…the book did NOT end in a cliffhanger and (though I don’t recommend it) could be read as a single serving if you really don’t want to get too involved. Me? I’ll be reading book 2, (cause I have zero self control…and I think Kale is hot. *sigh*)
So there you have it…another “please don’t touch me” miracle that had me karate chopping my furniture because I’m a little insane and thought it would help.
Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Just because you CAN jump off of a roof, doesn’t always mean you SHOULD!
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[Rating:4/5]
