YA Review & Contest: TOUCH by Jus Accardo

YA books probably do a better job than any other genre of digging into the whole issue of alienation and belonging. How do we find our place in a world where our beliefs or abilities don’t quite fit? And what if we fall prey to someone who wants to use our abilities against people we care about? Those are some of the themes in a terrific new YA from author Jus Accardo. It’s all about choosing a side and taking a stand. Read on for a chance to win a copy!

ABOUT TOUCH: 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

MY THOUGHTS: Well, one thing the official blurb doesn’t do is talk about the author’s voice—or, to be more specific, the voice she’s given Deznee Cross. It’s fresh, it’s young, and it’s killer fun. Yeah, okay, sometimes it’s so young and fresh I feel like a dinosaur, but still. It helps bring Deznee to life. The official blurb also doesn’t convey how utterly, despicably creepy Dez’s father is. Yikes. Talk about daddy issues; if she had less attitude and lived in a more normal world, Dez would need therapy for years. Oh, and the subplot that develops with her cousin? I can’t give specifics without giving something away but boy did that take things in a new direction! This is a smart, fun read, with a truly memorable character, that doesn’t fall into the YA pit-of-angst-and-teeth-gnashing a single time. It’s the first in a series, and it’s one you’ll want to follow.

Want to win a copy of Touch? This is an international contest. You know the routine: just comment to enter. Earn a second entry for blog follow, another for Twitter follow @Suzanne_Johnson, and another for Tweet or Retweet or a share on Facebook—total of four entries possible!