Touch by Jus Accardo

Title: Touch
Series: A Denazen Novel #1
Author: Jus Accardo
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Synopsis:

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.

The girls at Starbooks, one of my facebook hangouts, have been discussing the complete awesomeness of this book and I have to agree. Sometimes we get bogged down reading because it seems like every book is the same in one way or another. More vampires, werewolves, fallen angels...you get my drift. Well, I am here to tell you that Touch is nothing like anything I have read in a very long time. Jus Accardo created a brilliant and captivating novel about a new type of, well...superbeings is the best way I know to describe the Sixes.

I was lucky enough to be asked to do the cover reveal of Touch and was thrilled to do it. When I read the blurb, I instantly wanted to read it. Lucky for me, Jus's puplicist asked me to join the Touch Virtual Tour. I will be interviewing Jus on November 26th so be sure to look for that. Anyway...the cover, let's start there. I absolutely adore this cover, no it doesn't hurt that there is a gorgeous hunk of a boy on the front, but it is also ominous and gives me the shivers.

I fell in love with Dez on the very first page. I guess I saw a lot of myself in her. Careless, daring, risky, and rebellious. Most of this was an attempt to get her father's attention, little did she know that she absolutely did not want his attention. She has lived a difficult life, losing her mother when she was young and dealing with an absentee father, but she has tried to make the best of it. Dez is forced to come to terms with her past so she can move toward the future. Meeting Kale serves her purposes well and provides her with a bit of romance along the way.  She also proves to be one of the strongest female characters I have came across in a long time. She never whines, she jumps in fighting, feet first and arms flailing. Major kick-assedness!

Kale is a Six. If you don't know what that means...basically, he is a human with super powers. Kale's powers are a twist on the Midas Touch. Where Midas turns things to gold, Kale, well...everything he touches...dies. The Denazen corporation captures Sixes and forces them to assist in assassinating those they believe are a threat. Most of the Sixes are children who become brainwashed to believe they are doing what's right; while others, like Kale, do what they are told so not to cause trouble. Kale realized on his last assignment that he had to get away from Denazen before it was too late. I mean, what could a seven year old have done to deserve death?

I always enjoy watching characters grow. I especially appreciate characters who force you to take a second look at everything we take for granted. Kale has a lot to learn about the world around him, and for the most part he takes everything in stride. Observing him attempt to try to figure out romance is quite humorous though. His experience with the real world has been severely limited.

Jus created an action filled romance that will leave you breathless. Touch is told in first-person via Dez. Her unique vision of the world around her will bring feelings of anger, loneliness, frustration, humor, and passion. The world building is unique and dynamic.  Each page is filled with something you will not see coming. I cannot count the times that I gasped, thinking OMG! or WTH?

*Entangled Publishing provided me with a free e-proof of this book in return for my honest review.