Bookanista Review: Touched

It's so nice to be back in the Bookanista swing of things!

This week I'm excited to talk about Corrine Jackson's TOUCHED.

From Goodreads:

Remy O’Malley heals people with touch—but every injury she cures becomes her own. Living in a household with an abusive stepfather, she has healed untold numbers of broken bones, burns,and bruises. And then one night her stepfather goes too far.

Being sent to live with her estranged father offers a clean start and she is eager to take it. Enter Asher Blackwell. Once a Protector of Healers, Asher sacrificed his senses to become immortal. Only by killing a Healer can a Protector recover their human senses. Falling in love is against the rules between these two enemies. Because Remy has the power to make Protectors human again, and when they find out, they’ll be coming for her—if Asher doesn’t kill her first.

My Take

At the beginning, I admit I was a little thrown off by how quickly things happened. By the end of the first chapter, Remy's life has been established one way, has drastically changed, AND she meets Asher. Phew! But I actually LIKED this approach, after I got my bearings, because it really got the story moving.

I *love* the premise of this book, that Remy can heal people but takes their injuries on herself...it gives her such an interesting perspective...a superhero who feels a tremendous amount of pain. She is both tough and vulnerable, and I think Corrine did a fantastic job developing her character. By the end of the book I was fully invested in Remy and sad that I have to wait months until I can visit with her again. 

I liked that the paranormal element is simple and straight-forward...Protectors, Healers, got it. The story didn't get bogged down with a ton of mythology...there was just enough explanation to give the rules and the stakes, and then the story ran with it. And it did indeed run! The pacing of this book was fantastic...as I mentioned in my last post, I have a teething baby at home, and I *still* found time to read and enjoy this story because I just had to know what happened. In particular, the last third had me absolutely on the edge of my seat...I was so scared for Remy and desperate to find out what was going on...and if things would be okay for these characters I'd come to love!

Not Your Average Twilight

The romance, at first blush, is a little Twilight-y. But only on the most basic level. In fact, the relationship between Remy and Asher is what I wish Edward and Bella could have had. Remy is a strong, take charge kind of chick, and she doesn't put up with Asher's overprotectiveness. Because she can ACTUALLY TAKE CARE OF HERSELF. That simple fact was such a breath of fresh air for me. I *loved* their interactions and how Remy deals with this new person in her life and the realization that she has feelings for him.

I also loved how Remy interacted with her sister and father...there was such poignancy there. Remy's family situation and the grittiness of her life really added to the emotional punch of the story for me. Confession: I'm not actually a huge fan of paranormal romance, but this book had me completely hooked. I can't WAIT for the second book in the series!!

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Check out what the other Bookanistas are excited about this week!

Katy Upperman  adores IMPOSSIBLE by Nancy Werlin

Corrine Jackson is wowed by WAIT FOR YOU

Stasia Ward Kehoe delves into THE RITHMATIST by Brandon Sanderson

My First Bookanista Review!

Announcement! Announcement!

I'm super excited to share the big news...my writer pal Corrine Jackson recently invited me to become a Bookanista! Yay!!!

What is a Bookanista, you ask?

From The Bookanistas site: "We are a group of writers in various stages of the publishing process who have banded together to recommend/review the special books of our peers."

I'm thrilled to be joining such a talented and supportive group of writers in spreading the word about our favorite young adult, middle grade, and picture books. I love their philosophy of only sharing positive reviews, and I'm excited to share with YOU some amazing, unputdownable reads.

The Bookanistas post every Thursday, so check back here each week for a new review and list of links to the reviews of the rest of the group.

And now, without further ado, my first Bookanista Review!

ON FORTUNE'S WHEEL by CYNTHIA VOIGT

Birle has agreed to be wed to the huntsman Muir as an escape from the drudgery of life at her father's inn -- but the moment she looks into the bellflower blue eyes of the man she comes upon stealing one of her father's boats, Birle knows she cannot marry Muir. Even after she discovers the mysterious stranger is Orien, a Lord and as unreachable to an innkeeper's daughter as a star, Birle is determined to travel with him as far as he will allow.

Their travels take Birle to a world far from home, a world where Lords may become slaves, where Princes rule by fear, and where Fortune's Wheel turns more swiftly and dangerously than Birle could have imagined.

Newberry Medalist Cynthia Voigt's second novel of the Kingdom, set two generations later than Jackaroo, is a memorable combination of thrilling adventure and heart-stopping romance.

~~~

For my inaugural review, I wanted to go with something special. And, to me, this book is very, very special. Originally published in the early 90's, ON FORTUNE'S WHEEL is one of those novels that I've reread and rebought countless times since I was a young adult. I read it first in high school, around the same time I discovered Robin McKinley's BEAUTY and THE BLUE SWORD...and it seemed written just for me. In many ways, this novel is WHY I wanted to become a writer.

ON FORTUNE'S WHEEL has everything I looked for in a book (then and now)...adventure, romance, and a beautifully rendered world, in this case full of pirates and princes, danger and deception. But most of all, it had a main character who spoke to me...a strong, sometimes foolish girl with hopes and dreams, who was brave and smart...and also romantic and impulsive. Birle is a WONDERFUL heroine, not least because she's well rounded as a character, with flaws as well as strengths. She made it easy to feel part of her adventure, as if *I* was the one following a handsome stranger into frightening foreign lands. 

The writing, of course, is rich and lovely...Cynthia Voigt is well-known for her Tillerman series, but I always liked her Kingdom books best (particularly the first two). I love the world she created, the way she integrates the legends of the land (and of previous books) into the fabric of her stories. It adds so much life to the tale it's hard to imagine Birle's world ISN'T real. And the interesting, fully realized characters don't hurt. I have always had a particular fondness for Yul, the child-like giant whom Birle befriends and whose fate ultimately rests in her hands. 

Reading this book as an adult and as a writer, I am still so impressed with Voigt's seemingly effortless command of language...and of her story. These days the books I enjoy reading the most are the ones where I can't see the seams, where even if I try to look at word choice, sentence structure, pacing, character development...I just can't. I get swept away in the story and the words paint pictures before my eyes. In fact, they cease being words at all...they become worlds. This book has that power. Pick up a copy at your local library or book store, and you'll see what I mean. :-)

~~~

Check out the links below to see what the other Bookanistas are talking about!

LiLa Roecker  adores AUSTENTATIOUS

Christine Fonseca  is wild about WOLFSBANE

Stasia Ward Kehoe gives cover love to GETTING SOMEWHERE

Nikki Katz takes a shine to UNDER THE NEVER SKY

Katy Upperman is dazzled by A MILLION SUNS

Shannon Messenger  welcomes four wonderful new Bookanistas

Gennifer Albin joins the Bookanistas with a great giveaway

Tracy Banghart is wowed by ON FORTUNE’S WHEEL

COVER LOVE!!!

Alright, I am so, so excited about this post. My writer pal Corrine Jackson is letting me help spread the word about her debut novel, IF I LIE, which comes out on August 28, 2012. And not just "the word"...but the cover too! Squee!!

I met Corrine last February when I was in San Francisco for a writer's conference. We'd "met" online and had bonded over our mutual love for Christian Slater and cheesy 90s movies, so we decided to meet for real. And proceeded to have one of the best conversations about writing and publishing and life that I've ever had. It was fantastic. Corrine is the real deal...super smart, talented, and one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. She even invited me to lunch with her Bookanista gals, who were fabulous themselves!

Since then, Corrine and I have kept in touch, and she's been a wonderful writing/pub resource, cheerleader, and provider of awesome videos (check out her YA Rebels gig!)

Wait...were you waiting to see her cover? You mean you didn't want to read about how we know each other and how cool she is? You want to hear about her BOOK?

Oh, alright. ;-)

I GUESS

I could shut up

And get to the good stuff...

Corrine Jackson's debut, IF I LIE, comes out on AUGUST 28, 2012 from Simon Pulse.

And THIS is what it's about:

A powerful debut novel about the gray space between truth and perception.

Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Being branded a cheater would be bad enough, but Quinn is deemed a traitor, and shunned by all of her friends. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s serving in Afghanistan and revered by everyone in their small, military town.

Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise.

Sounds AMAZING, right? When Corrine first told me about this book, MAJOR HOTSAUCE was deployed in Iraq, so I was particularly interested to hear how she was approaching a situation I had so much personal experience with...and listening to her talk about it, I couldn't WAIT to read it. Still can't!! (Hurry up August!)

And now that I've seen the cover, I'm even MORE excited!

What's that? YOU want to see the cover too? You don't want ME to have all the fun? 

Oh, all right....

Wait for it....

Is this getting annoying yet? ;-)

TA-DA!!!

Isn't it GORGEOUS?? I love the physical tension between the girl and the boy, and the blurred edges, with that one bright splash of color in the title. LOVE IT! Plus, I don't know if this is intentional or not, but I find the fact that the guy pictured on the cover does NOT have a military haircut VERY intriguing..... 

To read more about this awesome book, and the awesome Corrine Jackson, click here to visit her website. You can also follow her on Twitter and Facebook!