Throwback Review: Touched

Throwback Review from 2013!


Touched is a YA contemporary fantasy novel by Cyn Balog.

Nick Cross lives life on a script.

Literally.

Since he was born he “remembers” his future, the sooner it’ll happen the clearer it is. And if he goes off script, it causes all his future memories to change – and what a painful experience that is.

Literally.

But Nick cannot ignore someone’s life being in danger. Yet saving one person may mean that he doesn’t save another’s. This adds up to possibly disastrous consequences.

For the first time, as the summer in Jersey Shore is winding down, Nick cannot predict what will happen next. Taryn, the girl he decided to save, is… different. When he’s around her, his script quiets down. He feels almost… normal.

She holds family secrets that may explain why Nick is the way he is. But their meeting has put Nick on a path that puts him a position of making choices he never wanted to make…

Last year I read Cyn Balog’s Starstruck, which I thought was really different and impressive. Touched is not as playful or fairy-tale-esque – but reinforces my belief that Balog is an author to read based on name alone.

Touched has such a unique, bizarre, but incredible concept that fascinated me from the get-go. Living life on a script sounds so distracting, so difficult – the fact that Nick even tries to attempt to act normal is admirable and brave.

Infused with paranormal mystery and tentative romance, I was racing through this suspenseful story with a desperate need to know what would happen next. There was a short period of time about two-thirds into Touched that lagged just a tad for me, but that quickly changed.

With a really interesting, thought-provoking core, Touched is quite romantic and surprising.

And as it reaches it heartrending conclusion it’s shocking, bittersweet, and lasting!

In my opinion Touched was very, very, VERY good!!!