See the full, original GraveTells review here:
http://gravetells.com/2012/06/12/revi...

Marshall Cross collects gifted children, manipulates and brainwashes them into being his private squad of assassins, then sells their services to the highest bidder. A far cry from Professor X's school for the gifted, these youngsters, the Sixes, are completely isolated from the world, taught only what they need to know to serve their purpose. Like the X-men, some of their gifts are quite creative, ranging from extremely dangerous to playful to resourceful. When a character announces he's a telekinetic and the typical response is a scoffed comment of "common", you know you're in for a wild ride.

Touched is told in first person narrative; we live in the heroine's head for the entire journey. Dez Cross has a refreshing voice - she's hip, rebellious, and smart. She's also loyal and determined, with a side of urban sass. Her inner monologue reminds me a little of a teenage version of Cat from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series.

Sprinkled with texting, FaceBooking, pop culture, and slang, the writing itself is very modern and cheekily pokes fun at itself. With nods to well-loved comic book heroes, Touch also delivers big on action. It's creative, entertaining, and a definite rush.

For a young adult story, Dez and Kale have some impressive chemistry. They are an adorable couple, and my heart takes an extra little beat when Kale shows just how much he cares about her. The characterization is beautiful, making the book almost effortless to read and become immersed in. Something I really liked about about Touch is that, while it is YA and has very little on-page sexual content, it's not preachy or unrealistic about the fact that teenagers do have it. There's a little sex in there, but it's subtle and overall very sweet and moving.

If you follow my reviews, you know I usually go for the smutty, tortured heroes and menage stories, but I recommend Touch even for readers who don't normally consider reading young adult. This is one if the few YA series I've really made an effort to follow, and I can't wait to see what Kale and Dez do next. Touch is mature, sassy, charming, and... well, touching... and is a GraveTells Recommended Read.