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Touch
WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE?
A powerful story of two teens searching: one for their place in the world, the other for a reason to survive.
After her mother's sudden death, artistically gifted Megan lost her will to draw as she watched her family crumble. When her father unexpectedly moves what's left of them halfway across the country to mend, Megan must try, yet again, to rise from the ashes and create a new existence for herself. She's intrigued when she sees Shawn-a secluded classmate who sparks unexpected drawing inspiration.
Shawn is protecting a terrible secret and teeters on the edge of letting go. With each layer Megan strips from him, she gets hints about how broken he is. If Shawn is brave enough to open up, Megan might be his undoing-which could save his life. But when Megan learns his darkest secret, will she be able to convince him life is still worth living?
Through a heart-wrenching journey that immerses Megan's entire family in the dangerous and unthinkable world Shawn lives in, Megan succumbs to certain truths about life:
Nothing happens by accident.
We are exactly where we're meant to be.
We all really are here for a reason.
Reality is rarely subtle.
Touch depicts abuses that may be difficult for some readers and is recommended for a mature audience.
A powerful story of two teens searching: one for their place in the world, the other for a reason to survive.
After her mother's sudden death, artistically gifted Megan lost her will to draw as she watched her family crumble. When her father unexpectedly moves what's left of them halfway across the country to mend, Megan must try, yet again, to rise from the ashes and create a new existence for herself. She's intrigued when she sees Shawn-a secluded classmate who sparks unexpected drawing inspiration.
Shawn is protecting a terrible secret and teeters on the edge of letting go. With each layer Megan strips from him, she gets hints about how broken he is. If Shawn is brave enough to open up, Megan might be his undoing-which could save his life. But when Megan learns his darkest secret, will she be able to convince him life is still worth living?
Through a heart-wrenching journey that immerses Megan's entire family in the dangerous and unthinkable world Shawn lives in, Megan succumbs to certain truths about life:
Nothing happens by accident.
We are exactly where we're meant to be.
We all really are here for a reason.
Reality is rarely subtle.
Touch depicts abuses that may be difficult for some readers and is recommended for a mature audience.
- GenresRomanceYoung Adult
459 pages, Paperback
Published April 5, 2021
45 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
October 17, 2021
I'm returning to edit my star rating after this book has left such a horrible impression on me! The bunch of fake reviews after I've left this critical review also tells you everything you need to know about this book!
This is the type of story that sticks with you for all the wrong reasons because the author promises a deep emotional journey but instead delivers cheap side unrelated action, given the author is unable to craft meaningful growth of the characters. Closing in around seventy percent of the book, after a traumatic reveal of the main character's boyfriend's injuries, all the author can deliver is the main character still whining how unfair HER life is. Unfortunately, exposing the author's novice skill set. The rest of the story continues on this frustrating path of action with little substance.
Touch by Rebecca Miller includes dark subject matter including sexual and physical abuse, forced drugging, child pornography, suicidal thoughts and actions, and deeply troubling family matters. Not suitable for a younger audience. Definitely on the older YA audience spectrum.
After several years, Meg is still struggling with her mother's death. Then her dad uproots her family to the middle of nowhere to be closer to his brother. Now Meg's life really sucks. That's until she can finally look beyond her own self-pitying problems while studying her aloof and oddly behaved classmate, Shawn. He brings her new inspiration as she finally reconnects with her artistic side. As they grow closer, Shawn's behaviors become more troubling. His secrets surface and the terror of the situation settles. One thing is clear, nothing will ever be the same.
Miller reaches deep, writing about dark and disturbing subject matter, but has real trouble following through. The hefty toll of sexual abuse alone would've been emotionally enough for the characters to shift through in this one book. However, the ongoing and unnecessary drama with Damian and other parts greatly weakens the central trauma, completely convoluting the already difficult subject matter. For story clarity, especially with a YA audience, authors normally stick with one subject matter and fully explore instead of involving confusing actions that come off as silly teen drama because that seems to be the easier road.
I also wish to note here: With heightened awareness of consent, there's several places where Meg and Shawn kiss the other when it comes off as inappropriate. Again, this muddies the main trauma and will confuse audiences with the messaging. Even a head tilt gives the other character and clues the audience that the correct body language is there to continue the kiss or that's its even welcomed. These actions as is don't sit well posed against the greater sexual abuse theme here.
Another major hard sell is how the chief of police takes emergency custody of Shawn, bringing him home after he's hospitalized. Shawn is recovering from horrific and traumatic injuries, he's almost catatonic and then physically goes off, posing a danger to anyone "helping him." There's no way ANY chief would bring someone who needs immediate mental health intervention into his home, which does a disservice to the reality of these types of situations. Again, the author raised the bar, but she doesn't know how to follow through with plot development. Actions of characters must match with at least a sliver of reality to make fiction believable for the reader. The therapist showing up just doesn't meet the bar, only leading the readers to more convoluted storytelling with Meg whining about having to stay at her uncle's house.
Which highlights the major problem with this book. There's little character growth. The author sets out at the beginning, posing the lofty question: What is your purpose? Yet once again, Meg's whining destroys all the emotional buildup of her dad helping her boyfriend. Does her selfish actions make sense when she wants her boyfriend to heal? Absolutely not! Meg's actions need to shine to us readers at this point, showing us how she's changing!
Also there are issues with flow, clarity, grammar, repetitive questions, and speech tags. I often had to go back in conversations because I couldn't figure out who was speaking or the character's motives for their odd behaviors. Generally, YA books deliver more direct clarity for their audiences, rather than less, which muddies a decent story like this one.
Thank you NetGalley and Unveiled Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is the type of story that sticks with you for all the wrong reasons because the author promises a deep emotional journey but instead delivers cheap side unrelated action, given the author is unable to craft meaningful growth of the characters. Closing in around seventy percent of the book, after a traumatic reveal of the main character's boyfriend's injuries, all the author can deliver is the main character still whining how unfair HER life is. Unfortunately, exposing the author's novice skill set. The rest of the story continues on this frustrating path of action with little substance.
Touch by Rebecca Miller includes dark subject matter including sexual and physical abuse, forced drugging, child pornography, suicidal thoughts and actions, and deeply troubling family matters. Not suitable for a younger audience. Definitely on the older YA audience spectrum.
After several years, Meg is still struggling with her mother's death. Then her dad uproots her family to the middle of nowhere to be closer to his brother. Now Meg's life really sucks. That's until she can finally look beyond her own self-pitying problems while studying her aloof and oddly behaved classmate, Shawn. He brings her new inspiration as she finally reconnects with her artistic side. As they grow closer, Shawn's behaviors become more troubling. His secrets surface and the terror of the situation settles. One thing is clear, nothing will ever be the same.
Miller reaches deep, writing about dark and disturbing subject matter, but has real trouble following through. The hefty toll of sexual abuse alone would've been emotionally enough for the characters to shift through in this one book. However, the ongoing and unnecessary drama with Damian and other parts greatly weakens the central trauma, completely convoluting the already difficult subject matter. For story clarity, especially with a YA audience, authors normally stick with one subject matter and fully explore instead of involving confusing actions that come off as silly teen drama because that seems to be the easier road.
I also wish to note here: With heightened awareness of consent, there's several places where Meg and Shawn kiss the other when it comes off as inappropriate. Again, this muddies the main trauma and will confuse audiences with the messaging. Even a head tilt gives the other character and clues the audience that the correct body language is there to continue the kiss or that's its even welcomed. These actions as is don't sit well posed against the greater sexual abuse theme here.
Another major hard sell is how the chief of police takes emergency custody of Shawn, bringing him home after he's hospitalized. Shawn is recovering from horrific and traumatic injuries, he's almost catatonic and then physically goes off, posing a danger to anyone "helping him." There's no way ANY chief would bring someone who needs immediate mental health intervention into his home, which does a disservice to the reality of these types of situations. Again, the author raised the bar, but she doesn't know how to follow through with plot development. Actions of characters must match with at least a sliver of reality to make fiction believable for the reader. The therapist showing up just doesn't meet the bar, only leading the readers to more convoluted storytelling with Meg whining about having to stay at her uncle's house.
Which highlights the major problem with this book. There's little character growth. The author sets out at the beginning, posing the lofty question: What is your purpose? Yet once again, Meg's whining destroys all the emotional buildup of her dad helping her boyfriend. Does her selfish actions make sense when she wants her boyfriend to heal? Absolutely not! Meg's actions need to shine to us readers at this point, showing us how she's changing!
Also there are issues with flow, clarity, grammar, repetitive questions, and speech tags. I often had to go back in conversations because I couldn't figure out who was speaking or the character's motives for their odd behaviors. Generally, YA books deliver more direct clarity for their audiences, rather than less, which muddies a decent story like this one.
Thank you NetGalley and Unveiled Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
December 13, 2021
In some ways reading this book was like reading a Lifetime movie (but with some actual swearing and some graphic talk of abuse- which I thought I worked…you can’t talk about graphic child abuse without using an f word or two). The drama and the I’m here for a purpose optimism did make me think of Lifetime though. I do think this book needs trigger warnings and to avoid spoilers I will just say for child abuse. While some pieces of abuse and it’s after effects were accurate other pieces were not particularly accurate. Meg’s father has moved her and her two brothers out to Mississippi from Oregon to try to keep them safe. Meg hasn’t been the same since her mother died a few years prior, but she meets a person who helps her get unstuck, Shawn. Shawn runs hot and cold though and as she gets closer to him she starts to realize something is really wrong and Meg is left with choosing to stay quiet or intervene to help him.
September 18, 2021
The cover of this book is a perfect example of why they matter. I requested this book on the cover alone even though I knew it was aimed at teenagers. I wasn’t disappointed. This is a raw, heart wrenching story of sexual abuse and a young girls love that perhaps saved the victim.
Megan is just 15 when she meets Shawn. He is a very troubled soul, reclusive and aloof. Megan and her family have been through a lot with the death of her mother and they have grown apart, each living in their own world of pain. As Megan tries to get to know Shawn she witnesses something she doesn’t understand and as Shawn’s world seems to be slowly unravelling, Megan confides in her dad, the local sheriff,
Shawn is guarding a secret, one he is terrified to reveal, suicide is on his mind. Megan wants to save him, to convince him life is worth living, but will he overcome his fear of his past.
Definitely a book for older teens, it’s a heartbreaking look at sexual abuse and a girl overcoming her own despair to try and help this teen she is falling in love with
#netgalley #touch
Megan is just 15 when she meets Shawn. He is a very troubled soul, reclusive and aloof. Megan and her family have been through a lot with the death of her mother and they have grown apart, each living in their own world of pain. As Megan tries to get to know Shawn she witnesses something she doesn’t understand and as Shawn’s world seems to be slowly unravelling, Megan confides in her dad, the local sheriff,
Shawn is guarding a secret, one he is terrified to reveal, suicide is on his mind. Megan wants to save him, to convince him life is worth living, but will he overcome his fear of his past.
Definitely a book for older teens, it’s a heartbreaking look at sexual abuse and a girl overcoming her own despair to try and help this teen she is falling in love with
#netgalley #touch
June 24, 2021
I could not put this book down! The characters draw you in from the first chapter. Their sweet yet raw, redemptive yet hopeless, loving yet hateful, suspenseful story holds you till the last page. Highly recommend!
August 18, 2021
“Touch” is a novel by Rebecca Miller as told through the eyes of a young teenage girl touched by circumstances out of her control. The resulting emotions and personal growth reveal a deep coming-of-age tale that will draw fans of this genre.
Megan is an artist. Specifically, she likes to draw and sketch. When her mother dies suddenly, her creativity is drastically affected, and she finds herself unable to draw. The shock to her and her family cause significant changes, beginning with the loss, then moving across the country to a new location. The changes are devastating until Megan meets Shawn. She soon realizes that there are people in the world who have bigger problems than she does. Will she be able to coax Shawn out of his shell? Is there a new beginning for either of them? To find out, you must read this drama-filled story!
The character development in this book is exceptional. Although told from Megan’s viewpoint, the book is written well enough that each person in the story comes across as vivid and well-rounded. Their feelings and thoughts suit their actions perfectly. Although Megan seemed resentful of her situation, she still cared about her family and regretted their current situation.
What I loved the most in this book was how the author described Megan’s artwork. The way she used her charcoal to make lines, using pressure and smudging, to depict her strong and heartfelt emotions, made the pictures come to life in the reader’s mind. That attention to detail and the connection between creative expression, emotion, and artistic ability all contributed to the breadth and depth of this emotionally dramatic novel.
The book is excellently edited, and I found no flaws to note in this review. The pace is just right and flows smoothly with continued points of interest in the plot without leaving readers behind. The personal trials of each character and how they deal with each one are delivered with a raw and sometimes bold sensitivity and caring that will resonate with fans of heavy drama. For these reasons, I rate this book with 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend it to readers who love a deep plotline full of emotions.
“Touch” by Rebecca Miller is for a young adult and mature audience as it does contain sexual content as well as frequent, strong profanity.
Megan is an artist. Specifically, she likes to draw and sketch. When her mother dies suddenly, her creativity is drastically affected, and she finds herself unable to draw. The shock to her and her family cause significant changes, beginning with the loss, then moving across the country to a new location. The changes are devastating until Megan meets Shawn. She soon realizes that there are people in the world who have bigger problems than she does. Will she be able to coax Shawn out of his shell? Is there a new beginning for either of them? To find out, you must read this drama-filled story!
The character development in this book is exceptional. Although told from Megan’s viewpoint, the book is written well enough that each person in the story comes across as vivid and well-rounded. Their feelings and thoughts suit their actions perfectly. Although Megan seemed resentful of her situation, she still cared about her family and regretted their current situation.
What I loved the most in this book was how the author described Megan’s artwork. The way she used her charcoal to make lines, using pressure and smudging, to depict her strong and heartfelt emotions, made the pictures come to life in the reader’s mind. That attention to detail and the connection between creative expression, emotion, and artistic ability all contributed to the breadth and depth of this emotionally dramatic novel.
The book is excellently edited, and I found no flaws to note in this review. The pace is just right and flows smoothly with continued points of interest in the plot without leaving readers behind. The personal trials of each character and how they deal with each one are delivered with a raw and sometimes bold sensitivity and caring that will resonate with fans of heavy drama. For these reasons, I rate this book with 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend it to readers who love a deep plotline full of emotions.
“Touch” by Rebecca Miller is for a young adult and mature audience as it does contain sexual content as well as frequent, strong profanity.
September 17, 2021
Well that was unexpected! To be honest I wasn’t going to read this book because of one it’s recent poor reviews, but I’m so glad I’m a gluten for punishment! I started it yesterday afternoon and finished it today, could not put it down and now I’m sad there is no part 2 yet!
Like other reviews said, Touch does deal with a very dark subject matter, but I’m so glad it does. Touch opens up a dialogue that needs to be talked about more. I would love to see this made into a screenplay someday.
Like other reviews said, Touch does deal with a very dark subject matter, but I’m so glad it does. Touch opens up a dialogue that needs to be talked about more. I would love to see this made into a screenplay someday.
May 18, 2021
I haven’t read a book that I couldn’t put down in a long time. Truth be told, I was in a major book slump. I thought it was going to be a typical YA novel (which I was totally here for), but wow! I never expected to go down a much darker, twisted road. I was hooked in just a few pages and just finished it at 12:42 AM. Great read!
April 6, 2022
Speechless, there are no words to describe the range of emotions that this book can make you feel. The dept of the main character is unique. The emotion that she describes when dealing with Shawn is simply extraordinary. The book explores not only grief but PTSD, sexual abuse, solitude, and depression. The range of the topics explored and the way in which they are developed is everything. A must-read for anyone looking to feel as much as they can when interacting with charters. A fair warning tho... maybe it is for the best to get a few tissues in hand.
May 24, 2021
I finished this book a week ago and can't stop thinking about it. Very powerful story. Definitely recommend.
September 4, 2021
Wow!
This book was so good. Great story and well written characters!
The storyline was unique. Can’t wait to read more from this author.
This book was so good. Great story and well written characters!
The storyline was unique. Can’t wait to read more from this author.
September 28, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
**EDIT**
If you are sensitive to abuse of any kind, please read this book with caution! I have a content warning below - marked with a spoiler tag - but if you can think of a kind of abuse against another human, it's likely in this book
I have done my best to not label the exact type of abuse anywhere but in spoiler tags. If I erred in this, I apologize as the last thing I want to do is cause any harm to someone who wants to know more about this book.
A small note on the 'strong language warning'. Most of it is your standard list of 'harsh' words but the slur f*g is dropped at the 24% mark.
**EDIT ENDED**
I have A LOT of thoughts about this book. But I'm so angry I'm not sure how to format them and keep within the character limit for my review (and not turn this into a pointless rant that no one reads)
This book is basically how NOT to write about traumatic topics. Or, how to write traumatic topics badly.
Review to come when I'm not so ANGRY about every single aspect of this book.
UPATED REVIEW
REVIEW TO FOLLOW. SPOILERS ARE NOT MARKED! Content Warnings are covered by spoiler tag. These spoilers will detail methods of abuse, please be cautious if you choose to read spoilers.
I have no idea how to review this without being long winded and trying to cover too much. So I’ll just talk about the MC (main character - no i’m not using her name, she doesn’t deserve it).
HUGE CONTENT WARNING INFORMATION (varying degrees of abuse, among others)
MC is the worst character I have ever read about. I’m not even exaggerating. I’d like to give her the benefit of the doubt because she’s only 15, but she has the emotional capacity of a wet rock (it’s wet because it cries a lot) and doesn’t understand empathy.
MC is sad because her mom died four years ago. She has lost her purpose in life and is sad. She has two brothers - one is the good brother the other is the bad brother (no they have NO characteristic beyond this) and a dad who was emotionally absent for the last four years (Dad doesn’t really grow much either so whatever).
MC is the biggest Mary Sue to ever Mary Sue. EVERY SINGLE D*MN THING IN THE BOOK MUST RELATE TO MC. Everyone’s business is her business. Everyone’s trauma is her trauma. She needs to be praised for her art. She needs attention. She needs to be reassured that she is the MAIN CHARACTER.
My biggest grip with MC is that she appropriates Shawn’s trauma as her own.
A long aside to cover Shawn’s trauma filled life HUGE CONTENT WARNINGS REGARDING MULTIPLE FORMS OF ABUSE - please, please read with caution
Shawn has a lot he needs to work through and sometimes his actions seem erratic because of everything he is dealing with due to the trauma. THIS IS IMPORTANT. SHAWN CAN ACT ERRATICALLY WITH LITTLE TO NO WARNING.
While it takes awhile for the book to divulge what actually happened to Shawn, MC never gives a sh*t. She first sees Shawn with bruises, but instead of having sympathy for his injuries she gets upset that he’s avoiding her. She internally whines about how sad she is that Shawn doesn’t want to date her. Not once does she worry about how he got the bruises or if this is a regular thing in his life (it is btw).
As MC learns more about Shawn’s circumstances she’s conflicted because she wants to help him, but can’t talk to her dad because she promised Shawn. I understand that she wants to be loyal to Shawn, but it comes across as her not caring about him. Eventually her oldest brother tells their dad that Shawn needs help. This is an important plot point and it’s not even MC who made it.
It becomes clear to the reader that Shawn has a bad home life. He doesn’t want MC around his house (ever) and yells at her to never come to his house again. MC (who doesn’t have two brain cells to rub together) can’t figure out that Shawn’s anger and pushing her away is an attempt to keep her out of his problems. She continues to go to his house and put him in danger.
Shawn disappears for awhile and tells MC it’s going to happen. She meets up with him after a week and a half and things are strained. Shawn wants to go home to sleep (and MC sees how tired he is) but instead of being sympathetic to whatever he had gone through over the last and a half she YELLS at him telling him she’s tired too because she couldn’t sleep because he wouldn’t text her back. She can see the fatigue and exhaustion all over his face. She knows his dad physically abuses him, but how DARE he be tired when she’s the tired one. HOW DARE HE want to go home and sleep instead of hang out with someone who shouts at him. MC’s brilliant plan to resolve this problem is kiss him. Shawn reacts badly (remember what I said about years of abuse) and runs off. MC is offended and spends DAYS being upset that he was repulsed by his kiss. (Now to be fair she doesn’t know about the types abuse, but still she’s being bratty).
It continues like this for the entire book. After the midpoint things only get worse. MC continually needs reassurances that she’s a good person and is doing the right thing and that she can’t make mistakes. Any time Shawn reacts negatively while he’s processing his abuse MC takes it personally and blames her sefl (for no reason) because they smiled at each other, or maybe because she touched his hand. But it’s never because she crawled into bed with him when he had a nightmare. Or because she cuddles with him and then gets pissed when he feels guilty and retreats. She was doing the right thing and HE LIKES IT WHEN THEY CUDDLE. Yes she says this. She actually thinks that forcing herself on this traumatized boy is the right thing to do, because he liked it once.
MC even goes as far as to try to eavesdrop on Shawn’s private therapy sessions. She has no shame pressing her ear up against the door and listening for over an hour to the murmurs she hears on the other side. How gross can she be?
At one point Dad askes MC to dress more appropriately - she’s wearing a bikini top and booty shorts (and don’t worry the boys got a talk about appropriate clothes too). MC has this exchange with her dad:
I laughed. “Believe me, Dad, Shawn doesn’t think about that stuff.” In hindsight it was amazing we even kissed.
“Maybe not usually, but five minutes ago he did.”
What? How did he know that? “Did something happen?”
Dad’s expression pinched. “Please just go put some clothes on.”
The missing context is that Shawn has been avoiding her. She assumes it’s because he’s not romantically interested in her, not because a few days after she learned about some of his history of abuse. She’s so stupid.
MC gives Shawn this whole big speech about found families and how they’re never going to turn their backs on him and blah blah blah. It sounds cute on the surface and it’s a beautiful sentiment. Until you remember that Shawn has only known abuse in families. Then remember that MC doesn’t see him as a ‘brother’ she sees him as a romantic partner. That, coupled with his very broken experience with family, is a terrible, terrible thing to say to Shawn.
Every single time MC thinks about Shawn it’s under the context of HER feelings. Her relationship with him. She’s insanely jealous of Josh’s girlfriend because the girlfriend has known Shawn their whole lives and he spares her a glance or two when they see each other. MC gets pissed off when Josh’s girlfriend comes over and this exchange happens with MC and her Dad:
“What’s the problem?” he asked. “I thought you liked Sue.”
“I do. I just don’t like that she has such a positive impact on MY boyfriend. If that’s even what I call him anymore. It’s selfish, I know. Forget I said anything.”
Dad’s exhale was hard. “It is selfish, coming from you.” BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH. MC has been nothing BUT selfish the entire book. But go on Dad and reassure her he’s not the worst person ever.
How terrible is MC that she doesn’t want to see Shawn happy? How selfish and immature. I honestly don’t know how I’m supposed to root for someone so awful. MC KNOWS about Shawn’s abuse. This whole thing is after the found family speech and it makes it sound like a load of BS if she feels this way.
I won’t even touch on the grossness of her insisting Shawn is her boyfriend without ever having a conversation about it or even trying to understand that a romantic relationship is the last thing Shawn needs right now. (I can’t even forgive her stupidity by writing her off as a teenager anymore)
In the same chapter Dad tells MC that she’s the reason Shawn hasn’t killed himself. That is just way too much responsibility to put onto a teen.
At 90% a huge (and unnecessary) plot twist happens and Shawn is kidnapped. He’s never found. MC uses this grief to be better at art. The kidnapping plot continues on for too many chapters. Spoiler. He’s never found.
Dad and MC have this sh*tty conversation and Dad says this:
“I truly feel that our lives are mapped out for us from the get-go. It’s just a matter of us choosing the right paths.”
Depending how you want to interpret this Dad either thinks A) Shawn didn’t have a choice in the abuse or B) he made the wrong choices as a kid and ended up down this path.
WTF? Why on earth would you think that would be reassuring? Why would you tell your daughter that? Oh, right so she could be puffed up for being a good influence on Shawn and loving him because no one else had. I’m going to go vomit.
The whole story was all for MC to use Shawn’s trauma to better herself. She rediscovers her love of art (and gets praised for her ability to see complex emotions) and it’s all because of Shawn. She found her place in life because Shawn was abused for all of his life and she used that to be a better person.
I could talk for YEARS about the awkward sentence construction or the stilted dialogue. Or how this felt like it was written two decades ago (which it might have been based on the acknowledgements sections) and updated only slightly to set the book in ‘current times’. But I don’t care about that. I can’t get over bad writing and weird dialogue. I can’t get over the themes of this book. And I didn’t even touch on some of the more subtle themes. I can’t pretend like this book isn’t problematic and that this isn’t how you write about abuse. You don’t exploit one character for the benefit of another (especially when the characters are supposed to care about each other).
This could have been a powerful book, but it took on too many topics and never knew when to reveal key information. Too much focus on the MC and not enough sympathy for anyone else. I can't recommend that anyone should read this.
**EDIT**
If you are sensitive to abuse of any kind, please read this book with caution! I have a content warning below - marked with a spoiler tag - but if you can think of a kind of abuse against another human, it's likely in this book
I have done my best to not label the exact type of abuse anywhere but in spoiler tags. If I erred in this, I apologize as the last thing I want to do is cause any harm to someone who wants to know more about this book.
A small note on the 'strong language warning'. Most of it is your standard list of 'harsh' words but the slur f*g is dropped at the 24% mark.
**EDIT ENDED**
I have A LOT of thoughts about this book. But I'm so angry I'm not sure how to format them and keep within the character limit for my review (and not turn this into a pointless rant that no one reads)
This book is basically how NOT to write about traumatic topics. Or, how to write traumatic topics badly.
Review to come when I'm not so ANGRY about every single aspect of this book.
UPATED REVIEW
REVIEW TO FOLLOW. SPOILERS ARE NOT MARKED! Content Warnings are covered by spoiler tag. These spoilers will detail methods of abuse, please be cautious if you choose to read spoilers.
I have no idea how to review this without being long winded and trying to cover too much. So I’ll just talk about the MC (main character - no i’m not using her name, she doesn’t deserve it).
HUGE CONTENT WARNING INFORMATION (varying degrees of abuse, among others)
MC is the worst character I have ever read about. I’m not even exaggerating. I’d like to give her the benefit of the doubt because she’s only 15, but she has the emotional capacity of a wet rock (it’s wet because it cries a lot) and doesn’t understand empathy.
MC is sad because her mom died four years ago. She has lost her purpose in life and is sad. She has two brothers - one is the good brother the other is the bad brother (no they have NO characteristic beyond this) and a dad who was emotionally absent for the last four years (Dad doesn’t really grow much either so whatever).
MC is the biggest Mary Sue to ever Mary Sue. EVERY SINGLE D*MN THING IN THE BOOK MUST RELATE TO MC. Everyone’s business is her business. Everyone’s trauma is her trauma. She needs to be praised for her art. She needs attention. She needs to be reassured that she is the MAIN CHARACTER.
My biggest grip with MC is that she appropriates Shawn’s trauma as her own.
A long aside to cover Shawn’s trauma filled life HUGE CONTENT WARNINGS REGARDING MULTIPLE FORMS OF ABUSE - please, please read with caution
Shawn has a lot he needs to work through and sometimes his actions seem erratic because of everything he is dealing with due to the trauma. THIS IS IMPORTANT. SHAWN CAN ACT ERRATICALLY WITH LITTLE TO NO WARNING.
While it takes awhile for the book to divulge what actually happened to Shawn, MC never gives a sh*t. She first sees Shawn with bruises, but instead of having sympathy for his injuries she gets upset that he’s avoiding her. She internally whines about how sad she is that Shawn doesn’t want to date her. Not once does she worry about how he got the bruises or if this is a regular thing in his life (it is btw).
As MC learns more about Shawn’s circumstances she’s conflicted because she wants to help him, but can’t talk to her dad because she promised Shawn. I understand that she wants to be loyal to Shawn, but it comes across as her not caring about him. Eventually her oldest brother tells their dad that Shawn needs help. This is an important plot point and it’s not even MC who made it.
It becomes clear to the reader that Shawn has a bad home life. He doesn’t want MC around his house (ever) and yells at her to never come to his house again. MC (who doesn’t have two brain cells to rub together) can’t figure out that Shawn’s anger and pushing her away is an attempt to keep her out of his problems. She continues to go to his house and put him in danger.
Shawn disappears for awhile and tells MC it’s going to happen. She meets up with him after a week and a half and things are strained. Shawn wants to go home to sleep (and MC sees how tired he is) but instead of being sympathetic to whatever he had gone through over the last and a half she YELLS at him telling him she’s tired too because she couldn’t sleep because he wouldn’t text her back. She can see the fatigue and exhaustion all over his face. She knows his dad physically abuses him, but how DARE he be tired when she’s the tired one. HOW DARE HE want to go home and sleep instead of hang out with someone who shouts at him. MC’s brilliant plan to resolve this problem is kiss him. Shawn reacts badly (remember what I said about years of abuse) and runs off. MC is offended and spends DAYS being upset that he was repulsed by his kiss. (Now to be fair she doesn’t know about the types abuse, but still she’s being bratty).
It continues like this for the entire book. After the midpoint things only get worse. MC continually needs reassurances that she’s a good person and is doing the right thing and that she can’t make mistakes. Any time Shawn reacts negatively while he’s processing his abuse MC takes it personally and blames her sefl (for no reason) because they smiled at each other, or maybe because she touched his hand. But it’s never because she crawled into bed with him when he had a nightmare. Or because she cuddles with him and then gets pissed when he feels guilty and retreats. She was doing the right thing and HE LIKES IT WHEN THEY CUDDLE. Yes she says this. She actually thinks that forcing herself on this traumatized boy is the right thing to do, because he liked it once.
MC even goes as far as to try to eavesdrop on Shawn’s private therapy sessions. She has no shame pressing her ear up against the door and listening for over an hour to the murmurs she hears on the other side. How gross can she be?
At one point Dad askes MC to dress more appropriately - she’s wearing a bikini top and booty shorts (and don’t worry the boys got a talk about appropriate clothes too). MC has this exchange with her dad:
I laughed. “Believe me, Dad, Shawn doesn’t think about that stuff.” In hindsight it was amazing we even kissed.
“Maybe not usually, but five minutes ago he did.”
What? How did he know that? “Did something happen?”
Dad’s expression pinched. “Please just go put some clothes on.”
The missing context is that Shawn has been avoiding her. She assumes it’s because he’s not romantically interested in her, not because a few days after she learned about some of his history of abuse. She’s so stupid.
MC gives Shawn this whole big speech about found families and how they’re never going to turn their backs on him and blah blah blah. It sounds cute on the surface and it’s a beautiful sentiment. Until you remember that Shawn has only known abuse in families. Then remember that MC doesn’t see him as a ‘brother’ she sees him as a romantic partner. That, coupled with his very broken experience with family, is a terrible, terrible thing to say to Shawn.
Every single time MC thinks about Shawn it’s under the context of HER feelings. Her relationship with him. She’s insanely jealous of Josh’s girlfriend because the girlfriend has known Shawn their whole lives and he spares her a glance or two when they see each other. MC gets pissed off when Josh’s girlfriend comes over and this exchange happens with MC and her Dad:
“What’s the problem?” he asked. “I thought you liked Sue.”
“I do. I just don’t like that she has such a positive impact on MY boyfriend. If that’s even what I call him anymore. It’s selfish, I know. Forget I said anything.”
Dad’s exhale was hard. “It is selfish, coming from you.” BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH. MC has been nothing BUT selfish the entire book. But go on Dad and reassure her he’s not the worst person ever.
How terrible is MC that she doesn’t want to see Shawn happy? How selfish and immature. I honestly don’t know how I’m supposed to root for someone so awful. MC KNOWS about Shawn’s abuse. This whole thing is after the found family speech and it makes it sound like a load of BS if she feels this way.
I won’t even touch on the grossness of her insisting Shawn is her boyfriend without ever having a conversation about it or even trying to understand that a romantic relationship is the last thing Shawn needs right now. (I can’t even forgive her stupidity by writing her off as a teenager anymore)
In the same chapter Dad tells MC that she’s the reason Shawn hasn’t killed himself. That is just way too much responsibility to put onto a teen.
At 90% a huge (and unnecessary) plot twist happens and Shawn is kidnapped. He’s never found. MC uses this grief to be better at art. The kidnapping plot continues on for too many chapters. Spoiler. He’s never found.
Dad and MC have this sh*tty conversation and Dad says this:
“I truly feel that our lives are mapped out for us from the get-go. It’s just a matter of us choosing the right paths.”
Depending how you want to interpret this Dad either thinks A) Shawn didn’t have a choice in the abuse or B) he made the wrong choices as a kid and ended up down this path.
WTF? Why on earth would you think that would be reassuring? Why would you tell your daughter that? Oh, right so she could be puffed up for being a good influence on Shawn and loving him because no one else had. I’m going to go vomit.
The whole story was all for MC to use Shawn’s trauma to better herself. She rediscovers her love of art (and gets praised for her ability to see complex emotions) and it’s all because of Shawn. She found her place in life because Shawn was abused for all of his life and she used that to be a better person.
I could talk for YEARS about the awkward sentence construction or the stilted dialogue. Or how this felt like it was written two decades ago (which it might have been based on the acknowledgements sections) and updated only slightly to set the book in ‘current times’. But I don’t care about that. I can’t get over bad writing and weird dialogue. I can’t get over the themes of this book. And I didn’t even touch on some of the more subtle themes. I can’t pretend like this book isn’t problematic and that this isn’t how you write about abuse. You don’t exploit one character for the benefit of another (especially when the characters are supposed to care about each other).
This could have been a powerful book, but it took on too many topics and never knew when to reveal key information. Too much focus on the MC and not enough sympathy for anyone else. I can't recommend that anyone should read this.
August 10, 2021
Book: Touch
Author: Rebecca Miller
Rating: 4/5
This was a very complex story with deep meaning. I was hooked from page one.
I'm a huge fan of teenage coming of age books. So it is not a surprise when I say this was exactly the kind of book I love. Megan is a very artistically talented person. After her mother's sudden and unfortunate death,she looses her will to draw anymore. Her father, expecting a new start, moves to a new place. There she meets Shawn, a mysterious,quite guy. Once Megan starts to hang out with him,she realises that he's way more darker than she thought. Will she be able to handle them? What awaits their future? Grab this very thrilling and realistic book to find out!!
The writing style was my favourite thing about this book. It was descriptive and literary. The story was developed well. The characters had so much personality. Especially Shawn.
I enjoyed this book very much. Definitely recommend this to everyone!
#BookReview
#BookReviewer
Author: Rebecca Miller
Rating: 4/5
This was a very complex story with deep meaning. I was hooked from page one.
I'm a huge fan of teenage coming of age books. So it is not a surprise when I say this was exactly the kind of book I love. Megan is a very artistically talented person. After her mother's sudden and unfortunate death,she looses her will to draw anymore. Her father, expecting a new start, moves to a new place. There she meets Shawn, a mysterious,quite guy. Once Megan starts to hang out with him,she realises that he's way more darker than she thought. Will she be able to handle them? What awaits their future? Grab this very thrilling and realistic book to find out!!
The writing style was my favourite thing about this book. It was descriptive and literary. The story was developed well. The characters had so much personality. Especially Shawn.
I enjoyed this book very much. Definitely recommend this to everyone!
#BookReview
#BookReviewer
December 22, 2021
I was a bit hesitant going into this book, as I knew it addressed some difficult subject matter, namely child abuse. However, now that I've read it, I have to say I'm glad I did.
The abuse themes were handled with sensitivity and realistically. I think this book would be helpful to anyone who knows someone dealing with these issues, and educational for anyone who doesn't.
The best part of the story for me was the incredibly detailed character portrayals. Both main characters of Meg and Shawn were given a lot of depth and plenty of back story so that the reader really gets to know them. Watching them gradually open up to each other was beautiful, and I liked the way the two interacted. I came to care about them both, and was gratified to watch their growth, both individually and as a couple.
Despite some of the depictions of abuse being hard to read (as ALL such content should be), I found the story very engaging and worthwhile to read.
The abuse themes were handled with sensitivity and realistically. I think this book would be helpful to anyone who knows someone dealing with these issues, and educational for anyone who doesn't.
The best part of the story for me was the incredibly detailed character portrayals. Both main characters of Meg and Shawn were given a lot of depth and plenty of back story so that the reader really gets to know them. Watching them gradually open up to each other was beautiful, and I liked the way the two interacted. I came to care about them both, and was gratified to watch their growth, both individually and as a couple.
Despite some of the depictions of abuse being hard to read (as ALL such content should be), I found the story very engaging and worthwhile to read.
December 14, 2021
Excellent written book! The author did a fantastic job writing about difficult times! When I read the book jacket something pulled me to read this book, even though it is not the genre that I normal read and I am so happy that I followed my gut. I loved how she wove the "we are there for a reason" and was able to put it to two very difficult topics in life - death and abuse. I could not put this book down and read it in two nights. I would recommend this book to older students to read so that they know that they should talk to people about what is happening to them, that it is not right and not their fault!
December 30, 2021
This book.. I don’t even know where to start. So many emotions brought on by this book. It’s heartbreaking, but beautiful. Everything that Shawn has endured in his life, it’s awful. But Megan begins to bring a smile to his face. I could not put this book down. And it had me in tears at times. I can’t begin to put into words how this book made me feel. But I absolutely loved it. The pain these characters go through, it’s so well written, you feel it. Every emotion, you feel. I want to recommend this book to everyone… but I’d say, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. There is instances of different types of abuse, and if you can’t handle that, do not read this book.
December 24, 2021
Touch is a coming-of-age story, yes. That simple premise is the only typical part of this engaging book. This novel is a unique look at that life passage, as well as life overall. The author has written a story that is raw and gritty, while also intriguing. Some aspects are painful to read, especially because of the author's ability to draw the reader into the emotions and experiences of the characters. At the same time, it is a book that needs to be read and understood. Definitely recommend!
February 11, 2022
Speechless, there are no words to describe the range of emotions that this book can make you feel. The dept of the main character is unique. The emotion that she describes when dealing with Shawn is simply extraordinary. The book explores not only grief but PTSD, sexual abuse, solitude, depression. The range of the topics explored and the way in which they are developed is everything. A must-read for anyone looking to feel as much as they can when interacting with charters. A fair warning tho... maybe it is for the best to get a few tissues in hand.
November 10, 2021
The author nailed this story from her first sentence. Not only could I not put it down, I fell in love with each and every character and now find myself unable to stop thinking about them. Through every one of them, the reader gets an excellent view of “cause and effect”, even from what some may consider the most trivial or minor actions. An amazing debut that is a great example of how to approach life. Really hope there is more to come from this author.
December 13, 2021
The further I read the harder it became to put the book down. The main character, Shawn, a high school student, is written in descriptive detail. Along with Megan, his classmate and her family, this tells the story of a subject not usually talked about (sexual abuse) and how they deal with it. It is a story of love, friendship, and the bonds of family. It is beautifully written and draws you in. I definitely recommend it!
April 22, 2021
Devoured this in an afternoon because I could NOT put it down.
December 18, 2021
Spoilers
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Honestly, This book should have come with a better mature audiences warning. I was expecting mild physical abuse (the author included some info that leads you to suspect a child is being physically abused)which I could have handled, but instead found intense and severe sexual abuse which I was not expecting and was not prepared for. The abuse also came quite suddenly in the story line, with a ton of disturbing info revealed at once, and it was a lot at once to handle. Towards the end of the book more things are revealed and I felt that they came rather abruptly and without enough warning.
I also did not like the ending as I feel like it was rushed, and I was left unfulfilled and without closure for the characters.
I do think a lot of the ptsd aspects of the story were written out well and realistically (character attributes, ptsd episodes and such), but they were also very intense at times and hard to read.
I’ll give this book a 3/5 rating only because I felt that the author really tried to accurately portray a character who was a victim of all kinds of abuse. I just personally did not enjoy the story.
I received a copy of this book from the author through the Review Crew, this review is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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Honestly, This book should have come with a better mature audiences warning. I was expecting mild physical abuse (the author included some info that leads you to suspect a child is being physically abused)which I could have handled, but instead found intense and severe sexual abuse which I was not expecting and was not prepared for. The abuse also came quite suddenly in the story line, with a ton of disturbing info revealed at once, and it was a lot at once to handle. Towards the end of the book more things are revealed and I felt that they came rather abruptly and without enough warning.
I also did not like the ending as I feel like it was rushed, and I was left unfulfilled and without closure for the characters.
I do think a lot of the ptsd aspects of the story were written out well and realistically (character attributes, ptsd episodes and such), but they were also very intense at times and hard to read.
I’ll give this book a 3/5 rating only because I felt that the author really tried to accurately portray a character who was a victim of all kinds of abuse. I just personally did not enjoy the story.
I received a copy of this book from the author through the Review Crew, this review is my honest and unbiased opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2021
I do a close reading while reading an ARC, as result, I am less likely to skim through the text, and I read each sentence word for word. I have been given the privilege of reading this novel from NetGalley, the author, and the publisher and in return I have been asked to write a honest review.
I found this novel to be a challenge, so I needed to reread many sections several times in the hope that I would become engaged with the story and understand the plot. Instead, I felt like an invited guest, who was never made to feel welcomed. I personally prefer a book with plenty of description in order to create an image in my mind, but this novel was mostly conversation. The dialogue was in single sentences, and it made the chapters choppy, which affected the the flow of the novel. For the first half of the novel. I could not understand what was going on and became annoyed.
I like to get to know the characters and I try to visualize their appearances, but there was a lot of characters and many names were being thrown around. I worked around this by making notes, and since I read this on an ebook, it was easy to highlight. The characters are flat and showed no growth. Meg, the protagonist, experienced much in her young life due to the death of her mom and moving house. Meg had the most opportunity for growth, but I found to be whiny. One thing I could not wrap my head around was the relationship betwee Shawn and Meg's father. Shouldn't Shawn have been placed in a situation where he recieved appropriate long-term medical care, and how can a cop provide that care needed wiith this type of trauma?
The situation that happens to Shawn was unexpected and I understand that the story circles around rape and child abuse,: however I felt uncomfortable with the amount of detail, eventhough the abuse was only discussed in a short chapter.
Considering the book is a Young Adult novel that spans the very young to the much older reader, I would appreciate a trigger warning in inside flap to warn the reader of child abuse and rape.
I found this novel to be a challenge, so I needed to reread many sections several times in the hope that I would become engaged with the story and understand the plot. Instead, I felt like an invited guest, who was never made to feel welcomed. I personally prefer a book with plenty of description in order to create an image in my mind, but this novel was mostly conversation. The dialogue was in single sentences, and it made the chapters choppy, which affected the the flow of the novel. For the first half of the novel. I could not understand what was going on and became annoyed.
I like to get to know the characters and I try to visualize their appearances, but there was a lot of characters and many names were being thrown around. I worked around this by making notes, and since I read this on an ebook, it was easy to highlight. The characters are flat and showed no growth. Meg, the protagonist, experienced much in her young life due to the death of her mom and moving house. Meg had the most opportunity for growth, but I found to be whiny. One thing I could not wrap my head around was the relationship betwee Shawn and Meg's father. Shouldn't Shawn have been placed in a situation where he recieved appropriate long-term medical care, and how can a cop provide that care needed wiith this type of trauma?
The situation that happens to Shawn was unexpected and I understand that the story circles around rape and child abuse,: however I felt uncomfortable with the amount of detail, eventhough the abuse was only discussed in a short chapter.
Considering the book is a Young Adult novel that spans the very young to the much older reader, I would appreciate a trigger warning in inside flap to warn the reader of child abuse and rape.
August 15, 2025
What an incredible story. I couldn't stop reading. I put 120 pages a day max on it—so much heart-wrenching emotion. I even appreciated the ending; while not exactly what I hoped for, it was perfect in its own way.
November 6, 2021
Touch by Rebecca Miller is a story of trauma. Trauma comes in all forms. Some have loss of a loved one. Some are not able to handle truths in life, and for some, it is hell. And trauma is what Rebecca has portrayed in her story, but with an exquisite writing style she entwined the light of hope as well. Touch is story that addresses issues in the young adult population, that people don’t tend to read or acknowledge.
I was instantly intrigued by the storyline in this book. What had occurred in Megan’s (Meg) life that she lost all color from her life? Her family suffers, grieves and her father has made a decision to move. A change of pace, for her and for me certainly. Yet, for Megan its all the same. As morbid as it sounds, I love when authors are able to depict negative emotions. Rage, depression and emptiness. That’s what Megan and her family feels. But meeting Shawn…changed Megan. One of the things I observed is that, to help Shawn, Megan had to accept her grief, move on and help someone else. Maybe not accept, but over time she grew up, her heart grew more so that she could help Shawn, even if it began as a simple crush over the quiet boy. This relationship, to me, feels like it has an emotional depth rarely found in other novels and is indicative of the passion with which the author creates the characters and their connections.
As the story progressed the horrible things that happened with Shawn were revealed and it may be hard for some readers to process. I still read through and I feel like the hero is Megan’s father. He singlehandedly took care of Shawn in a professional as well as a personal manner. A widower, struck with grief, he still cares for his children so much that he took care of another child who was lost.
While I enjoyed this story I felt that the pacing was slow, taking its time to build connections and setup story points, at times feeling like a series of events that happened, but stick with it, it comes together in the end.
Touch is an impassioned coming of age story that will stir the soul. With interesting characters and grounded interactions between them, this novel feels like an authentic expression of that time in our lives and readers will be able to connect with it.
I was instantly intrigued by the storyline in this book. What had occurred in Megan’s (Meg) life that she lost all color from her life? Her family suffers, grieves and her father has made a decision to move. A change of pace, for her and for me certainly. Yet, for Megan its all the same. As morbid as it sounds, I love when authors are able to depict negative emotions. Rage, depression and emptiness. That’s what Megan and her family feels. But meeting Shawn…changed Megan. One of the things I observed is that, to help Shawn, Megan had to accept her grief, move on and help someone else. Maybe not accept, but over time she grew up, her heart grew more so that she could help Shawn, even if it began as a simple crush over the quiet boy. This relationship, to me, feels like it has an emotional depth rarely found in other novels and is indicative of the passion with which the author creates the characters and their connections.
As the story progressed the horrible things that happened with Shawn were revealed and it may be hard for some readers to process. I still read through and I feel like the hero is Megan’s father. He singlehandedly took care of Shawn in a professional as well as a personal manner. A widower, struck with grief, he still cares for his children so much that he took care of another child who was lost.
While I enjoyed this story I felt that the pacing was slow, taking its time to build connections and setup story points, at times feeling like a series of events that happened, but stick with it, it comes together in the end.
Touch is an impassioned coming of age story that will stir the soul. With interesting characters and grounded interactions between them, this novel feels like an authentic expression of that time in our lives and readers will be able to connect with it.
October 8, 2022
A WISHING SHELF BOOK REVIEW
8th October 2022
TITLE: Touch
AUTHOR: Rebecca Miller
Star Rating: 4
‘A cleverly crafted story, often dark, often gritty, populated with unforgettable – and broken – characters. Highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf
REVIEW
This is a powerfully written, coming-of-age story tackling a number of difficult subjects including the loss of a family member, abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Written by a talented author, the novel opens with Megan losing her mother and moving to another town. There she meets Shawn, a boy hiding a terrible secret. What follows is an insightful, often thought-provoking tale, as Megan slowly gets to know the boy and attempts – in her own way – to help him.
I must say, this is no Twilight. This is dark stuff! So, if a cosy romance is your thing, or if you got upset watching THG, this novel is not for you. But if you enjoy gritty, coming-of-age novels filled with broken characters who do the wrong thing as often as they do the right, then I´d highly recommend it. Personally, I applaud the author for tackling such difficult subjects and putting them in a young adult novel. Although I suspect many adults would find this book just as gripping.
In terms of the writing style, it´s pretty much spot on. There´s a good flow to the story, and the dialogue is crisp and well-written. The author´s also excellent at developing her characters, particularly Megan; she´s rather introspective and I think many female readers will relate to her thoughts and feelings.
All in all, this is a very ´real´ story, candidly written, often thought-provoking and always stimulating. I suspect most older YA and New Adult readers with an interest in the hardships faced by many growing up will find this captivating. But, be warned, it´s raw, gritty and might be upsetting to many. It´s no Mills and Boon!
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk
8th October 2022
TITLE: Touch
AUTHOR: Rebecca Miller
Star Rating: 4
‘A cleverly crafted story, often dark, often gritty, populated with unforgettable – and broken – characters. Highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf
REVIEW
This is a powerfully written, coming-of-age story tackling a number of difficult subjects including the loss of a family member, abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Written by a talented author, the novel opens with Megan losing her mother and moving to another town. There she meets Shawn, a boy hiding a terrible secret. What follows is an insightful, often thought-provoking tale, as Megan slowly gets to know the boy and attempts – in her own way – to help him.
I must say, this is no Twilight. This is dark stuff! So, if a cosy romance is your thing, or if you got upset watching THG, this novel is not for you. But if you enjoy gritty, coming-of-age novels filled with broken characters who do the wrong thing as often as they do the right, then I´d highly recommend it. Personally, I applaud the author for tackling such difficult subjects and putting them in a young adult novel. Although I suspect many adults would find this book just as gripping.
In terms of the writing style, it´s pretty much spot on. There´s a good flow to the story, and the dialogue is crisp and well-written. The author´s also excellent at developing her characters, particularly Megan; she´s rather introspective and I think many female readers will relate to her thoughts and feelings.
All in all, this is a very ´real´ story, candidly written, often thought-provoking and always stimulating. I suspect most older YA and New Adult readers with an interest in the hardships faced by many growing up will find this captivating. But, be warned, it´s raw, gritty and might be upsetting to many. It´s no Mills and Boon!
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk
February 17, 2023
Amazing and difficult
Megan’s family has moved to a small town in Missouri where her father has taken the position of chief of police after being a high ranking officer in Portland, Oregon. Megan’s mother died four years ago and she still has not recovered from that. Nor, apparently, have her brothers, Bobby and Josh. When their car breaks down on the way into their new town, Megan meets a mysterious boy, Shawn. She sees him again in the lunchroom at her new school and resolves to to make friends with him. Her resolution is successful—sort of. But there’s a mystery about him that she cannot crack. And it turns out to be worse than she could even guess. It comes close to completely overwhelming Megan’s family. Without spoiling anything, I will just say that the ending is bittersweet. Kudos to Rebecca Miller for tackling such a tough issue.
Megan’s family has moved to a small town in Missouri where her father has taken the position of chief of police after being a high ranking officer in Portland, Oregon. Megan’s mother died four years ago and she still has not recovered from that. Nor, apparently, have her brothers, Bobby and Josh. When their car breaks down on the way into their new town, Megan meets a mysterious boy, Shawn. She sees him again in the lunchroom at her new school and resolves to to make friends with him. Her resolution is successful—sort of. But there’s a mystery about him that she cannot crack. And it turns out to be worse than she could even guess. It comes close to completely overwhelming Megan’s family. Without spoiling anything, I will just say that the ending is bittersweet. Kudos to Rebecca Miller for tackling such a tough issue.
October 31, 2021
After reading the description, I knew this was going to be a book I would enjoy, but I did not expect to be so blown away. I found this book so totally captivating I could not put it down and immediately read it again! A wonderful coming of age book that covers many struggles teens encounter. The main character, Megan is a gifted artist, but after her mother dies she retreats into herself and stops drawing. Her father hoping a new start will help them both moves and that is where expecting a new start, moves to a new place. There she meets Shawn. Megan learns after becoming involved with Shawn he has many troubling secrets. Full of adventure, romance, and fantacy. A great read!
January 19, 2023
Touch was emotionally gripping and an excellent read. I appreciated how the author addressed the topic of male sexual assault which doesn't get enough attention in my opinion. I found the author's depiction of Shawn's struggle to recover and his PTSD realistic rather than glossed over as most books seem to do. And although the ending broke me, I again thought it was realistic. It definitely would have been hard for Shawn to remain living in that town after his experience. And life is not always an HEA.
I don't get the negative reviews left by some reviewers. I couldn't put this book down. It was intense and full of complexity. I highly recommend this book.
I don't get the negative reviews left by some reviewers. I couldn't put this book down. It was intense and full of complexity. I highly recommend this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2022
This book took a dynamic twist that kept me wanting more! It started out as what seemed like a teen love novel, but very quickly evolved into a complex exoration of the broken family members each trying to get out of their own bubbles of grief. I really enjoyed the way the book brought the family together for a common cause because they realized they had more to offer than they thought. I definitely recommend this to others and I hope there is a sequel!
May 12, 2022
Greatest book ever.
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