Review: Touch (Denazen #1) by Jus Accardo

Touch (Denazen #1)
by Jus Accardo

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.

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Publication Date: Nov 1st 2011

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Format: e-book, 400 pages 

Series: yes

Source: My Kindle

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My Review

"Is he... hum, special?"

Imagine you're walking home late from a super awesome party that is sure to piss off your dad, only to be accosted by a extremely peculiar, though very hot, guy who asks (not very nicely) for your shoes because he leaves strange black marks in his path. Oh, and when you take him home (all the more to piss your dad off) to fix the wounds afflicted by the men following him (I wonder why? Nevermind, dad will hate this), you find out your dad is there (Yay! ooops...) and that he is a super secret evil agent from a super secret evil organization called Denazen, and that the guy with you, Kale, is their assassin, and can kill with the slightest touch of his skin. Oh, except that when he touches you, nothing happens. Yup. And then you go and run off with this strange stranger (see what I did there? :P ) straight into a lot of trouble. Not that you care much, because he is very cute, if sort of weirdo.

Touch is the kind of book I'd like to see more of. It's fast-paced, it's funny, it really messes with your emotions, and, best of all, has a pure-hearted virgin, who also happens to be a killer, as a hero. I mean, come on!!! Perfection, right? Enough with the experienced bad boys and the super pure young girls. It's time to switch those silly roles, people! 

I LOVED to see Deznee explaining the simplest things ('this is a tv', 'you eat that like this', 'this is called a leather jacket', and so on) and then trying to explain to most difficult to Kale ('this is a kiss', 'they hold hands because they like each other. No, not just like... have feelings for. No, love is... hum'). Just priceless!!! *-*

I laughed out loud so many times my mother demanded to know what I was reading. 

I also felt a bit torn when Deznee's ex showed up. Sure, I was pissed off with him right along Dez, at first, but when we find out what really happened... I felt a bit sorry for him. Only to be pissed off again at the end of the book. LOL. I love when stuff like that happens. 

Man, and what about those more, hum... steamy scenes? Wooo-hooo!!! I really need to get me a virgin. Yup, I said it. Surely I'm not the only one with this sort of fantasy. Honestly, I blame Miss Jus Accardo. It's all your fault, missie. :P 

I know some people have trouble with sex in YA books, but I definitely don't. It's a normal thing, and there's nothing to ashamed of! Teens do it all the time, we can't stop them, just try to make them understand how important it is to use protection! Have you guys seen how many teenage girls say they 'wouldn't mind getting pregnant?'. COME ON! But I digress here... Kale was hot, Deznee was kick-ass and the chemistry between them was tremendous! When they were together it was beautiful and lovely and sweet. Nothing dirty or shameful here. Congrats to the author!

Now, where is a copy of Untouched when you need one? XD

Special X-Mas Review: Parallel Visions by Cheryl Rainfield

Parallel Visions (A Teen Psychic Novel #1)
by Cheryl Rainfield

Visions can kill you. Would you risk your life to save someone else’s?

Kate sees psychic visions of the future and the past—but only when she's having an asthma attack. When she "sees" her sister being beaten, she needs more visions to try to save her, along with a suicidal classmate—but triggering her asthma could kill her. Parallel Visions is the story of one brave, caring girl whose unusual gifts put her own life in danger.

A new YA fantasy from the award-winning author of SCARS and HUNTED.

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Publication Date: November 20th, 2012

Publisher: Rain and Sun Press

Format: e-book, 146 pages 

Series: yes

Source: author

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My Review

Parallel Visions is a wonderful, intense, quick read! I chose to post it today because it's very emotional. It deals with family issues and shows the protagonist overcoming obstacles and finding happiness by being herself. If that's not Christmas-sy, then I don't know what is. :) So here it goes:

Kate suffers from asthma. That means she always has to be careful fo her surroundings, always avoiding places with too much dust, pollen, smoke, well, pretty much anything with strong smells or fumes that might trigger off an asthma attack. Because of that, Kate also has to avoid strenuous activities. In other words, she misses a lot of school, and running with her classmates during Phys ED is pretty much out of question... not that THAT would stop her from trying to hang out with Gil, the kind-hearted and yummy guy from her school. Having asthma really sucks, especially when you have an attack in front of the guy you like and your class keeps standing there, staring at you while you try to stay alive. 

But you know what makes it even worse? Having visions while you're trying to desperately breathe in some oxygen while your airways are closing. Visions of the past and the future. Visions you feel bound to avoid happening, even knowing that no one will believe what you're saying will happen. Kate is very much used to that. However, this time it envolves people very close to her. Her own sister, Jenna, who is being abused and controled by her husband, and denying it; and Gil's sister, a depressed homosexual girl who was gang-raped and is now planning on committing suicide. Kate has a lot on her hands, trying to protect the people she cares about... but who'll protect her from those who want to stop her?

As if high school alone wasn't bad enough.

I was sucked into this story immediately! I never met anyone suffering from asthma, but I certainly herad a lot about it. I can't even imagine how terrible it must be, to be always short of breath, or constantly coughing and depending on medicine. How very helpless it must be. But Kate reminds us that it is not the end of the world. She doesn't let herself be dimished by it, even if her sister blames her for being an 'attention whore', keeing their parents all to herself, and when people would overreact everytime she had an attack, trying to keep her sheltered and protected, but failing to notice that they were, in fact, smothering her. Oh, and I have to say it: it was so unnerving when people wouldn't believe her visions, even with all the believable things she kept pointing out! ARGH!!! I just wanted to shake her parents. LOL.

All in all, this made for a fantastic read! My only problem with it was that it was too short! I really can't wait for the next book, I want to see more of Gil!!! ;)

I would like to thank the author, the lovely Cheryl Rainfield. for giving me the chance to read and review her most recently published book. It was just as incredibly intriguing and intense as Scars. *-*

Give this one a chance, Paranormal YA, fans. It's not just another pretty cover (even if it HAS a pretty cover).

Early Review: Undead by Kirsty McKay

Undead (Undead #1)
by Kirsty McKay

Expected publication: September 1st 2012 by Scholastic Inc.

Out of sight, out of their minds: It's a school-trip splatter fest and completely not cool when the other kids in her class go all braindead on new girl Bobby.

The day of the ski trip, when the bus comes to a stop at a roadside restaurant, everyone gets off and heads in for lunch. Everyone, that is, except Bobby, the new girl, who stays behind with rebel-without-a-clue Smitty.

Then hours pass. Snow piles up. Sun goes down. Bobby and Smitty start to flirt. Start to stress. Till finally they see the other kids stumbling back.

But they've changed. And not in a good way. Straight up, they're zombies. So the wheels on the bus better go round and round freakin' fast, because that's the only thing keeping Bobby and Smitty from becoming their classmates' next meal. It's kill or be killed in these hunger games, heads are gonna roll, and homework is most definitely gonna be late.

Combining the chill of THE SHINING, the thrill ride of SPEED, the humor of SHAUN OF THE DEAD, and the angst of THE BREAKFAST CLUB, Kirsty McKay's UNDEAD is a bloody mad mash-up, a school-trip splatter-fest, a funny, gory, frighteningly good debut!

Genre: Young Adult, Zombies

Publication Date: September 1st 2012

Publisher: Scholastic

Format: eARC, 272 pages 

Series: yes

Source: Netgalley

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My Review

First line: I would rather die than face them all again.

Last line: "We need to get off this bus - now!"

Favorite quote: "Zombie parkour. Don't think that's been done before. Better film this, Alice, it could go viral."

Bobby is on the School Trip from Hell. She was born in the UK, but thanks to her mother's job they had to move to the US. Now, she's back the UK again. On a skiing trip to Scotland before the start of the new school year. The thing is, everyone is making fun of her 'hybrid' accent. She, herself, needs to police her lingo, always trying to sound as properly british as possible. She's also avoiding every single one of her new school mates, because they are all so annoying to new kids, especially ex-american ones, and he really just wants to kick those losers' butts. I mean, their bums. 

That's why she was the only inside the bus when everyone got off to venture the snow storm and eat something at the café by the road. Well, her, the driver and Rob Smitty, rebel without a pause. And hottie. Their teacher forbade him from leaving the bus after he got caught bying booze and cigs with a fake ID. So they were the only ones who didn't get to taste the nice free samples of Carrot Juice, being given away by a man in a carrot costume. And so they didn't see what happened to those who did, inside the café. Until a bloody hand hit one of the bus' windows and the driver went outside to check it out... and the proverbial sh*t started to hit the fan.

Now it's Bobby, the 'freak hybrid', Smitty, the smartass bad boy, Alice, the annoying b*tch--I mean, popular brainless girl and Pete, the cowardly, brainy weirdo. It's just them. Against a whole lot of Zs.

As they try to stay alive and survive constant zombie attacks (and quite a few dangerous humans, too), they also need to learn to deal with each other while trying to find shelter and a way to contact someone. But things aren't really looking good... and little do they know, they just might get worse. And personal.

I LOVED this book!!! There was never ONE boring moment! I mean it, the whole thing was, well... words fail me right now, so I'll just have to go with AWEEEEEESOME! ;P

Those zombies really went all-out! Kirsty McKay got them doing some pretty interesting stuff. Brand new, too. Same goes for the surviving group of teenage humans. Those guys actually managed to survive while NOT working as group or even really caring about each other much (it was pretty realistic, if you start thinking about it. People are selfish. Especially in difficult situations), with a small romantic exception, of course (which worked great, if you ask me!). So...

Oh, and, man!! That miraculous bus driving through a snow storm on an empty tank? WOW! And the hidden dungeon/booze/dumbwaiter inside that Scotland castle? Mah Lawd!

Hey, did I mention the cellphone actually working when they were almost -literally- fried? Yowtch.

Also, the zombies walking UNDER the iced-over loch? SU-weeeet! O.O

I laughed so hard with this book. Almost during the whole thing. It also made me slightly nauseated at times, which makes sense in a zombie book. ;P Oh, and my heart went all a-flutter during a couple of cute scenes, too, which is always a good thing. And I so, SO wanted Alice and Pete to die... but, oh, well. There's always the next book, huh? :D And let me tell you how glad that makes me! I'm dying and un-dying (no pun intended) to read what happens next! Like, I need it right now! OR I'LL GET YOUR BRAINS, Miss McKay!!

LOL.

(that's the last one, I promise)

Hey, you! Yeah, you. Go and pre-order this baby right away!! Thou shall not regret this, my friend.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*