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Touched
Librarian Note: Alternate Cover Edition for ISBN-10:1614690359 / ISBN-13: 9781614690351.
Landmines. Quicksand. Class warfare. Now if Jimmy Parker could only find high school that simple. It only gets more complicated when a mysterious female classmate with a special gift enters his life. Jimmy finds out quickly that a simple touch of her hand allows her unwanted clairvoyance into his most sacred thoughts. Soon after the revelation adolescent sparks fly in directions that culminate in Jimmy’s admittance into the sinister Gritch Club. There he is confronted with social and sexual dilemmas that shake his very core. It is only when his classmate’s mental frailties bubbles to the surface he realizes seemingly harmless actions have powerful consequences that end one life and transform another.
Landmines. Quicksand. Class warfare. Now if Jimmy Parker could only find high school that simple. It only gets more complicated when a mysterious female classmate with a special gift enters his life. Jimmy finds out quickly that a simple touch of her hand allows her unwanted clairvoyance into his most sacred thoughts. Soon after the revelation adolescent sparks fly in directions that culminate in Jimmy’s admittance into the sinister Gritch Club. There he is confronted with social and sexual dilemmas that shake his very core. It is only when his classmate’s mental frailties bubbles to the surface he realizes seemingly harmless actions have powerful consequences that end one life and transform another.
214 pages, Paperback
First published January 19, 2013
2 people are currently reading
696 people want to read
About the author
Paul Maurer
3 books5 followersPaul Maurer is a graduate from the University of Wisconsin and Northwestern College of Chiropractic. Maurer currently resides in Oak Creek, Wisconsin with his three sons and wife of twenty-five years. In addition to TOUCHED he has written multiple short stories, song lyrics and other full length works available for sampling at www.PaulMaurerBooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 20, 2013
First Amazon review: 5 Stars : "This book was an awesome read, I could not put it down. Very creative ending. Would of never guessed it. Would suggest this book to anyone looking for an entertaining read."
Amazon ***** unbelievable! This book had great "Truth" to it!
The book had excellent creativity and a "voice" that stuck with me throughout it. I loved how the writer was able to make me smile with comical remarks but also pull me in with the serious aspects. My expectations were exceeded and the ending couldn't have been more genuine!! I rarely read books twice, but I'll be sure to pick this one up again!
B & N ***** I thought this book was excellent. It captured my attention firmly from start to finish, and the ending is surely unexpected. Maurer has a way with words. Highly recommend.
Amazon ***** unbelievable! This book had great "Truth" to it!
The book had excellent creativity and a "voice" that stuck with me throughout it. I loved how the writer was able to make me smile with comical remarks but also pull me in with the serious aspects. My expectations were exceeded and the ending couldn't have been more genuine!! I rarely read books twice, but I'll be sure to pick this one up again!
B & N ***** I thought this book was excellent. It captured my attention firmly from start to finish, and the ending is surely unexpected. Maurer has a way with words. Highly recommend.
March 25, 2013
This book was a very enjoyable quick and easy read. Maurer did an excellent job in creating a portal back into high school with it clicks, drama, and growing pains. Although the ending is quite unexpected and devastating, the book is well thought out and you can really get a decent idea of how Jimmy is feeling as his sophomore year progresses; you can understand and commiserate with Jimmy as he struggles to come into his own skin, as well as to determine the difference between right and wrong. Overall, I really enjoyed the characters and the roles that they played. The characters that you meet all played an important role and there was no need for filler characters.
The "paranormal" twist is simplistic, however it solidifies the Renee's character and personality. It is clear that Renee has had a harder life and a lot more life experiences than most kids at that age, this in itself make her character deeper than normal high school kids and her character more insightful and in-tune to other people. Her ability to read people through contact amplifies these qualities and makes it clear to the reader that she is unique and special, albeit fragile person, and that those qualities can be destructive if not nurtured and supported properly. My only issue with this concept is that it created a little bit of a character inconsistency for me; i.e. she knows that Rex is dark and that there is something wrong from the first time that she comes in contact with him, then why at the party at the lake would she go off alone with him? And since Vance was unhappy with how things were going with the Billys and the Gritch for quite a while (as reveled in the last chapter), would she have had an idea of this the first time he touches her in the first chapter? Instead she balks at him stating that his plan usually works...
Some notes: There were a few instances in which I noticed that there were typos/grammar issues (repeated words and misplaces or lack of punctuation). I would recommend a little extra editing with a fresh set of eyes. I did not initially mark the book were I noticed these issues, but I am more than happy to go back and re-read the book to note the lines in question. Please let me know if you would like me to do this, and give me a little time. These issues did not take any enjoyment away from the book, but it something that I would want perfected prior to publication if it was my work so I am happy to extend the favor.
Thank you for allowing me to read this book as part of the Goodreads First Reads program. I really appreciate the chance to read new authors and books and it is a wonderful experience to be pleasantly surprised as I was with this book.
The "paranormal" twist is simplistic, however it solidifies the Renee's character and personality. It is clear that Renee has had a harder life and a lot more life experiences than most kids at that age, this in itself make her character deeper than normal high school kids and her character more insightful and in-tune to other people. Her ability to read people through contact amplifies these qualities and makes it clear to the reader that she is unique and special, albeit fragile person, and that those qualities can be destructive if not nurtured and supported properly. My only issue with this concept is that it created a little bit of a character inconsistency for me; i.e. she knows that Rex is dark and that there is something wrong from the first time that she comes in contact with him, then why at the party at the lake would she go off alone with him? And since Vance was unhappy with how things were going with the Billys and the Gritch for quite a while (as reveled in the last chapter), would she have had an idea of this the first time he touches her in the first chapter? Instead she balks at him stating that his plan usually works...
Some notes: There were a few instances in which I noticed that there were typos/grammar issues (repeated words and misplaces or lack of punctuation). I would recommend a little extra editing with a fresh set of eyes. I did not initially mark the book were I noticed these issues, but I am more than happy to go back and re-read the book to note the lines in question. Please let me know if you would like me to do this, and give me a little time. These issues did not take any enjoyment away from the book, but it something that I would want perfected prior to publication if it was my work so I am happy to extend the favor.
Thank you for allowing me to read this book as part of the Goodreads First Reads program. I really appreciate the chance to read new authors and books and it is a wonderful experience to be pleasantly surprised as I was with this book.
April 10, 2013
I received this as a Goodreads First Reads book.
Jimmy thinks his life sucks. He has one friend who is a geek. School is boring. He wishes he would be part of the popular crowd. He wants to spends some alone time Veronica, the hottest girl at the school. His parents are never around. In general, he is lonely. Until Renee enters his life. And nothing will ever be the same.
Maurer has done an excellent job of character development with his main characters of Jimmy and Renee. These two are well developed and complex characters. I enjoyed seeing how Jimmy actually grew and developed over the course of the novel. Maurer actually hit the nail on the head about the growing up process that many people go through at this age. As for Renee, she made me very uncomfortable, in a good way. It is apparent that she is on a self-destructive path. It was hard for me to read and I wished some adult in her life would step in and get her some help. And the fact that I thought this about her shows what an excellent job Maurer did with making these two characters real.
However, the minor characters really come across as two-dimensional. This is sad since we can see that Maurer has the ability to make these characters more. Curt and Vance in particular have some spark that would be interesting to see explored more in the story. I actually liked Curt the best of all the characters in the book. But when it came to Veronica, I was very offended and I thought that Veronica was the worst developed character in the whole book. She really is very little more than someone about whom Jimmy can just fantasize. She was just a hot girl with a chest "as soft as a bag of Stay Puft marshmallows". This just bothered me on so many levels.
I thought that specifically the last quarter of the book was the best part. I don't want to give too much away, so I will be vague. The way that Jimmy develops and the way that he deals with what is going on in his life is very good. The way that Vance and Curt respond to Jimmy and Renee's situation was really excellent and I wish more time had been spent with those two.
I have some other minor issues with this book, which may not be a problem for others, so it does not affect my rating. Lots of swearing, sexualizing women, violence, rape, and some anti-Catholic comments.
Jimmy thinks his life sucks. He has one friend who is a geek. School is boring. He wishes he would be part of the popular crowd. He wants to spends some alone time Veronica, the hottest girl at the school. His parents are never around. In general, he is lonely. Until Renee enters his life. And nothing will ever be the same.
Maurer has done an excellent job of character development with his main characters of Jimmy and Renee. These two are well developed and complex characters. I enjoyed seeing how Jimmy actually grew and developed over the course of the novel. Maurer actually hit the nail on the head about the growing up process that many people go through at this age. As for Renee, she made me very uncomfortable, in a good way. It is apparent that she is on a self-destructive path. It was hard for me to read and I wished some adult in her life would step in and get her some help. And the fact that I thought this about her shows what an excellent job Maurer did with making these two characters real.
However, the minor characters really come across as two-dimensional. This is sad since we can see that Maurer has the ability to make these characters more. Curt and Vance in particular have some spark that would be interesting to see explored more in the story. I actually liked Curt the best of all the characters in the book. But when it came to Veronica, I was very offended and I thought that Veronica was the worst developed character in the whole book. She really is very little more than someone about whom Jimmy can just fantasize. She was just a hot girl with a chest "as soft as a bag of Stay Puft marshmallows". This just bothered me on so many levels.
I thought that specifically the last quarter of the book was the best part. I don't want to give too much away, so I will be vague. The way that Jimmy develops and the way that he deals with what is going on in his life is very good. The way that Vance and Curt respond to Jimmy and Renee's situation was really excellent and I wish more time had been spent with those two.
I have some other minor issues with this book, which may not be a problem for others, so it does not affect my rating. Lots of swearing, sexualizing women, violence, rape, and some anti-Catholic comments.
February 25, 2025
Paul was a good friend and colleague of my husband. Unfortunately he recently passed. At his wake, his family had put his books out on display. I looked at them and decided to read them. 'Touched' has turned out to be a wonderful story of friendship and the rankings of high school societies.
July 4, 2013
Jimmy hates school and can't wait until he graduates in three years. But when Renee shows up, he feels like he has finally found a friend. Renee's friendship comes at a cost, though; as she spirals deeper into depression, Jimmy finds himself wondering how to help her and if it's worth it to care about another person at all.
It took me a very long time to finish this book. I could blame it on graduation, my wedding, and our cross-country move, but the fact is I couldn't get into this book at all. Not only is there not really a plot (we figure out Renee's "secret power" early on and nothing more comes of it), but the writing is filled with little gems such as the following:
"Today I pulled a disappearing act like a cross-dressing Anne Frank and avoided everything" (63).
"We were all like balloons from the state fair tied to the end of wooden sticks slowly losing air and hanging limp" (107).
"But I've met girls like her before. Powerful in a pack but alone they fade faster than perfume from the Dollar Store" (118).
"The drifting that left her feeling as rudderless as a broken rowboat in a scuz-filled pond" (141).
"I wanted to talk about as much as I wanted old Dr.Brown to grab my junk and tell me to cough" (144).
"She was paddling in Sh[*]t Creek with only a pair of chopsticks" (151).
"I never liked to write before.I thought it was pointless. Now the more I do, the more I want to. It's like you opened a faucet in my head and my sinuses are draining all over the paper." The teacher called this "Imagery at its best" (159).
"She literally bleeds her heart onto the paper drop by drop" (159).
"He made my crap seem smaller than a cat turd in a kitty litter box" (162).
"The sky was filled with corkscrew clouds that mixed white and grey like an ice cream cone from Dairy Queen" (200).
The "cross-dressing Anne Frank" comment I found blatantly offensive. The Dairy Queen comment is inaccurate, as the mixed cones come from places such as McDonald's and I'm pretty sure DQ doesn't sell white/grey ice cream. The stuff in the middle, and this is just a representative sample, is just bad writing. Teenagers don't talk like this or think like this at all.
I had difficulty sympathizing with the main characters. I felt like I didn't get to know them or any of the secondary characters. And most of them had few, if any, redeeming qualities. Also, no plot. Books must have a plot. And the climax scene was not very climactic. I barely reacted to it at all, and I've been known to go through a box of tissues in a single chapter (Dobbie's death, anyone?). Sorry folks, but this one is not worth your time. Find another book to read instead.
Recommended for: This book is written for young adults, but I doubt it will appeal to them.
Red Flags: Drinking, sex, language, violence - you name it, it's in this book. Including several homophobic comments about people acting like "lezzies" or "lesbos" and boys being called "pussies" for being afraid to do things.
Overall Rating: 1/5 stars.
It took me a very long time to finish this book. I could blame it on graduation, my wedding, and our cross-country move, but the fact is I couldn't get into this book at all. Not only is there not really a plot (we figure out Renee's "secret power" early on and nothing more comes of it), but the writing is filled with little gems such as the following:
"Today I pulled a disappearing act like a cross-dressing Anne Frank and avoided everything" (63).
"We were all like balloons from the state fair tied to the end of wooden sticks slowly losing air and hanging limp" (107).
"But I've met girls like her before. Powerful in a pack but alone they fade faster than perfume from the Dollar Store" (118).
"The drifting that left her feeling as rudderless as a broken rowboat in a scuz-filled pond" (141).
"I wanted to talk about as much as I wanted old Dr.Brown to grab my junk and tell me to cough" (144).
"She was paddling in Sh[*]t Creek with only a pair of chopsticks" (151).
"I never liked to write before.I thought it was pointless. Now the more I do, the more I want to. It's like you opened a faucet in my head and my sinuses are draining all over the paper." The teacher called this "Imagery at its best" (159).
"She literally bleeds her heart onto the paper drop by drop" (159).
"He made my crap seem smaller than a cat turd in a kitty litter box" (162).
"The sky was filled with corkscrew clouds that mixed white and grey like an ice cream cone from Dairy Queen" (200).
The "cross-dressing Anne Frank" comment I found blatantly offensive. The Dairy Queen comment is inaccurate, as the mixed cones come from places such as McDonald's and I'm pretty sure DQ doesn't sell white/grey ice cream. The stuff in the middle, and this is just a representative sample, is just bad writing. Teenagers don't talk like this or think like this at all.
I had difficulty sympathizing with the main characters. I felt like I didn't get to know them or any of the secondary characters. And most of them had few, if any, redeeming qualities. Also, no plot. Books must have a plot. And the climax scene was not very climactic. I barely reacted to it at all, and I've been known to go through a box of tissues in a single chapter (Dobbie's death, anyone?). Sorry folks, but this one is not worth your time. Find another book to read instead.
Recommended for: This book is written for young adults, but I doubt it will appeal to them.
Red Flags: Drinking, sex, language, violence - you name it, it's in this book. Including several homophobic comments about people acting like "lezzies" or "lesbos" and boys being called "pussies" for being afraid to do things.
Overall Rating: 1/5 stars.
October 12, 2014
Full review at: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=4049
This book’s ending was so shocking. I sat with my mouth hanging open, just shocked. It was so sudden and really caught me off guard. The emotion I felt starts with the characters. Jimmy is a nobody in his high school until Renee enters his life. Renee is special. She doesn’t care about what others think, she stands up to the bullies, and she actually befriends Jimmy. Renee is who propels our plot. She gets Jimmy to get out of his comfort zone, she is mysterious so I was always trying to figure her out, and she was smart and beautiful.
This book’s ending was so shocking. I sat with my mouth hanging open, just shocked. It was so sudden and really caught me off guard. The emotion I felt starts with the characters. Jimmy is a nobody in his high school until Renee enters his life. Renee is special. She doesn’t care about what others think, she stands up to the bullies, and she actually befriends Jimmy. Renee is who propels our plot. She gets Jimmy to get out of his comfort zone, she is mysterious so I was always trying to figure her out, and she was smart and beautiful.
May 18, 2013
Touched by Paul Maurer
Jimmy and Renee are classmates. She was a new girl to the school. The school had groups of special clubs, they would pick on Renee and Jimmy. Quite a story about teenagers and some of the things they do.
Jimmy and Renee are classmates. She was a new girl to the school. The school had groups of special clubs, they would pick on Renee and Jimmy. Quite a story about teenagers and some of the things they do.
July 26, 2013
I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. Touched was a quick read. Would recommend for young adults.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews