Invisible Touch

by Kelly Parra

Kara Martinez has been trying to be "normal" ever since the accident that took her father's life when she was eleven years old. She's buried the caliente side of her Mexican heritage with her father and tried to be the girl her rigid mother wants her to be -- compliant and dressed in pink, and certainly not acting out like her older brother Jason. Not even Danielle, her best friend at Valdez High, has seen the real Kara; only those who read her anonymous blog know the deepest secrets of the Sign Seer.

Because Kara has a gift -- one that often feels like a curse. She sees signs, visions that are clues to a person's fate, if she can put together the pieces of the puzzle in time. So far, she's been able to solve the clues and avert disaster for those she's been warned about -- until she sees the flash of a gun on a fellow classmate, and the stakes are raised higher than ever before. Kara does her best to follow the signs, but it's her heart that wanders into new territory when she falls for a mysterious guy from the wrong side of town, taking her closer to answers she may not be able to handle. Will her forbidden romance help her solve the deadly puzzle before it's too late...or lead her even further into danger?

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, High School, Fiction, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 10, 2008

About the author

Multipublished author, Kelly Parra, is a novelist, short fiction writer, and (sometimes) graphic artist. She has written stories in young adult fiction, romance, diverse fiction, urban fantasy with horror, and short stories. Not to mention, ghostwritten picture books that shall be left unnamed.

Her young adult multicultural novels, Graffiti Girl and Invisible Touch, were published with MTV Books (Simon & Schuster). Her novel Graffiti Girl was included in the National Book Foundation’s “BookupNYC” program, encouraging middle grade students to read, and included in high school and college reading curriculums. Carina Press (Harlequin) debuted Kelly’s adult fiction novel, Criminal Instinct, as one of the publisher’s launch titles. Her latest works are co-authored stories with game creator, Scott Cawthon, for his NYT’s Bestselling Children series Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights, in the novels Fazbear Frights #4: Step Closer and Fazbear Frights #6: Blackbird (Scholastic).

Kelly’s stories are known for their diverse characterization and invoking positive and inspiring messages for readers. Her works have been nominated for honors such as Best Young Adult Novel and Best First Book for Romance Writers of America®, Latino Young Adult Novel Top Pick by Latinidad®, and the Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award. Authors and reviewers have called Kelly’s works page-turning, compelling, and exciting stories filled with drama and suspense. When Kelly isn’t writing, she’s CREATING—story ideas, graphic arts, fiber art, or finding inspiration in small tourist towns in California.

With over fourteen years of storytelling experience, Kelly continues to bring character-driven writing and heartfelt, entertaining stories to readers from her home in Central Coast, California, with her husband, and their two young adult children. Discover more of her writing at www.KellyParra.com.

Reviews

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

I like reading paranormal books. Sometimes I can relate to the main character's personality. That's fine and all, but sometimes...I want more than that. I want a character, a girl specifically, who has a similar heritage as me. So here's what I've been searching for: a young-adult paranormal with a Latina as the main character.

I thought there wasn't a book like that out there, and it frustrated me. Then a few months ago I was surprised when a Goodreads friend told me about Invisible Touch. It sounded exactly like what I was looking for! But I wondered, Why haven't I heard about this book before? It was published back in 2008 and had less than 90 ratings on Goodreads. I was still excited to read it, but in the back of my mind, the serious lack of attention it received made me question if the book would even be good. I felt bad for thinking that. At the same time, I just didn't want to get my hopes too high. Thankfully, once I was able to read it, I found that it actually exceeded all my expectations, and I was so grateful to be given the chance to read it!

Ever since the boat accident six years ago that killed her father and left her dead for several minutes, seventeen-year-old Kara Martinez has been able to see visions. These visions appear on people and are usually hints into impending danger. It's something she's not able to ignore. She must sort out the puzzle of clues her gift gives her before she can figure out what exactly the danger is, and she has to do it all on her own. She doesn't even trust her own her family with her secret because she fears being sent back to the psychiatric hospital, which was where she was sent the first time she tried to tell her mother about her visions years ago. The recent vision she sees is on a fellow classmate, who is somehow connected to a guy from the other side of town she recently met: Anthony Garcia. Keeping her gift a secret, figuring out the newest clues, and behaving like the daughter her mother wants to be becomes even harder when she starts to fall for Anthony.

I thought Kelly Parra did such a wonderful job with this story. Although Invisible Touch is a quick read (it's a small book in size that comes in at about 280 pages) and takes place over the course of about three weeks, I felt it was paced really well. Things were revealed at just the right time. Some moments were pretty shocking and took me by surprise. I never knew what to expect next, and I couldn't put the book down! It's the type of book that makes me wish there was a sequel because I didn't want to let the characters go. I wanted to know what happens next with everyone: Kara, Anthony, Kara's family (her mother and her brother Jason) and her friend Danielle. But it's also the type of book that's perfect as a stand-alone. All questions were answered, and it didn't have a cheesy ending. It was enough to keep me satisfied and yet leave me wanting more.

Another thing I liked was the blog entries scattered throughout the book. Kara's only outlet to share her gift and her feelings about it is the anonymous blog she created called Secret Fates. It was like reading a diary, just in modern form, and it was another way for us readers to know more about Kara. She never reveals too much about herself, but her blog still adds to the mystery of the book once an anonymous reader claims to know her true identity. Maybe it's because I have a blog and am always checking other blogs, but I felt her blog entries were a nice addition to the book.

Before I end this review, I need to mention the romance. Kara and Anthony had a forbidden romance going on what with Kara having a strict and overprotective mother and Anthony coming from the wrong side of town. They did become a couple quickly, but I found it believable. It was natural, and it just felt right for them to be together. They had some steamy moments, but they weren't desperately trying to get to the next level. I thought they were pretty mature about it, and I think that reflects the type of characters they are. Mature and levelheaded. Definitely likable characters. And I could really relate to Kara on a personal level. I'm not 100% Mexican either, and I can't speak Spanish even though I wish I could. She is someone I could see myself being friends with. As for Anthony, well, I thought he was the perfect guy for Kara. (It doesn't hurt that he's also a hot guy! heh) He's a bit mysterious and seems like he would be a bad-boy, but he actually prefers to stay out of trouble. He's caring and trustworthy, and I loved his relationship with Kara.

Invisible Touch was everything I was looking for and more. It's my first and hopefully not my last paranormal book that has a main female character with Latin American roots. I honestly don't get why this book hardly got any attention, and sadly it's going out-of-print soon. I talked to the author though, and she's plans on reissuing it once it's out-of-print. That makes me feel a whole lot better, and hopefully more people will read it! I think it will appeal to fans of Wake by Lisa McMann and Simone Elkeles's Perfect Chemistry trilogy. So give it a chance if you like those books too!

I am forever grateful to Janina for giving away her copy and giving me the opportunity to read it! :D Thank you!! *hugs*

[~Tina~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Invisible Touch is one of those hidden gems that I almost missed out on. So thanks Janina for tourning it and Alexa for sending it out. I would have really missed out.

Didn't think I'd enjoy this book more then I did. It's such a solid story. Kelly Parra's writing is smooth and she kept the flow of the book at a perfect pace.

Our protag, Kara is fascinating. Ever since the boat accident that claimed her fathers life she's been keeping a secret from everyone she loves. She has the ability to see signs...literally and does her best to figure out the puzzle and try to help that person. But it's never as easy as just that. I really liked this concept. It was a different spin then what I've seen in other reads, it might not be completely new, but the way it was delivered made it feel that way. It made me intrighed and curious enough to keep my attention and figure out the puzzle along with Kara. As for Anthony? There is something incredibly sexy about this guy! I dunno, it's the way he moves around Kara, the way he talks to her and how protective he is. He's tough, a badass, but it's the way he cares about Kara that I loved. It wasn't all instant romance either, this one was steady and believable which made it more melt-worthy. I also was a bit surprised about Anthony's confession at the end, it made some of the conversations make more sense.
I also really liked the family aspects of the storyline. Kara's mother frustrated me, but she was just as shattered as Kara and I sympathize with her in the end and that goes for Jason as well.

Overall I really enjoyed myself with this book. It really does have a Perfect Chemistry feel to it, but in a way I like this better since it has parnormal added to it, which is my favorite genre after all. This book definitely had it's moments and I even had some goose-bumps towards the end when Kara was in the water...reaching for a hand. Beautifully done.
A wonderful story about fate and family and ultimately about accepting yourself and the uniqueness that is entirely you.

A really Great read!!

[Joy (joyous reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always excited to find books that are literally difficult to put down. I came across Invisible Touch through Alexa's review. For once, my bookshelves-stalking skills paid off! We generally have the same tastes in books so I trust her judgement completely. I ordered this book sometime in the summer and obviously, had just got around to reading it. I picked it off my shelf last night and devoured it almost in one sitting. I'm sleepless and it feels like an entire construction crew is jackhammering the skull off my head. But I can't say I have any regrets. I loved every wakeful minute spent reading this.

HIGHLIGHTS:
Kara Martinez and her family had been struggling to be whole since her father was killed in a boat accident. Aside from having to deal with the grief, she'd had to play a game of pretendwith practically everyone she knows. She'd also been keeping a secret - a secret that could have her institutionalized for being insane. On the day that her father was killed, she was pronounced dead...for eleven whole minutes. She woke up with a disturbing ability to see ghosts and signs on people foretelling of an imminent danger. Her latest premonition involved people she knew and a boy who knew more than he'd let on.

Rubik's Cube. Almost the entirety of the novel was a puzzle to be solved. There wasn't any obvious answers nor there were any easy ones. I've never been a fan of mystery solving books but this one had me completely engrossed. The mark of a good mystery novel, if I may say so myself.

Compelling Characters. The primary reason why this book gave me a sleepless night was because of its characters. Once you start reading about Kara, you'd have this inane desire to keep going. Her subdued beauty and traits clashed with her intense need to just break out, to be free from grief, to be free from all the pretences and to finally break free from the wall she barricaded around her. Often times, I wanted to shake this girl; I wanted her to cry and scream out her frustration. I wanted her to stop making everyone feel like everything was okay by pretending. It was completely exhausting. But no matter how frustrated I got, Kara was that type of character that I can't just abandon. Her character has this ability to draw you in until you're completely vested in the story. The family dynamics around Kara was to be expected of a family in grief. Her mother's need to coddle her to the point of suffocation was her way of protecting what was left of her family. Jason, Kara's brother folded into himself. There was something about his quiet anger that made me feel like he was also ashamed; ashamed for all his shortcomings as the man of the family. I also loved her best friend, Danielle. They were two sides of the same coin; each one hid a secret and had the same fear. I'll get to Anthony Garcia in a bit. He deserves his own billing :) I just think that Ms Parra created a cast of characters that were deeper than their token roles in Kara's life.

Toe-curling Romance. I'm a big fan of forbidden romances and there was just a touch of that here. Anthony was from the wrong side of the tracks and Kara was absolutely not allowed to date him. I guess if there were any other stories that this novel would be akin to, I'd say Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles would be its close relative. He had some questionable reactions that were better explained toward the end. I loved his intensity; it jelled well with Kara's constant insecurities. He was tenderness and sweetness and ferocity rolled into one package of hot Latin blood. *sigh*

“If one day I was taken away...would you wait for me to come back?"
Concerned moved across his face. "Where are you going?"
"Just tell me, please. I need to know, without telling you anything else."
"No."
I swallowed and blinked back tears.
"I'd go after you," he said.”

LOWLIGHTS:

Sorry, this book is one of my favourites. I just can't find any!

FINAL THOUGHTS:
If the page-turning mystery does not entice you to chomp this up, then the romance is sure to engage you in.

[Allison Diepen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has it all -- a strong, sympathetic heroine, a sexy guy with a dark past, and a compelling mystery to be unraveled. Highly recommended!

[BookChic Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parra's second effort does not follow the usual road of the sophomore slump and, in fact, may be even better than her debut novel, Graffiti Girl. Her usual raw style of storytelling is still here, and the slight paranormal element adds on this great new layer to it. Parra shows a side of teen lit that, to me at least, is hardly ever explored; I haven't seen much Latino/Latina novels in the teen section and certainly none that describe it all so well. Kara's voice and situation is so compelling, and the mystery behind the signs will propel any reader through the novel, wanting to figure out how it will end. And the ending is completely riveting, and a total shock-- this is a simply fantastic book, and one that everyone should check out. Parra also does a great job with the distance in Kara's family, and in particular, a scene near the end of Chapter 28 that really spoke to me. Amazing writing, and definitely an author that everyone should keep an eye out for.

[Ainee Gale Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy-to-read book. A page-turner. The plot is amazing. And I didn't expect Anthony to be someone like Kara... somehow. Fate is really tricky and mysterious sometimes. It plays its game so well. I'd be happy if this can have a sequel. That would be quite interesting to know how could things be after the open-book.

[L V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Celia

This book just made me want to keep on reading until I got to the end. (I think I read it in about 2 or 3 days)

It is a fast, heart-gripping read. By the end, all the secrets are revealed and they are surprising.

Wonderfully written. The words were deep and thought-provoking.

I've always been a big fan of psychics, but this book is not your typical psychic story.

[Aaron Sta.Clara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of a girl named Kara who could predict the future of a certain person through visions.Family,love and friends are the main theme of this book.
I like how the story went. :)

[Isah Ragondo · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was amazing!!!

[Sienna Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't out this book down. It's been a long time since I've read a book so fast!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very captivating. Especially since I had no cable or internet today. Nice read !!!

[Steph (Reviewer X) · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’ll take a second look at the summary, you’ll see the mysterious guy part. Let’s talk about how these two lovebirds meet:

His name is Anthony, and up until the moment he rescues her from inside a town hotspot where a gang fight broke out, they’d never met. They have a little exchange after his heroic act, she thanks him, and that’s it. Well, no. He shows up at the pizzeria where she works the very next day, having known nothing about her. It should’ve struck her as stalkerish, but she’d sensed they’d cross paths again, so she was merely surprised at how quick it’d happened. Not wary whatsoever of his sudden appearance, she also accepts a ride home with him. By this point, I wondered if Kara had some sort of a death wish. Luckily for her, Anthony didn’t turn out to be an ax murderer.

The events that unfolded afterwards in their courtship were hard for me to swallow, as I don’t take too kindly to blatant coincidences. Kelly Parra must’ve known the reader would be wondering because there was a logical explanation at the end. In retrospect, I can pick out the subtle hints within the narrative building up to it. The setup was actually quite clever on Ms. Parra’s behalf, and I really liked it, but the characterization was iffy. I’m still confused as to why Kara—a self-professed disbeliever of coincidences—didn’t ever question Anthony’s involvement in her life.

Moving on.

Kara keeps a blog basically to let it all out, the loneliness she feels, her psychic experiences, and the emotions she keeps bottled up. I liked the idea of this, and as a blogger myself, I could relate to some of her blogging routines—namely, drafting posts in class. ;) But certain things, like how so many people seemed to comment even though she never advertised her blog, rang untrue. Moreover, I was expecting the blog to play a bigger part in the novel—for most of the part, it was sort of extraneous, like a simple diary would’ve sufficed. (Notice how I said "for the most part"—there is actually one part in the end where it comes into play, but for anything else, I didn’t understand its purpose.)

Now for the final component in my trinity of criticism for this novel: Danielle, the best friend. She keeps a secret, a very big one, from Kara because their friendship doesn’t go beyond the surface. We do learn what her secret is, and I gotta hand it to Kelly Parra, that was one bold move. I loved the buildup to it—realistic and subtle—but I didn’t like how, after the bomb’s dropped, poof....everything deflates and there is only ten pages left in the story, which aren’t used to cover the aftermath of Danielle’s Big Revelation.

For all its flaws, though, Invisible Touch did have a number of strong points. Except for a few instances like:

"Why are you making Kara go to that shrink again?" His voice was edged with criticism. (ARC page 77.)

...and:

"No. Just because he’s from the West Side doesn’t mean he’s in a gang." Even I knew my voice sounded defensive. (ARC page 134.)

—where I thought certain parts were overwritten and repetitive (because, in the first example, of course it’s an accusation, and in the second example, of course the voice is defensive if you’re defending someone), Kelly Parra’s writing is atmospheric. Something I thought she did particularly well was the dialogue; it flowed and it was natural.

This novel’s selling quality, I think, is the emotional level it achieves. Kara is still hung up about her father’s death, having never fully recuperated from it. On the same note, it’s still straining the family. In what I hope is her signature technique, Kelly Parra shows, not tells, all of this, and the reader is left without a doubt about the desperation Kara feels and how hopelessness the situation gets to be. Further, there’s a lot of heartbreak the family goes through, together and apart, I thought was depicted in a poignant—not too light, not too dark—manner which allowed for high levels of realism to shine through.

Ultimately, I don’t know how to grade this novel. I was hard on it because I believe in its potential, and even with its shortcomings, I still do. However, given the number of things that bothered me, I can’t give it an exceptional grade, like a high B or A. I’m settling in it being a solid B-, because the emotional content—which goes hand in hand with character development, the number one way to make me swoon—was good.

Blog review link: http://reviewerx.blogspot.com/2008/07...

[Reader Rabbit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kara Martinez's greatest desire is to be normal. However, ever since the accident that took her father's life, she's been unable to suppress the strange signs that she's been seeing. Her mother has consistently disregarded Kara's thoughts and emotions and Kara must do everything to please her..including forsaking her personality to be the ideal girl that her mother wants. One that dresses in pink, sleeps peacefully at night and causes no trouble. In fact, no one knows the real Kara...not her best friend, Danielle...nor her brother, Jason, who seems to be having a few of his own problems. Then, when Kara falls for the mysterious Anothny, another puzzle comes into play. Kara must use her hidden talent to unsnare the deadly web before something drastic happens.

Everyone seems to love Invisible Touch, at least from what reviews I've read. While I did not particularly adore it, Invisible Touch proved to be a quick and fun read after a somewhat taxing day at school.

The novel starts out with a secret blog entry by Kara, speaking about her hidden psychic abilities. Kelly Parra's writing was distinctive from the get-go. It's detailed and yet at the same time very too the point.

Anyways, we discover quite early on about Kara's general situation with her relationship with her mother and brother. However, the inner bits and pieces of their family dynamics are slowly revealed through the novel, through Kara's flashback to the accident and the blog entries that Kara consistently writes.

Another aspect that I enjoyed was the fact that it took place in the "Latina" world. The gang fights, the lifestyle all contributed to giving the book a unique flavor. The contrast between Kara's lifestyle as well as Anthony's contributed to the intensity of their relationship.

That being said, I did find Kara and Anothony's relationship to be lacking. It seemed to random...and so improbably. It almost seems as if she decided that she would date him just because he looks dangerous BUT attractive and she wants him.

Blegh. I saw nothing in common, nothing to bond over. Just. Whatever. It could have been done so much better with Anothony having more depth and his problems seeming less lackluster than they did.

More showing, I guess...than telling. Him telling his girlfriend about his best friend's death isn't nearly as heart-wrenching as having been shown it or by having subtle hints throughout the book leading up to it.

Besides that, I don't have that many qualms. The paranormal aspect seemed realistic and I loved her ability. It was unique and not at all like most paranormal abilities that I had read about.

Character-wise? I loved Kara's best friend, Danielle. I wish she could have been included in more and maybe more of the story could have been focused on her. The revelation about her in the end was kind of random though her drawings, I guess, were a bit of a prelude to it. Still. I wanted more Danielle.

Kara, of course, was a great character. Sometimes she seemed too mature for her age. And yet, other times, much too naive. However, it did work with the experiences that she'd already gone through so...yay?

Kara's mother and brother were both integral characters to the novel. Both were interesting to read about, however, once again, I wanted a bit more depth.

It seems that all I wanted was a bit MORE. Perhaps that was from expecting too much of the novel. Either way, Invisible Touch proved to be a fun read and a good way to pass the evening. If you find yourself with some free time, be sure to pick it up!

[Jam(MHlover) · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first thoughts when I saw the cover is that its about paranormal stuff sorrounding her new found power after the traumatic incident that took her father's life. I was wrong. I guess I completely ignored the signs, clues and puzzle parts indicated in the synopsis, because this book has less paranormal more in mystery and solving the clues.

Kara has the ability to see the fate of a person only that they are in a form of signs, which are clues in solving the mysteries that surrounds that person's upcoming fate, which usually leads to a tragic accident. If she tries to ignore the signs that is thrown in at her, she gets a punishment in the form of a "headache", which in return gives me a headache. I was like screaming at her, "just go find more clues so we can relieve ourselves from this damn headaches!" Seriously she is slow when it comes to solving this clues. But over all as a character I like her. For starters she is smart and has solved the Rubik's cube for at least 59 times! Which I probably wouldn't be able to solve. Is she brave? Eh, she was okay...but she is the kind of girl who will throw herself, just to save someone out of danger which is really foolish of her.

Now for the other characters like Anthony, the guy that she falls for. Is a great guy, but not the best guy in my book. Likes she describes him as a hot Latino who has a scar on his mouth. I like his character more than the heroine because he hesitates, he is not the kind, perfect guy, that will do anything for the girl, because he actually thinks through before committing himself in a relationship. Now for the best friend named Daniella, she is my favorite character! She is really mysterious from the start, I though she is one of those characters who was only put in a story just to make the heroine look good, but she is not. Sadly her character shines through only at the half of the book. Jason, Kara's older brother, is a bit plain from the start but he changed at the ending which is a waste, but at least he made it through?

What I didn't like about the story is the instant love. The author tried to make it slow, but she made Kara looked like a heroine who easily falls for, just because of the instant connection that she felt.

What I did love about this book is the mystery itself, it was slow yes, but it was fun solving along with Kara. The story also connects to everyday problems like family, secrets, and love.

I recommended this book for those who love mystery books. Its actually my first mystery book, so its hard for me to compare it with others.

3.5/5 stars.

[LPJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to read this relatively rare paranormal YA featuring a person of color as the main character. 17 year old Kara Martinez sees visions on people and must unravel the mysteries in order to help stave off some, usually violent, fate.

After the first 10 pages I didn't think I'd be able to finish it, the writing style was incredibly annoying, featuring copious info-dumps (every other paragraph it seemed) and attention to irrelevant details (the color of the couch added nothing to the story or characterization). I pushed myself to get through the first few chapters and really give it a chance, and by page 24 things started to look up. A story problem was finally introduced (as opposed to just back story) and at some point I just became numb to the writing style. It became a real page turner and I read it in one sitting.

Love interest, Anthony, is a little mystifying and mercurial in his temperament, then again, teenage boys do tend to defy expectations. I would have loved it if we'd spent more time getting to know him. He was hot and there was instalove and he, apparently, had anger issues and ran hot and cold, but was really sweet to Kara = Anthony's character in a nutshell. His mystery was zipped up so fast at the end it made my head spin.

Parts of the story I loved: Kara's difficult relationship with her mother and brother after their father's death is nicely done. Her friendship with Danielle and the way their relationship progresses is also touching. The feeling that Kara is "not Latina enough" and always feels like an outsider, and the use of the Rubik's cube were all things that felt authentic and real. But the heavy-handedness with which we were told all of these things (and we were told every last thing) took away from what the author was trying to create. "Show not tell" the cardinal rule of writing was very rarely adhered to here.

Still, it held my interest. I was eager to find the resolution of the various mysteries - though a bit disappointed in the logic used to wrap them up. Some of the lines connecting the dots were a bit fuzzy for me and at least one was a total cop-out IMO. I might have loved this if I read it as a teenager. Some YA novels work better than others for adult readers.

2.5 stars

[Diana Dang · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to be normal after a parent's loss. For Kara Martinez, it's even harder. After her father died in a tragic accident, Kara has been able to see signs of people's futures on their bodies. Unable to tell anyone about her ability, she blogs her life out anonymously.

Kara tries to live everyday like a regular teen, but when she sees a gun in one of her classmates' future, she has no idea what she should do. Trying to piece together this mystery, Kara gets tangled up on the wrong side of town. Not to mention, she starts to fall for Anthony, a bad boy with his own secrets.

The definition of Invisible Touch: Thrilling, gripping, and romantic. Kelly Parra weaves an exciting modern tale with a protagonist who has the power to see one's fate.

It was nice to see a non-white female lead who was proud of her Mexican heritage (although she was quarter Irish). I think Kara is a strong character as she risks her life every time to solve the puzzle of her classmate's future. Although she had her own fears, she was able to overcome them admirably when she faced danger. I felt bad for her because when she first saw ghosts (before seeing signs), her mother didn't believe her. Instead, she was sent off to a therapist and rehab so she could "get better". I found it extremely frustrating to be in Kara's position because the therapist she had to deal with was extremely annoying.

When Kara first met Anthony, I thought it was sudden how he immediately started liking her (not exactly on the first encounter but the one after). I generally do not like it when a character likes another all of the sudden without the development within their relationship. Luckily, Kara and Anthony got to know more about each other as the plot progresses and they were able to deepen their relationship with each other.

I love the mystery part of the novel because it kept me going, wondering what was going to happen to Kara and those around her next. The ending was a shocker and something I did not expect at all. It made the story so much better overall with such twist!

Invisible Touch is a read you don't want to miss out on!

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Invisible Touch far exceeded my expectations, it was well written, exciting, and overall a heart wrenching read. It was practically impossible to put down and it drew a lot of different emotions from me- from laughing to crying. It was such a unique idea- fate. Lately I've read a couple of books dealing with "fate" and I've learned a lot about it. Fate is an interesting topic and one I definitely want to read more about. Kelly Para writing style was unique and Kara was a character I liked. Her blog was also a great twist to the story. I loved all the little sub-plots that kept the novel going. I also learned a lot about Mexican culture. Another thing that really attracted me to this book was how rich it was in culture. It was interesting to see how Para combined culture and fate in what came out as a great novel. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more MTV Books now, especially Para's other novel, Graffiti Girl.

I would definitely recommend this novel to everyone. It would appeal to both boys and girls and it has a lot of important lessons. Kara's visions were an important part of the novel and really added an aspect to it that kept me hooked. It was interesting reading Kara's blog entries and there was a twist with that I didn't expect. The characters were all well developed and I really liked Anthony. He was a nice, honest guy who just wanted the best for Kara. Family was another big part of Invisible Touch and I really liked that. It was interesting to read how Kara, Jason, and their mom's relationship progressed and changed throughout the book. The only complaint I really had was some of the characters didn't seem as developed as they could have been. I didn't really know that much about Danielle or Carlos, and many of the people who seemed like they should be main characters, seemed a little flat. All in all, I enjoyed it though and as I've said before, I would highly recommend this book and the cover is a nice addition to anyone's collection!

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

[Kaila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Love This Book... I Had No Idea It Would Be So Good.. Kara Has A Gift.. She Can See Signs And It 's Not Neccessarly Having A Vision Or Seeing The Future.. There Just Images That Flash Quickly On Someone's Chest... Kara Has To Work At Guessing The Outcome Like A Puzzle... This Book Was Amazing!! Kara Has Gone Through So Much That I Can Actually Relate To, Such As Having A Terrible Relationship With Her Mom... And The Fear Of being Branded Crazy!! I've Been Through A Lot, Too... When Anthony Was Introduced In The Book I Immediately Fell For Him... The Moment Kara Went To See Him At His Job And He Surprised Her With A Kiss I Was Ecstatic... I Have A Thing For Bad Boys.. What Can I Say?? The Way He Seemed So Tough But Treated Kara As If She Was So Fragile... He was Just Such A Perfect Guy... Even If He Is From The West Side...Kara's Best Friend Had Been Hiding Secrets But I Never Guessed The Outcome... I Actually Cried When She Told Kara The Truth... I Loved How Even Though She Saw Images Of The Future She Still Had To Figure Things Out With Her Family And Friends...This Book To Me Is A Triumph.. I Am Latina, Full-Fledged Puerto Rican, But My Skin Is Light As Well As My Eyes... And I Dealt With A Lot Of Negativity Towards Me Because Of It... People Would Say I Was Mixed With Something.. But I'm Not... And Even Though Kara Is Half-Mexican And Half-Irish, The Way She Stood Up For Herself And Walked The West Side Or Stared Down Josie At The Party I Was Proud... The Ending Of This Book Had Me Screaming, Whopping!!, And Crying My Eyes Out... It Was Not At All What I Expected...It's A Real Roller-Coaster Ride... Kelly Parra Has Actually Created Something So Magical, Yet So Realistic I Am Begging For A Sequel...This Is One Gripping Story With An AMAZING, SURPRISING End That You Don't Wanna Miss...

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and the romance aspects were great. I really felt for Kara. She was living her life the best way she knew how while carrying around a lot of burdens. Her voice felt mature -- like she was an old soul. For most of the book, the driving force behind Kara and Anthony's relationship was attraction -- one that both had difficulty understanding. But, it wasn't the kind of attraction based on physical appearances. It was more like, "There is SOMETHING about this person that makes me want to be around them". For their own reasons, neither pushes to try and figure out what that SOMETHING is. So, their interactions are filled with nuances of what creates great tension between characters -- unspoken words, knowing glances, curious looks, hesitant approaches...

They have some ups and downs throughout their relationship -- some driven by the secrets each keeps and others by the circumstances of their different backgrounds. But none of these are enough to truly threaten their bond. If there is one thing I would have liked to see have happened differently, it would have been to learn of Anthony's secret earlier in the book. It was a big one that explained a lot of why their relationship developed the way it did. I was left wanting to know more about it. I felt like his secret was something that could only bring them closer together but we never really get to see that play out. But, I guess that is the sign of a good book, when you feel that pull to imagine the next scene in your mind after you close the last page.

[Anna Schroeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grade:

Originality: 20/20
Characters: 13/15
Writing: 10/10
Voice: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Entertainment: 10/10
Cover: 8/10
Recommendation: 10/10

Total: 91/100 = A-

Review:

I didn't really know what this book was going to really be about when I started it. The summary tells you about her Sight Seer ability, but you still don't really know what it's about until you read. It is totally different than what you may be expecting -- at least, it definitely was for me.

I loved this book, however. It's amazing. There's that main plot of her ability, and then there are many other underlying plotlines. There is her romance with Alex, her father's accident and how she's dealt with it, and her relationships with friends and the people she knows. This may seem like a lot of different plotlines, but Parra does an amazing job writing the story so you're not overwhelmed.

The first chapter will grab your attention. Once you start reading and finding out about Kara's life, you won't want to stop reading. It's interesting from the very first page.

However, there were a few characters that I think could've been developed a little more. For the most part, all of the characters were developed. But there were a few minor characters that I think could've been described a bit more or could've been developed a little bit more. This is not at all damaging to the book -- the book is still wonderful, and these minor characters aren't ones that you see a lot in the book.

Overall, this is one of the best MTV books I've read. I definitely recommend this book to everyone. =)

[Shalonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What more can I say than WOW?!? Before reading this one, I was expecting a unique story that would captivate my attention. Kelly Parra totally exceeded my (already high) expectations and knocked my socks off!

As I stated before, I tend to read realistic fiction books, so I was out of my comfort zone with this one, but I loved every minute of it. While most readers probably don't see warning signs on the chests of others, I feel that everyone can somehow relate to Kara--whether it be due to the death of a loved one, conflicts with parents, or falling in love for the first time.

In YA lit, diversity is increasing, yet still has a way to go. Kelly Parra did an excellent job of incorporating diverse characters and settings, without being at all stereotypical.

Invisible Touch was action-packed, due to its many twists and turns. In addition, Parra mixed suspense, mystery, and romance (one of my favorite elements) into one fantastic story!

In a couple of my previous posts, I heralded several books among the best books of 2008. Kelly Parra's Invisible Touch is in my top ten favorites of this year, in the company of powerhouses like Paper Towns and Living Dead Girl. It really is phenomenal.

If you've not yet had the pleasure of reading Invisible Touch, I highly recommend you pick it up on your next trip to your local bookstore!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Kelly's first book, Graffiti Girl, and thus have had Invisible Touch on my to-read list for a while. The book started off a little slow and it took me a little longer to get into the story and the characters than it did with Graffiti Girl for some reason, but once I was several chapters in I was hooked.

I know Kelly's books have Latina characters in them but it would be a waste of a great story for either one of her books to be pigeon-holed into just for Latina's because Kelly has a way of nailing exactly what it's like to be a teenager and how isolating it can feel when you feel like an outcast from your own family.

I can't say if I love her books because she takes me right back those high school days or because her stories help me to see those days in a different light--that maybe I wasn't as alone as I thought--but either way she weaves a great story and this one had me in tears more than once.

I think what I love most about Invisible Touch is the way Kelly shows you how much better it is to reach outside of yourself and let someone else be there for you, to learn to lean on your friends--a great message for teens or 35 year-olds like me ;).

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kara Martinez is good at pretending to be something she's not. For her mother, she pretends to be the perfect docile daughter--pretends to still love the same lunch she liked in fourth grade, pretends to still love pink clothing. And for the rest of the world, she pretends that she doesn't see the signs and visions that compell her to put together clues and save people's lives. Kara is good at pretending.

But when Kara sees a vision of a gun on a classmate's chest, everything is thrown out of whack. Following the clues leads her to a harrowing fight at a party--which throws her into the arms of Anthony. Anthony, from the wrong side of town. Anthony, who she is drawn to. Anthony, who seems somehow mixed up in the larger mystery of the gun. Will Kara's involvement with Anthony lead her to solve the mystery before the situation becomes fatal? Or will it just drive her deeper and deeper into danger?

This is an engaging teen read, similar in concept if not execution to Lauren Mechling's excellent Dream Girl. It's fun and fast, but wholly unremarkable and not really that memorable.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Lauren Ashley for TeensReadToo.com

Kara is haunted by the day her father passed away and she died for eleven minutes. She wakes up and finds that she now has a unique ability to see signs on people that relate to something that will happen to them. The puzzles often don't make sense for awhile, but she still has to keep at it or suffer severe headaches and the fact that she might be allowing someone to come to harm.

As the story progresses, Kara starts a relationship with a guy who helps her out of danger during a gang fight, starts losing touch with a best friend who has secrets of her own, and must figure out the new "vision" involving a gun before someone is hurt.

INVISIBLE TOUCH is a unique storyline full of bi-cultural characters that are all well-rounded individuals. This book will have readers flipping the pages as fast as they can to find out the next step in the puzzle, as well as the search to find out more about Kara.

This book shows that when you're always looking to the future, you often forget to deal with the past.

An amazing, touching novel that deals with big issues in an original context.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kara's been living life on a delicate balance ever since she survived the boat crash that killed her father. When she woke up in the hospital four years earlier, she discovered she could now see visions and signs that form a puzzle which she can put together to help tell people's futures. And if she doesn't figure out what they mean, not only will someone get hurt or killed, she will develop killer headaches. But she can't tell anyone about this, or her mother will stick her back in the mental institution. She's seventeen and a half; only six months before she can legally escape her mother's claustrophobic love and concern...

But her latest signs are tied up with her older brother's girlfriend, and a schoolmate, and a gun... And how come she can't see any signs on Anthony?

A pretty good, engrossing read, although it's unfortuately forgettable almost as soon as you put it down. Well, it was for me, anyway.

[Carla Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, excellent book filled with strong characters and a fantastic, tense, twisty plot. I love Kara and her struggle to deal with typical problems - her relationship with her mother, high school, dating - while handling something much larger: Kara sees signs which warn for trouble and tries to save the people involved. When she sees a gun on a guy at school, her whole world gets shaken up. I love the way the author deals with Kara trying to get in touch with the Mexican part of her heritage, which her mother has purged from their lives after her father's death, the tension that comes from the rest of the world thinking you're actually crazy, the looming threat of involuntary hospitalization, and the tensions between different parts of her town. Parra created a complex world and I'd love to read more in it.

[Mary Grace Nakao · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was having second thoughts about this one, thinking that I was through with chic-lit and romance thing but like the Manolo Matrix, this book has its own spunk. I enjoyed reading it and often caught myself craving for mexican food, especially burritos *growl does my tummy

What I really like about this book is how I can somehow relate to it (minus all the additional drama) me and my mom are drifting away from each other and I often have to pretend when im home. And unlike any other YA fantasy with a girl as a heroine, Kara is definitely like one of those hormone driven teenagers who most of the time get caught thinking about guys. I find her attraction with Anthony as normal. I mean, who could deny a hottie like him right? :))

The not-so-good part is when Anthony also had a psychic ability. Go figure

[Mav · Rating 4 out of 5]

I keep reading YA books with psychic heroines - a trope I don't even particularly love. Too often, they're predictable, girl with psychic abilities must solve murder mystery and finds love. Invisible Touch is one of the better ones, addressing not only the mystery, but also, mental health, gangs, race, as well as class differences within a race.

I was pleasantly surprised by the subplot with Kara's mom, and pleased at how it unfolded and ended. Kara felt like a real teenager to me, from her thoughts to her actions - something that doesn't always happen with paranormal/psychic Y.A. The author integrates the romantic plotline with the mystery plotline very well, I don't think one overpowered the other. The relationship between Kara and Anthony felt authentic.

[Kelly Hager · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is about Kara, a high school girl who sees things. Not like giant invisible bunnies, but signs. She'll see little pictures and hear fragments of conversations and she has to piece together what's going to happen.

Obviously she doesn't tell anyone about this, because that's the fastest way to (a) lose all your friends and (b) get put away someplace.

And then she sees the image of a gun by one of her classmates. She's not entirely sure who's involved, but she needs to figure it out in time to stop it.

Yes, I'm reading a lot of YA lately. I think it's because it's easy and it's less likely to make me think. Until March 18, I think that's the way I plan on going--easy and not thinking. :)

[Rita Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Local writer from Salinas using Latino characters and barrio language to portray young teens caught in life changing events. A young girl, whose father's death traumatizes the family, has a gift of seeing the future. Not knowing what to do with this gift, at first she is honest about it and is rewarded by being institutionalized by her control freak mother. One she is free of the medicated hospitalization, She learns not to talk about what she can see. She uses the knowledge to try to prevent future tragedy from striking. Along the way she meets a guy who used to be a gangbanger, now trying to live for a future. He's a little bit sexy, a little bit of danger. She doesn't realize he has the gift of dreaming of future events, but it saves her from tragedy.