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The Touch Trilogy #1
A Touch Mortal
Eden didn't expect Az.
Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.
Yeah.
So long happily-ever-after.
Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.
She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.
And that's only the beginning of the end.
Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.
Yeah.
So long happily-ever-after.
Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.
She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.
And that's only the beginning of the end.
419 pages, Hardcover
First published February 22, 2011
91 people are currently reading
14555 people want to read
About the author
Leah Clifford
12 books531 followersJoin my mailing list to receive news, new chapters, and possibly advanced copies of Leah's books! https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor... Leah Clifford was born and raised outside of Cleveland Ohio. She has an affinity for all things weird and creepy as made evident by her oddity shop Petite Grotesque. Her next project will be a spin-off of her Vial Things trilogy.
She can be found on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/leahclifford
She can be found on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/leahclifford
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 473 reviews
February 12, 2022
Well, I wrote it so I *may* be biased ;)
July 15, 2015
1.5 stars
I don't even know what to say about this.
The story was sort of confusing, mainly because Siders aren't a mythological creature anyone is familiar with...like say, a vampire, werewolf, angel, or fairy. You know, something most people have heard of?
So, with that in mind, I would think you'd get a bit more in-depth explanation of this Sider thing.
But you don't.
Also, it didn't help that I didn't care for any of the characters. Eden just wasn't the kind of girl that I'd like to hang out and have a beer with.
Sorry.
Az was weird and needy, Adam was clingy, Kristen was bat-shit crazy, and I pegged Libby for a bad guy right off the bat. Gabriel was ok, but if he's the only character who is semi-tolerable that doesn't say much.
And I feel bad saying this, but I just can't rally up much sympathy for a group of people who killed themselves. I also thought it was a stupid idea to make a YA book about teenagers who commit suicide and then become immortal. It was their destiny to kill themselves.
Really?!
Please tell me I'm not the only one bothered by that.
Anyway, the bottom line is that I had to push myself to finish it, so I won't be continuing with this series.
I don't even know what to say about this.
The story was sort of confusing, mainly because Siders aren't a mythological creature anyone is familiar with...like say, a vampire, werewolf, angel, or fairy. You know, something most people have heard of?
So, with that in mind, I would think you'd get a bit more in-depth explanation of this Sider thing.
But you don't.
Also, it didn't help that I didn't care for any of the characters. Eden just wasn't the kind of girl that I'd like to hang out and have a beer with.
Sorry.
Az was weird and needy, Adam was clingy, Kristen was bat-shit crazy, and I pegged Libby for a bad guy right off the bat. Gabriel was ok, but if he's the only character who is semi-tolerable that doesn't say much.
And I feel bad saying this, but I just can't rally up much sympathy for a group of people who killed themselves. I also thought it was a stupid idea to make a YA book about teenagers who commit suicide and then become immortal. It was their destiny to kill themselves.
Really?!
Please tell me I'm not the only one bothered by that.
Anyway, the bottom line is that I had to push myself to finish it, so I won't be continuing with this series.
April 6, 2010
A TOUCH MORTAL is about a smart, normal girl named Eden with a mind of her own. When she dies under mysterious circumstances, she's thrown into a dark, sexy world ruled by twisted and fascinating characters with an amazing ability called Touch. Eden, with her unforeseen talent to kill those like her, turns this world upside down and Az - her uber-hot former lover - falls back into her life and turns her world upside down. Don't miss this one!
January 31, 2011
My review can also be found on my blog Collections.
2.5 stars
Close to evening on a summer day, Eden sits on the sand at the beach, wondering why her family and friends have been ignoring her for weeks. No one seems to care about her anymore, and it's as if she doesn't even exist to them. So, lately, she's been thinking about suicide. But as she's sitting there, contemplating what to do, she is approached by two strangers. Eden is immediately drawn to one of them, the one who calls himself Az. And because of Az, she finds a reason to keep living. At least for a little while.
I liked the first two chapters. Eden and Az had an instant connection, but I wasn't bothered by it because that's usually the case for romance in books. Once I got to chapter three, though, my feelings about the situation changed, and I even started to feel a bit lost. Because chapter three takes place about two weeks after chapter two. Meaning the romantic development I was hoping for wasn't shown at all. The time jump made the pacing seem a bit off to me. It was almost as if the romance wasn't that important to the story...except it was. It was one of the main reasons all the things went down afterward. And no matter how much Eden and Az kissed and said they loved each other, I wasn't convinced. I could not find the romance believable, even by the end of the book.
The two-week skip wasn't the only one in the story. Later on in the book, there was a two-month skip. That one also made me feel like I missed something important, such as information and development, during the time in-between. An example of the important something I felt like I missed was the meaning of the terms used like Sider, Screamer, Basement, Upstairs, etc. Explanations were scattered throughout the book. I did get the hang of it eventually, but it made me wonder why it took so long for a simple definition.
Eden's character, I admit, was another reason I didn't enjoy the book. She wasn't very likable. It seemed like she felt she was the only one going through a tough time. And if that's not enough, Eden's also a "special" type of Sider . I can understand why having an extra ability was a burden for Eden. But I didn't like how she sounded irritated with the Siders who wanted her help, especially when she kept going on about how she's at least giving those Siders a choice and wishing she was given a choice. And I know some of her attitude was caused by receiving too much Touch and the betrayal, but I don't think it was enough to excuse how unappealing it made her character.
There were a couple other reasons why I didn't enjoy A Touch Moral as much as I wanted, but I pretty much covered the main reasons. The book didn't end with a cliffhanger, but it ended in a way that made me assume that there will be another book. If you believe the reasons I mentioned won't be a problem for you, and if you're looking for another angel book or even a possible angel series, then I suggest you check out A Touch Mortal.
September 24, 2011
Yeah. Wow. (And not really in a good way.) Let's do this objectively.
This book is meant for people who do not question logic (or the lack of it) or require any sort of definite character depth in a book. There is just so much "wtf-ery" that I had to stop reading, put the book down and just breathe for a moment. I wouldn't have completed this but I won the book and felt compelled to finish it as a celebration of my win. Yeah. Anyway. The book. Right.
The doozy (and not really a spoiler since you know, it's the premise of the book) is that the "hero" fakes his own death so that the protagonist will get so shattered over it and kill herself so she can come back as something mystical and powerful. I don't know how I feel about a love interest who does something like this. Good thing the protagonist doesn't either so she completely cuts him and there appears (with remarkable alacrity) a third to this flailing triangle. Mythos aside, the book is a large scale teen relationship drama. Eden, as a character, leaves me unimpressed and manages to go one step further and annoy me. Other characters are not so much better.
There's this one particular scene I remember. Eden tells her "boyfriends" (hey, I don't know what the status quo is by then) that she's going to a movie with her girl friend and then once she's out of the house, changes from movie going clothes to party clothes. Okay, firstly, those guys in the house? They are not your dad. Or any other figure of relative authority. If you want to go to a party, you tell them and go. Even if you want to be stupid and walk into the lion's den. And secondly, changing clothes? That is so tawdry. Honestly. Eden gets bossed around so much that you have to wonder how she became the "leader" of their group.
And then when everything spirals towards the climax, the guy she had spent half the book pashing, the eager third to the triangle? His disappearance from the triangle is treated with the emotion that could fit half a thimble. The book is a hot mess. It really is. They turned Satan into a broody rock star who has no idea what he's doing. That's almost as bad as turning Hades into John. I know this review is scattered but, trust me, the reading experience is also like this so I'm just staying true to what I read. ^____^
This book is meant for people who do not question logic (or the lack of it) or require any sort of definite character depth in a book. There is just so much "wtf-ery" that I had to stop reading, put the book down and just breathe for a moment. I wouldn't have completed this but I won the book and felt compelled to finish it as a celebration of my win. Yeah. Anyway. The book. Right.
The doozy (and not really a spoiler since you know, it's the premise of the book) is that the "hero" fakes his own death so that the protagonist will get so shattered over it and kill herself so she can come back as something mystical and powerful. I don't know how I feel about a love interest who does something like this. Good thing the protagonist doesn't either so she completely cuts him and there appears (with remarkable alacrity) a third to this flailing triangle. Mythos aside, the book is a large scale teen relationship drama. Eden, as a character, leaves me unimpressed and manages to go one step further and annoy me. Other characters are not so much better.
There's this one particular scene I remember. Eden tells her "boyfriends" (hey, I don't know what the status quo is by then) that she's going to a movie with her girl friend and then once she's out of the house, changes from movie going clothes to party clothes. Okay, firstly, those guys in the house? They are not your dad. Or any other figure of relative authority. If you want to go to a party, you tell them and go. Even if you want to be stupid and walk into the lion's den. And secondly, changing clothes? That is so tawdry. Honestly. Eden gets bossed around so much that you have to wonder how she became the "leader" of their group.
And then when everything spirals towards the climax, the guy she had spent half the book pashing, the eager third to the triangle? His disappearance from the triangle is treated with the emotion that could fit half a thimble. The book is a hot mess. It really is. They turned Satan into a broody rock star who has no idea what he's doing. That's almost as bad as turning Hades into John. I know this review is scattered but, trust me, the reading experience is also like this so I'm just staying true to what I read. ^____^
April 13, 2011
If you have nothing nice to say...don't say anything at all.
Yup. That's pretty much how I felt about this book.
Yup. That's pretty much how I felt about this book.
September 9, 2012
Full disclosure: I didn't finish this book. I didn't even get that far in. But I'm a firm believer that life's too short to read bad books. A Touch Mortal hit one of my biggest peeves about YA paranormal romance, and it hit it really quickly.
It starts out with what could be an interesting premise: teenage Eden is somehow slipping from the minds of everyone around her, and doesn't know why her friends and family are ignoring her. She's depressed about this and contemplating suicide when she meets two young men on the beach. One of them picks her up with some cheesy lines, and we're off to the Insta-love Races.
In this case, it's not even exactly insta-love, but love that is almost entirely developed offscreen. Eden and Az have one date, then the narrative jumps ahead two weeks for some reason, and now they're in love. Eden is young and inexperienced, so I sort of expect her to assign a lot of importance to the relationship, no matter how brief. But where Clifford lost me was when Az wonders, "But what will happen to me if you don't love me anymore?" This guy is an angel. He's I don't even know how old, but his world will fall apart if he loses this girl he's been dating for two weeks. And we readers can't even feel the intensity of this love, because it was developed during the time jump instead of where we could see it.
A Touch Mortal is just too melodramatic to me, with a lot of intense emotions being told to us but not really shown on the page enough to get me invested. On to the next book.
It starts out with what could be an interesting premise: teenage Eden is somehow slipping from the minds of everyone around her, and doesn't know why her friends and family are ignoring her. She's depressed about this and contemplating suicide when she meets two young men on the beach. One of them picks her up with some cheesy lines, and we're off to the Insta-love Races.
In this case, it's not even exactly insta-love, but love that is almost entirely developed offscreen. Eden and Az have one date, then the narrative jumps ahead two weeks for some reason, and now they're in love. Eden is young and inexperienced, so I sort of expect her to assign a lot of importance to the relationship, no matter how brief. But where Clifford lost me was when Az wonders, "But what will happen to me if you don't love me anymore?" This guy is an angel. He's I don't even know how old, but his world will fall apart if he loses this girl he's been dating for two weeks. And we readers can't even feel the intensity of this love, because it was developed during the time jump instead of where we could see it.
A Touch Mortal is just too melodramatic to me, with a lot of intense emotions being told to us but not really shown on the page enough to get me invested. On to the next book.
October 13, 2010
First of all, let me say this book is not a light or quick read. It is 418 pages in ARC format. It is also has a romance with a darkness to it that is not what you would normally see in a normal young adult romance.
The first half of this book was very difficult for me to get through. It was confusing with talk of Touch, Upstairs, Downstairs, The Bound, The Fallen and everything in between. Afterlife is not what Eden thought it would be. She thought heaven with angels, or hell with demons. What she didn't expect was living on Earth still -- forgotten by everyone she knew-- yet immortal. Add onto that the ability of Touch and it can leave you even more confused than Eden the first few chapters.
In my opinion, there were too many people to keep track of, too many paranormal trends, and the romance between Eden and Az felt forced. Yet, when you get past the first half of the book, everything starts to fall into place. The things start clicking in your mind like a puzzle that has finally been solved and it all starts to make sense. When Az reappears in Eden's life, the romance turned up a notch and took off. Between Az struggling not to completely Fall, Gabe trying to keep his friends secrets from the Bound, and Eden trying to find her way with new abilities, you find yourself hoping for each character to find happiness and love.
Then for the last half of the book, it EXPLODES! The suspense, drama and climatic scenes will leave you in awe at the excitement that follows. Usually, you expect a huge and climatic ending in the final chapters, but the author used the last half of the book as one giant climax for the reader.
The ending was frustrating in the fact that now I have to wait forever for the next book to see what is to come with each person in the story.
The first half of this book was very difficult for me to get through. It was confusing with talk of Touch, Upstairs, Downstairs, The Bound, The Fallen and everything in between. Afterlife is not what Eden thought it would be. She thought heaven with angels, or hell with demons. What she didn't expect was living on Earth still -- forgotten by everyone she knew-- yet immortal. Add onto that the ability of Touch and it can leave you even more confused than Eden the first few chapters.
In my opinion, there were too many people to keep track of, too many paranormal trends, and the romance between Eden and Az felt forced. Yet, when you get past the first half of the book, everything starts to fall into place. The things start clicking in your mind like a puzzle that has finally been solved and it all starts to make sense. When Az reappears in Eden's life, the romance turned up a notch and took off. Between Az struggling not to completely Fall, Gabe trying to keep his friends secrets from the Bound, and Eden trying to find her way with new abilities, you find yourself hoping for each character to find happiness and love.
Then for the last half of the book, it EXPLODES! The suspense, drama and climatic scenes will leave you in awe at the excitement that follows. Usually, you expect a huge and climatic ending in the final chapters, but the author used the last half of the book as one giant climax for the reader.
The ending was frustrating in the fact that now I have to wait forever for the next book to see what is to come with each person in the story.
October 15, 2010
By far the best angel book I've read. Awesome pacing, fabulous details, believable characters and witty dialogue are just a few of the strengths of Leah Clifford's debut. I couldn't put it down, and when I had to, I found myself looking for excuses to pick it up again as soon as possible.
August 5, 2011
I.... am not sure how I managed to finish this one. I think I felt a bit guilty because I won it in a contest and I sort of did want to see what happened, so I forced myself to finish. But wow, this one was rough. It jumps ALL over the place in no linear fashion, and it includes all these details, randomly dumped in the middle of other scenes. I still don't understand what Siders are and what exactly Touch is. It doesn't make any sense to me at all. Then there's also the fact that we're supposed to feel this big epic love between Eden and Az, except... oh wait, we never got to see that happen. Their whole relationship building is skipped over, and Eden's whole life pre-angel is skipped over, so I found myself not really caring at all.
Then there's the swearing. Oh so much swearing. I don't think I've ever seen so much use of the F-word in a book, especially a YA novel. It was just really crass, and I fully realize that some people talk like that (my gosh, it reminded me of high school), but it wasn't tasteful at all. And angels swearing? That was kind of offensive to me. The so called angels didn't even seem like angels at all. I also don't understand why the author couldn't just use the terms heaven and hell instead of the cutesy 'upstairs' and 'downstairs'. I mean, come on, we're clearly within the Christian realm here, whether you view it as religion or mythology. And I also have to mention the dark tone of the book. It seemed to be glorifying suicide, which was really startling to me. I hate to use the term "triggering" but I can honestly see how this one might. Usually books involving tough issues like cutting and suicide discourage away from it and involve the characters getting help and support. In this one? People who commit suicide come back. And then there's Eden and her role as a mercy killer. I... don't even know.
Poorly plotted, confusing, offensive, and filled with characters I couldn't really care any less about.
Then there's the swearing. Oh so much swearing. I don't think I've ever seen so much use of the F-word in a book, especially a YA novel. It was just really crass, and I fully realize that some people talk like that (my gosh, it reminded me of high school), but it wasn't tasteful at all. And angels swearing? That was kind of offensive to me. The so called angels didn't even seem like angels at all. I also don't understand why the author couldn't just use the terms heaven and hell instead of the cutesy 'upstairs' and 'downstairs'. I mean, come on, we're clearly within the Christian realm here, whether you view it as religion or mythology. And I also have to mention the dark tone of the book. It seemed to be glorifying suicide, which was really startling to me. I hate to use the term "triggering" but I can honestly see how this one might. Usually books involving tough issues like cutting and suicide discourage away from it and involve the characters getting help and support. In this one? People who commit suicide come back. And then there's Eden and her role as a mercy killer. I... don't even know.
Poorly plotted, confusing, offensive, and filled with characters I couldn't really care any less about.
November 7, 2010
Rapt with deeper meaning and moments, filled with strong characters, and an overall fantastic story, A Touch Mortal is a stunning debut. Though focused mainly on Eden, the third person perspective is beautifully written and gives strong insight into several other characters and forging strong connections to the reader with each. There is an overall large cast of characters, but they are all given bold personalities and serve strong purposes in the story. While a few transitions are shaky and confusing, and some parts come off as rushed, the overall progression and play out is well handled and leading to a potent climax.
Eden is snarky and spunky, able to handle herself in an array of situations, and both relatable and likable from the start. When Az first comes walking up, right on page one, her reaction to him is amusing and starts pulling the reader in right away. Clifford doesn’t bother with unnecessary build up in their forming relationship, shifting quickly to the root of their relationship and the launching point of the story itself. Eden’s quips provide plenty of humor and build her character, and the reader sees several different sides of her as the story progresses, not all of them flattering. There are many times where Eden is frustrating and even annoying, but it fits with the situation, and Clifford handles the varying reactions smoothly. Even when Eden makes mistakes or poor decisions, her reasons are very understandable and justified, coming across true to her character without being explained away as simply being a teenager.
Az is a very interesting character, intricate in ways that can't be explained without spoiling, but truly hits deeply on what it means to hold on to not only a good side of him but humanity. He is a solid character, flawed in gritty ways with nothing held back about him. His friendship and devotion to Gabe is deep and intricate, a relationship that certainly goes both ways, the depth of which are shown more as the story progresses. Gabe, too, is a phenomenally well done character and incredibly likable. He drives a large portion of the plot and plays some unexpected roles, and he more than once left me shocked.
Rounding out the cast of well done characters is Kristen, a loon, so to speak, but who is fantastic in several ways, from personality to reactions to role in the story and definitely someone I look forward to getting more from in the coming books, particularly in light of ending events with this one. Adam and Jarrod have strong presences for a majority of the book and are interesting in nature, and Libby is an especially interesting character, coming in in a surprising way and maintaining attention. Despite the large number of important characters, the personalities are all distinct enough to keep the characters straight and introduced in a staggered manner to keep there from being an information overload. There is strong character development throughout, many coming full circle and showing several sides, all handled amazingly well.
There are some gritty undercurrents to this book, with an overall darker and sad air, but several huge points of deeper meaning. Some are given in a subtle manner and others more straightforward, but the thought and reason Clifford put into things is very clear and worthy of praise. There is a big air of suicide in this book, stemming from what happens to people who commit suicide in the world Clifford has built. Clifford has done something different with suicides in her world, and handled it gracefully without glorifying the act. The different angles and views even within the world and characters are presented throughout the book, from reasons that seemed important when someone committed the act to later realizing maybe it wasn’t so great. I truly appreciated the way all this was handled and explained, without sugarcoating. The aftermath is handled in a different but well done way, and even the way one person can be the only reason someone doesn’t fall into the temptation is presented in such an unflinching manner.
The ties to real life, particularly the innumerable views, beliefs and mindsets about suicides, are perhaps one of the reasons I felt so much for and with this book. Clifford has blended the fantasy with the real in a very smooth fashion, and there are huge connections and implications into every day experiences and life, coming from different sides, that will give something for most every kind of reader. Even with the gritty notes and the honest and unadulterated look into the deeper parts of everyone, Clifford handles it gracefully and inoffensively. Despite the angels aspect, there is a strong contemporary and realistic element to this book, making it relatable and entrancing for a range of readers.
Suicide angle aside, there are some strong messages and truths. Many of the characters portray such intense emotion and feeling, driving these messages more. The good versus evil battle has been revamped, and the worldbuilding for it is clear, strong and genius without any confusion on its standards and confines. Clifford has created several new classes of angels, and their reasons for being there are clear. Her angels don’t fall instantly from Heaven when cast out, and her angelic system is not rigid and without leverage. The overall intricacies come out steadily, but many remain cloaked to leave room for more exploration in future books.
Showcasing Clifford’s natural writing talent and an ability to connect things in surprising ways, there are plenty of subtle hints at bigger things to come and other blindsiding and shocking moments. From the humor to intense emotion, Clifford covers a range of styles and moments, and though there is language throughout the book, it is well placed and emphatic, in line with each character. There are several striking and beautiful lines that stood out, from the grotesque to the fantastic, slipped in smoothly and effortlessly. The writing is beautiful in so many ways that cannot be taught and engaging even in third person, with bold explanations and undaunted descriptions.
Some parts of this book seemed rushed, but in truth, Clifford simply doesn’t waste time and words. Though there are some places she could have added new scenes to transition, it wouldn’t have added much overall. While this might not work for some readers, it wasn’t jarring or distracting for me. Her changes in time are clear and well stated, and she does take time to catch the reader up on what was not shown. There are some parts that are confusing but not enough to detract from things for long or overall, and the bulk of the scenes are simply fantastic.
The overall plot is brilliant, and steadily builds with subtle hints to the future and deep intricacies, leading to an explosive, lengthy climax that keeps things moving at a deliciously rapid pace for the last hundred pages or so of the book. The final build up is well worth it, with many completely unexpected twists and turns and shocking truths throw out of nowhere. Even with the strong plot, there is also a constant focus on the characters and their development and reactions, and these two aspects are handled and blended strongly and nearly flawlessly.
The final ending is shocking and unforeseeable, but ties up the events directly related to this book and explains most everything pertinent. The epilogue gives an interesting view of what is to come in the next installment, as Clifford has opened up countless doors and paths for where things are headed. It is clear Eden is not the only one affected at the end of this book, and it is unpredictable how things will ripple out now. The overall work, thought, and heart that has been put into this book comes through very visibly, leaving the reader not only with a stunned feeling but a deep appreciation for everything that is incorporated into what I consider to be a brilliant, highly recommended book.
Eden is snarky and spunky, able to handle herself in an array of situations, and both relatable and likable from the start. When Az first comes walking up, right on page one, her reaction to him is amusing and starts pulling the reader in right away. Clifford doesn’t bother with unnecessary build up in their forming relationship, shifting quickly to the root of their relationship and the launching point of the story itself. Eden’s quips provide plenty of humor and build her character, and the reader sees several different sides of her as the story progresses, not all of them flattering. There are many times where Eden is frustrating and even annoying, but it fits with the situation, and Clifford handles the varying reactions smoothly. Even when Eden makes mistakes or poor decisions, her reasons are very understandable and justified, coming across true to her character without being explained away as simply being a teenager.
Az is a very interesting character, intricate in ways that can't be explained without spoiling, but truly hits deeply on what it means to hold on to not only a good side of him but humanity. He is a solid character, flawed in gritty ways with nothing held back about him. His friendship and devotion to Gabe is deep and intricate, a relationship that certainly goes both ways, the depth of which are shown more as the story progresses. Gabe, too, is a phenomenally well done character and incredibly likable. He drives a large portion of the plot and plays some unexpected roles, and he more than once left me shocked.
Rounding out the cast of well done characters is Kristen, a loon, so to speak, but who is fantastic in several ways, from personality to reactions to role in the story and definitely someone I look forward to getting more from in the coming books, particularly in light of ending events with this one. Adam and Jarrod have strong presences for a majority of the book and are interesting in nature, and Libby is an especially interesting character, coming in in a surprising way and maintaining attention. Despite the large number of important characters, the personalities are all distinct enough to keep the characters straight and introduced in a staggered manner to keep there from being an information overload. There is strong character development throughout, many coming full circle and showing several sides, all handled amazingly well.
There are some gritty undercurrents to this book, with an overall darker and sad air, but several huge points of deeper meaning. Some are given in a subtle manner and others more straightforward, but the thought and reason Clifford put into things is very clear and worthy of praise. There is a big air of suicide in this book, stemming from what happens to people who commit suicide in the world Clifford has built. Clifford has done something different with suicides in her world, and handled it gracefully without glorifying the act. The different angles and views even within the world and characters are presented throughout the book, from reasons that seemed important when someone committed the act to later realizing maybe it wasn’t so great. I truly appreciated the way all this was handled and explained, without sugarcoating. The aftermath is handled in a different but well done way, and even the way one person can be the only reason someone doesn’t fall into the temptation is presented in such an unflinching manner.
The ties to real life, particularly the innumerable views, beliefs and mindsets about suicides, are perhaps one of the reasons I felt so much for and with this book. Clifford has blended the fantasy with the real in a very smooth fashion, and there are huge connections and implications into every day experiences and life, coming from different sides, that will give something for most every kind of reader. Even with the gritty notes and the honest and unadulterated look into the deeper parts of everyone, Clifford handles it gracefully and inoffensively. Despite the angels aspect, there is a strong contemporary and realistic element to this book, making it relatable and entrancing for a range of readers.
Suicide angle aside, there are some strong messages and truths. Many of the characters portray such intense emotion and feeling, driving these messages more. The good versus evil battle has been revamped, and the worldbuilding for it is clear, strong and genius without any confusion on its standards and confines. Clifford has created several new classes of angels, and their reasons for being there are clear. Her angels don’t fall instantly from Heaven when cast out, and her angelic system is not rigid and without leverage. The overall intricacies come out steadily, but many remain cloaked to leave room for more exploration in future books.
Showcasing Clifford’s natural writing talent and an ability to connect things in surprising ways, there are plenty of subtle hints at bigger things to come and other blindsiding and shocking moments. From the humor to intense emotion, Clifford covers a range of styles and moments, and though there is language throughout the book, it is well placed and emphatic, in line with each character. There are several striking and beautiful lines that stood out, from the grotesque to the fantastic, slipped in smoothly and effortlessly. The writing is beautiful in so many ways that cannot be taught and engaging even in third person, with bold explanations and undaunted descriptions.
Some parts of this book seemed rushed, but in truth, Clifford simply doesn’t waste time and words. Though there are some places she could have added new scenes to transition, it wouldn’t have added much overall. While this might not work for some readers, it wasn’t jarring or distracting for me. Her changes in time are clear and well stated, and she does take time to catch the reader up on what was not shown. There are some parts that are confusing but not enough to detract from things for long or overall, and the bulk of the scenes are simply fantastic.
The overall plot is brilliant, and steadily builds with subtle hints to the future and deep intricacies, leading to an explosive, lengthy climax that keeps things moving at a deliciously rapid pace for the last hundred pages or so of the book. The final build up is well worth it, with many completely unexpected twists and turns and shocking truths throw out of nowhere. Even with the strong plot, there is also a constant focus on the characters and their development and reactions, and these two aspects are handled and blended strongly and nearly flawlessly.
The final ending is shocking and unforeseeable, but ties up the events directly related to this book and explains most everything pertinent. The epilogue gives an interesting view of what is to come in the next installment, as Clifford has opened up countless doors and paths for where things are headed. It is clear Eden is not the only one affected at the end of this book, and it is unpredictable how things will ripple out now. The overall work, thought, and heart that has been put into this book comes through very visibly, leaving the reader not only with a stunned feeling but a deep appreciation for everything that is incorporated into what I consider to be a brilliant, highly recommended book.
June 18, 2011
A TOUCH MORTAL is quite unlike any other angel book I've read. In fact, just calling it an angel book is selling it short. It's definitely geared towards an older audience - themes of life and death take a dark twist; it almost reminds me of The Crow or a junior-league Queen of the Damned. Or really, any of the Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles.
ATM starts off with the heroine, Eden, contemplating the bleakness of her existence on the Jersey shore. A life that had started spiraling wildly has suddenly turned sour, her friends and family have stopped paying any attention to her, and her world has taken on a certain Sylvia Plath quality. Then comes Az. A whirlwind romance follows, until we learn that Az is an angel, and half Fallen at that. And that is, as the description suggests, only the beginning of the end.
As I said, calling it just an angel book is selling the novel short. Instead of rehashing a mythology already heavily trodden, ATM creates a new myth with the Siders - teenagers who've fallen down the same dark path as Eden, ultimately killing themselves and winding up in a torturous ever-after of immortality, the absolute last thing that most of them would want. Heaven and Hell clearly play a role as the more conventional Upstairs and Downstairs, matching up with the Bound angels (those loyal to the Upstairs) and the Fallen (those for whom the elevator goes...down).
As the novel progresses, it becomes a lot deeper than the simple "girl meets boy. Boy reveals wings. Girl becomes immortal after a tragic death" tale we've all heard a million times before. ;)
The characters in ATM are fascinating. From the death-obsessed Kristen to the upbeat, Upstairs angel Gabe, and even a few characters that I can't describe without giving something away, each strikes a different chord in the overall requiem of a dark and gritty New York. Each character is deeply flawed, and each is also equally fabulous because of it. At times hard to read, the character journeys are unflinchingly honest, ATM is NOT a light read, but it's definitely worth the trip. And then some.
There's a lot of world to build, creating your own supernatural race, but ATM strikes a good balance between giving you just enough information to whet your appetite, and a tightly paced plot that keeps the revelations coming. I've seen some reviews suggest that the book glorifies suicide, but considering how miserable most of the characters are in their afterlives, I think the opposite is more accurate. The book takes a hard look at actions and consequences, and how our actions define us.
I cannot recommend it highly enough.
ATM starts off with the heroine, Eden, contemplating the bleakness of her existence on the Jersey shore. A life that had started spiraling wildly has suddenly turned sour, her friends and family have stopped paying any attention to her, and her world has taken on a certain Sylvia Plath quality. Then comes Az. A whirlwind romance follows, until we learn that Az is an angel, and half Fallen at that. And that is, as the description suggests, only the beginning of the end.
As I said, calling it just an angel book is selling the novel short. Instead of rehashing a mythology already heavily trodden, ATM creates a new myth with the Siders - teenagers who've fallen down the same dark path as Eden, ultimately killing themselves and winding up in a torturous ever-after of immortality, the absolute last thing that most of them would want. Heaven and Hell clearly play a role as the more conventional Upstairs and Downstairs, matching up with the Bound angels (those loyal to the Upstairs) and the Fallen (those for whom the elevator goes...down).
As the novel progresses, it becomes a lot deeper than the simple "girl meets boy. Boy reveals wings. Girl becomes immortal after a tragic death" tale we've all heard a million times before. ;)
The characters in ATM are fascinating. From the death-obsessed Kristen to the upbeat, Upstairs angel Gabe, and even a few characters that I can't describe without giving something away, each strikes a different chord in the overall requiem of a dark and gritty New York. Each character is deeply flawed, and each is also equally fabulous because of it. At times hard to read, the character journeys are unflinchingly honest, ATM is NOT a light read, but it's definitely worth the trip. And then some.
There's a lot of world to build, creating your own supernatural race, but ATM strikes a good balance between giving you just enough information to whet your appetite, and a tightly paced plot that keeps the revelations coming. I've seen some reviews suggest that the book glorifies suicide, but considering how miserable most of the characters are in their afterlives, I think the opposite is more accurate. The book takes a hard look at actions and consequences, and how our actions define us.
I cannot recommend it highly enough.
March 17, 2011
A messy, disjointed, disaster of a book. Gives a bad name to YA fic.In the first two pages of A TOUCH MORTAL, Eden - our troubled, suicidal protagonist - meets Gabriel and Az on the beach; Az and Eden have dinner together, then say goodnight without a kiss. A few pages later, we've skipped forward two weeks and find that Eden, Gabe and Az are now BFFs. Not only that, but Eden and Az are in love...soul-crushing, eternal, die-for-each-other love.
Um, OK.
Clifford suffers from the fatal author flaw of telling the audience what's happening or happened, instead of simply showing us. And things move too fast in the story -- so much so that there's nothing to ground us. We don't know even Eden as a character before she's swept up into the world of angels and demons, so we don't particularly care. And the fact that the aforementioned world is explained and built in a clumsy, scattered way only adds to the detachment I felt as a reader. Nothing coalesced in my mind; there was so much random, untethered, disparate info that I was confused about what the hell was actually going on. Clifford doesn't seem to understand the need for transitions between scenes -- or even between paragraphs.
A TOUCH MORTAL reads like fanfiction -- bad, amateurish fanfiction. A decent idea for story that's executed very, very poorly.
Um, OK.
Clifford suffers from the fatal author flaw of telling the audience what's happening or happened, instead of simply showing us. And things move too fast in the story -- so much so that there's nothing to ground us. We don't know even Eden as a character before she's swept up into the world of angels and demons, so we don't particularly care. And the fact that the aforementioned world is explained and built in a clumsy, scattered way only adds to the detachment I felt as a reader. Nothing coalesced in my mind; there was so much random, untethered, disparate info that I was confused about what the hell was actually going on. Clifford doesn't seem to understand the need for transitions between scenes -- or even between paragraphs.
A TOUCH MORTAL reads like fanfiction -- bad, amateurish fanfiction. A decent idea for story that's executed very, very poorly.
September 29, 2010
I'd read this if you like fun.
June 22, 2018
I love a book with fallen angels and demons and just all that jazz in a paranormal romance is perfect and this book was no exception.
March 24, 2011
I was really unsure about what rating I would give this book and, even now, I'm not sure if I went too high. In the end I gave it a 3 because A Touch Mortal had its fair share of problems but I wanted to finish reading it.
The story opens with Eden on the beach, contemplating suicide, when she meets Az and Gabe. In between the second and third chapter, completely off-screen, Az and Eden fall in love... an all encompassing love that took all of a week to develop. But Gabe, who also became Eden's best friend in a week, has found out that Eden is destined to kill herself and come back as a Sider (I assumed that Sider was short for Suicider). That's not the only problem, though.
Az is only half-fallen and Luke, the leader of the Fallen, wants him to completely fall. He tries to make this happen by destroying those Az loves. So Gabe and Az come up with a completely asinine plan- In order to protect Eden from Luke, she has to kill herself in a timely manner so Luke doesn't find out she's a Sider. So they decide to push her into it by making her think Az fell to his death in front of her. In a way, I kind of applaud the thinking outside the box of the idea. It would have been so easy for Az to just say he hated her now and leave in order to devastate her. But the overall idea of pushing someone to kill themselves, destiny or not, seems a little distasteful. Anyway, the plan works... and all in under 60 pages.
This is a huge problem for me, just a like a lot of other people. I don't know the characters. I don't see that Az and Eden are in love. I don't see that Eden and Gabriel have a great friendship. All this took place in less than 60 pages of a book that is over 400. There just wasn't enough time given to character development or relationship development.
Eden wakes up some time later in an unfamiliar room in the home of Kristen, the first Sider and Gabriel's friend. This part of the book was supposed to supply the information about what Siders are and what they do, but Kristen never really got around to giving that information sufficiently. I felt like the author was trying to build her world and establish the rules of the Siders, but it just didn't come across. I know that Siders are supposed to be somewhat a mystery, but there was little to no information conveyed other than they have to pass Touch. I actually got a little annoyed with Touch. It took up more room in the book than Az and Eden's relationship.
And the author killed that relationship around this point. Eden finds out that Az is not really dead and, in fact, purposely made her think he was so she'd kill herself. This was another part where I felt torn. On one hand, I applauded the fact that Eden was angry and didn't just fall into his arms. On the other hand, her stubborn inability to listen to any sort of explanation for about 160 pages really made the end of the book so hard to believe.
During her lessons on Touch, Eden finds out that she has an ability that the other Siders don't. Her breath can kill another Sider if they breathe it in. She uses this to escape from Kristen (And I never quite got why Kristen was supposed to be scary) and takes Adam, another Sider, with her. Adam was another character that just didn't make a lot of sense. He barely met Eden and still chose to stand with her. Not only that, he loves her. It seems like a lot has happened already and, while it did, it happened in 140 pages.
At this point, the story drags. Two months or so after she left Kristen's, she and a few other Siders (all male... surprise surprise) are living in an apartment that they pay for because Eden kills Siders for money. While it's not so harshly put in the book, that is essentially what it is. Siders that want to die pay her to kill them. And Eden feels like it's her duty and, even though the author doesn't really go there all the way, she is kind of addicted to it. This takes up so much time. She and her friends argue about it. They have to force a young Sider to pass his Touch. They watch someone who got a dose of Touch jump off a building. It was just so much and it all seemed unnecessary to the ultimate goal of the book.
There are bits of information thrown in during this middle part of the book. We start to learn a little more about the angels... but only a little more. Apparently, angels can do whatever but can only be punished for it when they actively confess to a sin. Angels feel compelled to confess, though, so it comes out eventually. I guess, in hindsight, this was foreshadowing for the end of the book. It didn't come across that way while reading it. We also learn that Gabe has been keeping the Siders a secret for a long time and that the "Upstairs" doesn't know about them. How this could be possible is beyond me. I don't recall if the author said how old Kristen was, but I find it so hard to believe that the people Upstairs are so unobservant.
Eden and her group meet Libby, who wants to join them. After an initial dislike for the girl, which didn't make a whole lot of sense unless we assume Eden just doesn't want another girl around or that Eden is one of the Goths that hates anyone who isn't, she agree to let her stay. Honestly, I felt that the author should have just stamped "Villain" on her forehead. I saw that coming a mile away, just like I saw her having the same ability as Eden the first time there were no Siders waiting on Eden's doorstep. Libby is instrumental in getting Eden to finally meet with Luke, who tells her that she didn't really kill herself. Az killed her.
This is the beginning of the end and where I think the book really starts to fall apart for me. Everything happens in the last 100 pages or so. Eden confronts Az and he pulls her into a kiss where, somehow, she doses him with Touch even though it shouldn't happen to an angel. This is never explained or pursued further, so I can only assume this was so everyone knew she kissed Az. She leaves and her devoted lackey, Adam, who knew that she still had conflicting feelings for Az, turns on her. Luke kidnaps Az and Eden and Gabe try to save him. They do, but Gabe has to admit that he was the one who killed Eden, thus falling. Now Gabe isn't himself and he wanders away, lost to Az and Eden. Adam and Libby are dead. It wasn't exactly set up for a sequel but I assume there are going to be more books and that Gabe is not going to be left a fallen angel.
I get the feeling that this is meant to be an epic, good-vs-evil series of books, but there are a lot of problems. The biggest problem with this book is pacing. That's the reason I harped on how many pages things took. The events in the book were not spread out evenly and the information given was sporadic and not very clear. The author raced through the beginning just to drag out the middle and shove too much into the end.
The characters are another problem. There were just too many one dimensional characters. One of the only characters that had any personality was Eden and it was an annoying one. She was always yelling or snapping at someone. I couldn't believe that anyone liked her. Gabe was the most fleshed out after Eden and not quite as annoying. Az, the love interest, had no personality whatsoever. I didn't care when James, Adam or Libby died. I didn't care that Az was injured. They were not developed enough for me to care what happened to them.
I don't really want to get into whether or not the book glamorized suicide. I will say, though, that I would feel it necessary to let a parent of a younger teen know that it does involve suicide. When I was a teen, I doubt it would have had any impact on me, but I can't say that for everyone.
Overall, I think this was a good concept that was executed poorly. I am interested in seeing where it goes, however, so if there are more books I will probably read them.
The story opens with Eden on the beach, contemplating suicide, when she meets Az and Gabe. In between the second and third chapter, completely off-screen, Az and Eden fall in love... an all encompassing love that took all of a week to develop. But Gabe, who also became Eden's best friend in a week, has found out that Eden is destined to kill herself and come back as a Sider (I assumed that Sider was short for Suicider). That's not the only problem, though.
Az is only half-fallen and Luke, the leader of the Fallen, wants him to completely fall. He tries to make this happen by destroying those Az loves. So Gabe and Az come up with a completely asinine plan- In order to protect Eden from Luke, she has to kill herself in a timely manner so Luke doesn't find out she's a Sider. So they decide to push her into it by making her think Az fell to his death in front of her. In a way, I kind of applaud the thinking outside the box of the idea. It would have been so easy for Az to just say he hated her now and leave in order to devastate her. But the overall idea of pushing someone to kill themselves, destiny or not, seems a little distasteful. Anyway, the plan works... and all in under 60 pages.
This is a huge problem for me, just a like a lot of other people. I don't know the characters. I don't see that Az and Eden are in love. I don't see that Eden and Gabriel have a great friendship. All this took place in less than 60 pages of a book that is over 400. There just wasn't enough time given to character development or relationship development.
Eden wakes up some time later in an unfamiliar room in the home of Kristen, the first Sider and Gabriel's friend. This part of the book was supposed to supply the information about what Siders are and what they do, but Kristen never really got around to giving that information sufficiently. I felt like the author was trying to build her world and establish the rules of the Siders, but it just didn't come across. I know that Siders are supposed to be somewhat a mystery, but there was little to no information conveyed other than they have to pass Touch. I actually got a little annoyed with Touch. It took up more room in the book than Az and Eden's relationship.
And the author killed that relationship around this point. Eden finds out that Az is not really dead and, in fact, purposely made her think he was so she'd kill herself. This was another part where I felt torn. On one hand, I applauded the fact that Eden was angry and didn't just fall into his arms. On the other hand, her stubborn inability to listen to any sort of explanation for about 160 pages really made the end of the book so hard to believe.
During her lessons on Touch, Eden finds out that she has an ability that the other Siders don't. Her breath can kill another Sider if they breathe it in. She uses this to escape from Kristen (And I never quite got why Kristen was supposed to be scary) and takes Adam, another Sider, with her. Adam was another character that just didn't make a lot of sense. He barely met Eden and still chose to stand with her. Not only that, he loves her. It seems like a lot has happened already and, while it did, it happened in 140 pages.
At this point, the story drags. Two months or so after she left Kristen's, she and a few other Siders (all male... surprise surprise) are living in an apartment that they pay for because Eden kills Siders for money. While it's not so harshly put in the book, that is essentially what it is. Siders that want to die pay her to kill them. And Eden feels like it's her duty and, even though the author doesn't really go there all the way, she is kind of addicted to it. This takes up so much time. She and her friends argue about it. They have to force a young Sider to pass his Touch. They watch someone who got a dose of Touch jump off a building. It was just so much and it all seemed unnecessary to the ultimate goal of the book.
There are bits of information thrown in during this middle part of the book. We start to learn a little more about the angels... but only a little more. Apparently, angels can do whatever but can only be punished for it when they actively confess to a sin. Angels feel compelled to confess, though, so it comes out eventually. I guess, in hindsight, this was foreshadowing for the end of the book. It didn't come across that way while reading it. We also learn that Gabe has been keeping the Siders a secret for a long time and that the "Upstairs" doesn't know about them. How this could be possible is beyond me. I don't recall if the author said how old Kristen was, but I find it so hard to believe that the people Upstairs are so unobservant.
Eden and her group meet Libby, who wants to join them. After an initial dislike for the girl, which didn't make a whole lot of sense unless we assume Eden just doesn't want another girl around or that Eden is one of the Goths that hates anyone who isn't, she agree to let her stay. Honestly, I felt that the author should have just stamped "Villain" on her forehead. I saw that coming a mile away, just like I saw her having the same ability as Eden the first time there were no Siders waiting on Eden's doorstep. Libby is instrumental in getting Eden to finally meet with Luke, who tells her that she didn't really kill herself. Az killed her.
This is the beginning of the end and where I think the book really starts to fall apart for me. Everything happens in the last 100 pages or so. Eden confronts Az and he pulls her into a kiss where, somehow, she doses him with Touch even though it shouldn't happen to an angel. This is never explained or pursued further, so I can only assume this was so everyone knew she kissed Az. She leaves and her devoted lackey, Adam, who knew that she still had conflicting feelings for Az, turns on her. Luke kidnaps Az and Eden and Gabe try to save him. They do, but Gabe has to admit that he was the one who killed Eden, thus falling. Now Gabe isn't himself and he wanders away, lost to Az and Eden. Adam and Libby are dead. It wasn't exactly set up for a sequel but I assume there are going to be more books and that Gabe is not going to be left a fallen angel.
I get the feeling that this is meant to be an epic, good-vs-evil series of books, but there are a lot of problems. The biggest problem with this book is pacing. That's the reason I harped on how many pages things took. The events in the book were not spread out evenly and the information given was sporadic and not very clear. The author raced through the beginning just to drag out the middle and shove too much into the end.
The characters are another problem. There were just too many one dimensional characters. One of the only characters that had any personality was Eden and it was an annoying one. She was always yelling or snapping at someone. I couldn't believe that anyone liked her. Gabe was the most fleshed out after Eden and not quite as annoying. Az, the love interest, had no personality whatsoever. I didn't care when James, Adam or Libby died. I didn't care that Az was injured. They were not developed enough for me to care what happened to them.
I don't really want to get into whether or not the book glamorized suicide. I will say, though, that I would feel it necessary to let a parent of a younger teen know that it does involve suicide. When I was a teen, I doubt it would have had any impact on me, but I can't say that for everyone.
Overall, I think this was a good concept that was executed poorly. I am interested in seeing where it goes, however, so if there are more books I will probably read them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2013
“So, this is what it feels like when Heaven leaves you.”
Eden has no path. She is meant to be forgotten, meant to kill herself. And she might have done that exactly if Az hadn't come along. He makes Eden smile, feel needed and special. But Az isn't as human as he seems, an angel cast out of Heaven. He struggles to Fall everyday and suddenly Eden makes it worth it. But not everyone wants them to be happy. The only way to save Eden is to have her embrace her destiny, to suicide. It doesn't take time to realize that Eden is no ordinary Sider and her Touch can do unimaginable. Suddenly, she is thrust deeper into conspiracies that not only concerns her kind but both the Basement and Upstairs. her Touch is the key.
A Touch Mortal was nothing I expected it to be. It was beautiful, amazing and totally distinctive. Leah Clifford presented a world that was eerily enchanting and intricately dark.
Eden was an awesome lead. She was stubborn, curious and kick-ass. And if you have any jokes about her name going, she has got a sarcastic answer as well and I
You: Ready with your joke
Eden: "Yeah, go ahead and get the forbidden garden comment out of your system. And no matter what witty snake joke you're considering? Trust me, I've heard it."
aah, you've been burned! Told ya, she's got sarcasm.
Plus one of my favorite dialogues by Eden:“The water's not even blue, jackass.”
I don't why, but I just loved it.
Eden is observant as well. Case in point:“He noticed her giving him the once-over and smiled in a way no gay boy in history had ever smiled at a girl.”
Now that we know Eden, lets get to our not-my-hero-during-most-of-the-book, Az.
Want to hear Eden's thought on him:"Pain in the ass.”
Ok, maybe I was being a little unfair. But that guy doesn't know how to be a hero. Though that's why, even though what he did to Eden, I loved him. He made an impression on me, even with his pick-up lines. But what I loved most about Az, alongwith his wings, was his strength. He struggled with the Fall everyday but he never gave in.
My super-mega-ultra-favorite character was LUKE. I know, I know, he's the villain. But I couldn't help but love him. I mean he's hot, sexy, got black hair(I always prefer guys with black hair), singer in a rock band(that was clearly a winner), dark, sarcastic, twisted and oh so dangerous. Now, tell me one good reason to not like him, seriously.“Just because I don't know how to work a toy, doesn't mean I don't want it in my toy box.”
The best supporting character and heart-breakingly gay *sigh* was Gabriel. Most of the book, Gabe was busy trying to protect his friends he love so dearly. So what happened in the end (you have to read it!)was utterly shocking . I was like, "No, Gabe! Not you!" :'(
Hehehe, being a tease, huh? I'll stop now.
Adam seemed a very likable character, but the moment he had walked in, I had read his parts with narrowed eyes. I had believed he would be the one to ruin
Kristen was dark and edgy and, mind you, schizophrenic. She talked most of the time in poetry or riddles. But, to me, most of her dialogues with Eden on their first day together were very confusing. I had a hard time understanding her and had to wait for Eden to say something to understand. But I totally adored this quote:"Everyone adores a tragedy.”
I liked Jarrod and James a lot. Libby, I never liked.
The reason why I wanted to stay up till 4 at night was the setting. The atmosphere was so dark and edgy, that I was glued most of the time to the book to see where they went next. Leah Clifford's description surely captures my taste. Eden's new look was my favorite.
Overall, Dark and twisted A Touch Mortal would attract readers who love a good gothic or paranormal. The sequel A Touch Morbid released on February 28th 2012. The third book in the series would be released in 2013.Memories rose, rippling like pebbles tossed into the lies she’d told herself to try to forget about him.
June 5, 2011
5 Things I Loved About…
A TOUCH MORTAL by Leah Clifford
1. MOMENTUM. In YA paranormal, it’s really easy for a story to lose momentum when the author takes a long time to build the world and its internal mythology. Leah Clifford takes a different approach—rather than slowly turning up the heat, she throws the reader (along with Eden) right into a full boil. Leah keeps the heat on high throughout the book by continually ratcheting up the tension, especially by introducing characters like
2. LUKE. What can I say—I’m a sucker for a good villain. He also has a starring role in
3. ONE OF THE MOST INTENSE SCENES I’VE EVER READ. I can’t give away too much here, but let’s just say it involves our heroine and a bad, bad man, backstage at a concert. You know that expression “I was on the edge of my seat”? Well I wasn’t on the edge, I completely fell off. My hackles were up the whole time I was reading the scene, and it took several shots of Nyquil to calm me down. Speaking of sedatives, I could have used some for the
4. SCENES IN THE HOUSE. Not only does this creep-tastic house set the stage for a lot of the inventive mythology that Leah has dreamed up for A Touch Mortal, but it’s home to the Screamers—one of the eeriest, unnerving “characters” I’ve read in YA…ever. It’s also where we first meet
5. KRISTEN. Forget goodie-two-shoes; when I read, I gravitate toward characters who have a biting sense of humor and characters who are a little…off-kilter. Kristen speaks to both of them. Everything I love about her is summed in one of my favorite lines from the book: “This isn’t the afterlife, sweet pea. This is the Bronx.”
A TOUCH MORTAL by Leah Clifford
1. MOMENTUM. In YA paranormal, it’s really easy for a story to lose momentum when the author takes a long time to build the world and its internal mythology. Leah Clifford takes a different approach—rather than slowly turning up the heat, she throws the reader (along with Eden) right into a full boil. Leah keeps the heat on high throughout the book by continually ratcheting up the tension, especially by introducing characters like
2. LUKE. What can I say—I’m a sucker for a good villain. He also has a starring role in
3. ONE OF THE MOST INTENSE SCENES I’VE EVER READ. I can’t give away too much here, but let’s just say it involves our heroine and a bad, bad man, backstage at a concert. You know that expression “I was on the edge of my seat”? Well I wasn’t on the edge, I completely fell off. My hackles were up the whole time I was reading the scene, and it took several shots of Nyquil to calm me down. Speaking of sedatives, I could have used some for the
4. SCENES IN THE HOUSE. Not only does this creep-tastic house set the stage for a lot of the inventive mythology that Leah has dreamed up for A Touch Mortal, but it’s home to the Screamers—one of the eeriest, unnerving “characters” I’ve read in YA…ever. It’s also where we first meet
5. KRISTEN. Forget goodie-two-shoes; when I read, I gravitate toward characters who have a biting sense of humor and characters who are a little…off-kilter. Kristen speaks to both of them. Everything I love about her is summed in one of my favorite lines from the book: “This isn’t the afterlife, sweet pea. This is the Bronx.”
May 24, 2011
Damn, I am so sick of this insta-love crap. I'm serious. One day and they're in the whole ima ready to die for you shit? No freaking thanks. My tolerance for this is way below zero. Why would a fallen angel even care about a mortal person anyway? And don't give me that love at first sight shizz because there is no justification for his feelings whatsoever in this book.
I don't have the heart to continue and from what I've seen, it doesn't get any better so I'm going to stick by my original thoughts. Yep.
I don't have the heart to continue and from what I've seen, it doesn't get any better so I'm going to stick by my original thoughts. Yep.
August 26, 2016
Maybe 1.5 stars
Well, hmmm. Where to begin?
I hated this book. It infuriated me so much.
I honestly thought I was going to DNF this...but, I finished it! Go me.
This book contains a lot of WTF moments...and not the good kind.
Alright, so basically I am now going to tell you the entire story in a much shorter fashion than the book. I am doing this so that you don’t have to waste your time and read this book. Okay? Okay.
**Warning: Lots of Spoilers (and Sarcasm) Ahead**
Let’s do this.
Synopsis:
The book starts off with our main character, Eden, sitting alone on the beach contemplating her death, when two beautiful boys saunter into the picture. She’s able to detect that one boy is gay and is about to write them off a couple until…
So naturally, the boys approach Eden and the straight one (Az) gives her this winner line:
“Your eyes are blue, like the ocean… I think I’m lost at sea”
To which Eden replies: “Fuck off. The water’s not even blue, jackass.”
She’s ready to leave this loser with the horrible lines behind, until… she looks in his eyes. I bet you can guess what happened. Yup. Insta-love decides to make an appearance. When they look into each other’s eyes they both feel this undeniable, tangible connection. They’re both in awe of what they’re feeling.
So naturally, Eden agrees to give this charming stranger a chance and they go to dinner where they obviously begin to fall helplessly in love. Then, in the next chapter it’s been months since that first date. Yup, the relationship building has totally been skimmed over because you know, it’s not like the readers should be emotionally invested in characters or anything. Despite their undying love, there is also a little turmoil brewing because Az keeps pulling away and won’t commit physically. He’s doing it because if the shirt comes off…the wings come out. Oh, Az is a half-fallen Angel, just so you know.
So blah, blah, drama. Eventually, Az does tell Eden about his feathery goodness. I might add that he does it so eloquently and gracefully when he says: ”I’m a fucking angel, Eden”
*Swoon*
Meanwhile Gabriel (the gay best friend/ “bounded”(not fallen) angel/best character in the book/I love him) takes a visit “Upstairs” (that’s heaven in case you didn’t get it. This book doesn’t seem to like using the technical, biblical terms of heaven and hell. It makes me feel like they’re treating us like four year olds. “The bad guys live downstairs in a bad place, and the good guys live upstairs in a happy place. Do you get it?” *Face Palm*) Anyways, Gabriel takes a visit upstairs and learns that Eden has no path. This means Eden is a “Sider” which is someone who commits suicide (basically, she’s inevitably going to die and everyone’s going to forget her.)
This, is horrible news because when the fallen come to torture her in order to get to Az (I believe it’s because they want him to become a full fallen, but I don’t know why they care so much about him specifically) she will not simply die, but she will come back as an immortal. Yup, you heard me, “Siders” are immortal beings that have “special touch”(get to that later.) So basically, if you commit suicide you will wake up an immortal being that is stuck wandering the earth forever with no way to die. Makes perfect sense, yeah? No? Well, apparently it should, because no explanation is ever given.
So Gabriel and Az learn her fate as a Sider and come to the conclusion that Eden needs to die sooner rather than later so that the fallen won’t find out what she is and torture her for eternity. Az comes up with the ever so brilliant plan that instead of just telling her what’s going on, he’s going to fake his death so that Eden will kill herself.
I know, I know. He’s a total keeper.
The plan works ever so successfully and Eden wakes up to find herself in a random house where they have left her to be cared after. However, no one stops to tell Eden what the hell is going on. At first she doesn’t even realize she’s dead, and she doesn’t remember her death.
It is there that she meets Madeline (an evil Sider who works with the evil fallen) and Kristen (a good Sider/friends with Gabriel/sorta crazy/I like her.) Eden ends up learning she’s dead and about “the touch” that all siders have. Basically, they have this magical touch that builds up within them and they need to release into humans. The touch has negative side effects so the good siders try to release it to happy people and the bad siders release it to sad/unhappy/angry/depressed people who usually kill themselves as a result.
I don’t exactly understand the purpose of the touch or the siders in general. And these things are unfortunately never explained.
But of course we find out that Eden is a very special girl. So, so special. She can kill Siders. *GASP* But Siders aren’t supposed to be able to die! How can this be?! Well, who knows. She’s just special.
Anyways, Eden ends up forming her own little group of which she’s the leader. Her group consists of James, Jarrod, and some other guy whose name I cannot remember right now….(he’s also the second love interest. As you can tell, he’s super important to the story.) Of course there’s a love triangle. What kind a book wouldn’t have one? (A good book maybe…)
Okay, I can’t talk about this book much longer; I’m going crazy. So this is the basic jist of what happens:
-A bunch of Siders come to Eden every day ad she kills them so that they can finally have peace. (She’s basically a modern day Mother Teresa.)
-She goes sorta crazy with all the power. I mean, she kills like 20 people in a club by simply spinning in circles.
-Eden finds out Az is alive. She’s pissed. (I will say I was so glad she didn’t hop into his arms right away. Though, I don’t think she should have ever gone back to him… He tricked her into killing herself. Need I say more?)
-Libby(preppy, blonde girl) joins group.
-James(the young one in the group) dies. It’s a mystery how since siders cant die (though, it wasn’t a mystery to me. The answer was so obvious)
-Eden and whats-his-face get together. She’s totally not using him. Oh, not at all. The fact that the first time she invited him into her room for the night was when Az was over was total coincidence. She wasn’t trying to make Az jealous. Oh no, not at all. Definite coincidence.
-Eden meets Luke (bad fallen angel that we find out is Lucifer… you know Satan, the most powerful demon around? Well, I find Luke to be a pathetic trying-too-hard wanna-be version of Lucifer. He was fine as a fallen angel, but I’ll admit I was disappointed when I found out he was supposed to be Lucifer himself.)
-Find out Libby is evil and romantically involved with Luke. I think this was supposed to be surprising, but I saw it from a mile away. I knew we couldn’t trust her from the moment we met her.
-whats-his-face also goes evil because Eden is still in love with Az.
-Luke gets Az and tortures him.
-Eden meets with Luke to try and save the loveable Az.
-whats-his-face dies. No one cares.
-We find out Libby also has the power to kill Siders (she’s the one who killed James.) We also find out that the reason Libby and Eden are able to kill their own kind is because instead of committing suicide like they were destined to, they were killed. In Libby’s case, Luke killed her. And in Eden’s case….
Okay. So the end of this book was something that I blocked out and refused to acknowledge as soon as I read it. Why? Because those 1.5 stars given to the book were all for Gabriel. He was awesome. He had an amazing friendship with Eden that I loved and respected so much. And I loved that just because he was gay he didn’t have any of those stupid, stereotypical traits plastered on him just make sure you understood that he was gay. He also didn’t feel like a token gay friend. Being gay didn’t define him, it was simply a part of who he was.
With that being said. This is why I blocked out the end…
Because it turns out that Eden didn’t kill herself, but Gabriel killed her, and not only that, but Gabriel also turns bad and becomes a fallen angel at the end.
WHAT?!?!
Out of a book that I loathed and was so frustrated with, Gabriel was the shining star that made it somewhat bearable. He allowed me to finish. He was the only good part and he became evil.
No just no.
Okay. I am done with this review. I am done. I will now finish typing this... and never relive this experience again.
Final Thought: Thank God this was free.
Well, hmmm. Where to begin?
I hated this book. It infuriated me so much.
I honestly thought I was going to DNF this...but, I finished it! Go me.
This book contains a lot of WTF moments...and not the good kind.
Alright, so basically I am now going to tell you the entire story in a much shorter fashion than the book. I am doing this so that you don’t have to waste your time and read this book. Okay? Okay.
**Warning: Lots of Spoilers (and Sarcasm) Ahead**
Let’s do this.
Synopsis:
The book starts off with our main character, Eden, sitting alone on the beach contemplating her death, when two beautiful boys saunter into the picture. She’s able to detect that one boy is gay and is about to write them off a couple until…
”[the other boy] noticed her giving him the once-over and smiled in a way no gay boy in history had ever smiled at a girl.”
So naturally, the boys approach Eden and the straight one (Az) gives her this winner line:
“Your eyes are blue, like the ocean… I think I’m lost at sea”
To which Eden replies: “Fuck off. The water’s not even blue, jackass.”
She’s ready to leave this loser with the horrible lines behind, until… she looks in his eyes. I bet you can guess what happened. Yup. Insta-love decides to make an appearance. When they look into each other’s eyes they both feel this undeniable, tangible connection. They’re both in awe of what they’re feeling.
So naturally, Eden agrees to give this charming stranger a chance and they go to dinner where they obviously begin to fall helplessly in love. Then, in the next chapter it’s been months since that first date. Yup, the relationship building has totally been skimmed over because you know, it’s not like the readers should be emotionally invested in characters or anything. Despite their undying love, there is also a little turmoil brewing because Az keeps pulling away and won’t commit physically. He’s doing it because if the shirt comes off…the wings come out. Oh, Az is a half-fallen Angel, just so you know.
So blah, blah, drama. Eventually, Az does tell Eden about his feathery goodness. I might add that he does it so eloquently and gracefully when he says: ”I’m a fucking angel, Eden”
*Swoon*
Meanwhile Gabriel (the gay best friend/ “bounded”(not fallen) angel/best character in the book/I love him) takes a visit “Upstairs” (that’s heaven in case you didn’t get it. This book doesn’t seem to like using the technical, biblical terms of heaven and hell. It makes me feel like they’re treating us like four year olds. “The bad guys live downstairs in a bad place, and the good guys live upstairs in a happy place. Do you get it?” *Face Palm*) Anyways, Gabriel takes a visit upstairs and learns that Eden has no path. This means Eden is a “Sider” which is someone who commits suicide (basically, she’s inevitably going to die and everyone’s going to forget her.)
This, is horrible news because when the fallen come to torture her in order to get to Az (I believe it’s because they want him to become a full fallen, but I don’t know why they care so much about him specifically) she will not simply die, but she will come back as an immortal. Yup, you heard me, “Siders” are immortal beings that have “special touch”(get to that later.) So basically, if you commit suicide you will wake up an immortal being that is stuck wandering the earth forever with no way to die. Makes perfect sense, yeah? No? Well, apparently it should, because no explanation is ever given.
So Gabriel and Az learn her fate as a Sider and come to the conclusion that Eden needs to die sooner rather than later so that the fallen won’t find out what she is and torture her for eternity. Az comes up with the ever so brilliant plan that instead of just telling her what’s going on, he’s going to fake his death so that Eden will kill herself.
I know, I know. He’s a total keeper.
The plan works ever so successfully and Eden wakes up to find herself in a random house where they have left her to be cared after. However, no one stops to tell Eden what the hell is going on. At first she doesn’t even realize she’s dead, and she doesn’t remember her death.
It is there that she meets Madeline (an evil Sider who works with the evil fallen) and Kristen (a good Sider/friends with Gabriel/sorta crazy/I like her.) Eden ends up learning she’s dead and about “the touch” that all siders have. Basically, they have this magical touch that builds up within them and they need to release into humans. The touch has negative side effects so the good siders try to release it to happy people and the bad siders release it to sad/unhappy/angry/depressed people who usually kill themselves as a result.
I don’t exactly understand the purpose of the touch or the siders in general. And these things are unfortunately never explained.
But of course we find out that Eden is a very special girl. So, so special. She can kill Siders. *GASP* But Siders aren’t supposed to be able to die! How can this be?! Well, who knows. She’s just special.
Anyways, Eden ends up forming her own little group of which she’s the leader. Her group consists of James, Jarrod, and some other guy whose name I cannot remember right now….(he’s also the second love interest. As you can tell, he’s super important to the story.) Of course there’s a love triangle. What kind a book wouldn’t have one? (A good book maybe…)
Okay, I can’t talk about this book much longer; I’m going crazy. So this is the basic jist of what happens:
-A bunch of Siders come to Eden every day ad she kills them so that they can finally have peace. (She’s basically a modern day Mother Teresa.)
-She goes sorta crazy with all the power. I mean, she kills like 20 people in a club by simply spinning in circles.
-Eden finds out Az is alive. She’s pissed. (I will say I was so glad she didn’t hop into his arms right away. Though, I don’t think she should have ever gone back to him… He tricked her into killing herself. Need I say more?)
-Libby(preppy, blonde girl) joins group.
-James(the young one in the group) dies. It’s a mystery how since siders cant die (though, it wasn’t a mystery to me. The answer was so obvious)
-Eden and whats-his-face get together. She’s totally not using him. Oh, not at all. The fact that the first time she invited him into her room for the night was when Az was over was total coincidence. She wasn’t trying to make Az jealous. Oh no, not at all. Definite coincidence.
-Eden meets Luke (bad fallen angel that we find out is Lucifer… you know Satan, the most powerful demon around? Well, I find Luke to be a pathetic trying-too-hard wanna-be version of Lucifer. He was fine as a fallen angel, but I’ll admit I was disappointed when I found out he was supposed to be Lucifer himself.)
-Find out Libby is evil and romantically involved with Luke. I think this was supposed to be surprising, but I saw it from a mile away. I knew we couldn’t trust her from the moment we met her.
-whats-his-face also goes evil because Eden is still in love with Az.
-Luke gets Az and tortures him.
-Eden meets with Luke to try and save the loveable Az.
-whats-his-face dies. No one cares.
-We find out Libby also has the power to kill Siders (she’s the one who killed James.) We also find out that the reason Libby and Eden are able to kill their own kind is because instead of committing suicide like they were destined to, they were killed. In Libby’s case, Luke killed her. And in Eden’s case….
Okay. So the end of this book was something that I blocked out and refused to acknowledge as soon as I read it. Why? Because those 1.5 stars given to the book were all for Gabriel. He was awesome. He had an amazing friendship with Eden that I loved and respected so much. And I loved that just because he was gay he didn’t have any of those stupid, stereotypical traits plastered on him just make sure you understood that he was gay. He also didn’t feel like a token gay friend. Being gay didn’t define him, it was simply a part of who he was.
With that being said. This is why I blocked out the end…
Because it turns out that Eden didn’t kill herself, but Gabriel killed her, and not only that, but Gabriel also turns bad and becomes a fallen angel at the end.
WHAT?!?!
Out of a book that I loathed and was so frustrated with, Gabriel was the shining star that made it somewhat bearable. He allowed me to finish. He was the only good part and he became evil.
No just no.
Okay. I am done with this review. I am done. I will now finish typing this... and never relive this experience again.
Final Thought: Thank God this was free.
March 4, 2011
http://librarytalker.blogspot.com/201...
Eden has made the choice. She's decided that since life hasn't been very good to her, she's going to leave it. But the moment she decides, Az walks into her life and everything changes.
Az is more special than Eden could ever have thought. He's an angel caught between worlds. He left "Upstairs", but still hasn't completely fallen "Downstairs". He has more free will than most angels, but is always in danger of coming one of the Fallen.
Eden keeps him from Falling, but now she's in danger.
A choice must be made.
Final thoughts: An absolute mess of a book with moments of greatness hidden in the pages. The author seems to have some sort of logic in her head about what's going on, but she's very bad at conveying it. I constantly found myself questioning things, especially those things having to do with suicide. In Clifford's world, once a person commits suicide, she disappears quite literally from the lives of the people she left. Parents and friends forget about you. Your room is magically converted to an office. Your social security number disappears. All evidence that you existed is gone.
REALLY!?!?! Because that's NOT how it works in the real world. Eventually, most people move on, but the initial impact of a suicide is horrendous and gut-wrenching to those who knew the person. No one just disappears within days of dying. I really don't like the message conveyed with this concept. Kids thinking of killing themselves already believe that no one will care if they live or die; did we really need a book that encourages that opinion???
Eden herself is a massive ball of contradictions. She's strong when the author needs her to be, but weak when the author needs it. It's not character-driven personality, but plot-driven.
And can someone explain to me why suiciders (Siders), suddenly return from death and wander the Earth only in the last hundred years or so and why the powers that be above really have no idea what's going on? No logic at all.
Again... moments of greatness surrounded by mounds of trash.
Eden has made the choice. She's decided that since life hasn't been very good to her, she's going to leave it. But the moment she decides, Az walks into her life and everything changes.
Az is more special than Eden could ever have thought. He's an angel caught between worlds. He left "Upstairs", but still hasn't completely fallen "Downstairs". He has more free will than most angels, but is always in danger of coming one of the Fallen.
Eden keeps him from Falling, but now she's in danger.
A choice must be made.
Final thoughts: An absolute mess of a book with moments of greatness hidden in the pages. The author seems to have some sort of logic in her head about what's going on, but she's very bad at conveying it. I constantly found myself questioning things, especially those things having to do with suicide. In Clifford's world, once a person commits suicide, she disappears quite literally from the lives of the people she left. Parents and friends forget about you. Your room is magically converted to an office. Your social security number disappears. All evidence that you existed is gone.
REALLY!?!?! Because that's NOT how it works in the real world. Eventually, most people move on, but the initial impact of a suicide is horrendous and gut-wrenching to those who knew the person. No one just disappears within days of dying. I really don't like the message conveyed with this concept. Kids thinking of killing themselves already believe that no one will care if they live or die; did we really need a book that encourages that opinion???
Eden herself is a massive ball of contradictions. She's strong when the author needs her to be, but weak when the author needs it. It's not character-driven personality, but plot-driven.
And can someone explain to me why suiciders (Siders), suddenly return from death and wander the Earth only in the last hundred years or so and why the powers that be above really have no idea what's going on? No logic at all.
Again... moments of greatness surrounded by mounds of trash.
June 22, 2011
Reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blo...
I gave it a 2.5/5 stars
I had a hard time getting into A TOUCH MORTAL. I found myself wanting to put it down or skip sections throughout most of the book. It was a bit confusing at times and there are a lot of names to keep track of that are kinda just thrown into it without enough explanation. I enjoyed the main characters personalities and the storyline was unique. There is a lot of action towards the end which was nice, but the first half of the book seamed to drag and drag. I also wasn't crazy about the ending, I felt there was still a lot left undone which left me unsatisfied. I'm at a loss of anything else to say It just wasn't for me I guess. I dont think I will continue the series at this point but I will check out the blurb for book 2 when it comes out.
I gave it a 2.5/5 stars
I had a hard time getting into A TOUCH MORTAL. I found myself wanting to put it down or skip sections throughout most of the book. It was a bit confusing at times and there are a lot of names to keep track of that are kinda just thrown into it without enough explanation. I enjoyed the main characters personalities and the storyline was unique. There is a lot of action towards the end which was nice, but the first half of the book seamed to drag and drag. I also wasn't crazy about the ending, I felt there was still a lot left undone which left me unsatisfied. I'm at a loss of anything else to say It just wasn't for me I guess. I dont think I will continue the series at this point but I will check out the blurb for book 2 when it comes out.
October 10, 2011
I enjoyed this book. The plot was truly brilliant and the book's very unique. Eden (the main character) really annoyed me in some parts, but I did love the characters, Az, Gabe and Kristin - they were brilliant. I was hooked fro mthe beginning it did get a bit of a drag half way through but picked up again towards to the end, which was AMAZING! Really looking forward to the next. OMG what's going to happen to Gabe?
May 24, 2021
Had me hooked.
Nice cover.
It involved fallen angels and mysterious magical powers, and the summary grabbed me by the toes. Sounded awesome.
I am on a supernatural phase and this book was in my stack to read. I had a variety of things: Fae, Werewolves, and fallen angels.
The text thought was drawn out for me, and I didn’t really see any motivation to keep going. I am sure that others would enjoy this book though.
Nice cover.
It involved fallen angels and mysterious magical powers, and the summary grabbed me by the toes. Sounded awesome.
I am on a supernatural phase and this book was in my stack to read. I had a variety of things: Fae, Werewolves, and fallen angels.
The text thought was drawn out for me, and I didn’t really see any motivation to keep going. I am sure that others would enjoy this book though.
April 4, 2014
I met Leah Clifford in Michigan for the release of Angelfire. She introduced herself and handed me a stack of signed bookmarks and stickers for my swag bin... which I promptly dropped all over the floor. Because. I. Am. Awesome. A few weeks later I read her debut novel, A Touch Mortal. I'm currently sitting here trying to tell you about this book, and the only thing I can say is I'm pretty sure I loved it, but you'll have to ask me again in six months, because I think it will take me that long to process the whole thing.
A Touch Mortal is one of the strangest books I have ever read that I have not hated and put down. I went into this knowing very little about the plot other than it is "very dark" and about fallen angels. Ok, I'll bite... how is it about fallen angels? Well, it is, and it isn't. It's actually about this very intriguing side of the afterlife for people who have committed suicide, or "Siders", as Clifford calls them. And this ability they have called "Touch". And about one very compelling character, Eden, and the reason she committed suicide; Az.
I don't want to tell you a whole lot about this book. That will completely ruin it for you readers who want a surprise... and, trust me, you'll be surprised. Clifford has concocted an entire world of "what the hell?!" that has virtually little explanation behind it. That's actually part of the factor that confuses me. Most writers spend the first book world building, explaining mythos, and setting up subsequent sequels for plot based character interactions. Clifford has structured this story so the reader has very little to go on but the ride is so intriguing you can't not read it. I feel like many of my questions will be cleared up in a sequel, which would resolve the book being a crappy "middle read" of a series. It's actually a very brilliant way of handling it - always keeping the reader wanting more. I want more and I feel like I haven't had enough and that is always where a writer should leave the reader.
I know I am going to have to reread this. I'm telling myself this now - reread this book when the sequels come out. It's a very hard book to wrap your brain around. However, I can't fault it. It's a darkly compelling novel that will intrigue anyone who loves Urban Fantasy and Young adult. It's complex and subtle, but in-your-face in tandem. It has the potential to be one of my favourite books this year. I just have to wait for it to stop eating my brain and actually filter it. I'm kind of stunned by this. It's very rare that I am at a total loss as to how I feel for a book.
It's not a 4. It's not a 5. I don't know what it is. I'm resting on a 5 of 5 stars, but I'm going to have to revisit this one in six months. It's just that bizarre.
- review courtesy of www.bibliopunkkreads.com
August 11, 2013
Update - First read this book Feb 19, 2011. I just did a reread on Jan 31, 2013 in anticipation of the final book's (A Touch Menacing) release. It was even better the second time around! It was great looking back at characters I came to love and know more about in book two and see little things I had missed. Totally worth the re-read!
Wow. I'm trying to think of how to write this review, and that is all that comes to my head, just wow! This book was so intense, so crazy, so exciting. I flew through this book in record time and it left me dying for more!
This is not just another angel book. This is a whole new paranormal type that is in a league of it's own. I don't want to spoil anything, so I can't tell you what our new paranormal is, but I absolutely loved it. Eden is a great lead female. She was so strong, and so smart. There was a great tete a tete that went on between her and another character throughout where one would say a quote from a poem, and the other would guess who wrote it. I loved trying to see if I could figure it out as well. (They are so much smarter than me....lol). Eden was determined and independent, but also knew when to lean on others to make herself stronger.
Our male leads in this book were great as well, although my favorite guy wasn't even the love interest! They were so smart and sexy. They were also completely mysterious and kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what had actually happened and what might happen next.
This book had a really dark feel to it, but it wasn't heavy or hard to read. I loved the dark and crazy feel. The ending was amazing! I loved that a lot of the threads were wrapped up, but I was left hanging on the edge of the cliff, dying for more. The ending was so shocking that I'm still reeling from it! This book releases tomorrow and I'm telling you all that you NEED to go and get a copy now!!! You won't regret it!
Wow. I'm trying to think of how to write this review, and that is all that comes to my head, just wow! This book was so intense, so crazy, so exciting. I flew through this book in record time and it left me dying for more!
This is not just another angel book. This is a whole new paranormal type that is in a league of it's own. I don't want to spoil anything, so I can't tell you what our new paranormal is, but I absolutely loved it. Eden is a great lead female. She was so strong, and so smart. There was a great tete a tete that went on between her and another character throughout where one would say a quote from a poem, and the other would guess who wrote it. I loved trying to see if I could figure it out as well. (They are so much smarter than me....lol). Eden was determined and independent, but also knew when to lean on others to make herself stronger.
Our male leads in this book were great as well, although my favorite guy wasn't even the love interest! They were so smart and sexy. They were also completely mysterious and kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what had actually happened and what might happen next.
This book had a really dark feel to it, but it wasn't heavy or hard to read. I loved the dark and crazy feel. The ending was amazing! I loved that a lot of the threads were wrapped up, but I was left hanging on the edge of the cliff, dying for more. The ending was so shocking that I'm still reeling from it! This book releases tomorrow and I'm telling you all that you NEED to go and get a copy now!!! You won't regret it!
March 16, 2024
More reviews can be found at my new blog Nomalicious Reads
A Touch Mortal was one of those rare jewels you happen to find amongst a bunch of rocks; for me anyway.
It was simply amazing, Leah Clifford writes a fantastic world that sucks you in and keeps you glued to your seat, eagerly turning the pages to find out what happens next.
This was another book that I was skeptical about when I heard about it, but what grabbed my attention, and then sold the book for me, was when I happened to stumble upon Leah Cliffords LiveBlogTV when she and Courtney Allison Moulton, author of Angelfire where having a live show, I became interested and decided to check out Leah's goodreads page.
Then I came across this vlog where Leah reads an excerpt out of A Touch Mortal, which ended up sealing the deal, and had me tripping over my feet to buy the book when I got paid that week.
I knew I would like it, but what I didn't know, is that I would LOVE it!
From the very first sentence until the end of the book I was enthralled with everything, the storyline was great, the characters amazing and the concept of siders was intriguing.
It was a very refreshing read for the YA genre, I especially liked how Eden and Az's romance started at the beginning of the book, it had a very different build-up from other YA novels, which I enjoyed.
The end was just wow, a couple little twists, and surprises that will have you either shocked, or screaming 'I knew it!' at the end of the book, (I was a bit of both :D)
I can't wait till A Touch Morbid comes out, the cover looks amazing! I will be counting down the days on my calender until its released in February next year in great anticipation!
A Touch Mortal was one of those rare jewels you happen to find amongst a bunch of rocks; for me anyway.
It was simply amazing, Leah Clifford writes a fantastic world that sucks you in and keeps you glued to your seat, eagerly turning the pages to find out what happens next.
This was another book that I was skeptical about when I heard about it, but what grabbed my attention, and then sold the book for me, was when I happened to stumble upon Leah Cliffords LiveBlogTV when she and Courtney Allison Moulton, author of Angelfire where having a live show, I became interested and decided to check out Leah's goodreads page.
Then I came across this vlog where Leah reads an excerpt out of A Touch Mortal, which ended up sealing the deal, and had me tripping over my feet to buy the book when I got paid that week.
I knew I would like it, but what I didn't know, is that I would LOVE it!
From the very first sentence until the end of the book I was enthralled with everything, the storyline was great, the characters amazing and the concept of siders was intriguing.
It was a very refreshing read for the YA genre, I especially liked how Eden and Az's romance started at the beginning of the book, it had a very different build-up from other YA novels, which I enjoyed.
The end was just wow, a couple little twists, and surprises that will have you either shocked, or screaming 'I knew it!' at the end of the book, (I was a bit of both :D)
I can't wait till A Touch Morbid comes out, the cover looks amazing! I will be counting down the days on my calender until its released in February next year in great anticipation!
December 29, 2011
I am very wary of angel books. I loved the Halo trilogy, but most angel books are just basically the same: some angel comes down to earth, falls in love with a mortal, upstairs throws a hissy fit and says he'll become a fallen angel if he doesn't ditch the human, but he won't. That's basically the setup for EVERY god dang angel book. But A Touch Mortal looked different and I was interested to see the mythology surrounding what happened in the afterlife for someone who did suicide. And boy, am I glad I did!
The main thing that R-O-C-K-E-D for me was the characters. Especially Eden. She was so flippin' awesome. Though I've said I don't like sarcasm, for her it was perfect. It was the cherry on the sundae, the icing on the cake. It made her perfect. Her wit was unbelievably funny, and outrageous, in a book that's very depressing otherwise, it added so much comic relief!
The one thing that could improve was how fast we were receiving information. It made me feel sorta like this:
Yeah. That was me. I was like whoa! What the #@%& is happening? Maybe I'm just slow on the uptake, but I found my head spinning. Like at a million miles per hour. It seemed like all the things I had to keep track of to follow the story were coming in little spurts which didn't allow me to get all the juicy details needed to follow the plot line.
The villain in this is so incredibly well portrayed! I was like... OMG, this guy is pure evil! I loved all the plot twists, one minute this guy is on your side, the next they want to kill you!
A Touch Mortal was a fas-in-at-ing debut. I was like "me needs more" when this book ended. Purely sensational!
5/5
Cover Comments: Is this this a new trend of only show one half of the model's face? I really like the colors on the this cover though!
The main thing that R-O-C-K-E-D for me was the characters. Especially Eden. She was so flippin' awesome. Though I've said I don't like sarcasm, for her it was perfect. It was the cherry on the sundae, the icing on the cake. It made her perfect. Her wit was unbelievably funny, and outrageous, in a book that's very depressing otherwise, it added so much comic relief!
The one thing that could improve was how fast we were receiving information. It made me feel sorta like this:
Yeah. That was me. I was like whoa! What the #@%& is happening? Maybe I'm just slow on the uptake, but I found my head spinning. Like at a million miles per hour. It seemed like all the things I had to keep track of to follow the story were coming in little spurts which didn't allow me to get all the juicy details needed to follow the plot line.
The villain in this is so incredibly well portrayed! I was like... OMG, this guy is pure evil! I loved all the plot twists, one minute this guy is on your side, the next they want to kill you!
A Touch Mortal was a fas-in-at-ing debut. I was like "me needs more" when this book ended. Purely sensational!
5/5
Cover Comments: Is this this a new trend of only show one half of the model's face? I really like the colors on the this cover though!
December 31, 2011
Totally insane, but in a good way.
Suicide. This book pretty much starts with a suicide. Which is weird, because normally I would be really appalled in that sort of situation, but the circumstances were on the bizarre side. It’s like it was supposed to happen. And *spoiler alert* Eden doesn’t really “die.” Perhaps that’s why I was so nonchalant about the whole thing. But I just wanted to throw that out there, because I know that may be a deal breaker for some people. This is on the darker side of the YA spectrum, so if you’re expecting fuzzy puppies and glittering rainbows, you’re not going to get it.
I liked getting thrown into this story. I didn’t know what the heck was going on (I’m not even sure at this point if the characters really know what’s going on) but a lot of times that’s what keeps me interested in the story. I want to figure out what is going on!
Clifford created this new lore or myth. Whatever you want to call it. There are the Siders, which we nor the characters are 100% sure about what their purpose is for being left behind. There are angels and fallen angels. A Sider side-effect called Touch. All these elements make for a very intriguing story. I’m really looking forward to seeing where Clifford takes this story in the next book.
I would have liked to have seen/felt more development of the romance between Az and Eden. I’ve also heard other readers commenting about the amount of cussing in this book, but I didn’t notice it. It’s probably because I am a big potty mouth myself.
This was such a different book, it was refreshing to read. Clifford is a talented writer and I can’t wait to read more from her!
Suicide. This book pretty much starts with a suicide. Which is weird, because normally I would be really appalled in that sort of situation, but the circumstances were on the bizarre side. It’s like it was supposed to happen. And *spoiler alert* Eden doesn’t really “die.” Perhaps that’s why I was so nonchalant about the whole thing. But I just wanted to throw that out there, because I know that may be a deal breaker for some people. This is on the darker side of the YA spectrum, so if you’re expecting fuzzy puppies and glittering rainbows, you’re not going to get it.
I liked getting thrown into this story. I didn’t know what the heck was going on (I’m not even sure at this point if the characters really know what’s going on) but a lot of times that’s what keeps me interested in the story. I want to figure out what is going on!
Clifford created this new lore or myth. Whatever you want to call it. There are the Siders, which we nor the characters are 100% sure about what their purpose is for being left behind. There are angels and fallen angels. A Sider side-effect called Touch. All these elements make for a very intriguing story. I’m really looking forward to seeing where Clifford takes this story in the next book.
I would have liked to have seen/felt more development of the romance between Az and Eden. I’ve also heard other readers commenting about the amount of cussing in this book, but I didn’t notice it. It’s probably because I am a big potty mouth myself.
This was such a different book, it was refreshing to read. Clifford is a talented writer and I can’t wait to read more from her!
September 9, 2011
I read A Touch Mortal about six weeks ago and I have never had such a difficult time writing a review. Why, you ask? Well, I just want to gush about it to no end. It was so incredibly good that it truly left me speechless.
I absolutely and without a doubt love Leah Clifford’s style of writing. It flows so easily from page to page that it was difficult to put the book down (even to go eat or sleep). The world and atmosphere that she has created is so fascinating and striking. It’s eerie and awesomely creepy.
I thoroughly enjoyed not only the world but her characters as well. Eden is another ferocious kick-ass MC, just how I like ‘em. I know that I say this a lot but I am in-love with another fictional guy. This time it’s an angel named Az. He is super-duper delicious. His best friend is another angel named Gabe but he plays for the other team so I can’t have him but he’s sounds pretty hot, too. There are so many awesome characters I wish I could name them all but see this part of the reason why I’ve had such a tough time writing this review. I could go on and on about it. Okay back to characters—there are a couple of delectably sinister characters that I love to hate.
I loved that this novel was a bit grittier than other YA I’ve read. So if you are sensitive to the occasional F-bomb or gory descriptions beware. But I just loved it!! I can’t wait to read A Touch Morbid, which is due to be released February 2012.
Thank you to Jaime for letting me borrow her copy of this amazing book. (I have since bought my own copy).
I absolutely and without a doubt love Leah Clifford’s style of writing. It flows so easily from page to page that it was difficult to put the book down (even to go eat or sleep). The world and atmosphere that she has created is so fascinating and striking. It’s eerie and awesomely creepy.
I thoroughly enjoyed not only the world but her characters as well. Eden is another ferocious kick-ass MC, just how I like ‘em. I know that I say this a lot but I am in-love with another fictional guy. This time it’s an angel named Az. He is super-duper delicious. His best friend is another angel named Gabe but he plays for the other team so I can’t have him but he’s sounds pretty hot, too. There are so many awesome characters I wish I could name them all but see this part of the reason why I’ve had such a tough time writing this review. I could go on and on about it. Okay back to characters—there are a couple of delectably sinister characters that I love to hate.
I loved that this novel was a bit grittier than other YA I’ve read. So if you are sensitive to the occasional F-bomb or gory descriptions beware. But I just loved it!! I can’t wait to read A Touch Morbid, which is due to be released February 2012.
Thank you to Jaime for letting me borrow her copy of this amazing book. (I have since bought my own copy).
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