"A Touch Mortal" by Leah Clifford

From Goodreads: "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."

I must admit that for a good chunk of this book, upwards of one hundred pages or so, I was entirely confused as to what was going on. Namely, I was confused by the world that Leah had created as it was, honest to goodness, unlike anything I had ever previously read before. The entire idea of teens who commit suicide (known as 'Siders') coming 'back to life' in order to spread Touch, a magical energy which can not only harm them if they store too much of it, but can also harm humans, for the rest of their days? Totally unfathomable, but oh so gripping and suspenseful!

Much like the premise of book, the characters were also quite gripping and unlike any other characters I have ever read of before. I think that for the large part Eden was a pretty honorable and selfless character for relieving willing Siders of their afterlife, however, much like her friends did, I do worry that she is well on her way of becoming an addict or losing herself in the process. Gabe brought a much needed lightness to the otherwise somber and somewhat gory story (Ugh... What Siders look like underneath their glamours *shudders*). I don't know who was more excited to see him every time he made an appearance, Eden or myself. As for Az? Well he had the whole underdog thing working for him- it was near impossible to not sympathize for him and want to shake some sense into Eden ("Yes Eden, he did want you to die but only to protect you! Which he did! Losing you was pretty much the hardest thing he ever faced so throw the boy a bone already./ ANSWER THE PHONE!").

I think that my one complaint about this book is that it is quite difficult to connect to/ grasp Az's and Eden's feelings for one another. We really only see a small glimpse into them actually being together due to the fact that the book fast forwards two weeks after their initial introduction to one another (AKA the time which seems to have had the most profound impact upon their relationship).

All in all, Leah has created a refreshingly original YA story with very dark and haunting storylines. While at first the world created in this book may seem too convoluted and unnecessarily confusing (resulting in you having to reread certain parts) I do urge you to push on- I don't think that you will regret it! I sure didn't! I cannot wait to see what Leah has in store for us in "A Touch Morbid"!

Rating: 5/5

Special thanks to Rachel from Fiktshun for my copy of the book!