REVIEW: Touch (Denazen #1) by Jus Accardo

 

Author: Jus Accardo

Series: Denazen

Genre: Young Adult - Paranormal

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Buy Links: Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Touch was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Entangled Publishing.

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect

REVIEW: 5 out of 5 stars

Touch was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Entangled Publishing.

What a brilliant start to this wonderful new series by Jus Accardo. Touch is the first book in the Denazin series and had me glued to the pages from the first to the very last.

The story begins with a slightly intoxicated Deznee Cross on her way home from a party and finding a bare-foot and bleeding, gorgeous boy with piercing blue eyes tumbling down an embankment with absolute fear showing on his face and running from men dressed in unusual body suits.

Dez takes Kale to her home and soon discovers he isn’t like any other boys she knows, he is intrigued by items such as DVD’s and vases and wears shoes he originally took from her in the shower but she sees him as a way to infuriate her uncaring father, something she has a knack for doing. But her plan doesn’t go as it should when her father arrives home wielding a tranquilizer gun and knowing a lot more about Kale than he really should, she soon starts believing the story Kale has told her about her fathers ‘law firm’ and they end up on the run.

Kale is known as a six, able to wield a ‘special’ power and has been used by Denazen Corporation as their personal weapon to eliminate those they consider a threat, his ability enables him to kill anything alive be it human, plant or animal with a touch of his skin. When he grabbed Dez as a threat to her father and to protect himself, his power didn’t work on her; the first person to ever evade his death touch.

We are taken on an action packed journey, meeting others with special and unique abilities to find someone known as the Reaper, someone with the knowledge to help them get into the corporation to rescue a person of great importance to both Dez and Kale (A pretty big spoiler so I won’t reveal who this person is). The hurdles they had to face whilst on the run was ongoing and never let up, the bad guys always seemed to be one step ahead but I was pleased by the final resolution.

I loved the main characters! They were well-though out and developed perfectly; Dez seemed fearless, I loved her feisty, tough, sarcastic attitude, she was loyal and determined. I was intrigued by Kale and his upbringing at Denazen; he yearned for a life outside of the corporation, a place he has been since he was a child, there was innocence and mystery about him but his reactions to trouble and his fiercely protective streak when it came to Dez showed what he was truly capable of. I loved Dez and Kale together and the many ‘firsts’ that happened between them. 

Dez had a secret of her own which I am curious to learn more about in the next installment, especially the new ability she has gained - I think she is going to be a power to be reckoned with.

Each of the secondary characters were likeable and each played an important role in Touch, I was intrigued by Alex and the other sixes and I’m keen to learn more about them.

The descriptive story-telling, suspense, non-stop action and intriguing plot kept me riveted. Ms Accardo’s writing style is entertaining and detailed which kept me engrossed. Touch brings a unique spin to the young adult genre; you are immediately pulled in to the world she has created. The romance was pretty light as well; it was there but not too intense.

Touch is a must read for any fans of the YA genre. I absolutely loved it and can’t wait to read the sequel.

Obtained: Netgalley