Book Review: Touched by Cyn Balog

Title: Touched
Author: Cyn Balog
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: August 14, 2012
Number of Pages: 320

Nick Cross always listens to the voice in his head. Because if he doesn't? Things can go really, really wrong. Like the day he decided to go off script and saved a girl from being run over . . . and let another one drown. Trying to change the future doesn't work.
But this summer at the Jersey Shore, something's about to happen that Nick never could have predicted. He meets a girl named Taryn and finds out about the Book of Touch. Now the path that he thought he was on begins to shift . . . and there's no way to stop things from happening. Or is there?
In a life where there are no surprises, nothing has prepared Nick for what he's about to discover--or the choice he will be forced to make. . . .

MY REVIEW

Touched by Cyn Balog is the story I never saw coming. This is unusual for a novel about a boy who can see the future. Just when I thought I knew where the story might go, it did a complete turn knocking me off my feet every time. Nick Cross tries so hard to stay “on script” to prevent the pain and loss he suffers every time the future changes. His is not the only one who suffers his mother suffers too. Always knowing what is going to happen in his future has not really helped Nick, as much as ostracized him.

Nick as a main character is relatable to anyone who has felt like they did not fit or just did not belong. Also, no one has to experience the grief of losing something or someone they never knew they were going to have in the future like Nick. Nick is considerably stronger than his mother is simply because he craves function and have a life, instead of locking himself away like his mother. When Nick is not too sure how much longer he can continue going this way, he meets Taryn.

Taryn is not just any other girl, when Nick touches her hand, the future “You Wills” just stop. Nick gets to be a normal, awkward teenage boy around Taryn. In addition, Taryn has to be a strong like Nick, because the wrong people seem to be drawn to her. Taryn is like a savior to Nick, and Nick in turn is a savior to Taryn. Both of them have been through a lot, and they understand each other better than they do themselves almost. I really like the fact that both Nick and Taryn can hold their own, and they are not completely dependent on each other all the time.

The biggest factor I loved in Touched is even with the glimpses of the future Cyn Balog keeps the reader hidden in the dark. The story is woven beautifully to catch readers by surprise. When it comes to stories about the future sometimes it can be to predicable, and it loses some of the mystery. This is not the case with Touched. If you want a book to make your head spin, Touched is that book.

**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review**

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