Bite Sized Reviews: Don’t Touch and What I Thought Was True

Posted October 30, 2015 by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction in Reviews / 14 Comments

Here are some quick reviews for books I haven’t gotten around to reviewing or that I just don’t have a ton to say about. Once again, I figure a few bite sized reviews together will be enough to feed your fiction addiction!  🙂

Don't TouchDon’t Touch by Rachel M. Wilson
Published by HarperTeen on 9/2/14
Genres: Young Adult, Depression & Mental Illness, Contemporary
Pages: 432
Source: Library
My rating:
4.5 Stars

A powerful story of a girl who is afraid to touch another person’s skin, until the boy auditioning for Hamlet opposite her Ophelia gives her a reason to overcome her fears.

Step on a crack, break your mother’s back. Touch another person’s skin, and Dad’s gone for good.

Caddie can’t stop thinking that if she keeps from touching another person’s skin, her parents might get back together… which is why she wears full-length gloves to school and covers every inch of her skin.

It seems harmless at first, but Caddie’s obsession soon threatens her ambitions as an actress. She desperately wants to play Ophelia in her school’s production of Hamlet. But that would mean touching Peter, who’s auditioning for the title role—and kissing him. Part of Caddie would love nothing more than to kiss Peter—but the other part isn’t sure she’s brave enough to let herself fall.

Perfect for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson, this debut novel from Rachel M. Wilson is a moving story of a talented girl who’s fighting an increasingly severe anxiety disorder, and the friends and family who stand by her.

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My Take copy3
I heard about this book back when Shannon talked about it as part of her Shattering Stigmas mental health event, and I knew I had to read it. Remember that magical thinking you had as a child? I do. I remember truly believing that if my parents didn’t say “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite, I love you, see you tomorrow, hugs and kisses” before they left my room after tucking me in, something truly bad would happen. I was convinced of that. I probably believed it for more years than I should have, but I did eventually grow out of it. Now, imagine that you still had that sort of magical thinking as a teenager. That’s this story. Caddie fears that if she lets someone touch her, her world will fall apart. She knows it’s not a normal belief and she wants to convince herself it’s not true, but she can’t quite get there. Every day is a struggle – a struggle not to touch and a struggle to hide her illness from the people around her. Her story is compelling and heartbreaking and painfully raw and real. If you’re interested in books that focus on mental health, this is a MUST READ!
What I Thought Was True by Huntley FitzpatrickWhat I Thought Was True
Published by Dial Books for Young Readers on 4/5/14
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 422
Source: Library
My rating:
4 Stars

From the acclaimed author of My Life Next Door comes a swoony summertime romance full of expectation and regret, humor and hard questions.

Gwen Castle has never so badly wanted to say good-bye to her island home till now: the summer her Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, takes a job there as the local yard boy. He’s a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and housecleaners who keep the island’s summer people happy. Gwen worries a life of cleaning houses will be her fate too, but just when it looks like she’ll never escape her past—or the island—Gwen’s dad gives her some shocking advice. Sparks fly and secret histories unspool as Gwen spends a gorgeous, restless summer struggling to resolve what she thought was true—about the place she lives, the people she loves, and even herself—with what really is.

A magnetic, push-you-pull-me romance with depth, this is for fans of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, and Deb Caletti.

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 My Take copy3
 
This was a sweet romance, but it also touched on some deeper topics as well, and it was very realistic. Gwen and Cassidy have a lot of barriers between them because of something that happened in the past, and the details of what that was are slowly revealed throughout the book. Cassidy wants to let go of the mistakes of the past, but Gwen doesn’t know if she can do that, and she’s not sure if she can trust him. In the meantime, Gwen is facing an uncertain future and figuring out what type of person she wants to be and how she wants to achieve her goals is tough considering her circumstances. This book had themes of family and strong friendships and, of course, a possibly doomed romance. I loved the fact that honesty and straightforwardness are what eventually won out – and the message that we aren’t defined by our past mistakes or by what others think of us.

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14 responses to “Bite Sized Reviews: Don’t Touch and What I Thought Was True”

  3. Lisa @ Lost in Literature

    I’ve been hesitant to read Don’t Touch, and I’m honestly not sure why. I do have a copy though, so I think I’m going to have to check it out very soon. So glad to see how much you liked it!! I enjoyed What I Thought Was True also. I didn’t love it… felt like something was missing… but I did enjoy it overall. Great reviews! 🙂

    Lisa @ Lost in Literature recently posted: Blog Tour | My Thoughts + Giveaway: The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett
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  9. Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight

    Aw YAY I am so glad you liked Don’t Touch! I have a lot of the same types of thoughts as Caddie, so I really was just blown away by how well Rachel was able to get inside her head. When I read it, I had to actually back away for a bit because it was too real.

    I need to read one of Huntley’s books ASAP. She is so nice, and I hear good things! As for Stepping Stones… yeah, I am going to pass 😉

    Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight recently posted: Fire Falling by Elise Kova | Review & Giveaway
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