I know I'm late to the party on this one, Fingerprints came out ten years ago, but I don't care, I'm just pleased to have stumbled on this little gem of a series. From the writer of the Roswell High series comes an intriguing, sharp book about Rae, a prep school beauty who has it all and loses it suddenly when gripped by the same mental illness as that which claimed her mothers' life. Well, at least that's what she thinks. What at first seems a quickly spiraling plunge into mental illness becomes a gift (or curse, depending) that changes her perspective on herself and those around her.*Spoilers*Here's what I loved about this novel:It's written in third-person limited, which not only lets the reader get a peek into Rae's head but also that of Anthony, Rae's reluctant new friend at group therapy. The narrative is so character-specific that you can feel when Melinda Metz switches gears and without her telling the reader who she's writing, you can simply just tell. The voices are that distinct and the transitions are flawless. Also wonderful are the creepy narratives of the mystery stalker who is apparently hell bent on Rae's destruction, leading to a pipe bomb explosion which leaves Rae mildly wounded. Another great device is the use of the "messages" Rae receives "telepathically" when she touches fingerprints. At first it felt a little choppy, as it interrupts the narrative, but after the connection is made it simply becomes part of the storytelling tapestry.Anthony and Rae are interesting characters, with very real quirks and problems. There's nothing pat about these two. Rae is used to having what she feels is a "normal" life and when that is ripped away it leaves her feeling lost and uncertain but not in a woe-is-me kind of way. Anthony suffers from anger management issues, due to some issues at home, and is attempting to change his life though uncertain how best to accomplish that goal. These two unlikely friends find each other when they need each other most, each offering the other a new way of looking at things and an honesty that was lacking in their former lives. The relationship which develops is natural and considerate, filled with bumps in the road and the appropriate level of tension.Here's what didn't work so well:Really there isn't much that didn't work so well but there was one issue I had some difficulty with. The bomb. I watch enough TruTV to know that when a bomb goes off a building is evacuated and the bomb squad descends immediately. But when the bomb explodes at Oakvale, where Rae attends therapy with Anthony, she's brought to the nurse and the group reconvenes for its group therapy. Rae isn't taken to the hospital, the building isn't evacuated and, by the time the scene ends, the cops still haven't showed up. Not very realistic. But it's such a minor complaint that I can't rate the novel lower than the five I've given it. It's simply that good.
Scroll down for the German Review:One day Rae starts to hear things. Words and thoughts, but not her thoughts or her words. Whenever she touches something she hears the thought of someone else. It gets too much and Rae breaks down in the cafeteria of her school. In front of all her friends and classmates. While Rae's world crumbles down, she fears to end up like her mother. Insane, locked up. But with the help of true friends she discovers, that she is not cursed, but gifted and that she has not only to face the same problems like her mother, but also the same enemies... A wonderful and really interesting book with a completely new twist. The author Melinda Metz is able to explain and picture the feelings of a young girl, the normal fears and the paranormal fears, in a way that keeps the reader empathized with the Protagonist through the whole book. There was not one single part I could criticize.Wonderful characters in a good story and more twists and turns than you can wish for in a book that looks on the first gaze as foreseeable as this one. Deutsch:Eines Tages beginnt Rae Dinge zu hören. Wörter und Gedanken, aber nicht ihre Wörter und auch nicht ihre Gedanken. Wann immer sie etwas berührt hört sie die Gedanken von jemand anderem. Alles wird zuviel und Rae erleidet einen Zusammenbruch, vor der ganzen Schule mitten in der Cafeteria. Vor all ihren Freunden. Während ihre Welt zusammenfällt fürchtet Rae, genauso zu werden wie ihre Mutter. Wahnsinnig, weggesperrt… Aber mit der Hilfe von wahren Freunden findet sie heraus, dass sie nicht verflucht sondern beschenkt ist und dass sie nicht nur denselben Problemen sondern auch denselben Feinden wie ihre Mutter gegenüber steht… Ein wundervolles und wirklich interessantes Buch mit einer neuen Idee. Die Autorin Melinda Metz ist in der Lage die Gefühle und Probleme eines jungen Mädchens sehr gut und bildhaft darzustellen, die normalen genau wie die übernatürlichen Ängste, so dass der Leser mit der Protagonistin das ganze Buch hindurch mitfühlt. Es gab keine kleine Stelle, die ich kritisieren könnte. Wundervolle Charaktere und mehr Wendungen als man sich wünschen kann, bei einem Buch das auf den ersten Blick so voraussehbar wirkt wie dieses.
Do You like book Gifted Touch (2001)?
Rae es una chica que obtiene pensamientos de otras personas mediante las huellas digitales que dejan en los objetos. Ella quiere ser normal y popular y piensa que esos pensamientos que obtiene son a causa de una enfermedad mental. Pero conoce a un chico que le ayuda a descubrir que no está enferma y que en realidad es un poder que tiene. Sólo que hay un problema, alguien quiere matarla y ella tiene que usar sus poderes para averiguar quién es. ***Leí la serie de Roswell High el año pasado y realmente me gustó. Así que ahora decidí leer más de Melinda Metz. Este primer libro de fingerprints me gustó mucho. Es ligero e introductorio a toda la serie. Lo leí en un día y ya quiero comenzar con el segundo. El final te deja queriendo saber más, tiene misterio y suspenso juvenilmente hablando y eso me gusta para salir un poco de la rutina.
—Paty
Actual rating - 2.5I was looking forward to this, but it turned out to be pretty dull.The mystery didn't really start until halfway. For a short book like this, halfway shouldn't have felt that long... but with Gifted Touch, it did. Rae was an okay character, but she could be quite dumb sometimes.I have to say that this book reminded me of my primary school years.I had a friend called Rae, and we both loved the backstreet boys. I was devastated when my backstreet boys lunchbox was stolen!Overall, it was a slow read.I really hope it picks up in the next book!
—Abbie
This one is the first of a series about a girl who can hear the thoughts of others by contact with their fingerprints (either directly or indirectly).This idea intrigued me and the first book was mostly about Rae finding out what her "not me thoughts" are. Teen speak and pop culture references abound (which annoyed me) but their use did drop shortly after the beginning of the book when Rae (not knowing what is happening to her) has a meltdown at school one day leading to her being hospitalized for a while. They return to a degree when she returns to school and is trying to be "normal."There are other subplots that carry over to the second book, which made the book an overall okay read.
—Theresa
