Ah, Touched. I thought we could work out...but no. In order for anyone to understand my utter horror at what this book became, it needs some backstory.... so I shall try to paint a full picture.First and foremost, there are 3 kinds of books....the warm and fuzzy lighthearted just-for-fun reads that are special in their own way. Don't get me wrong, these books are like your favorite pajamas-hot cocoa-fuzzy slippers in winter special. BUT there is no comparison to the other two types.The second type is the fabulous if totally unrealistic high fantasy or love story that in its own way is just as much a feel-good story as the warm and fuzzy books but with more meat, some drama, some suspense. Still fun but not so lighthearted happily-ever-after. Most of my books fall in this category.Last and most rare are the sweeping, epic tales of love, loss, tragic circumstances and triumph of the human soul over all else...There are so few of these but when you find them, they are a romance that just makes you have a hard time coming back down to earth. When set in the knightly era these tales make me sigh with regret over a time that had very poor hygiene and no indoor plumbing- that is how much a truly epic love story can make characters come alive and suck a reader in.The point of my little rant is that any one of these categories is great, I really, really enjoy dipping in all three. The issue arises when one of these desperately tries to convince us that it is in fact of another category entirely. Which is EXACTLY what Denazen did. When I began Touch I did not have super high expectations, so it was cute, mostly original if a bit forced as far as her all consuming Daddy issues go. The author went horribly, horribly wrong when she made the insta love, awkward relationship suddenly try to be an epic love story- as the heroine repeatedly proclaims it to be.Now I am sorry but anyone who bought into that does NOT understand what exactly an epic love story IS. I was actually really sad when I realized there might be teens out there who thought that is what an epic love is. We can't possibly have fallen so far! Des, the MC heroine repeatedly tells Kale, our socially awkward hero that their's is an epic love and that it's not like other peoples....Ok. I can work with that. But I want to see some crazy major amazing truly epic story building and relationship development. Thats not to much to ask is it?Apparently it is. What we have labeled as an epic love is a jealous, petty, impulsive stalker heroine with serious self esteem issues and a confused, poor example of a true hero. Des is insanely jealous of another girl Kale can touch especially since she has insisted since they first met that he's only with her because he doesn't know anything else. The second her griping pushes him to try to prove his dedication in his own twisted way she realizes while rabidly stalking him that its never gonna work. Just like that. Yep - epic love is just too much work and theres like trust involved and stuff. (Last line said in Valley girl)Des also cheats. Repeatedly. Can you say hypocrite? At least he could claim social ignorance, what's her excuse? And yes making out the way she did in my book is cheating when you claim to be in EPIC love. Well guess what? An epic love doesn't usually leave room for angst over another guy let alone crawling in the sheets with someone else. So there's fail number two.Oh and guess what? As soon as she starts to lose the ability to touch Kale it ALL falls apart. Like theres NO way her EPIC love can survive not touching him despite knowing from the very beginning it was likely temporary. Sooooo.....if their epic love can't endure not touching for awhile does that mean they can never be apart? Because thats healthy. Serious fail.Last, Kale gets over her awfully easy when they brain wash him and throw her own sister at him. Despite seeing her repeatedly and actually torturing her, he doesn't remember her....oh yeah thats epic love right there. Then when he finally DOES start to remember? You would think that would trigger a total reversal of the situation right? He would never knowingly inflict pain on his epic love right? Well that kinda depends if he also remembers how pissed he was and how bad she hurt him. Fail number four.Basically the first book sets us up with expectations of an epic love story....and instead gives us a twisted dark mash up of all the worst cheater/stalker/jealous rage episodes of the Maury show if anyone remembers that. Maybe I am crazy but an epic love between two people does not include cheating and torturing. Nope. Persevering and love triumphing does NOT include tolerating and "working through" sadistic tendencies and cheating behavior, sorry. I mean yeah they brainwashed him so there is some supposed justification but even if it was any other book I still would have considered it a piss poor example of a romantic hero in action. Frankly if it was a normal book, with normal expectations I may have finished the third, but to try to pass this off as epic? A sappy teen insta love full of self inflicted drama? I just wish the author had stayed in the scope of their abilities, which would be the second category NOT an epic love story. Once again: amazing. Everything in Toxic was better than it was in Touch. The ending makes me want to smash Ginger's face into a brick wall, but hey, what can I say? Once I got past that anger, I felt anguish. Gah! This book was just so...toxic. (that's corny, I know, but so true) The Denazen series is exactly what you want to read if you're looking for major action, betrayals, secrets, and love! And if you want an awesome, kick ass, female main character, this book is SO for you. It literally has me on edge. Can't wait to read the next one!
Do You like book Toxic - Mérgezés (2014)?
Enjoyed even more than the first book, can't wait to dive into the next!
—Ab2y
