Title:  A Touch Mortal (Touch Mortal #1)
Author:  Leah Clifford
Release date:  February 22, 2011
Publisher:  Greenwillow Books
Pages:  432
Source:  Publisher

Eden didn’t expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick-up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long, happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else’s game. Her heart is her own.

And that’s only the beginning of the end.

A Touch Mortal is a very unique book with a gripping story that I loved but for some reason I didn’t love the book itself.  From the very first page I was hooked and I never once was bored with the story but there were just too many flaws that I couldn’t seem to get past.

I’ll start with the good: the story itself.  Wow!  A Touch Mortal was nothing like I expected and I really was intrigued from the very start. I could never guess what was going to happen next and it made it very hard for me to put the book down.

Now, it is an angel story but these are not your typical angels. These fallen angels have fallen far and hard and they are not happy about it.  Man, Luke was one evil guy!  Az and Gabe are more like your typical angels but their stories are still very unique.  Eden’s story was even more unique but I’m going to leave you guessing about that.

As for Eden, she wasn’t so unique.  She was just like all other heroines who rely on guys for their happiness. I was really disappointed with her as a character.  There were so many times when I thought she was going to change but instead she went right back to pining for Az.  And wow!  Talk about a destructive relationship.  Not just for Eden but also for Az.  Then there was Adam who would have been a great guy for Eden but of course that couldn’t quite work out.  It just seemed to me like all the characters were a little underdeveloped but I hope that changes with the sequel.

Overall, A Touch Mortal excelled in some categories but fell flat in others.  Luckily I still really enjoyed it and I think others will too.  I’m hoping A Touch Morbid excels in all categories!

Disclaimer: I would not recommend this one for younger teens. There is quite a bit of death and there are just some topics that I find unsuitable for young teens (even some older teens!) If this book interests you, read it but be warned.  =)

First line:  Eden dug her hand into the damp sand, black polish chipping off the tips of her fingernails.

Rating:  B-