Review: Things That Make You Go Hmmmm....
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 13, 2013
Can you imagine what it would be like if you could read others minds?  I remember as a child, playing games with friends, trying to figure out what the other was thinking.  How we thought it would be really cool to be able to do that.  As we all got older, the game stopped but you still wondered at times what others were thinking.  Now imagine, with one touch, you could know not only what they were thinking, but their entire life story...the good, the bad and the ugly bits.  That's what life is like for the main character, Liz, and as we learn from her, it's more than any person bargains for and comes with a hefty price.As I was reading this book, I shared the premise with my coworkers.  It led to a healthy discussion of what others would think if they could know what we were thinking at any given time.  Some of us wondered what our husbands would think when we got the naughty thoughts about particular actors, for me Ian Somerhalder comes to mind, and we weren't sure how our other half would react.  We joked about it, but we all knew that we would never want anyone to know everything about us.  We all have some kind of skeleton in our closet that we just want to keep there.This story is a well thought out one with the author painting a vivid picture through her descriptive details.  As you read, you find yourself in your own little movie and you are Liz with everything happening to an around you.  In some books, you feel like you're there but on the sidelines, with this one you are living through Liz's eyes.  Written in first person POV, you learn the life of Liz, her struggles, her triumphs, her heartaches, disappointments, tragedies, happiness and feeling of just wanting to be like everyone else...normal.As the story plays out, you meet the hot headed Preston, the hottie with the secrets Carey, the new bestie V.J., a mercenary, FBI agents, The Coalition and more.  You learn what happened to Liz to turn her from a normal kid to a walking, talking database.  I say database, because along with learning everything about the people she comes in skin on skin contact with, she also is given the knowledge they have.  Give her any subject and she can tell you more about it than a college professor who teaches it day in and day out.  Physical combat, she can pull up the info on how to perform defensive and offensive moves at the drop of a hat.  The thing is, other than her father and a group looking for her, nobody knows what she can do.  People are led to believe that it's OCD that has her wearing gloves all day.You are drawn into the story after Liz and her father have yet moved to another town and she's endearing yet another day as the new kid in school.  She goes through a hell of a first day of school but through this finds herself wanting to finally plant some roots.  She's 16 and hasn't had true friends in over 4 years and there are people at that school who she really wants to get to know better.  And even though she dresses fully covered, even wearing pants and a long sleeve shirt with gloves to PE class, she finds that there are many people at this school that are truly excepting of the way she portrays herself than she's ever experienced before.  She finds herself in the fight of her life to be left alone by others to be able to live without the intrusions of those who want to just experiment on her.  And this girl can fight!What I liked?  I liked feeling that I was Liz while the story played out.  I wasn't someone on the sidelines watching what was going on.  The characters that the author brings to the table are ones you will find yourself loathing, repulsed, and rooting on along with Liz.  You don't feel like you're in a guessing game with how she's reacting to everything.What didn't I like?  I found it interesting in just how quick she let people into her life this time around.  Maybe the author did it to just get the story moving.  I also found that there were many areas that were just way to drawn out.  I guess you would say some fluff that could have just been shortened or left out altogether.Do I recommend this book?  Yes I do.  I recommend this to anyone looking for a good paranormal read without all the clichés.  For those looking for some suspense mixed with action.  For anyone who just wants to think a bit outside of the box.  I look forward to the second book in the First Touch series, which the author Mattie Dunman is currently working on.