Release Date: September 2, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: Edelweiss
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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.
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.
To be honest when I first saw the cover I thought this was going to be a paranormal. Probably something along the lines of a girl who can’t touch people because things will happen to them– kind of a Shatter Me-esque vibe. However, when I finally read the premise, I realised that no, it was actually a contemporary and sounded a lot more like Kissing Doorknobs (a book I haven’t read yet but is also about a severe anxiety disorder). I enjoyed Don’t Touch immensely. I’m a theatre geek, love Hamlet and the amazing combination of a serious issue with more than a few instances that were absolutely hilarious, I was completely taken by this book.
While I didn’t exactly get why on earth Caddie wouldn’t let anyone touch her on a rational level, obviously that attributes to the fact that I don’t have any experience whatsoever with anxiety disorder nor do I know anyone with it. It was really an interesting experience to read about though. Especially since Caddie’s character is really passionate about theatre, the lack of physical contact she has with anyone is astounding and becomes quite the focal point for the story. Of course, I fell in love with Peter. How could I not? While I was kind of feeling iffy about Mandy’s character and commitment to friendship with Caddie, Peter was a constant figure throughout Caddie’s struggle despite him not knowing what’s going on. I loved the chemistry they both had, on and off stage, and it’s quite the roller coaster of emotions that this relationship goes through for sure.
I liked how Hamlet was interweaved into the novel. How much the characters reflect the character’s they play in the book (haha! A play within a book... interesting parallel, no?). How much Ophelia there is in Caddie and how much both characters reflect one another is a fascinating aspect you see developing in the book. The intertextuality, from the Acts to the constant repetition of lines from Hamlet to the image of Ophelia falling– beautifully done.
Don’t Touch was gorgeously enthralling. The horrifying reality of how one girl’s problems threaten to take over her life was a wake-up call, and in the end left me feeling numb and struck by how out of control a disorder can become. A powerful debut, Wilson is an author to look out for.
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RACHEL M. WILSON
Rachel M. Wilson is the author of the contemporary YA, DON'T TOUCH, forthcoming from HarperTeen, Sep. 2, 2014.
She graduated from Northwestern University and holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Rachel grew up in Birmingham, AL, and she currently writes, acts, and teaches in Chicago, IL.
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This one sounds so intriguing because I love psychology, and this sounds like it as an intriguing psychological aspect to it, so I'm excited to see how that plays out! And I am an absolute theatre geek too, so I have a feeling this would hold a special place in my heart in terms of that. Thanks for sharing, and I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! <3
ReplyDelete~ Zoe @ The Infinite To-Read Shelf