Blog Tour ~ The Touched (The Descendants#1) by Jennifer Weiser ~ Review by Jaime and Giveaway!

By Jaime Lester - October 22, 2015

The Touched (The Descendants #1)
by Jennifer Weiser
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Release Date: September 29th, 2015
Rate: 4 Stars!

Synopsis:

The first sixteen years of Arabella Penthallow’s life have been a lie…

In a world where deception is the key to survival, Ara has kept up the charade of being a perfect Legion Leader’s daughter. But a darkness stirs, and she discovers she is Touched, a mortal gifted by the Gods. The Touched are as rare as they are feared, and Ara is forced to leave Union City for neighboring Midnight City to protect herself and those she loves, leaving Tove Thorn, the boy who has always known her heart, behind.

Carter Decker has vowed to burn Union City to the ground…

Midnight City’s cocky, infamous bad boy always gets what he wants, and he wants Union City to pay for burning his mother alive because she was Touched. When Carter meets Ara, she is everything he’s been taught to hate. Then he learns she is Touched—just like him—he isn’t sure who he hates more…the Touched girl whose father killed his mother, or himself for being tempted by someone he’s sworn to kill.

They are told they’re fated to be soul mates…and they each wish the other never existed.

When Midnight City is attacked by Union City, Carter and Arabella will do the unthinkable…even if it means falling for the enemy. The truth lies in Arabella’s home nation, and Tove is waiting. Soul mates or not, he has an advantage Carter doesn’t, fated souls be damned.

War is coming…and Ara is the prize.

When I first read the synopsis of The Touched, it basically screamed at me that I had no choice but to read it. So read it I did. And yup, I am so glad that I did! The story caught my attention from the beginning, and I couldn't put it down without constantly thinking about being able to get back to it! I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Like, right this second!

I honestly can't ( well, won't!) tell you too much about this story. I try to always keep anything plotty out of my reviews because I know that I love going into a story blind. But I will tell you a few things about The Touched that rocked my socks, the first being..... some seriously amazing, incredibly well-written characters! Ara, the Union City Leaders daughter who has grown up afraid that her true self will be exposed. The two boys, Caleb and Tove, who have loved her her entire life and will do everything for her. And Carter, the Midnight City boy who is full of rage and anger and hate, much of it directed at Ara and everything she comes from. All of these characters who play major rolls in this story, and even the smaller characters like Cast and Rob, are so multi-faceted, each having their own character and baring on the story. I was blown away by Jennifer Weiser's ability to draw up these bottomless characters, I could cry! 10 stars all the way for characterization! And the romance... Ahh, the romance!

The plot, of which I will say nothing, is perfectly paced. There was never a dull moment. The whole concept of The Touched, and the abilities that these Descendants have developed, was intriguing. While not entirely a unique concept, it was written in it's own unique way an truly made it stand out from a crowd. Jennifer's writing in itself is beautiful, but her ability to drag out every emotion I possess was pretty amazing. I loved this story and these characters even when I hated what was happening in the moment. And if cliffhangers have ever sucked, this one most certainly fits the bill! I am so ready for the sequel, to jump back into this story, and these characters lives, I am not sure how I am going to be able to wait.

A great story, with truly great characters and a plot that will hold your attention from the moment you start reading, The Touched is definitely a book that I highly recommend. It was my first book by this awesome author, but it most certainly will not be the last!

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Jennifer Weiser is a young adult author who has always been a book nerd and a bit chocolate obsessed. Writing has always been a favorite escape, but quickly became a passion not long after the birth of her daughter. When she isn't combing the shelves of her local book stores or blogging about newest book obsessions, you can find her nestled in her nook creating worlds she hopes that one day will inspire her daughter, who not only has given her the courage to follow her dreams--but offers the inspirations that help color their worlds together.