Review by Vlgski -- The Touch by Robert Flynn III
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Vlgski
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Review by Vlgski -- The Touch by Robert Flynn III
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Touch" by Robert Flynn III.]
1 out of 4 stars
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The Touch by Robert Flynn III introduces Alabama, a strong woman who is slightly unhappy and bored with her life. Working as a nurse, it seems her life is centered around sickness, sadness and death. She needs a change but is unsure exactly how to make it happen. Unbeknownst to Alabama, the catalyst for that change appears on a stormy night shrouded in mystery and producing unexplainable changes in her patients. She is lead to adopt two young boys who will forever alter her existence and ultimately allow her to witness a small fraction of the power that will eventually change the world in which we live.
Gabriel and Maral, two children on opposite sides of the world from each other, have spent a majority of their lives experiencing things that they do not comprehend. They have little control over the powerful force that has chosen them, nor do they know how to explain it to anyone else. Gabriel, an orphan, has been plagued all his life by odd occurances and a feeling that he is very different from other children his age. He visits other places and people in his dreams, but has no idea what he actually does during these dreams. Maral has lead a life of poverty and fear, but knows that she has a special gift that lends her strength and confidence to withstand the horrors that surround her. She is learning to communicate with the presence within herself even though she has no idea what it is or how to control it. Both children find ways to use the gifts they have been given to improve their situation. Gabriel by allowing his friend Josh a glimpse of what he is capable of, and Maral by recognizing the same gift in her friend and using her powers to allow her family to escape to a place where they can live a better life. Although the two never actually meet in the flesh, they come together with others like them when called upon by the entity that directs their actions.
Anakim has always known that he is above average and blessed in many ways throughout his lifetime. He convinces himself that his amazing mother is responsible for his good fortune since he has never known his father and his mother successfully avoided giving him any information relevant to discovering his heritage. Now his mother is ill and Anakim must convince her to tell him everything about the man that fathered him. When he meets Alabama and her son's, his life is turned upside down by one thing they all have in common. Soon he will learn things about himself that make him think he was better off not knowing.
While the concept of the book is fantastic, the execution is a bit mediocre. The characters seem robotic and disconnected. What's happening to them is monumental but the exploration of it is minimal. The reader never really learns what happens to the people of the story. The ending borders on anticlimactic and I felt like I didn't have any closure. Very little is resolved for the characters story line. The "part 1" in the title might suggest a sequel but I'm not interested enough to read it. I struggled to finish it so I am only giving it 1/4. The thing that I didn't like was that I couldn't connect with the characters and thought they were cheated out of doing great things with the power they were given. I did like Josh, Gabriel's friend, but he was not a main character. I think this book would be enjoyed by younger readers in the pre to early teenage group. The book had very few editing flaws and the cover did a good job making me want to read the book.
I also think that while the supporting characters were likable enough, they were a bit under developed. I noticed some that some of the thoughts they expressed were not well matched with their ages or the situation in which they were involved.
******
The Touch
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1 out of 4 stars
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The Touch by Robert Flynn III introduces Alabama, a strong woman who is slightly unhappy and bored with her life. Working as a nurse, it seems her life is centered around sickness, sadness and death. She needs a change but is unsure exactly how to make it happen. Unbeknownst to Alabama, the catalyst for that change appears on a stormy night shrouded in mystery and producing unexplainable changes in her patients. She is lead to adopt two young boys who will forever alter her existence and ultimately allow her to witness a small fraction of the power that will eventually change the world in which we live.
Gabriel and Maral, two children on opposite sides of the world from each other, have spent a majority of their lives experiencing things that they do not comprehend. They have little control over the powerful force that has chosen them, nor do they know how to explain it to anyone else. Gabriel, an orphan, has been plagued all his life by odd occurances and a feeling that he is very different from other children his age. He visits other places and people in his dreams, but has no idea what he actually does during these dreams. Maral has lead a life of poverty and fear, but knows that she has a special gift that lends her strength and confidence to withstand the horrors that surround her. She is learning to communicate with the presence within herself even though she has no idea what it is or how to control it. Both children find ways to use the gifts they have been given to improve their situation. Gabriel by allowing his friend Josh a glimpse of what he is capable of, and Maral by recognizing the same gift in her friend and using her powers to allow her family to escape to a place where they can live a better life. Although the two never actually meet in the flesh, they come together with others like them when called upon by the entity that directs their actions.
Anakim has always known that he is above average and blessed in many ways throughout his lifetime. He convinces himself that his amazing mother is responsible for his good fortune since he has never known his father and his mother successfully avoided giving him any information relevant to discovering his heritage. Now his mother is ill and Anakim must convince her to tell him everything about the man that fathered him. When he meets Alabama and her son's, his life is turned upside down by one thing they all have in common. Soon he will learn things about himself that make him think he was better off not knowing.
While the concept of the book is fantastic, the execution is a bit mediocre. The characters seem robotic and disconnected. What's happening to them is monumental but the exploration of it is minimal. The reader never really learns what happens to the people of the story. The ending borders on anticlimactic and I felt like I didn't have any closure. Very little is resolved for the characters story line. The "part 1" in the title might suggest a sequel but I'm not interested enough to read it. I struggled to finish it so I am only giving it 1/4. The thing that I didn't like was that I couldn't connect with the characters and thought they were cheated out of doing great things with the power they were given. I did like Josh, Gabriel's friend, but he was not a main character. I think this book would be enjoyed by younger readers in the pre to early teenage group. The book had very few editing flaws and the cover did a good job making me want to read the book.
I also think that while the supporting characters were likable enough, they were a bit under developed. I noticed some that some of the thoughts they expressed were not well matched with their ages or the situation in which they were involved.
******
The Touch
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Vlgski's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Red Wave Imperative by Alan Schein
