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Jodi Marshall isn't sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she's in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she's being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.
After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he's not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she's part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendants of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.
Jodi's deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn't difficult enough, Jodi discovers she's the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can't figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.
AlwaysYAatHeart1
Posted January 3, 2013
Jodi Marshall was leading a pretty normal teenage life, had a best-friend, boyfriend, everything seemed to be going great until really weird things started happening. Weird things with animals, then a green-eyed boy seems to be stalking her, and she seems to be the last person to see several people she knows alive. It has to be a coincidence, right? At least that is what Jodi tries to tell herself. Alex, aka the green-eyed stalker, knows what is going on with Jodi, but Jodi won't talk to him,"because she thinks he is a stalker." Finally, she gives in, and what he tells her blows her mind. Jodi, like Alex, is a necromancer. Anything her blood touches has the power to kill or bring back to life. Even her kiss is deadly, which she finds out the hard way. On top of that, if you don't bring people who die back the right way, they wind up as zombies, which Jodi also finds out the hard way. Finally convinced that she needs to leave and go to a special school with others just like her, she and Alex leave. Upon arrival, she thinks things are going good. Everyone seems to be nice, everyone except Abigail that is. They all seem glad to have her there, after all she is the chosen one, and she has a special connection with Medusa. Jodi begins to notice that things don't seem quite right, the people that she things are on her side really aren't, and she isn't sure who she can trust. Jodi must get to the bottom of things and discover the truth about who she can trust before they all endure the wrath of Hades.
I really liked Jodi's character. She seemed innocent and naive at first, but that was because she was raised human, home schooled most of her life, and had no idea she was an Ophi. Once she discovered who and what she was, she was determined to do what was right, and didn't want to abuse the power she had been given. I liked Alex a lot. He is quite the hottie, though somewhat mysterious, and I wasn't entirely convinced of his loyalty until the end of the book. The chemistry between Jodi and Alex was pretty hot, and I enjoyed their romance.
I really liked Kelly Hashway's take on zombies and the way she integrated them into the book. She also did a great job incorporating mythology and necromancy, which was original and fresh. The plot was great and the story flowed really well, keeping my interest, and had just the right amount of romance mixed in. The story ended really well also. It leaves you wanting more, but not feeling like you're cliff diving. Touch of Death is excellently written with mythology, zombies, necromancy, suspense, and romance all mixed together. Overall, I really enjoyed Touch of Death and I am looking forward to Stalked by Death the next book in the series.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I loved the concept - a teen girl discovers she's inherited the touch of death - and life - through her ancestress, Medusa. The 13th zodiac sign. Zombie deer. Zombie squirrel. Zombie zombies. If you like zombies, this may be your book.
The writing is good - the dialogue is mixed well with narrative, the heroine "spoke" with a teen voice, and certainly had the boy-obsession down. At the same time, I did not like Jodi or find her admirable. Yes, she had the super-duper blood, but that's not anything SHE did, said or choose. I wanted to see some seeds planted in the beginning of the leadership and courage she magically showed at the end; she seemed very passive and reactive.
I also felt Jodi gave up her relationship with her mother way too easy. She should have fought for some way for them to stay in touch - emails, letters (just don't lick the envelope!), something, this was the only parent she knew for her entire life and they were tremendously close. To me, the only character who demonstrated real depth, internal conflicts and genuine likability was Jodi's mother, but she was gone by the middle of the book. Likewise Jodi's (former) best friend, simply GONE - Jodi doesn't give her a second thought once she's in her necromancer training school.
It is a very fast read, and there were some interesting plot twists.
Anonymous
Posted February 9, 2013
So good
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.kfrancis08
Posted January 14, 2013
When you touch someone you feel connected and close to that person, what if that feeling was taken away because your touch was deadly. Being home schooled for Jodi wasn't all bad, and high school is another world all together. But with one simple crash, everything changed not knowing your blood can bring back the dead can be a little difficult to explain. But with everything surrounding Jodi and the accidents, its hard not to come to the solution and having a stalker isn't nice either. Alex aka her stalker has been on her since that day of the deer accident and even though she has a boyfriend willing to scare him away she still feels something is all happy times. Put your self in her shoes, someone you don't know tells you not to kiss someone, you ignore right.Would you believe someone who said your not even human, I didn't think so. Finally after some time, Jodi realizes what Alex is telling her, and must learn how to control her 'power'.
Ever get a creepy feeling when everyone is too nice, entering that mansion of a home, their she learns that maybe her being an Ophi is a good thing. Through in a girl who doesn't like her the moment she comes and wants at nothing to prove that Jodi isn't so special. Who knew being a descendent of Medusa would strive even the greediest of people to turn against her. With time running out and a god wanting them, Jodi must come up with a plan to help all Ophi before they cease to exist.
I love greek mythology so with Jodi's story I felt everything she felt, betrayed and also hopeful for a good ending. Of course this is only the beginning. Hashway brings you in and doesn't ever let yew go, if I had a stalker like Alex I don't know if I would let him in, who am i kidding of course I would let him in. I don't know how Jodi was able to not break down and cry, she is strong and has an amazing heart. I would hate to be resurrected back into my decaying body and live a life of servitude with no thoughts. Jodi senses it and strives to change things, she has this leadership quality and Im so looking forward to book 2 Stalked by Death coming out in July, the waiting begins.
JK1515
Posted January 11, 2013
I was thrilled to get this in the mail! I thought it looked really good and was pretty excited to read it. It turned out to be even better than I expected. The story was unique and captivating.
The only thing I disliked, was a little lack of character development. There was so much more in them that could have been explored, especially her best friend and her first real boyfriend. That was the only thing I didn't like! Everything else about this book was surprising and wonderful.
I liked Jodi and her strength to stick by those she loved. It wasn't until she realized the danger she was truly putting her loved ones in that she let Alex into her world.
Alex..Gah. I wish I had an Alex to look out for me and give me strength in my times of need. He might just be my favorite character.
I loved this book so much that I am stoked to hear Stalked by Death is coming out in July next year! I hope it lives up to this one. This book deserves five stars for being such a stellar debut for Kelly Hashway:)
Touch of Death is an excellent start to a new series. This book kept me hooked from the very first chapter. I loved the mythology, concept, and characters. However, the pacing was a bit slow, and I felt misled from the synopsis. Furthermore, some of the plot occurrences felt more convenient than realistic. Overall, though, I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a new YA paranormal series.
I absolutely loved the mythology for this book. It's based on Greek mythology, but not Hades and Persephone. Hades is involved, of course, and I do love the Hades and Persephone retellings, but I have to admit that it's refreshing to see a story starring another mythological character other than those two. Medusa is the main mythological creature in this story, and I loved it.
I also loved the characters in this novel. Jodi is a very likable character, and she's not bratty like so many leading female YA characters are. I also loved Alex. He is fantastic, brave, and super sweet. Matt was also wonderful, and he really added a lot to the story. All of the characters are dynamic, well-developed, and believable.
The pacing was a bit slow for my liking. Jodi's revelation came way too late in my opinion, and at times, she seemed super stupid not to be able to figure out what was going on. Also, some of her reactions to being stalked were unnatural to say the least. The secondary characters, such as Jodi's mom's reactions, also felt forced. A lot of the time, it felt more like the author was manipulating the story than it seemed like the story was unfolding at its own pace. Additionally, the ending felt forced and too convenient. I'll wait and see what happens next to make my final judgment on the ending, though.
Final verdict? This book is interesting. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves paranormal stories that are based on mythology. Touch of Death sets up what's sure to be an interesting series.
Anonymous
Posted April 7, 2013
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
Jodi Marshall isn't sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she's in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she's being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.
After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he's not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she's part of a branch of necromancers ...