Maisie Willard's BFFs aren't into hunting for cute outfits at the mall, painting their toenails, or flipping through Seventeen magazine. Scarfing down pizza in front of Pimp My Ride is more their style. And that's okay with 14-year-old Maisie. Her besties are boys after all. Just because they don't dish about fashion doesn't mean she can't feel perfectly comfortable with Chris, Kevin and Shakes. They've been tight practically since they were born.

Then, Maisie decides to try living with her mom and stepdad in Milwaukee. After a year of dealing with Geoff, the uber whiner, she hightails it home, grateful to be back even if it means putting up with her stepmother who acts like she's "constantly auditioning for a TV series being filmed inside her own head" (12). Maisie doesn't feel any different than she did when she left, but she sure looks different. In the 12 months that have passed, she's filled out, developing curves that clearly say, "I'm not a kid anymore." It shouldn't be weird for the guys, right? They're still her best friends. Only it is weird, very weird.

Everything comes to a head one day in the back of the school bus. Betrayed by her truest buddies, Maisie is stunned and hurt. Before she can even process what has happened, the incident takes on a life of its own. Suddenly, there's a lawyer, therapist, and most of all, Maisie's drama queen stepmother involved. Joan insists on suing the school board, making sure the boys get severely punished for messing with her stepdaughter. But not everyone sees Maisie as a victim. Even Maisie's not sure that what happened really happened. She just wants to forget the whole mess and go back to the days when the world made sense.

As Maisie grapples with her memory, desperately trying to sift out the facts, she'll have to face the truth of what really occurred on that fateful day. Could her "friends" really have done what she thinks they did? Is she truly as innocent as she wants herself to be? Who's right? Who's wrong? How can she make it all go away?

Touch by Francine Prose provides a riveting look at the ways in which childhood innocence sometimes vanishes overnight. Throwing a cast of actualized characters into a blender full of truths, lies, and every shade of grey, makes the story both current and compelling. If it wasn't for the ending, which I felt was an unsatisfying mess of cop-out platitudes (realistic though it may be), I would have given it higher marks. As is, I don't think Prose did justice to her tough, feisty narrator and, darn it, I wanted some justice for Maisie. Without that, the story just isn't convincing enough for me. I guess you could say I needed a Touch more.

(Readalikes: Reminds me quite a bit of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (no F-bombs) and sexual content

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Touch from the generous folks at HarperTeen. Thank you!

All 16-year-old Jacinda Jones wants to do is fly. Not squabble with her sister. Not mate with a prince. Not have her every move scrutinized by her pride. Just fly. Soar above the clouds and forget all the complications that exist on the ground. Her body's made for flight, longs for it, thrives on it. Like her dragon ancestors, Jacinda is meant to be in the sky. She's Draki, through and through, and a fire-breather, no less. One of a kind. Special, even in a community of unique creatures. She never wanted the spotlight beaming down on her. All she's ever wished for is the freedom to glide through the clouds, letting her wings carry her above all the cares of the ordinary world.
Nothing is ever that simple, of course. As the only living fire-breather, Jacinda is responsible for saving her dying breed. By mixing her genes with those of royalty, she could give birth to a new, stronger generation of draki. And the sooner the better, at least according to the calculating king. Jacinda's not thrilled with her future as a broodmare, but she's willing to do anything to help her people. Just not yet. Right now, she's more interested in feeling the sun on her scales. It's forbidden, of course, to let humans see her in draki form, which means she's only allowed to fly at night. Her rebellious streak has already gotten her into trouble, but she can't fight the urge to soar into the rising sun. It's a risk she has to take, one that ends with her running through the forest, desperately trying to shake the draki hunters that are right on her tail. The ordeal brings her face-to-face with Will Rutledge, a handsome tracker who's not like his murderous cohorts.
Jacinda's little stunt endangers not only herself but her whole community. Terrified of the repercussions, she and her family flee their home in Oregon, heading for the arid Nevada desert. Leaving the draki life behind is agonizing for Jacinda. No matter how hard she tries, she can't seem to assimilate. Especially when she runs into a familiar face - Will's never seen her in human form, but he's still inexplicably drawn to her. Jacinda can feel him with every fiber of her being. Pushing herself away from him is impossible, but letting him in could mean death to herself and everyone she loves. If Will ever found out what Jacinda really is, he'd skin her alive and sell her parts to the highest bidder. Preservation of her kind means staying far, far away from Will Rutledge. If only she could ...
Of all the Twilight-y books out there, Firelight by Sophie Jordan might just be the Twilight-iest. Not because of vampires or werewolves, but because of the impossible, consuming romance between the main characters. I'm no Edward/Bella hater - I just like me some originality. And yet, I burned through this book so fast, I swear I saw smoke pluming from its pages. It's the kind of story that keeps you glued to your chair even though you've got a thousand other things you really should be doing. Firelight starts out with an intriguing spark and ends with a raging inferno. It doesn't even come out until September 7 and I'm already dying for the next installment. Love it, love it, love it.
That being said, it's not a perfect book. Most of the characters need a good fluffing out, including the already appealing Will. The romance between Jacinda and Will seemed to develop awfully fast. It also got a little melodramatic at times. My biggest pet peeve, however, is this: Jordan never explains how Jacinda ends up in the exact town Will lives in. A coincidence like that is too big to leave unexplored. The fact that Jordan never addresses it bugged me throughout the whole book. I assume it will be justified in one of the sequels - Jordan's too careful a writer to let something like that slip - but I wanted it dealt with in Firelight.
Despite that big annoyance, Firelight kept me totally enthralled. I didn't want to put it down ... so, I didn't.
(Readaikes: reminded me a lot of Twilight, the Need books by Carrie Jones, Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs, and others)
Grade: B+
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (no F-bombs), underrage drinking, and fantasy violence