Happy Booker
Audiobook Junkie, Sporadic book blogger, occasional master chef, soccer mom, wearer of pajamas, teller of tales, cool aunt, beloved wife, and loyal friend.
Review- Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini
Touching the Surface, from it's original storyline to the beautiful cover was a book I loved reading. Elliot's transition into the afterlife was at times poignant and bittersweet as she tried to come to terms with her life, her death, and the value of her soul. This is a story about connection, growth, and, of course, love.
The setting was fascinating. Touching the Surface is set in a place called the Obmil where those who have died "delve" into their memories to try to understand what lessons they may need to learn in order to move on. Have you ever watched the 1991 Meryl Streep movie Defending your life? Touching the Surface reminded me of a YA version of that movie which is a GREAT thing since I love that movie. While the concept and setting is similar to this movie, it is definitely it's own original feel. I love the way that the scenery, even their clothing, changes both by the characters will and inadvertently by their emotions, so an angry character might find themselves sitting in a stark landscape with thunderclouds above their head and getting rained on while someone happier, just feet away may be in a lush forest setting.
The only gripes I have with Touching the Surface is that it did become a bit love trianglish which, you know, is one of my pet peeves. But I was enjoying the story so much that this didn't take TOO much away from the story. Also, I wish I would have been able to connect more with Julia, Elliot's best friend and their relationship with one another. It was very much ON the surface and I would have liked it to have gone deeper making it feel more genuine.
Otherwise, Touching the Surface was a lovely story with a premise that's a refreshing departure from what's commonly found in YA recently. The writing was engaging, the dialog easy to follow, and the story had a relaxed evenly paced flow. It was an overall enjoyable and entertaining read. I look forward to enjoying future titles from this author. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys stories that take place in the afterlife and YA romance.
Rating 4 of 5 stars
