Review Detail

Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway
ARC received from Spencer Hill Press
Release Date: January 15, 2013
Reviewed by: Middle Sis Jenn

I was so excited to start reading Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway. From the blurb, I knew it would have everything I loved:

Mythology—Check
Sexy, mysterious guy—Check
Girl with strange powers—Check
My Fave Greek God, Hades—Check

Throw all these together with Medusa looming overhead, and you have Kelly’s book.

I will admit, it did take me a while to get into the book. For the first 100 pages, the writing was choppy—simple sentence after simple sentence. There were times I had to re-read sentences because they didn’t flow well, and that put a real damper on a fun idea. Add to that that there was an abundance of telling with very little showing, and it made for a rough start. However, after those initial 100 pages, the writing smoothed out and the romance and suspense took off, leaving me wanting to know what was going to happen next.

My favorite part of the story was how Medusa fit into the plot. I can’t think of another mythology book out there that focuses on Medusa or her descendants, so this was completely new for me; and I enjoyed seeing a different character in Greek mythology emerge. While we learn a bit about Medusa’s past and her descendants, there is still plenty to learn in the next book, and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

Jodi was an up and down main character for me. There were times when I really liked her perseverance and her get-out-of-my-face attitude. She wasn’t the type of person to back down, and her strength really shows in her actions. While her attitude and strength were great attributes, I felt like there were times when she was a bit daft. I mean, how many people have to die right after she sees them for her to start wondering what the heck is going on? If that were happening to me, I’d definitely start to wonder, “Why me?” Now, of course, I wouldn’t jump to the conclusion that my blood was poison, but I wouldn’t think that it was all coincidence either. Jodi seems to not even notice the strangeness of it all until it is pointed out to her. I’m hoping that she will become more aware and quick-witted in the next book.

And, as always, I must talk about the guy. Alex—good-looking, mysterious, powerful. Just the way I like them, and what makes him even better? I know he’s hiding something. Why does this make him better, you ask? I don’t know…but there’s just something sexy about a YA guy with secrets. You can think I’m weird, go ahead—but if it weren’t so sexy, it wouldn’t be done over and over again. Am I right? You bet your butt I am!!! Alex has his jerky moments, but there are plenty of swoon-worthy ones, too. Here’s to hoping we can get a few sizzling scenes in book 2 (because I need way more than there were in this one).

Overall, I enjoyed Touch of Death once I got into the story and past the writing flaws. It was suspenseful and sexy, and I am really interested in how Jodi handles Hades in the future. Oh, and Hades is hot—so yay! Hades is by far my favorite Greek God (dark and uber-powerful---yeah!), so I am really looking forward to seeing more of him!!!