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Don’t Touch by Rachel M. Wilson is an interesting book to review. It explores mental health and also has some wonderful lessons. The allusions to Hamlet make it intriguing. This is one to add to your TBR.
Title: Don't TouchAuthor: Rachel M. Wilson
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: September 2, 2014
Rating:
A powerful story of a girl who is afraid to touch another person’s skin, until the boy auditioning for Hamlet opposite her Ophelia gives her a reason to overcome her fears.
Step on a crack, break your mother’s back. Touch another person’s skin, and Dad’s gone for good.
Caddie can’t stop thinking that if she keeps from touching another person’s skin, her parents might get back together... which is why she wears full-length gloves to school and covers every inch of her skin.
It seems harmless at first, but Caddie’s obsession soon threatens her ambitions as an actress. She desperately wants to play Ophelia in her school’s production of Hamlet. But that would mean touching Peter, who’s auditioning for the title role—and kissing him. Part of Caddie would love nothing more than to kiss Peter—but the other part isn't sure she's brave enough to let herself fall.
Perfect for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson, this debut novel from Rachel M. Wilson is a moving story of a talented girl who's fighting an increasingly severe anxiety disorder, and the friends and family who stand by her.
Review: Don’t Touch by Rachel M. Wilson
❀ A personal story
First, this is a REALLY good example of a book exploring mental health. It shows how the main character, Caddie, got help from her friends and a professional. It was so well thought out! It’s actually kind of sad, because the author had some experience with OCD symptoms. I feel like when an author has a true meaning behind the plot of a book, it makes it better. The book becomes more personal and detailed with thoughts from the main character that are relevant, because some of them came straight from the author’s heart.
❀ Teachable Moments
This book was interesting, because it teaches you a real lesson. It’s very rare that you find a YA novel that is capable of that. This book taught me to trust my friends. No matter what, they will understand and help you through a rough time. Otherwise, they aren’t your friends. It also taught me to get professional help if things are getting worse for you. Don’t keep things like mental health issues to yourself. The author even left links to mental health information sites at the back of the book. This is so nice. It shows that she doesn’t want other people to have to go through the same things she and Caddie did.
❀ A Hamlet Connection
Finally, Don’t Touch had quite a few references to Hamlet. I really liked how the book was layed out kind of like a play, with Act 1 instead of Part 1 and quotes from Shakespeare on the pages announcing the different acts and throughout the book as well. It added to the acting theme of the book and made it fun to read. The quotes also related to Caddie a bit, which was interesting.
❀ An Informative Book
Don’t Touch by Rachel M. Wilson was such a good read for anyone, especially those wanting to learn more about OCD. It told a story as well as set a trend for the readers… Evening gloves. 🙂 This was a very informative book, so definitely give it a try.
About Rachel M. Wilson
Rachel M. Wilson is the author of the contemporary YA, DON'T TOUCH, forthcoming from HarperTeen, Sep. 2, 2014.
She graduated from Northwestern University and holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Rachel grew up in Birmingham, AL, and she currently writes, acts, and teaches in Chicago, IL.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ Canadian YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, & professional bibliophile.
Looks incredible! I am going to read this for sure!