MM Book of the Week: Untouchable

David Darby works as a biohazard cleaner, making gore-laden murder and suicide scenes vanish overnight, to aid in the healing process of those left behind. Yet, after the mysterious and unexpected death of his wife Lucy, David and his son are left crippled and unable to piece together their normal lives. Untouchable by Scott O’Connor dives into the grieving process and compels readers to follow the downward spiral of David and Whitley Darby to rock bottom.

The key feature of this novel is the peculiar narration style. O’Connor switches between the perspective of David and Whitley seamlessly and without warning, by using distinct patterns of dialogue. Even more interesting is the fact that Whitley Darby does not speak- after the death of his mother, he begins communicating by writing in notebooks, and O’Connor uses the notebooks as an interesting tool for characterization that engages readers.

This novel is a perfect example of a modern day tragedy. O’Connor makes no blatant attempts to tug on the reader’s heart strings, yet his raw imagery and the never ending obstacles before the characters create immense sympathy for David and Whitley.

Untouchable is a great read for anyone looking for a book that’s easy to fall into, and extremely difficult to put down. The story is dark, and appeals to readers looking for more than a cookie-cutter perfect ending. As David and Whitley know, not all characters walk out of a story with a happily ever after.

Interested in this book? Check out Untouchable's page in Mibba's book section to share your commnets or recommendations.