Close Enough To Touch

 Close Enough to Touch by Colleen Oakley

The story begins "I kissed a boy once and almost died." And she's not kidding. Jubilee Jenkins has an allergy to all skin cells but her own and kissing that boy almost killed her. She swelled up, went into anaphylactic shock and ended up in the hospital. 

She's been a recluse now for the past seven years, but when her mother (who has been supporting her) dies, Jubilee has no choice but to brave the outside and look for a job, which she finds at the local library. There she meets harried single father, Eric, and his quirky son, Aja, who has a sometimes disastrous (but really interesting) fascination with telekinesis. Jubilee and Aja form a connection, but because of her condition they cannot touch. She likes Eric once she gets to know him, but understands she can't get into a relationship with him or with anyone. She's given up hope for a cure, the only possibility left being an experimental treatment she has already considered and rejected.

It's a unique plot with affecting characters and it's only timing that kept it from having the impact on me that other recent reads have had. North and South, Haven, and Fellowship Point are outstanding novels and hard acts to follow. Even a good story like Close Enough to Touch is bound to pale a little in comparison, but it is good and I do recommend it.