Close Enough to Touch {Romance Novel Annotation}



Title: Close Enough to Touch
Author: Colleen Oakley
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: March 7, 2017
Page Count: 336
Genre: Romance
Time Period: Present Day
Location: Lincoln, New Jersey (fictional town)


Jubilee has been told since she was six years old that touching another human could kill her. Now twenty-six, after having been a recluse for nine years, a tragedy forces her to re-enter the world. Eric is coming off of a failed marriage with a teenage daughter who refuses to speak to him for reasons to be unveiled as the story unfolds. A single father to an adopted son, Aja, with whom he has vowed not to screw up as badly as he did the first time around. But things are never easy as there are many obstacles for Aja himself to overcome, after losing his parents in a plane crash two years ago. Eric, Jubilee, and Aja's paths cross, forming an unlikely friendship.

Join Jubilee, Eric, and Aja as they work to overcome their fears and anxiety on a journey of self-realization, hope, and living.

Relationships
Allergies
Adopted children
Loss
Second chances

Characters
Authentic
Complex
Likeable

Pacing
Fast-Paced

Storyline
Character-driven

Tone
Bittersweet
Moving

Writing Style
Engaging

Tone - Oakley does a wonderful job at appealing to the emotions of her readers. Every time Jubilee is around people she is danger and the closer she gets to Eric and Aja that danger intensifies. As Saricks states, "these are stories about the creation of tightly connected groups, and readers feel the power of love on all levels: parents to children, among siblings and friends, and with lovers" (217). This novel covers that in spades.

Characterization - As romance is a character-driven novel, in Close Enough to Touch, we definitely see quite a bit of growth in the characters in this novel. They come to not only understand more about one another but they come to find themselves as well.

Story Line - According to Saricks, a romance is meant to follow the "unfolding courtship of the heroine and hero, their developing relationship, and its happy conclusion" (218). This is a very basic outline of what happens in Close Enough to Touch, for sure. There are a lot of twists and turns within the story, of course, but in general, the story line follows the romance story line. 

Language/Style - Oakley engages her readers with a writing style that is both expressive and pulls the reader into the novel. Each scene between the characters felt sincere, including physical situations between the characters.

Frame/Setting - The setting Oakley chose to place her story mattered in the sense that it was a small town that Jubilee went to high school in and thus became a recluse. If she had done so in a large city it would not have been able to play out in the way in which it did. 

Pacing - This was definitely a fast-paced novel, as I finished it in a 24-hour period. There was quite a bit of witty and sincere dialogue and the narrative was very conversational feeling.

Based on Saricks' "characteristics of romance" (216), Close Enough to Touch hits pretty much all six points made:
  1. The reader is drawn into the story with the emotional tone.
  2. Characters are vividly and quickly drawn. Within pages I felt like I had a pretty good grasp as to who Jubilee was and what she was like. I felt the same way once I met Eric. 
  3. "The story features a misunderstanding between the protagonists." There were many misunderstandings, actually. So, so, so many. 
  4. "Engaging details of time and place attract the readers."
  5. Reader falls into the story and it is fast-paced. I think Jubilee is very easy to connect with right from the start. It honestly just read as if I was having a conversation with a friend.
  6. "Language plays an important role in setting the stage."

One Plus One
One Plus One by JoJo Moyes
Both of these are character-driven, engaging romance stories with likeable characters caught up in what appear to be unusual circumstances.
The Story of Beautiful Girl
The Story of a Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
Both of these are bittersweet, character-driven romances who manage to find and hold onto one another against all odds. 

The Heart of Henry Quantum
The Heart of Henry Quantum by Pepper Harding
Both stories have likeable characters in an engaged, moving romance story.

“Meet Your next Favorite Book.” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/.
NoveList | EBSCOhost. www.ebscohost.com/novelist.

Saricks, Joyce G., and Neal Wyatt. The Readers Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. ALA Editions, An Imprint of the American Library Association, 2019.

Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2019 at 6:42 PM

    Your annotation provided good insight into the story, providing clear information about the characters, plot, language and style, which would greatly assist a potential reader in their book selection. The annotation would be a good aide for a librarian as well, as you provided a great synopsis of this book and giving insight that would enable a quick review and potential readers advisory tool. Good job on the layout, it flowed well and looks professional, something that could be published.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BrandyFebruary 18, 2019 at 12:53 PM

      Thanks, Heather! I strived to ensure I provided optimal information with no spoilers. :)

      Delete
  2. Erin CataldiFebruary 18, 2019 at 4:41 PM

    EXCELLENT annotation! Full points! You really did a great job breaking it down, citing Saricks, and fully detailing why it fit perfectly into the genre. Your synopsis definitely made me want to read it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BrandyFebruary 22, 2019 at 1:57 PM

      Thanks! I think it's an emotional, fun, quick read myself. :)

      Delete

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