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This book was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

Confession: I watched the X-Men movies for the first time just a few months ago. Prior to that, the only thing I knew about any of the X-Men was that they were, well, superheroes. I was immediately drawn to Rogue, though, for a multitude of reasons--not the least of which that we share a home state.

Rogue Touch is, of course, vastly different than the storyline I saw in X-Men, but that's to be expected. The book follows Anna Marie--newly christened "Rogue" by her strange new traveling companion James/Touch--as she and Touch are on the lam, both on the run for reasons neither is ready to explain to the other.

In fact, the on-the-road portion of this book spans about 200 pages (I checked). I found myself growing a little tired of it at times, as Rogue and Touch found themselves in similar predicaments over and over, be it hacking an ATM for funds or narrowly escaping Touch's futuristic assailants. However, a great deal of Touch's back story is revealed over this period of time, and the relationship between Rogue and Touch blossoms in a slow, natural way--something I can appreciate amid the world of "insta-love" in so many of the novels I've read.

The biggest issue I really had with this book is that at times I felt like it really focused more on Touch than Rogue! While I can't say too much without revealing spoilers, a great deal of the latter part of the book centers around Touch's predicament. Rogue is certainly a strong enough character to carry her own story; I'm not sure why she was given a "co-star" as prominent as Touch.

I do have to admit that this book addresses the heartbreak and the true heart of Rogue in a way I hadn't seen before or expected. Rogue Touch offers a peek into the soul of this tormented girl--a girl who unwittingly destroyed the life she knew with a single kiss, a girl who is beginning to see that she isn't a monster--and a girl who's realizing that she hasn't seen everything the world has to offer her just yet.

Overall Thoughts: Though I would have liked to have seen more non-roadtrip matter, and I would have liked to have seen more of this story centered around Rogue herself, I did enjoy this book. The story is told in a very detailed, captivating manner, and the style of storytelling feels as though you're hearing it from Rogue herself. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend this story to someone looking for a good story about this female superhero, I would recommend it to someone looking for a good story, period.

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