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Untouchable [Hardcover]

Scott O'Connor
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)

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Book Description

May 1, 2011
It is the autumn of 1999. A year has passed since Lucy Darby's sudden and unexpected death, leaving her husband David and son Whitley to mend the gaping hole in their lives. David, a trauma-site cleanup technician, spends his nights expunging the violent remains of strangers, helping their families to move on, though he is unable to do the same. Whitley - an 11 year-old social pariah known simply as The Kid - hasn't spoken since his mother's death. Instead, he communicates through a growing collection of notebooks, living in a safer world of his own silent imagining.
As the impending arrival of Y2K casts a shadow of uncertainty around them, their own precarious reality begins to implode. Questions pertaining to the events of Lucy's death begin to haunt David, while The Kid, who still believes his mother is alive, enlists the help of his small group of misfit friends to bring her back. As David continues to lose his grip on reality and The Kid's sense of urgency grows, they begin to uncover truths that will force them to confront their deepest fears about each other and the wounded family they are trying desperately to save.


Scott O'Connor lives in Los Angeles. His 2004 novella Among Wolves was praised by the Los Angeles Times Book Review for its "crisp, take-no-prisoner's style" and hailed the author as "one to watch."

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Scott O'Connor speaks softly and somehow manages to make something beautiful of unspeakable matters...a voice so insistently stirring, you want to lean in close to catch every word." --The New York Times Book Review

"O'Connor's prose is as beautifully terse as his plot...squeezing the reader's emotions so that when the myth of the "perfect" family begins to dissolve...it feels like the inevitable waking from a halcyon dream."  --Booklist

"Astonishing...Introducing an amazing new talent to the world of fiction." --Library Journal (Starred Review)

Scott O'Connor speaks softly and somehow manages to make something beautiful of unspeakable matters...a voice so insistently stirring, you want to lean in close to catch every word." --The New York Times Book Review

"O'Connor's prose is as beautifully terse as his plot...squeezing the reader's emotions so that when the myth of the "perfect" family begins to dissolve...it feels like the inevitable waking from a halcyon dream." --Booklist

"Astonishing...Introducing an amazing new talent to the world of fiction." --Library Journal (Starred Review)

"Heartfelt...the story is involving and moves easily through material that could smother with treacle, but O'Connor's strong characters--especially the Kid, whose elementary school humiliations are especially well handled--and his ease with conveying their emotions keeps the novel afloat." -- Publishers Weekly

"There are no easy answers or safe archetypes here, nor is there a single iota of sugar-coating. The world of Scott O'Connor's debut novel is tough, worn, and thoroughly lived in, and is as vivid and painfully honest as anything I've read in a very long time. Do not sleep on Untouchable, this is the real thing." --Nathan Singer, author of A Prayer for Dawn and In the Light of You

"Once in a very long time, a book comes along that resonates and sings with heart. It's characters so real you want to touch them, hug them. Their peril so well told you are filled with fear as you are a mere observer of their adventure. You find yourself holding your breath as you read the last pages of the story for all could be lost or won in the confines of this bound paper. And when it is over you wish you could read it all for the first time, again. That is how good this book is." --Crimespree magazine

"

About the Author

Scott O'Connor was born and raised in Syracuse, New York, and currently lives in Los Angeles. His 2004 novella Among Wolves was praised by the Los Angeles Times Book Review for its crisp, take-no-prisoners style" and hailed the author as "one to watch."

"

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Tyrus Books; First Edition edition (May 1, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 193556238X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1935562382
  • Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,707,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

An "amazing new talent [in] the world of fiction" (Library Journal), Scott O'Connor is the author of the novel "Untouchable" and the novella "Among Wolves". The New York Times said of "Untouchable": "O'Connor speaks softly and somehow manages to make something beautiful of unspeakable matters...in a voice so insistently stirring, you want to lean in close to catch every word."

He was born in Syracuse, New York, the son of an air-traffic controller and a preschool teacher. He lives with his family in Los Angeles.

Customer Reviews

On a recommendation from a friend I read this book. Pamela Smith  |  25 reviewers made a similar statement
For me, this was a slow moving book, with just enough to happen to where it kept me reading. S. M. Fatta  |  20 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
62 of 67 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful and unforgettable read May 23, 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I first saw the trailer (yes I occasionally watch book trailers) for untouchable a few months ago (here: [...]) and I knew I had to read it.

Scott O'Connor's two main characters, Darby a man who cleans up after grisly deaths for a living, and Whitley a troubled child known as "the kid" who hasn't spoken since his mom died, are two of the most memorable characters I have read in a long time. Their story, a remarkable tale of love, loss, and devotion is told in such a real and powerful way, and is so beautifully written, I guarantee that it will move you.

I finished the book in one sitting, though I should note that it was a long sitting as I just couldn't stop reading.
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Strong Characters, deep emotion June 3, 2011
By Ayelet
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Whitley Earl Darby, a badly bullied 11-year-old, is certain that his father has lied about his mom being dead; but even so he can't bring himself to confront or condemn his dad, instead making a covenant of silence with God. David Darby is a man adrift, struggling with his son's silence and the sudden loss of the woman that he loved; that he still loves.

All of the characters of this book, even those on the fringes, are well developed and believable. The story drew me in and kept me reading, resenting the time that I had to spend away from the book. This isn't a thriller -- it isn't supposed to be. If you're waiting for Columbine, it isn't going to happen. This is a story about loss and the way that people manage to deal with the unfathomable; a story of pain and recovery. Utimately it is a love story, and a very good one.
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24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Characters lived with me! June 13, 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I finished Untouchable by Scott O'Connor in 1 week and lived with Darby and The Kid that whole time. Their story was sad, funny, touching and hopeful. O'Connor did an amazing job painting the scenes of this story and had me hooked from beginning to end. This is one of those books that you can't forget and won't want to. It took me a full week before I was willing to start a new book and put Untouchable away on my bookshelf. It sat on my night stand and I thought of their story until I was ready to move on - not easily done. What an amazing accomplishment and great read!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
This book characterizes the intense and sometimes obscure coping mechanisms one uses to manage feelings of grief beautifully. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Audrey Felix
5.0 out of 5 stars A Freebie Became a Favorite
I got this book when it was offered as a Kindle download for free. It has become an often recommended and haunting favorite. It's gritty, it's tragic, it's unforgettable.
Published 1 month ago by katheryn9177
5.0 out of 5 stars This may be the best book I've ever read, but I probably won't ever be...
I've never read anything written in such an immersive way. Every time I picked the book up, I felt like I was in the character's heads, seeing the world through their eyes and... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Cheayo
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Product
This is a great overall product that works well. This was a great price point for what we were looking to spend.
Published 1 month ago by Juliano Avigliano
2.0 out of 5 stars Stumped
This book did have great character development. It was also engaging for the school-aged bullying aspect of the story, as infuriating as it is, bullying is a common... Read more
Published 2 months ago by CC
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent story
Well written. Heavy content. Intricate character development .Very moving. Highly recommend for any readers who enjoy feeling the story from the characters' perspective.
Published 3 months ago by Michelle P
2.0 out of 5 stars Left a lot to be desired
I chose this book based on reviews and the story synopsis. The premise of the story was interesting, but the delivery, despite better than "just competent" writing, failed to reach... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Augustine J. Fredrich
4.0 out of 5 stars Applause for Scott O'Connoer
Untouchable as not what I expected. It turned out to be a heartwarming story of a father and son grieving the loss of a loved one in very different ways. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Lori Strauss
3.0 out of 5 stars A little slow at times
The character development was some what staggering at times. It's an interesting read none the less with a not so standard story.
Published 5 months ago by Harvey Floyd Jr
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book
I am reading this book for my book club, and I am so pleased I can't put it down, beautifully written, it reminds me of the writing of the 40's and 50's when writing was an art.
Published 5 months ago by Leigh Forster
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