Touch and Go

A brief description of the plot nearly put me off this book--ex-junkies, road trip, foster kids, Hurricane Katrina, ugh, sounds so depressing. But I'm so glad I read it anyway, because it is amazing, and not depressing at all. There's no wallowing in misery just for its own sake, and there's plenty of humor.The writing is top-notch. All the characters are original, not stereotypes, and yet seem very true to life, like people you might have met. The dialog is breezy and natural, but it's really Kevin who steals the show. His narration is great--lots of interesting turns of phrase, and insights into himself and the other characters, even when he doesn't quite realize it at the time. It's kind of a late coming of age story, as he figures out how to be a responsible adult, even with, or because of, all the dysfunction around him.This is an amazing book. There are so few writers who even attempt to write from the perspective of a blind person. On the other hand, there are tons of books with blind characters that are totally unrealistic, or that just use them as a plot device. Not so here. Kevin is a fully alive and deeply sympathetic character, and also completely believable. The author clearly did a lot of research, because he totally nailed it. It's so refreshing to read about a blind character who is not bitter or angry all the time, but just kind of gets on with his life the best he can. I'm only sad it wasn't longer.

This is one of my favorite novels of 2011. It was recommended by a friend and I ordered it with little knowledge of the writer or the subject matter. The story follows a blind man travelling from California to Louisiana with his foster family, an oddball assortment of recovering adults and teens. The world rendered by Nodine through the eyes of our hero, Kevin, is cautiously detailed and visually rich -- imagined straight from the heart of a man who awakens to himself on the journey. There is a quality of the film "Little Miss Sunshine" here, as the broken family attempts to right itself encountering rejection and adversity state by state. The climax occurs in rural Louisiana during the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina, a unique window on that widely discussed tragedy.Touch and Go is surprisingly good. The story glows with a heightened visceral voice more perceptive than many sighted narrators in recent novel reads. A handsome, lyrical and touching debut by Thad Nodine.

I was pleasantly surprised by Nodine's debut novel Touch and Go. I love a story with a strong, first-person narrator and this novel did not disappoint. Touch and Go starts out as a road trip story, full of unlikely characters and wonderful episodes along the way, but it differs in that the narrator, Kevin, is blind. I was afraid that this would somehow limit the story, but have no fear--Nodine's descriptions are rich and detailed in a way that is new and different. Like many road trip stories, the pleasure is in the journey, not the destination. I agree with other reviewers that these characters are living, breathing people and I will continue to reflect upon their experiences in the days and weeks ahead. Nodine's writing style also deserves praise--I rarely use the highlight feature of my Kindle, but used it several times while reading Touch and Go.

A good read. Interesting characters, engaging plot, gripping tale. Left me wanting the story to continue and know what will happen to the main characters. Kevin, the narrator and main character is blind, yet has more insight and perception than all of the other characters that are supposed to "care" for him. I definitely recommend it and I'm curious to read more from this author..

Highly recommend, well written with a creative story line cleverly woven throughout. Thad has proven himself a great story teller!

I was intrigued by the premise of a blind narrator, and the way that description makes its way into this story is phenomenal. The story is well told, especially by about 1/3 through, and I loved the places it went. None of it expected, but all of it makes sense. I loved it.

Kevin is blind from a childhood accident and at 28 he lives with Isa and Patrick, 10 years older than he is, and two foster boys, Ray and Devon, in southern California. Isa's father is in failing health in Florida, and this motley crew of a family decides to drive to Florida to take him a coffin. Although Kevin doesn't want to go, he has just lost his job at the newspaper, and there is nothing to stop him.The fact of the road trip is not that original, but that doesn't matter since it is really just a vehicle for Kevin's personal journey. It has been two years since he left rehab, and it is time for him to loosen the ties that bind him and to begin to remember and feel. Out of his element while on the trip, he is forced to think - about his independence, his guilt, his blindness, his responsibilities and his needs.He is forced to do more than think as the family arrives in Biloxi on the eve of Katrina. I was skeptical when I read that they would be driving into the hurricane area, but the storm becomes as much a character here as it was in the movie "Key Largo." It is the catalyst that enables this family to change.Although Isa is Kevin's caregiver, he is a natural parent. I would like to be as good a listener and as perceptive as he is. Kevin's role in the lives of Ray and Devon calls to mind Howard from David King's "The Ha-Ha."I can give "Touch and Go" high praise by saying I didn't try to anticipate what would happen along the way. I was so taken by Nodine's writing and by the honesty and openness of the narrator, Kevin, that I had no desire to do anything but let the story unfold. The surprises in the book were just that - surprises. Usually I would loan a book like this to my sister because she'd enjoy it, but I'm holding on to it, because I know I will read it again - sooner rather than later.