Touching the Surface

by Kimberly Sabatini

In the afterlife for the fourth time, seventeen-year-old Elliot knows she has one last chance but before she can begin her fourth life she must delve into her past, earn the forgiveness of her best friend, reconnect with her soul mate, and set things right for the future.

• ISBN10: 1442440023
• ISBN13: 9781442440029
• Publish Date: 30 October 2012
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

Touching the Surface is super deep, dark, and fascinating. I love stories about the afterlife, and this one was really unique, but easy to imagine. Elliot has just arrived at the Ombil for the third time. The Ombil is a kind of limbo for souls to go in order to discover where they went wrong in life, so that they can do better the next time and hopefully move on. As a Third Timer, Elliot doesn't have her memories. She doesn't know how she died or what she was suppose to learn. Now she has to attend Delving classes with others in her position so that they can help each other uncover those lost memories and learn from them before it's too late.

I did really enjoy Touching the Surface, but I didn't fully connect with the characters enough to love it. I was mostly into the afterlife concept that was created. It includes a kind of purgatory, reincarnation, three strikes, and fears of Heaven and Hell. It's pretty all-inclusive, but not in a way that's overwhelming. All souls that don't reach some kind of enlightenment get to try again after some self reflection. Being a Third Timer is a terrifying thing, because it's your last shot at getting things right. If you don't, where do you go from there? Are you stuck in Ombil with your thoughts and fears for all eternity or do you go to Hell? Elliot is worried about the latter, since she believes she may have committed suicide. How in the world do you get the strength to face that!?

The blurb and first few chapters of Touching the Surface make it seem like a lot of Elliot's journey is going to be about a love triangle. Or a really a love square, since her BFF from her past lives, Julia, is also involved. That is not the case at all. Elliot, Julia, Oliver, and Trevor are connected in ways that go beyond romance. It's slowly revealed as they unlock their memories, which are quite painful to experience. I really liked the tension between Elliot and Julia, since Julia feels like she has to remove the one constant from her past lives in order to move on. Of course, that constant is Elliot who feels betrayed by this decision. Then there's the romance; I liked that too, but I was more invested in the romance from the past rather than the new one developing.

Touching the Surface was a really interesting read. I loved this take on what happens after we die. I'd like to believe that something like this does happen to us. We're not just damned for the mistakes that we make. We're able to learn from them and get a second (and third) chance to do better. It's kind of comforting. I just wish that I had cared more about Elliot so I could go on this journey with her.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[kimbacaffeinate]

The tale begins when Elliot bursts from the surface into the Obmil or afterlife. She discovers she has died again and is now a third timer to the Obmil. Here she will need to gain perspective and delve into her past life in search of answers and acceptance. Only when she reaches enlightenment will she moves on to her next life. The tale that unfolds was filled with mystery, painful memories, happy memories and characters that kept me enthralled.

I adored and appreciated the diverse and fleshed out characters Sabatini presented us with. On the surface Elliot can appear selfish but as we delve we see a complex soul in search of happiness, riddled with guilt, and in seeking forgiveness and understanding. I came to adore her, and loved the growth we see in her character as she interaction with the others. Her best friend through her past two lives is Julia and she chooses to delve in a separate group from Elliot. We get a fresh look at how a person’s life can be overshadowed by another. Oliver and Trevor are the two boys in Elliot’s life and I loved them each. Their relationship to her was fascinating. At first Oliver was the carefree boy, whom she seems to love and who makes her feel safe. Trevor is angry and lasses out. I loved his t-shirt as the slogans on it changed with his mood. Through delving their personalities unfold and we learn about their past connection to Elliot. It was completely fascinating and felt so genuine it left me breathless. Mel and David are counselors or guides and Freddie seems to help everyone. Each character impacts the tale and we learn something from them. I found myself emotionally connected with them and was so pleased the author did not include a love triangle but tied them all together. Their emotions felt raw and genuine.

Not only do we get original and unique characters but then Sabatini builds a world in the afterlife that is absolutely breathtaking and completely original. Think of a camp set deep in the woods by an enormous peaceful lake, but the setting changes for each person’s moods and needs.(rain, winter, fall, summer, landscape) So as a soul walks the world builds around them from lakes, to windmills to soaring mountain views. The whole concept of the Obmil and what it represents to souls was a fascinating look at reincarnation. This subject has always interested me, and I have often wondered if people who just seem to have all their shit together are really old souls, while numbskulls are just floundering newbies. Delving is an interesting aspect where souls fall back and view moments in their previous life. These delves are done as a group and the hope is that the others will help the soul reach enlightenment. When that is achieved the soul can move forward into a new life. I loved how all of the souls tied together from the experiences they shared in their previous lives and in the Obmil. This was a spectacular tale that followed seamlessly and I literally consumed it in two sittings. The scenes go between time in the Obmil and the characters previous lives and I liked how we experienced it along with the characters. We both emerged from each delve with more understanding regarding each character and their journey. The author used this landscape to address issues regarding suicide, the afterlife, child abuse, forgiveness, carelessness, love and friendship. As we gain understanding of their initial responses to each other we watch the characters grow, recognize that their attitudes and actions are really just protective mechanisms and as readers we can see how people in our daily lives uses these crutches. I truly believe people act like asshats because they have issues they need to address. It’s a cry for help and I try to look at their perspective of things to gain insight into what drives them. The author brilliantly reveals this. Am I rambling? Gads, just trust me, this book will make you think, and entertain you all at the same time. It’s a book you will think about long after you have closed it.
Arc provided in exchange for unbiased review
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