Book Review #42: Untouchable by M.C. Pending

Hello Dear Reader!

I know, I’ve had a long absence again, and I honestly don’t know when these reviews are going to be consistent, but I am happy to say I have finished reading another indie book! This one is by @mcpending on Instagram, so if you end up liking this review, go check her out! She’s got a lot of great content and does a lot of great things on her account.

Before I dive into my review of her book, Untouchable, here is the back-cover summary: (from Goodreads)

Seventeen-year-old Tessa has lived her entire life in a world where her worth is defined by her rank in society. And her rank just happens to be the lowest- the Unranked- the Untouchables. The people that aren't treated as people. Tessa has her ways of living outside the law, scavenging and robbing anyone who has a face. But after being elected reluctant leader of a band of Untouchable children, Tessa has more than one life to look out for. She has always saved her own skin. So when she actually risks everything she has worked- well, robbed- for, her punishment awaits.

The Labyrinth awaits.

That’s all for this back-cover summary! Now, on to the review!

Narrating this lovely story is seventeen-year-old Tessa, resident of the Sapphire Ward. Full of sass, attitude, and determination, Tessa is a character with really tall and thick walls. Trusting others is seen as one step on a path towards dying, and it’s either live by looking out for yourself or die trying to take care of others. With the exception of her fellow Untouchables, of course.

Surrounding this resourceful main character is a wonderful cast of characters with a variety of personalities that you will come to love. From the kind big sister figure Krystal to the stoic and silent leader Ehrys, you will likely find someone you’ll relate to. My personal favorite is Nurse, who’s a tall blond pretty boy with a heart of gold and totally doesn’t remind me of my own book character named Amil.

Along with your likable characters, you also have your unlikeable ones. Other than the evil queen, there is this one girl named Drina, and Pending does a great job of making me hate her egotistical and prideful personality.

All these characters live in a unique world. Though Tessa is from the Sapphire Ward, much of this book takes place in the labyrinth, a huge death trap that features all types of landscapes, such as deserts, forests, and mountains. Random teenagers who get captured in the Sapphire Wardare basically dropped here and forced to survive the dangers that every section of this maze has to offer. As for why? They don’t know.

For me personally, Untouchable is a book that surrounds Tessa’s growth as a character. Without spoiling too much, at the very beginning, she distances herself from just about everybody, even her fellow Untouchables. Throughout the story, I witnessed her slowly opening up her heart and growing more okay with the idea of caring for others and letting people into those strong walls of hers. It’s such a heartwarming and relatable arc, and I absolutely loved seeing Tessa becoming friends with those in the labyrinth. I also came to like every supporting character featured in the book except for the despicable ones. Their personalities are different, but they mesh well. It’s a great example of a group of diverse individuals.

Though I enjoyed Untouchable, there were a few things that stuck out to me personally. For me, the action scenes didn’t really get my heart pumping. There were also quite a few emotional scenes throughout this book, and I didn’t feel much from them, especially the sadder ones. This especially makes me feel really guilty, because I absolutely loved the characters. The ending, especially the epilogue, was pretty abrupt, but I also get it. Not much is known about the labyrinth and why it exists, and the ending basically sets the next section of this story up.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Untouchable. The characters are easily the best part of this story, and they’re some of the most well-developed ones I’ve ever read.

So, Untouchable rating:

4/5 and highly recommend, especially if you love a ton of growth from the main character and relatable supporting characters.

If you liked this review, make sure to check out @mcpending on Instagram!

Thanks for reading!