**REVIEW** Toxic by Jus Accardo

Release Date:  October 16, 2012Published By: Entangled TeenFormat: Paperback, 317Review Copy: Purchased

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When a Six saved Kale's life the night of Sumrun, she warned there would be consequences. A trade-off. Something taken for the life they gained. But Dez never imagined she'd lose the one thing she'd give anything to keep... And as if it's not enough Dez finds her immunity to Kale fading, the Six brought in to help Kale learn to control his killer touch starts drooling on him the moment they meet. Worse than that? Jade can touch Kale. But bimbo Barbie is the least of Dez's problems.

After Dez and Kale got away at Sumrun, her father lost not only his most powerful weapon but an important piece of the Supremacy project. Forced by Denazen to remedy the situation, he poisons Dez and offers her a choice--surrender to Denazen for the cure...or die. Determined to find a solution that doesn't involve being bagged and tagged--or losing someone she loves--Dez keeps the poison a secret. But when a rash of Denazen attacks hit a little too close to home, Dez is convinced there's a traitor among them. Jade.

Sacrifices, broken promises, and secrets. Dez will have to lay it all on the line if there's any hope of proving Jade's guilt before they all end up Residents of Denazen. Or worse, dead...

  Picking up a Jus Accardo novel is as easy as breathing, but way more fun.  Yes we need to breathe to live but we need amazing reads like this to keep us alive and entertained.  I had purposely pushed off reading this one right after its release and waited for Tremble to come out because I knew that when I finished that I would be pulling my hair out waiting for the next novel and I love my hair.  Glad to have made that call but the emotional ups and downs of this one still pull at me

  Dez and Kale are now living on the safer side of things and not having to watch their backs for Denazen agents 24/7...well mostly.  Though that sounds all fine and dandy it isn't.  There is so much at stake and new odds against the two, so despite their seemingly safe haven there is a storm brewing.  The storm consists of old threats, new threats and even some that seem to be hidden in plain sight.  That's the thing about a sense of security, only so much of it is true the rest is an illusion.  Heck even with all of he hyped up security there still manages to be a lot of action and tension because it just wouldn't be very Dez if everything went smoothly.  It is Accardo's ability to  take all of these situations twist them, mold them into one seamlessly addictive, superbly paced story that defines all of this as a Denazen novel.

  I still can't get enough of Dez and her snark.  Not that she walks are as a bundle of attitude but she does not deal well with people that get in her way or try and manipulate her.  Thinking of it really it is a problem with most forms of authority and that also extends out into Kale.  I can genuinely say that I can feel her care and feelings for the guy and more importantly she gets him.  I would be worried about spoiling the book for you if it weren't for the synopsis but my heart began to break when Dez began to loose her immunity to Kale.  Yes it was expected but I had high hopes like Dez that something would give and all would be right in the world.  Truthfully I think that the deterioration of her immunity caused a great deal of Dez like self destruction but the outside forces at work did not really help.  Basically what I am trying to express is that Dez is still Dez, given that she is a tad more angry than normal but it is 100% understandable.

  Now Kale and his romance with Dez is difficult for the reason mentioned above but it is more than that.  It is the devil that they call Jade that causes many, many unnecessary issues.  Not that she does it without realizing but she does it on purpose and I seriously want to kick her...okay I realize that is violent but the girl not only gets a rise out of Dez every time she is there but she gets one out of me.  Heck in my head I am screaming "fight, fight, fight, fight" I feel like I am not the adult I am supposed to be but the teen that would show her who's, who if I were Dez.  Jade does add a little competition from the Dez POV but seriously do any of you remember Kale...?!  He is not stupid but when it comes to anything but when it comes to Jade and her intentions he is blind. This causes relationship hiccups but don't all the worthwhile relationships have them?  It also makes me want to shake the crap out of him and ask him WTF he is thinking.  I still love Kale in his hardened and yet somehow innocent ways but I hope that his eyes are a little more open next time.

  I am once again blown away by Jus Accardo's supreme writing skills.  Toxic was every bit the literary treat that Touch was and has me begging for more as soon as the book is though.  What still continues to blow me away is just how original the story and the characters are.  There is no generic anything in this series it seems and it just makes  me look even more forward to each new novel.  I'm not sure how to really describe this novel or Touch, maybe I should look back at my review on Touch and see but at this moment all I can think of is X-Men with more awesome and less spandex...well no spandex.  This is a series that I would honestly tell everyone and anyone to pick up, so what are you waiting for?! GO GET IT!

  Kale's jaw tightened, and he took a single step back.  "Nothing is lost.  This is temporary.  We can fix it.  I can learn to control it   Ginger said so."  His voice wavered a bit, and I wasn't sure if he was trying to convince me   or himself.

  "'Um' doesn't sound good.  Why are you 'um'-ing?" I took a step forward.  "Don't 'um'!"  Someone had pissed in karma's cereal and blamed it on me.  Tonight nothing seemed to be going right.

  By what would have been fifth period, my concentration was shot.  All I could think about was Kale.  And Jade.  Our weekdays were going to make one hell of a soap.  And probably a messy bloodbath.

  Looking from Kale to Alex, Ginger said. "I don't like cabbage.  Do you see me taking on the produce section of the food store?"  I couldn't help the giggle that slipped from my lips.  A mental image of Ginger beating down a horde of cabbage as a swarm of carrots parachuted down from planes circling above popped into my head.