PAINLESS

A teen who can't feel physical pain goes through some significant emotional trauma.

As one of the few people on the planet with this unusual sensory disorder, David is blessed and cursed with the ability to not feel heat, cold or pain. Of course, the elements still take a toll on his body, and most people with his condition don't live very long. Sooner or later, they all mess up and miss a sign that something's amiss. David's a lucky one. He lives with his ailing grandmother and is on the cusp of adulthood, getting ready to set off on his own with as few personal assistants as he can manage. When his grandmother's dementia gets the best of her, David suddenly finds himself free and rudderless, save for his new friend and nurse, Luna. Harazin effectively combines typical teen angst with actual life-threatening consequences. The heightened emotions David experiences are felt all the more when considering they may be his last. Not so successful is the fleshing-out of the tertiary characters. Everyone is on hand to serve David's emotional and physical journeys, so much so that they feel like toys tucked away in a box whenever the author isn't using them. Coupling this with a fairly cookie-cutter coming-of-age story makes this a book that will certainly have a few fans but no die-hard supporters.

A tad predictable but emotionally engaging nonetheless.