Untouchable: A Novel

“In his first novel, Untouchable, Scott O’Connor speaks softly and somehow manages to make something beautiful of unspeakable matters…O’Connor tells a wisp of a story, but in a voice so insistently stirring, you want to lean in close to catch every word.” —New York Times Book Review

“Once in a very long time, a book comes along that resonates and sings with heart. It’s characters so real you want to touch them, hug them. Their peril so well told you are filled with fear as you are a mere observer of their adventure. You find yourself holding your breath as you read the last pages…And when it is over you wish you could read it all for the first time, again. That is how good this book is.” —Crimespree magazine

“There are no easy answers or safe archetypes here, nor is there a single iota of sugar-coating. The world of Scott O’Connor’s debut novel is tough, worn, and thoroughly lived in, and is as vivid and painfully honest as anything I’ve read in a very long time. Do not sleep on Untouchable, this is the real thing.” —Nathan Singer, author of A Prayer for Dawn and In the Light of You

“Pinchot—with a soft, easy delivery—lovingly brings this melancholy story and its diverse characters to life. His narration is smooth and compelling, while the voices he lends Whitley and his father fully realize their sadness and despair. But Pinchot also manages to infuse each scene with a sense of hope. The result is heartfelt performance of a rich and deeply moving story.” —Publishers Weekly (starred audio review)

“In his first novel, O’Connor exposes the raw anguish and grief a father and son experience after the sudden death of their wife and mother. David Darby works for a crew of sanitation experts who erase the traces of violent death from homes, hotels, convenience stores, etc., for the owners and bereaved families. His son, Whitley, who is only called "The Kid," has refused to speak since his mother died and communicates only with a notebook and pencil. Each day Darby's gruesome job brings him closer to despair and violence. And as the Kid suffers unspeakable bullying at school, he maintains the belief that his mother is not dead and that he will be able to bring her back. Given that scenario, the lives of both protagonists rapidly spiral out of control. O’Connor's brutal exposure of his characters' pain and grief is astonishing in its immediacy and not necessarily a comfortable read. Like Jodi Picoult, the author doesn't flinch from the realities of life and death that can create madness or the solutions that can restore wholeness. Introducing an amazing new talent to the world of fiction. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal (starred review)