Does Everything Really Happen for a Reason?

Addressing the versatile views on Touch

What readers are saying—and why I think they’re all valid

So many times, I’ve received questions, comments, even criticism of my use of everything happens for a reason as a recurring theme in Touch, and reasonably so. 

Touch is my earnest attempt at a thought-provoking novel and, based on the feedback I’ve received thus far, it seems to have achieved that goal. It’s an unsettling exploration of fate, trauma, violence, and crime. One theme that echoes throughout the narrative is: everything happens for a reason. But how that phrase is interpreted varies widely—and deeply.

Some readers find comfort in this idea that maybe everything does happen for a reason—a glimmer of hope that even in the darkest moments, there might be purpose and meaning waiting to unfold. 

For others, it's a hard no.

While some see pain as part of a bigger picture—steppingstones toward growth or something greater—others argue that assigning purpose to suffering oversimplifies things. That it’s like trying to force a puzzle piece into the wrong spot—it just doesn’t fit. There’s also the concern that saying everything happens for a reason might unintentionally put blame on the person who suffered. As if they somehow signed up for it.

As I read through the diverse reactions to Touch, I can appreciate both of these perspectives. Some resonate with characters who find strength and purpose in the face of adversity. It's like, "Yeah, life threw a curveball, but check out how I'm hitting it." Others empathize with those who side-eye the universe, questioning the fairness of their circumstances in a world that seems a bit too indifferent. 

Touch doesn't tiptoe around the grim realities some people face. It invites readers to confront the uncomfortable—to meet characters living in the aftermath of experiences no one should have to endure. Trauma is presented in all its messy complexity, and readers are left to sit with the weight of it.

If reading Touch brings you discomfort, that’s okay.

If it encourages you to extend more kindness to people whose circumstances you don’t know, that’s okay.

If it moves you to learn more about trafficking and exploitation, even better.

All reactions are okay.

Aside from shedding light on a prevalent issue, my hope is that Touch continues to spark conversations about the human experience—and how we try to make sense of life’s hardest moments. Fictional stories can challenge the way we see ourselves, others, and the world around us. They can give us language when we don’t have any.

And if nothing else, I hope Touch offers a new perspective—by inviting you to sit with fictional characters facing not-so-fictional circumstances.

Is the idea that everything happens for a reason black and white? Or is it something more complex? Something circumstantial?

Maybe that’s the whole point.