August 15, 2011
Evans (The Christmas Box) enters the YA market with this fast-paced, if predictable tale of a teenager with superpowers and the conspiracy that created him. Years ago, a medical equipment accident killed dozens of newborns and left 17of them with assorted "electrical powers." In present-day Idaho, 14-year-old misfit Michael Vey, who can create electricity and has Tourette's syndrome, is one of the last two living outside of Pasadena. Coincidentally, the other "electric child" is Michael's crush, cute cheerleader, Taylor who is able to mentally "reset" people's brains. When a mysterious organization called Elgen kidnaps Taylor as well as Michael's mother, Michael, his best friend Ostin, and a pair of school bullies venture on a cross-country trip to rescue them. Taylor, meanwhile, learns that Elgen is just as dastardly an organization as she'd feared. Evans delivers a pair of believable lead charactersâTaylor has wits and personal integrity, while Michael's Tourette's syndrome, coupled with an emotional jolt from his past, adds dimensionâbut generic dialogue and lackluster villains result in a by-the-numbers thriller. Ages 12âup.
November 1, 2011
Gr 5-9-Michael Vey, 14, has problems. Not only does he suffer from Tourette's syndrome, but he also has electricity coursing through his body. He can shock people without rubbing his feet on the carpet; he can jump-start his mother's car by holding the battery connectors and "surging," and he can knock bullies who attack him off their feet. Michael and his mother have moved to Idaho because there was an "incident" in his former town, and now he discovers that the prettiest girl in his new school has powers, too. Taylor can read people's minds. Ostin, Michael's best friend, doesn't have powers, but he is wicked smart and helps them to figure out that there is more to the mystery than the fact that they were born in the same hospital within days of each other. Soon there is a terrifying adventure afoot when they are captured and introduced to others with powers who, under the lead of the sinister Hitch, have kidnapped Michael's mother and have evil plans for the world. The dialogue and interactions among the teens seem more like they belong in the 1950s rather than today, but the fast-paced action and cool powers will probably outweigh any negatives.-Jake Pettit, Thompson Valley High School, Loveland, CO
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