Seventeen-year-old Rena Mason counts the days until she can leave for college. Every night her father drinks himself to sleep, leaving her to care for her younger brother. When her father is kidnapped by terrorists, her dreams of freedom become a nightmare.
Stunned that her father has a history with these terrorists, Rena knows she must run or be their next victim. She learns the tough guy at school has a reason to look after her - he's working for a government agency with the same goal as the terrorists: find a woman who disappeared eighteen years ago. Time is running out since only this woman's special gift can save the world from a looming nuclear attack.
Rena can't trust anyone, especially not the stone-cold agent she's falling for. Can they save the world before Rena's feelings trap her in an agent's fight for justice?
Assessment:
Plot: This book is very much X-Men for teens meets Twilight, as there are supernatural powers, a budding romance and strong family ties included in the foundational elements of the plot. The first half of the book is very entertaining, as things aren’t at all what they seem.
Prose/Style: Though there is not a unique style, the YA writing style is satisfactory and the plot and characters are what compels this book. We do, however, get the occasional line that says volumes about the characters’ lives in few words.
Originality: The father-daughter storyline was enjoyable and some of the powers the team has are unique, like the heroine’s nuclear abilities.
Character Development: The first-person narrator really resonates as describing a typical teenage girl facing very atypical problems. Her love interest is very well fleshed out, even though his flesh is deadly to the touch.
Date Submitted: May 20, 2019
