Mini Review #15 The Strange Power by L J Smith

2009, Simon and Schuster

250 pages (see note below ratings), Paperback

Personal Copy

Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult

Cushions: 5

Daggers: 1

Smiles: 3

Tissues: 1

Yunaleska's recommended rating ♥♥♥♥♥

Note: This is book one in the trilogy. All the books are bound in one volume, Dark Visions. The reason why I'm rebelling and writing a mini book review for each story is because I love them all! They deserve their own, individual space rather than all squashed into a paragraph.

Summary from Simon and Schuster

The strange power: Kaitlyn is an artist, but not an ordinary one; everything she draws comes true. When she is invited by Dr Xetes, a scientist who is studying psychic abilities, to join his school of "talented individuals" in California, Kaitlyn is only too happy to go. There she meets Rob, a healer, and Gabriel, a dark lone wolf, who apparently wants nothing to do with her. But with so much supernatural energy going around, it's hardly surprising that the psychics soon develop a telepathic link that can't be broken.

This book was acquired on one of my book buying sprees. I picked it up, figured out which genre it was from the front cover, and added to the growing pile in my arms. I didn't read the back cover. I knew nothing about it. When I got round to looking at it, I found it hard to read - the blurb is purple written on black. Some colour combinations are tough to read, and this is one of them. Yes, it looks cool. But its not cool when you can't read what the book's about.

Anyway, I knew it was 'my' kind of book from the first page. The style drew me in - it's friendly, I cared for Kaitlyn straight away. Her power is highly cool, although it does scare her quite a bit with what it reveals. I like how she's a misfit in her home area, then joins other misfits and finally finds somewhere she can belong. The other children have personalities which stand out. Rob has a lot of compassion and can't really hurt anyone. He knows some of Gabriel's secrets, which have earned him a reputation. Gabriel's secrets are horrifying, but when Kaitlyn and the others are in trouble, they have to trust him to get themselves out of the mess they are in. The experiment they are participating in naturally is a lot darker than any of them expected. It is morally questionable (what else can you expect from an evil scientist?). Kaitlyn and friends find out a lot about themselves as the figure out the mystery, then try and escape it relying on their powers.

Visit L J Smith at her website.

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