Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Gordon wants nothing more, than to be a normal girl. But having a near death experience as a child, she finds out that she has powers. After accidentally electrocuting her sister and blowing up her mother’s kitchen, she suppresses her powers for ten years. Unknowing that there are more people like her out there. A lot more.
That is until a secret group of them try and hunt her down because of her unusual abilities. Forcing her family into hiding, she goes on the run. Having to learn about her powers and her past, she meets many new friends along the way. But you can’t run forever. Someone close to her has betrayed her to the very people she is running from.
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Exciting new young adult novel with an unique storyline….
So I’m becoming a young adult convert, sort of. This novel is more along the lines of a mature young adult. The heroine, Charlie, is currently in college and most of her friends are college age. The protagonists, however, are the usual adult mean guys. The novel starts with a story from Charlie’s childhood. It’s the incident the book is more or less centered around. Something very unusual happens to Charlie, we don’t know why, and it’s the basis of the plot line.Â
C. L. Causer has a fresh take on a young adult fantasy that is NOT teeming with vampires and werewolves. The story caught and held my attention from the very beginning. The development of the story is exceedingly well done with very few flashbacks. Dream sequences are used to flesh out what the reader needs to know. The main characters come to life on the pages. Each one is well thought out and fully developed. That’s especially true of Charlie and her family. They are not cut out copies by any means. Her best friend, Jake, is like a second main character with the background, thoughts and feelings that the author includes. Even the mysterious “helpers” and unknown organization after Charlie receive careful consideration by Ms.(?) Causer. (I have no idea who this author is, I’m “assuming” it’s a female). Then there are the descriptions of places that actually make you feel like you’re there with Charlie. In addition, as Charlie knows someone has betrayed her but isn’t sure who, there is some mystery involved. The organization after her and the ones anonymously helping her aren’t explained till deep in the novel, keeping the tension and drama on the high side. This author has an amazing gift!Â
Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it. Well, there are some problems. If the author can fix them, I would recommend this book to everyone. I still recommend it but with reservations. Throughout the novel, Ms. Causer switches back and forth between tenses. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem but it’s constant. It interrupts the flow of the book and is jarring when it happens. Her grammar is good, this book just needs an experienced editor. This next part might seem nit picky but it stopped me in my tracks when reading it because I was in the middle of high drama and a single word had me confused. I stopped reading to reread and make sure what I was reading was actually what was written and I hadn’t accidentally turned too many pages. Charlie and a friend are being chased by the bad guys. They think they have finally lost them by running intoCentral Park. There is a confrontation and Charlie uses her powers. This is the part, …”Charlie felt completely drained. She could hear shouts and Ruby screaming her name. But she couldn’t move. Falling to the floor, she closed her eyes as the blackness claimed her.” Where did the floor come from inCentral Park? Nit picky, yes but it stopped the flow abruptly for me.  The reason I highlighted the floor versus the ground; I think Ms. Causer has an unbelievable talent. She’s better than one word.
I am hopeful the next installment might include some changes and eagerly await it’s arrival.
With the novel in the current form, I would rate it 3.75 Stars because the flow is choppy. With the correct editing, I would rate it 4.25 Stars
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Evidently I need an editor too. I used protagonist when I meant antagonist. Sorry