Tag Archives: Super-human Abilities

Review: Haunters by Thomas Taylor

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Haunters
Thomas Taylor
Chicken House Publishers
Published May 28, 2013

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

After his father’s death, David began to dream of strange things. He visits a boy in 1940s London, and though David knows they are just dreams, his friendship with Eddie feels as real as his waking life. When a forceful team attempt to abduct David from school, he learns there’s more to his dreams than simple sleep. David is one of the gifted Dreamwalkers who can travel to other times and locations during sleep. He appears to others as a ghost, and in fact, that’s how his mysterious dream friend has come to identify him. David teams up with other Dreamwalkers to stop a vicious group called Haunters who use the dreamwalking ability to control and manipulate history. The group’s current target is Eddie, David’s dream friend. With his new allies, David must stop the Haunters from destroying Eddie and ending the Dreamwalker project altogether, but in order to succeed, they will have to defeat the most powerful dreamwalker the team has ever known.

Haunters is peppered with interesting characters and early teen awkwardness as scenes flip back and forth between modern day and World War II ravaged London. Tension mounts as David’s quest becomes more urgent, making this a difficult novel to put down, once one reaches its midpoint. Fans of sci-fi or super-hero stories will enjoy this time-traveling, super-human story, though the title leaves one pondering why the novel is named for its villains rather than its heroes.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
A London girl mistakes the presence of the computer simulation called Misty for an angel.

Violence
Characters from opposing sides clash and attempt to destroy one another’s ability to dreamwalk using a powerful mind attack. One of the Haunters uses a hired hit man to attempt to murder a teenage boy. The boy is wounded, but survives, though his attacker is slain. Very few graphic details.

Drug Content
David takes a pill to allow him to dreamwalk without being disturbed.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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Review: Alpha Gene by Angel M. Huerta

Book Review and Content, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , ,

Alpha Gene
Angel M. Huerta
White Goblin
Published June 29, 2013

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

After being unjustly accused of murdering his friend and partner, Dr. Lucas McKenna relocates to a small town in Maine to live a quiet life pursuing his passion: genetics. When he is mistaken for an obstetrics physician and delivers a child who mysteriously flickers in and out of his visibility, the doctor believes he may have stumbled onto the next great evolutionary leap in humanity. He follows the girl’s progression and soon discovers several more children who seem to possess extraordinary gifts. While the doctor’s actions may seem creepy, he assures the reader he is only pursuing the science and intends no harm to the kids.

Years later, when Peter, a new, strangely gifted teenaged boy arrives in town with his family, he meets up with the other teens with special abilities. As he emerges as the leader of the group, he begins to try to convince the others to challenge local bullies and stand up for themselves. His efforts go awry, and the bullies are quick to take advantage, but Peter is not giving up so easily. He will need all his tenacity, too, when a bigger, darker threat emerges and threatens the life of the only person who truly understands the abilities the kids possess. It will take the whole team of kids working together to save the doctor before it’s too late.

The story begins with an interesting, birds-eye perspective from the elderly genetics doctor, the man who later discovers the emergence of new abilities in humans. As he tells his tale, he often pauses to relate other stories, from his marriage to his late wife to his coffee pot, to how Peter’s family dog came to live with them. While at times charming, sometimes this chops into the forward motion of the story, creating a little bit of confusion. When Peter’s point-of-view is introduced, the narrative evens out a little more. Prickly at first, Peter soon grows into the leader of the group of misfit teens and begins to inspire them to be more than they currently are. Readers who enjoyed Unleashed by Jennifer L. Hartz may also enjoy this story.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Moderate.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Some brief physical confrontations. No graphic details or violence.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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