Powers - Softcover

Deborah Lynn Jacobs lived in Canada, where the book is set, most of her life. She now resides in Wisconsin. This is her first novel for older teens.

Gr. 7-10. Gwen has been having dreams. An attractive boy, full of swagger and menace, is coming to her high school, and when Adrian shows up there is no doubt about the surge of power between them. Suddenly, Adrian is able to read people's minds, and Gwen uses her prescience to further her career as a photographer at a local newspaper. But neither of them really knows what to do with their power, and they try to manipulate each other for their own devices. Told in alternating voices, this novel has a great premise, and it starts strong, with chunky Gwen both attracted and repelled by Adrian, who is overwhelmed with new sensations and feelings. But things become muddled by too much repetition, strung-out plotlines, and slim justifications for the duo's machinations. What will keep readers going are Gwen and, particularly, compelling Adrian. The couple are worth rooting for despite the clunky way in which their story plays out. Ilene Cooper
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