Chasing Power

Gr 9 Up—Kayla and her mother, Moonbeam, have settled down in a coastal California town to lead a quiet, normal life. Forbidden from using her special "gift" for fear of attracting attention from her murderous father, Kayla secretly hones her skills with acts of petty theft. However, her gift of moving things with her mind is noticed by the mysterious, dark-eyed Daniel, who teleports her to a rooftop to blackmail her into helping him locate his missing mother. The two set out on a dangerous worldwide hunt to unravel the mystery of his mother's kidnapping. Throughout their adventures they meet numerous characters with supernatural powers, all of whom wind up having a historical connection to Daniel and Kayla's parents. Kayla's best friend, Selena, is enlisted to help with researching the clues they receive while acting as the diversion to keep Kayla's mother in the dark about their near-death experiences in various locations across the globe. The pacing is slow and drawn out, especially in this long volume. The character's voices are indistinguishable and at times Kayla's irreverent narration seems stilted given the severity of the situations. The budding romance between Kayla and Daniel is predictable and not quite palpable. Overall, this is a general purchase for collections in need of additional adventure titles that have a healthy dose of the supernatural.—Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD