The Marked

Gr 6–10—Despite her ability to manipulate Earth's elements, Dancia Lewis is nervous about committing herself to the top-secret Program at Delcroix Academy, a special school for teens with otherworldly abilities, but her boyfriend, Cam, assures her that it's the right decision. Despite his confidence in her and the fact that she has been told that she has "the potential to someday move mountains," Dancia is anxious about her lack of control, especially since she unintentionally caused a "natural disaster" in her neighborhood. She soon learns there's more to the Program than meets the eye when an old friend emerges from the shadows. Jack, who was himself once part of the Program, is now a member of a gang hoping to take down his former school. He tries to tell Dancia the truth behind its "promotion of peace and stability throughout the world" ethos. While the teen attempts to put her doubts out of her mind, Cam gets deeper into the Program's underground activities and begins to have his own questions about what they're being taught. This intriguing adventure maps the identity development of a freshman who hasn't reached the point of believing in herself.—Kathryn Kennedy Ivill, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA