Chasing Power

August 11, 2014
Kayla and her mother, Moonbeam, live in disguise—they fear Kayla’s father will discover them and kill Kayla like he did Kayla’s sister. Kayla resents this life in hiding because it also means keeping her telekinetic powers a secret. Disobeying her mother, Kayla regularly uses her power to steal until a handsome teleporter, Daniel, threatens to reveal Kayla’s secret if she doesn’t use her gift to help him find his kidnapped mother. Thus begins a race to find three magical stones before they fall into the wrong hands, and both Kayla and Daniel’s families pay the price. Durst (Conjured) delivers a fun adventure with a superpowered twist as Daniel and Kayla use their abilities to solve the crises that come their way. Even in dangerous situations, Kayla retains her wry sense of humor, which brings a bit of lightness to some of the story’s cornier moments and cinematic plot twists. Think The Mummy (temples, tombs, and all) with Veronica Mars calling the shots, and a dash of romance in the mix. Ages 14–up. Agent: Andrea Somberg, Harvey Klinger.

September 1, 2014
Telekinetic teen Kayla lives a charmed life with her hippie mom until the past catches up with them. Kayla's mother, Moonbeam, covers their California cottage with spells and amulets, but her New-Age exterior and excessive eccentricities mask both true power and a fear of her husband, who (may have) killed their other daughter, Amanda. Having spent the last eight years on the run, Kayla is always prepared to fight or flee. Despite her mother's orders to keep a low profile and never use her powers, Kayla employs her telekinesis to shoplift, pick pockets and generally cause havoc while hanging out with her rich friend, Selena. When a boy named Daniel approaches Kayla for help rescuing his kidnapped, cold-fish academic mother, Kayla finds herself teleported around the world in search of three magical stones. The stones are essentially a narrative MacGuffin, making the teens confront their irresponsible parents and discover the source of their powers; as voodoo queen Marguerite remarks, "Who hides an evil spell and then leaves a map?" While the novel starts simply enough, it soon takes a kitchen-sink approach, layering issues of domestic abuse, fraught parent-child relationships and amoral power plays beneath teen romances, tourism and dizzying action sequences. Thankfully, Durst leavens the angst and childhood trauma with snappy dialogue, snarky teens and explosive exploits. A quick but complex read-enjoyable on both counts. (Fantasy. 12-18)

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July 1, 2014

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

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2014
Grades 9-12 Kayla is very good at telekinesis. She hones her skill by mentally manipulating simple objects, such as tinfoil, thread, and razor blades, to access money from ATM machines or steal diamond rings from the jeweler's case. Kayla believes she is keeping her supernatural tricks hidden, working around her mother's desperate pleas that she never use her powers. But when a mysterious teen named Daniel suddenly appears in her life, Kayla realizes that those magical amusements have attracted the kind of attention that could accompany mortal danger, and she resolves to protect herself and her family. Though Kayla's penchant for snappy repartee often leads to digressions that tug away at the pacing, readers looking more for humor than suspense will likely find that appealing. As in her debut novel, Into the Wild (2007), Durst surrounds a practical heroine with loopy caricatures of folklore figures, such as the voodoo queen and the earth mother. Fans of Durst's earlier works will find plenty to like about Kayla and her paranormal adventure.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)