Select Few

July 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-This sequel to Select finds 18-year-old Julia Jaynes living alone, hounded by paparazzi, and worried that her cultlike family isn't really gone for good. Julia and her boyfriend, John, are still trying to make their relationship work, but while Julia is trying to hide her powers-superhuman speed, telekinesis, and mind reading in particular-John's powers are growing. She must figure out if his powers are his own or merely her abilities rubbing off on him, which could be deadly. If he is powerful, Julia must strive to keep him safe from her dangerous family, but if they are hers, she has to separate herself from him. A road trip to California with Angus-who was kicked out of the family when Julia was asked to leave it in the previous volume-ultimately strains Julia's relationship with John but allows her to solve the mystery of her long-lost mother. Readers who like "normal" teens with supernatural powers, such as Scott Westerfeld's "Midnighters" and "Zeroes" series, will enjoy these less developed but similarly compelling characters. This installment continues the romance and ends as dramatically and twisty as Select. VERDICT Purchase where there are fans of the first book.-Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2018
A girl with preternatural abilities struggles to maintain a relationship with her normal boyfriend under a dangerous threat of discovery.It's been almost a year since Julia first met and fell hard for the good-looking high school tennis athlete John. Julia is one of the Chachapuris--genetically superior humans who relocate every 20 years and hide their abilities. She ran away the same night her family disappeared, and now their leader, her father, Novak, is wanted by the FBI. Julia is lying low, dodging paparazzi and evading questions from the authorities, all while trying to keep secret John's developing paranormal abilities. High school is over, and Julia plans to travel on tour with John, but the threat of Novak's hunting down the couple worries Julia and it's even possible that her proximity is dangerous to John's health. Julia's best friend, Angus, argues that the best thing for John is for her to stay away, so she leaves with Angus to seek answers from her birth mother. Weisenberg (Select, 2017) again juxtaposes paranormal abilities with adolescent adventure, and some fans of Book 1 will enjoy Julia and Angus' summer road trip, while others may find the chasing of lesser subplots lacking in fresh ideas. Julia is white and John is biracial, Asian/white.Without the anchoring backdrop of high school and the excitement of a budding romance, the sequel becomes untethered and loses steam. (Paranormal fiction. 14-18)

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