Freaks of Nature

June 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-A global pandemic caused many children to be born with blue starburst eyes and powerful "psionic" abilities. Devon is a girl-crazy teen who has a not-so-jazzy psionic power-he can talk to plants. He is captured by the government and is being transported with six other teen psion prisoners. Will they be able to band together and fight their way to freedom or will their differences keep them apart? Paranormal powers can be dangerous, but so can the fear of those with powers by normal human beings (baselines). In her debut, Brotherlin sets a superhero story line against a dystopian backdrop. The point of view changes throughout the novel, allowing many of the characters to be further developed and readers to gain empathy for Devon and his compatriots. However, the plot isn't as cohesive. Still, the author manages to tie the different threads together by the work's end, and the overall message of belonging comes through. Brotherlin's coming-of-age dystopian plants itself well within the expectations of the genre, making for an enjoyable read for teens, and a setup for future explorations in this world. VERDICT A fine supplementary choice for growing dystopian collections.-Cyndi Hamann, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

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