Book Review: Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs and Tracy Deebs

Book #1 of The Hero Agenda Series
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Publication: June 2015 by Sourcebooks Fire
Acquisition: Won an ARC

Synopsis:

Kenna is tired of being "normal". The only thing special about her is that she isn't special at all. Which is frustrating in a world of absolutes. Villains, like the one who killed her father, are bad. Heroes, like her mother and best friend, are good. And Kenna, unlike everyone else around her, is completely ordinary— which she hates.

She’s secretly working on an experiment that will land her a place among the Heroes, but when a Villain saves her life during a break-in at her lab, Kenna discovers there’s a whole lot of gray area when it comes to good and evil and who she can trust.. After all…not all strength comes from superpowers.

(from Goodreads)

3.5 / 5 Stars

I've got a thing for heroes and villains and it's not a theme I often come across in YA books so this one was a pretty good read for me. The world these characters live in is both fascinating and terrifying - much like I would imagine a world were say, the Avengers or Batman where real. Not a place I would actually want to live, but defiantly a world I can get happily lost in for a while.

Also - action. There is a lot of it and I liked that. Not much down time - everything is go go go. Not very realistic but it's very much how I envision a real life superhero's (or supervillian's) life to be like.

So why wasn't this a 5 star read for me?

Well, as much as I did like Kenna I didn't love the 'normal girl' is really the most special girl every thing. And the fact that she is powerless is mentioned...a lot. Kenna's inner monologue is a whole lotta insecurities. I was like - I get it! You're not special! Get over yourself! Except...the story was a little predictable so...I kinda figured out that maybe she was important? You know? Not giving anything away here but...you can see where this is going right?

And, well, the romance. Not every YA books needs a romance. Sometimes it's awesome though and sometimes it's horrible. Sometimes it's just meh and the story could stand on it's own without it and that's how I felt about Powerless.

So yeah - lots of mixed around feelings with this one.

However - I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. The hero / villain aspect and how it's totally integrated into the world is pretty unique and makes for a really good story.

I'm not sure I'll be picking up book 2 but like I said - I do recommend you try this one out for yourself!

Contest! Win an ARC of Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

2011 Debut Author!

Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

Bloombury, May 10 2011

Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her—and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance. (from Goodreads)

CONTEST DETAILS:
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Book Review: Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

***2011 Debut Author***

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: May 10, 2011
Pages: 352
Series: no?
Acquisition: received ARC for review

Summary:

Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her—and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance. (from Goodreads)

My thoughts:
It's been a little hard for me to write this review. Mostly because I know this book just wasn't for me. Tempest Rising is not, by any means, a badly written book and the story is actually very interesting. In the end, there were just too many elements that rubbed me the wrong way.

First off - there is a love triangle. I don't like them - and that's just my opinion. You might be the type that  enjoy this type of 'love' in your readings. I also have to put 'love' in quotes because really? Everyone in this story seemed pretty selfish to me. Especially Tempest. She says she cares for her family and her friends and her boyfriend but really? I didn't see it. Even when she was trying to help everything was still all about her.  I never warmed up to her and I didn't like the choices she made.

Also, and again, this is just a pet peeve of mine. A 200+ year old paranormal / magical being 'loving' and hooking up with a 17 year old? Even if that 17 year old is also not quite human? It grosses me out. It's the main reason I couldn't stomach the Twilight Saga. A 200 year age difference - no matter how young someone looks or acts is very unappealing to me.  So, there was that.

Otherwise? I actually really enjoyed the storyline. The fact that Tempest knew about her mother's past and knew what she herself was from the very start of the book was refreshing. The underwater world that Tempest's mother comes from was fascinating to read about.

But in the end, the love triangle and outrageous age difference between the complete stranger Tempest finds herself draw to for no reason did it for me.

Final verdict:
I've been reading other reviews of Tempest Rising so I know I'm in the minority as most people loved this book. You might too. If you like mermaids, you'll like it. If you like what has (to me at least) become the norm for YA romance plots, you'll like it. If you're looking for refreshing newish paranormal elements, you'll like it.

As for me? I'm filing this one in the 'not for me but probably for you' file :)

Overall Rating:

2.5 / 5 Stars

Linkage Love:
Bloomsbury
Author's Website
Goodreads

Tidbits:
*Tracy Deebs is a pseudonym of Romance novelist Tracy Wolff. Tempest Rising is her YA debut.