L. J. SMITH - Reviews

Gifted and Cursed

2011-07-20T07:00:00-07:00

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"Gifted and Cursed"

OVERVIEW: Kaitlyn Fairchild has always felt like an outsider in her small hometown. Her haunting eyes and prophetic drawings have earned her a reputation as a witch. But Kait's not a witch: She's a psychic. Tired of being shunned, Kait accepts an invitation to attend the Zetes Institute, where she can have a fresh start and study with other psychic teens.Learning to hone her abilities with four other gifted students, Kait discovers the intensity of her power -- and the joy of having true friends. But those friendships quickly become complicated when Kait finds herself torn between two irresistible guys. Rob is kind and athletic, and heals people with his good energy. Gabriel is aggressive and mysterious, a telepath concealing his true nature as a psychic vampire, feeding off of others' life energy. Together, Rob and Gabriel's opposing forces threaten the group's stability.Then one of the experiments traps the five teens in a psychic link. A link that threatens their sanity and their lives. And Kaitlyn must decide whom to trust...and whom to love.

EDITORIAL REVIEW: A single volume re-release of three separate books published in 1994 and 1995 titled, The Strange Power, The Possessed, and The Passion, this trilogy follows the experiences of outsider Kaitlyn Fairchild as she discovers her secret psychic skills, first love, and true friendship—and helps save the world from a mad scientist determined to rule the world using a powerful, mind-bending crystal. Kaitlyn is recruited to join four other psychic teens at the Zetes Institute, a scientific institution devoted to studying psychic phenomena, where she learns to hone her abilities and makes intense friendships with her equally gifted friends. Over the course of the three books, Kaitlyn is increasingly torn between her attraction to bad boy and "psychic vampire" Gabriel, and her loving relationship with the gentle, golden healer, Rob. Kaitlyn and the other teens learn that the Zetes Institute and its leader, Mr. Zetes, are plotting to use them as "psychic assassins," for sale to the highest bidder. Kaitlyn and her friends use their psychic skills to escape from the Institute, travel to a secret island to meet an ancient race of people and acquire the only surviving crystal powerful enough to thwart Zetes' master plan, and finally crush Zetes and his bunch of psychic—and psychotic—young accomplices, thus saving the world. The premise is far fetched, but the books are engaging and a very fun read. Young adults will enjoy the dynamics between the psychic teens, and the plot delivers unexpected twists that keep the reader interested through all 732 pages. Reviewer: Lauri Berkenkamp

San Francisco Book Review - Midnight (Hardcover)

2011-06-07T07:24:40-07:00

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"Fans will devour this 500-page sequel within days."
–– San Francisco Book Review, 5 out of 5 stars Midnight, May 27, 2011

Elena, Bonnie, Meredith, and Damon have escaped from the Dark Dimensions with Stefan. While everyone helps revive him, Damon lives in his own personal hell after his curiosity turns him human. He is bent on finding a way back to the Dark Dimensions so he can become a vampire again. But things go awry and Bonnie re-enters the Dimensions with Damon. Once there Bonnie unknowingly uncovers a treasure that might help them save Fell's Church. The Midnight is coming and an unknown foe is determined to destroy the town.

The division of Elena's love continues. She says she will always be Stefan's girlfriend, but feelings for Damon may fracture their relationship. The series seems to have lost the realistic tie, but after a break I was ready to jump in again. I was captured by learning more about Damon (who wouldn't?), especially when he and Bonnie were in the Dark Dimensions together. His personality is more easily understood at the end of the book, when his past and feelings are uncovered. The setting for the ending is heart-wrenching, the last two pages classic (and stop the tears). Fans will devour this 500-page sequel within days. Reviewed by Amanda Muir

The Y-A Powerhouse

2011-06-07T07:37:13-07:00

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"The Y-A Powerhouse"

The final book in the series’ second trilogy is also the final book by series creator Smith, who parted ways with Alloy Entertainment in February. Alloy, which owns the series trademark, plans to hire writers to continue but by focusing on stories and characters closer to the successful WB show. With an announced 400,000-copy first printing and a lucrative series to keep alive, Alloy and publisher HarperTeen have a lot riding on quelling the fan backlash over Smith’s departure. (Pub. date: 3/15)

Children's Literature-Barnes&Noble

2008-08-01T07:00:00-07:00

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"This book is suspenseful, mysterious, and a page turner"

Cassie was counting down to the last day of her summer vacation. She was not having a good time, and Cape Cod was nothing like the travel book had described. The kids her age treated her like an outsider, and she missed her friends back home. She was even hoping of heading home a few days early. Every time she mentioned this to her mother, she responded in a slightly strange way. Finally, the day of departure arrived, and Cassie was looking forward to the sunshine and palm trees of California. She knew something was wrong when her mother did not share in her joy. She was shocked to learn that she and her mom were not returning home at all but were going to live in New Salem with a grandmother she never knew. Her life was turned upside down. She had to deal with the fact that she had a new home, she had to learn to live with someone she had never met, and she had to go to a new school where she did not know anyone. What Cassie did not know was that her mother and grandmother had a secret and that this secret could cost Cassie everything, including her life. This book is suspenseful, mysterious, and a page turner. Reviewer: Laura J. Brown