WILLPOWER

A teen must learn to control her special powers in order to save her imperiled father.

Jennifer Mah, an Asian American girl, was born with telekinetic abilities. Tricked by unethical scientists who promised her a cure but really seek to conduct experiments on her, she and her father are on the run. Jennifer feels stifled by her dad’s extreme protectiveness and constant worrying and wants nothing more than to lead a normal teenage existence. When Noah, the top jock at her school and a jerk-to-nice-guy, is about to get hit by a car, Jennifer cannot help but use her powers to avert the accident, which leads to an unlikely friendship between the pair. Then, Jennifer’s dad is kidnapped by the evil Dr. Lansing and her agents, and it falls upon Jennifer and Noah to save him. Although the plot is basic, Chan’s suspenseful, fast-paced storytelling is engrossing from the very first page. With short, action-packed chapters, the book will appeal to reluctant readers. While the focus is largely on Jennifer’s immediate troubles, including her guilt over her mother’s death, the story does touch upon issues of class and racial identity. With convincing dialogue, ably handled character development, and a strong female Asian lead, this book would be a great addition to any young reader’s library. Noah’s “shaggy hair” may or may not code him as White. The main characters are teens, although the book’s audience is middle-grade readers.

A lightly speculative novel about developing courage and inner strength.