Freakling

Gr 5–8—Krumwiede's dystopian novel (Candlewick, 2012) is set in Deliverance, a city where everyone has the power of psi—the ability to move and manipulate objects with their minds. Twelve-year-old Taemon's ability seems more unique than that of his brother, causing an intense rivalry. When Taemon loses his power, he fakes it for a short while and then is exiled to the "dud" farm, a colony of powerless people. The boy learns to improvise and master new skills and discovers more about his family history. Nick Podehl's dramatic narration increases the story's tension. He emphasizes Taemon's incredulity at people who read books, have to use door knobs, and eat with their hands rather than floating food to their mouths. The voices of Taemon's new friends—Moke, Amma, and the mysterious Challis—are all individualized and reflect each character's nature (impetuous, cautious, prophetic). The dogmatic voice of the Elder is convincingly bureaucratic. As the pacing increases, Taemon sounds more and more desperate and listeners will hold their breaths as he tries to decide on the best action to save both his community and his brother. Fans of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games and Divergent by Veronica Roth will immediately be drawn into this unique, convincingly narrated story.—Edie Ching, University of Maryland, College Park