Zeroes - YA Book Review

image credit

The new YA novel Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld with co-authors Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti reminded me of the X-men. A group of teenagers with special powers that make them different, and misunderstood, from everyone else. They don't know where their powers came from, and some of them don't really know how to control them. But if they work together, can they go from being zeroes to heroes?

The group's powers are put to the test when one of them, Ethan - code name "Scam", involuntarily uses his power to get tied up with a bank robbery gone bad. Now he's got the cops, some Russian mobsters, and a scary guy called "the Craig" after him. Will his friends and the girl he just met, who also has a power of her own, be able to pool their powers to rescue him and set everything right again?

Not going to lie: this is a long book. But the chapters are fairly short, and there's a lot of action in the story, which moves things along quite nicely. Good to know if you like to read but find a 546-page book daunting.

This book is recommended for teens ages 14 and up, and I find that age recommendation very accurate. If you're a teen, an adult, or the parent of a teen who likes science fiction and superhero stories, then Zeroes will keep you entertained and wanting more, even after that 546th page. Don't worry, though. This is the first installment of a series.

Zeroes is published by Simon Pulse and is on bookstore shelves now. I received a free ARC at Book Expo America with no obligation to review.