Review: Teen angst for the gifted
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 09 25, 2011
This short story is apparently a prequel for the book, "Afterburn", which I haven't read. Because of that, I don't think I got the full impact of the story.Vallon is a student at the American Geological Survey Prepratory Academy School for the Gifted. She's sixteen, and is rebelling against the rules. Gifted even among those considered gifted, the rules chafe against her nature. The extent of this gift isn't well explained, but somehow those gifted can alter reality. However, the use of the power causes a physical/hormonal reaction that makes the user extremely, uh, amourous. Use of the gift unsupervised is against the rules, but Vallon has been sneaking off campus to practice her gift. This time, as she's coming back from one of her illicit sessions, she finds a dead body...and a phone booth?!? Someone's been using power, she can smell it, but why? And why are the adults discouraging her from asking questions?These, and other questions are explored in this 5-10 minute short story. It is intriguing, but I feel that there are parts of the backstory that the reader misses without knowing the novel. For instance, what is the full extent of this power? And what is the purpose of the American Geological Survey and to what purpose are these kids being trained? Just not enough substance to truly satisfy, but enough to tweak interest. The murder is solved and it all makes sense, but without more character development it just doesn't satisfy on it's own.