Defector: A Variants Novel
Gr 8 Up—With her first real mission behind her, Tessa is settling into the FEA (Forces with Extraordinary Abilities), dorming at headquarters with her best friend, Holly, and finally dating Alec. She hasn't been back long when the three of them are tapped for another mission, this time using Tessa's shape-shifting Variation to protect a politician. The job doesn't go according to plan, though, when rival Variant organization Abel's Army shows up and kidnaps Holly. To rescue her best friend, Tessa has to take off on her own mission outside of the FEA, and confront every untruth she's been told in her life. While enough information about the first book in the series is given to get newcomers up to speed, Defector isn't quite strong enough to stand alone. Most of the novel features Tessa on a road trip searching for information, only to find out that everything she's been taught at the FEA is wrong. Those who enjoyed the first installment will likely want to find out what happens to Tessa, but this isn't likely to make new readers go back to read the first book. The plot revelations leave room for at least one more book in this series.—Brandy Danner, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA