Hello hello hello my fabulous and amazing friends! I hope the weekend treated everyone well, and that the week is going swimmingly :). Have this review today/tonight, and it comes in two parts :)
Impulse Control is the prequel of the Talent Chronicles by Susan Bischoff. Ethan, his best friend Karen, and his crush Elle all are Talents, people born with supernatural abilities such as mind reading, super strength, etc. These special people also call themselves Talents. If you are caught having a Talent, you are taken to a place called the NIAC, a basic prison/training ground for Talent kids. This trio discover a sinister plot that the people running the NIAC they reside at want to conduct on the kids. Together, the kids try to stop them.
I liked this prequel, although it was too short. I am glad Bischoff ended it well. The only issue I have, other than the length, is how quickly and neatly everything happened. I don't know, it all felt too....tidy, and too compressed. But then again it's a short story prequel, what do you expect?
Ethan was decent, although a bit dull at times. He was the usual conflicted hero, semi-brooding and very reluctant. I was more interested in his snarky best friend Karen. Yes she was snarky, but you could tell she cared for Ethan. It was also refreshing how she and Ethan didn't fall in love, which happens a lot in YA literature, one best friend falling for the other. It was nice to see that not happen here. I loved all the characters abilities, despite some of them having scary sides.
Bischoff developed this nicely, although I'll get more into her style with Hush Money, which I shall do in a second.
Hush Money is the first book in the Talent Chronicles Series. It follows Joss, a young Talent going through her life as anonymously as possible. She thinks by avoiding people and social interactions in general, she won't be noticed and her Talent won't be exposed. Then one day a girl named Kat decides to become her friend, standing up to a bully named Marco for her, revealing Kat's Talent in the process, and starting a chain of events that will change their lives forever.
I adore this book, utterly and always. It's just so fantastic, it's fabulosity permeates through the books and practically flies off the pages, electronic or otherwise. I can't believe it was only .99 cents as a ebook! That's crazy! But either way I am so so so glad I've read this. It's very reminiscent of X-Men, with the supernatural abilities and how people with abilities are treated. You are sucked in immediately on page one, never wanting to leave the story (which happened to me). The suspense and action (when there was action) was superb. I think it's safe to say this is one of my favorites of this year. The story flows like a waterfall, you are gripped, laughing, shocked, scared, the whole emotional range.
I loved Joss as one of the protagonists. She has this inner conflict that is so fascinating. You see her struggle with it, then embracing (sort of) who she is at the end. At first, I didn't know what her Talent was, but when I did find out, I was amazed, it's so cool, although sort of standard. She was snarky and funny, also very real. I also adore the deuteragonist, and Joss' love interest Dylan. I think his story and development were even more fascinating. He has much more to go through than Joss, since his situation is a bit more dire. Plus he is sexy as hell ;) Wish I had a Dylan. Kat was fabulous. I loved her chipper attitude, although it did get a bit grating every now and then. I also thought she was a bit too adamant, but then again that's Kat. Marco, oh holy cheese and crackers. Honestly, he scared the sh()t out of me. I can't even describe it, but I literally could not speak or think while reading his scenes. He just frightened me to the core, and I also hate his guts deeply. Can't ask more from a villain.
I will just say it straight: Susan Bischoff is a boss. She is, plain and simple. I don't think I've ever seen an author so passionate about their books and what they've written. I mean it, you can feel the passion permeating from this book. I think she even wrote a forward in either Impulse Control or Hush Money saying how much she loved superheros and romances, and the two combined, so she made it happen in a book. I love love love this world she has created, making it feel fantastic and all too real at once. She brings you in and makes you feel just as passionate as she is. I love to write, and hope to be a writer someday. Despite my love of writing, I wish I had an ounce of passion Susan Bischoff has. She is incredibly talented and I hope she gets the recognition she deserves. Kudos to you, Ms. Bischoff, for writing a beautifully fantastic series.
If you love X-Men, also romance, you'll love this book.
I'll next be reviewing Beautiful Demons by Sarra Canon.
Until next time, viva la literature!
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