Synopsis from Amazon:
Kalla has uncovered the greatest conspiracy the government has hidden under everyone’s nose spearheaded by the Abyss, a powerful underground agency. Abyss has weaponized humans that can control time and space itself. However, they weren’t prepared for a coup d'etat from their own creations led by Kalla. Assisted by her ability to manipulate the climate around her, Kalla embarks on a mission to stop the underground government agency. Follow Kalla through the deep alcoves of the Abyss Experimentation Labs to the forests of the renegade Myst as Kalla learns that not every battle can be won and some victories come with a dire price.
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My Review:
Anymore in Young Adult literature, "teens with superpowers" is a
fairly common plot choice. So is "government conspiracy." When they're
both included as part of the premise, the outcome of the plot is
practically inevitable, right?
Not here, not now!
From
the very start, Morant sets the tone of her tale, which reads more like
an episodic serial than an actual novel—and it is unique and creative
enough to keep me intrigued. I can safely say that I could read without
being able to predict most of the plot twists that happened! The basic
concepts that formed the foundation of this story: the "technicals", or
special elemental powers endowed to certain people, the two warring
factions, the Abyss and the Myst—all of it was FANTASTIC. It was the
kind of idea that sparks in a creative mind and makes an avid-reader
(like me) go all "starry-eyed" over it. The plot it spawned—just
relentless in the way it just kept building on itself, and pushing
toward the finale. Nicely done!
As for the narrative itself—a
bit rushed, and jam-packed with information. The plot scurries along at
such a pace that the reader isn't given much time to "unpack" as we are
hustled from one "plot event" to the next, even taking long "leaps"
between some of the "episodes." I would have loved to slow down and
explore a bit more of the world, and the ideas and concepts—but Kalla is
a character of more action than contemplation, and with good reason!
Her world is neither happy nor safe, and she needs all her wits about
her, even as her enemies seek to destroy her not just physically, but
mentally and emotionally, too.
And where would a determined
heroine be without a crew at her back? Morant provides a host of diverse
and intricately-connected characters—some we get to find out
backstories more than others. A few of them managed to develop their own
"voices" in my head, but unfortunately not all of them. The dialogue
between the characters was a little more "exposition-heavy" and not so
much of the "banter" sort—but that could also be affected by the speed
of the plot. Too much needed to happen in a short space. These
characters just don't have time to kick back and make smart-aleck quips
at each other!
It's a desperate race from start
to finish! I give Kalla a solid ****4 STAR**** rating, and if you're
looking for a neat twist on the "teen superpowers and government
conspiracy" idea, a quick read that you'll want to plow through in one
sitting, then I would certainly recommend KALLA to you!
Further Reading: (Teens-With-Superpowers/Big Government/Dystopian/Fast Plot):
Lord of the Wyrde Woods--Nils Visser-Escape From Neverland
-Dance Into The Wyrd
-Disenchanted--Kelsey Gamendia
The PSS Chronicles--Ripley Patton
-Ghost Hand
-Ghost Hold
-Ghost Heart
-Ghost Hope
-The Portal Prophecies: A Keeper's Destiny--C. A. King
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