The Ability by M.M. Vaughan

The world isn't fair. We live with this every day as we go about our daily lives. Well so does Christopher Lane, the main character of my latest read. Struggling to remain in school while paying the bills and making sure his mother is fed, Chris faces many challenges. Not once does he stop to access that he may be able to ask for help, not once does he bother to think maybe he could do more for himself before anyone else. After being presented with an impossible reality that his twelve year old mind may be able to move objects through telekinesis or view the memories of the people around him, Chris is thrown into a thirty year old grudge between a pupil thought dead and those who had to live with that mistake.

Six twelve year olds including Chris; are put through intense training to prevent further harmful acts as they work to unfoil a brilliant plot which is presented to the reader early on. Realistically however, we feel the impossible stretch our limits and so the author attempts to bring it back to earth by limiting some characters' abilities while causing uncontrollable circumstances among others. 

To conclude the novel, a second grudge is presented through that of a manipulated secondary evil character; they vowel to seek revenge on our main character and we are left realing with what may occur in the second half of the 'academic year'.

I hope I did not spoil the book too much for those eager beaver readers of ours but the intensity of this novel amazed me. There is a lot of comedy presented and towards the end there is even a brutal fight scene. If anyone has read the Mysterious Benedict Society and enjoyed it, they will most definitely find joy in this novel as well. 

Most importantly, similar to many of this decade's titles; the novel pulls the reader in by making realistic connections such as not reaching your full potential. Wanting to live up to somebody's standards. Longing for a connection and a relationship that has otherwise been severed and unattainable.

Let me know what interesting perspective you took from this novel if you have the chance to read it!!

-The Original NightDweller