Library Intern Book Reviews
Publisher
Simon Pulse
City
New York, New York, United States of America
Date of Publication
2015
ISBN
9781481443364
Date of Review
2019
Disciplines
Library and Information Science | Modern Literature
Keywords
young adult literature, reviews
Recommended Citation
Kloosterman, Erin E., "Review of Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti" (2019). Library Intern Book Reviews. 233.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/intern_book_reviews/233
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Review
Ethan, a.k.a Scam, is special. He has a voice that will tell you whatever you want to hear. That seems like a good power to have until Scam ends up in police custody after the voice causes him to disrupt a bank robbery. With the help of his friends, The Zeroes, a bunch of other kids who also have powers, Scam attempts to clear his name and figure out a way to get the voice to work for him. Along the way, he encounters Kelsie, a girl who can harness the power of a crowd and control it, and soon, the pair realize that they are connected by more than the fact that they both have a special power. As the book progresses, The Zeroes have to learn to control their power and decide if they will use their powers for good or for evil. The fast-paced plot will entice teen readers to keep turning the pages, and the super power plot points definitely lend themselves to interesting discussions about good and evil. However, the characters are often unlikeable, and their powers are so unique that they are often hard to completely understand. The book length lends itself more to strong readers than reluctant teens. Fans of the teen superhero fiction would be better served reading The Renegades Trilogy by Marissa Meyer. Optional. Erin Kloosterman, Centennial Library Intern, Cedarville University