Ordinary by Starr Z. Davies

Genre: Young Adult

Description: Having a superpower is ordinary. Your Power determines your entire life. But 17-year-old Ugene is Powerless. He can’t read minds or enhance his strength. He can’t manipulate natural matter or heal injuries.

Determined to find out why he is different, Ugene submits himself as a test subject at Paragon. But nothing is as it seems. All exits from the testing floor are sealed. Subjects endure brutal and sometimes deadly injuries. No amount of power can save them.

When his new friend Jade disappears, Ugene is shocked to discover why so many test subjects vanish without a trace.

Now, Ugene must choose between his own preservation . . . or the lives of countless other test subjects.

My Verdict

Today we use the word "normal" a lot and we place a lot of value on "being normal".

The world in this novel appears to value being "ordinary". To me, that seems like something that should be undesirable. The characters all (or almost all) have special powers. While that may seem desirable, consider this: Does having a special power make one more desirable in a difficult situation or could it be limiting.

I am not sure that the book takes on these issues, but those were some of my thoughts as I delved into this dystopian world. It was a bit of a slow start for me, but once it got rolling, I couldn't put it down.

The main character, Ugene, discovers more about himself, flaws and perfections and everything in between. It's a unique world, and a good read. I can't wait to read the piece of this trilogy, titled Unique. I give this book 4 stars.