This book was sent to me by Chantelle L. Causer in April to review. I’d initially thought that Power Within would be a typical YA book, but I was so happy to discover that it really wasn’t! This has to be my favourite book sent to me to review!
Book Synopsis
Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Gordon wants nothing more, than to be a normal girl. But having a near death accident as a child, she finds out that she has powers. After accidentally electrocuting her sister and blowing up her mother’s kitchen, she suppresses her powers for ten years. Unknowing that there are more people like her out there. A lot more.
That is until a secret group of them try and hunt her down because of her unusual abilities. Forcing her family into hiding, she goes on the run. Having to learn about her powers and her past, she meets many new friends along the way. But you can’t run forever. She learns that someone has betrayed her to the very people she is running from.
Review
How much I enjoyed the book: 10/10
How well I think it was written: 8/10
I finished Power Within about a month ago and I’m so glad I did! I’m beyond grateful to Chantelle for sending this to me because it probably would have slipped by me unnoticed otherwise! As soon as I finished reading Power WithinI felt so lost and confused – as though there was something missing in my life. I emailed Chantelle pretty quickly to ask her when the next book would be released and lucky for me, I don’t have to wait too long because Part II of The Lazarus Children is out in September!
The beginning of the book was a little difficult for me to get into – I honestly couldn’t figure out what was going on. Once the first chapter was over with, it all became a lot clearer to understand and I found myself extremely invested in the book!
The only negative thing I can say about this book is that there were some tense issues that irked me. The majority of the book is written in third person, but every now and then there’s a sentence in second person as though someone else is narrating the story. Since there is no dedicated narrator, I have to assume that this is just an editorial error. It’s easy to overlook once you’re focussed on the story line, but it can be off putting if you’re a perfectionist!
I can’t tell you how much I love – our amazing protagonist – Charlie! I can never stay mad at her for long, even when she decides to be an independent idiot. I guess my love stems from the fact that she’s not a wimpy damsel in-distress: she’s an assertive young woman capable of saving herself. Her internal pain and inability to trust is also something that I empathised with automatically. We all have our monsters in the closet, so it’s lovely to be able to witness someone growing and maturing into a happy and stable adult in spite of this.
I absolutely love all the other characters and other Charlie’s sister I didn’t really have a problem with any of them which is definitely a new experience! The love triangle was such a huge tease: I found myself constantly shifting from one pairing to another! The ending (which I won’t spoil) I saw coming but decided to ignore and deny until it was forced on to me. It broke my heart but was also the biggest cliff hanger that Chantelle could have put at the end of the book. It seriously leaves you wanting MORE as soon as possible.
As you can tell, I’m definitely suffering from withdrawal and will probably go back to read the book again. Honestly, this is one book I’d happily purchase for retail price from a book shop. I really hope this gets picked up by a publishing house, because The Lazarus Children deserves the recognition!
Recommendations
I think this would be a great book for anyone who enjoy fantasy, young adult or romance novels. It gets you right in the heart for each genre!