Flare Up

by Adele Jones

Jett Faraday's good looks and mega-toned body turns heads at his bayside gym. Known for his easy-going nature, the eighteen-year-old is pushed to the limit when gym manager, Luca, discovers his interest in a bodybuilding competition and pressures him to take an illicit performance enhancer to accelerate his gains. When Luca makes physical threats, Jett reports him, but ends up framed for drug possession and humiliated in front of his gym buddies, including his secret crush, Imogen Gale - Muay Thai champion, and Luca's girl friend. As Luca's behaviour grows increasingly erratic, Jett digs deeper, unearthing a high-tech operation formulating ingestible products for engineering mind-manipulable super-humans. When that technology is turned on him, Jett faces a fight for survival that may cost him everything.

Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

166 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 6, 2025

About the author

Adele is an Australian author of "Science fiction for the real world". Writing YA fringe and near sci-fi stories, she tackles complex teen issues including self-worth, disability, loss, domestic violence, youth crime and more, drawing inspiration from her passion for family, faith, friends, music and science.

Reviews

[Ruth Bonetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fast-paced, high octane YA novel from the metaphor queen, Adele Jones. Highly recommended.

[Elizabeth Klein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strangely enough, this story kind of reminded me of The Hulk, where the mild-mannered scientist would revert into the huge, super-muscled hero when he became angry. Except Flare Up’s plot centres around what happens at a local, innocuous gym to a teenager named Jett who wants to try out in a bodybuilding competition. He becomes entangled in a high stakes criminal operation of erratically-altering body and mind drugs used to enhance performance.

Rushing back to my memory are movies such as The Bourne series, in which agents were genetically enhanced to perform covert missions for their government. Or the series Limitless where the plot is also about drug enhancement. The evil brainchild of administering such techniques for mind control already exists and is part of the psyche behind many governments, with humans as their potential weapons.

So Jones’s novel reveals nothing new about such engineering, only on a much smaller scale. The story progresses more like a crime investigation as the young protagonist becomes involved up to his eyeballs as he digs around and discovers what’s really at stake. The story escalates into a life and death struggle when even his love interest makes an attempt on his life.

The tale is fast, it’s science-y and is even part super-hero. If you love action-a-minute stories, then this book is for you.

[Lynne Stringer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a friend of the author, I was lucky enough to get a review copy of this early. It's book 1.5 in the Integrate series, and features well-loved character Jett Faraday, a couple of others from the Integrate series, and a few newbies as well.

Jett's body-building leads to him finding out about some crazy drugs being used on some individuals at his gym. Their strength is increased to a level more reminiscent of a superhero, although with nefarious intentions, and Jett has to find a way to fight it. It was an enjoyable and fun novella with the science base featured in all Adele Jones' books, which will really delight lovers of proper science-y science fiction, as well as those who love action and thrill-a-minute rides. If you loved the Integrate series, this is a must for you.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an action-packed short read set between Integrate and Replicate (Books 1 & 2 of the Blaine Colton series) - it follows the adventures of Jet while Blaine is off doing other things.

Jet is a lovable character - he's aware he isn't as academic as his bright twin sister, Sophie, but he is caring loyal, athletic and fully committed physical fitness. The boss of his gym pressures Jet to take a new super-drug to bulk up his muscles. Jet resists but still finds himself caught up in the high octance world of illegal substances and cutting-edge science - and falling in love with the beautiful kick-ass Imogen who may or may not be involved in the nefarious goings on.

Great to see Jet have his own story.