What do you think?
Rate this book
The Spec Set
Inter-dimensional espionage is child's play.
Sucking liquid nitrogen-frozen popsicles in a geek hostage program (science camp) is the last way Emile wants to spend his summer, but when a camp chemistry experiment explodes into a full blown FBI accusation against his little brother Max, Emile has real work to do.
Emile knows Lilly Fang can help, and will, if he can avoid antagonizing her for ten minutes. Actually, Lilly Fang has a lot of secrets, including a lifelong neurological condition, a set of fantastical super powers, and a reporting relationship with CIA. Lilly assembles a defensive team in Max’s behalf. The teens will need all their strength (and their weaknesses) to find the thief and foil a potentially universe-spanning bomb threat. The chase will take them as far as the Y Universe, where physical laws make everything chemically unpredictable.
The Spec Set is a contemporary fantasy like The Breakfast Club meets X-Men.
Sucking liquid nitrogen-frozen popsicles in a geek hostage program (science camp) is the last way Emile wants to spend his summer, but when a camp chemistry experiment explodes into a full blown FBI accusation against his little brother Max, Emile has real work to do.
Emile knows Lilly Fang can help, and will, if he can avoid antagonizing her for ten minutes. Actually, Lilly Fang has a lot of secrets, including a lifelong neurological condition, a set of fantastical super powers, and a reporting relationship with CIA. Lilly assembles a defensive team in Max’s behalf. The teens will need all their strength (and their weaknesses) to find the thief and foil a potentially universe-spanning bomb threat. The chase will take them as far as the Y Universe, where physical laws make everything chemically unpredictable.
The Spec Set is a contemporary fantasy like The Breakfast Club meets X-Men.
332 pages, Paperback
Published February 1, 2019
18 people want to read
About the author
Taya Okerlund
10 books41 followersWhen Hurricane Coltrane came to me, it moved in like the storm it was named for and opened up such a creative fury it was difficult to collect. It's been a lot of hard work since then and I've loved it!
I grew up all over the United States, and studied in East Asia, though my roots reach deep into the Southern Utah desert where most of my family members still live. I currently hale from the San Francisco Peninsula with my story-adoring husband and daughter who keep me busy and inspired.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 21, 2019
The Spec Set is not your typical YA. It's actually not your typical book at all – I'm not sure I can even place it! It's a unique bird, a true genre bender. But if I had to find a couple of words to characterize The Spec Set, I would say... Fast, surprising... Explosive. Both literally and figuratively! It turned out quite different from what I was expecting it to be, although I'm not even sure you can convey an adequate enough picture in a blurb for a book like this. When I picked it up, I wasn't sure what I would get, but it checked off certain points that I liked – disability, neuro-divergence, empowerment and possibly a scifi adventure. Yep, all those were there – but the book was quite different than what I expected it to be.
It was a wild ride indeed! But I can say I enjoyed it.
You'll never NOT be surprised by The Spec Set – okay, so I might have worded that in a bit of a complicated manner. But what I mean is that what I was expecting was a light YA, maybe a contemporary with some real life struggles of neuro-divergent teens, maybe some added adventure that would empower them – all in the limits of our natural, normal day to day.. But that's not at all what The Spec Set is! It's no YA about a science camp. Shit gets very real, very fast in this book!!! And the funniest thing is, when you think that shit is already pretty real... Well, it gets EVEN more real. And even then it's not done getting more real. It's like when I said that you could call it explosive, both figuratively and literally. That statement really describes it the best!
More than that, it has both a diverse, as well as a neuro-divergent cast. However, there is a lot more to be said on these matters, so I suggest reading it in the full review in my blog post:
I thank the author for giving me a free copy of the book in exchange to my honest opinion. Receiving the book for free does not affect my opinion.
Read Post On My Blog | Themed Bookstagram | Quick Update Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
You'll never NOT be surprised by The Spec Set – okay, so I might have worded that in a bit of a complicated manner. But what I mean is that what I was expecting was a light YA, maybe a contemporary with some real life struggles of neuro-divergent teens, maybe some added adventure that would empower them – all in the limits of our natural, normal day to day.. But that's not at all what The Spec Set is! It's no YA about a science camp. Shit gets very real, very fast in this book!!! And the funniest thing is, when you think that shit is already pretty real... Well, it gets EVEN more real. And even then it's not done getting more real. It's like when I said that you could call it explosive, both figuratively and literally. That statement really describes it the best!
More than that, it has both a diverse, as well as a neuro-divergent cast. However, there is a lot more to be said on these matters, so I suggest reading it in the full review in my blog post:
I thank the author for giving me a free copy of the book in exchange to my honest opinion. Receiving the book for free does not affect my opinion.
Read Post On My Blog | Themed Bookstagram | Quick Update Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
February 23, 2019
This book is certainly different and something that we really need in his time.
With more focus on diversity and disabilities, as we move forward, this is the kind of book that we need to see more and more.
This book surprised me in ways that I haven't been surprised in far too long and it made me wanna stay and keep reading. I finished this book in just about 4 days and considering how hectic my life has been, I would consider that a very big achievement.
When I sat to read this book, I had no idea what to expect but as I continued to read, I started to love it and couldn't put it down. I am so glad that I read this book!
The writing style was very good and engaging. It made you wanna keep reading until the end of time.
It was also very fast-paced which is something I really like. The book continues at a pace where you can understand what is going on but also lets you wonder a bit about what is happening.
I really liked this book and I hope that you all will too!
RECOMMENDED TO:
Anyone who liked sci-fi and going on new bookish adventures!
With more focus on diversity and disabilities, as we move forward, this is the kind of book that we need to see more and more.
This book surprised me in ways that I haven't been surprised in far too long and it made me wanna stay and keep reading. I finished this book in just about 4 days and considering how hectic my life has been, I would consider that a very big achievement.
When I sat to read this book, I had no idea what to expect but as I continued to read, I started to love it and couldn't put it down. I am so glad that I read this book!
The writing style was very good and engaging. It made you wanna keep reading until the end of time.
It was also very fast-paced which is something I really like. The book continues at a pace where you can understand what is going on but also lets you wonder a bit about what is happening.
I really liked this book and I hope that you all will too!
RECOMMENDED TO:
Anyone who liked sci-fi and going on new bookish adventures!
Read
November 16, 2019* I read this as it's an #SPFBO entry for this year's competition and I'm a judge *
I have to say I was not a fan of this book from the start because unfortunately it didn't have the same level of edit as some of the other titles I've read for this year's competition, and the story didn't seem to be very fleshed out, it was quite fast-moving.
I ended up not finishing it as I got to 10% through and could tell that unfortunately the angst and the language just wasn't going to appeal to me, and I found it hard to push on with.
The general concept is interesting, there's a pair of brothers, Emile who's the elder and Max who is younger. These brothers appear quite different as Max is some sort of super-genuis and manupulator right from the start whereas E seems to be more of a carer for him in the absence of their father's time.
I like the concept of a baby brother with his own amazing ideas to be the plot, but I didn't like the way the story was told unfortunately. It moved so fast I felt like you just got thrown in and never situated with the characters or their motives or personalities.
Overall, I could tell early on with this one that it sadly didn't hit the level of some of the other titles just yet, but that the idea had potential and with some proper edits to flesh out the tale I think it would have flowed a lot better. Not one for me personally, but still maybe a fast-paced book which could capture the attention of some predominantly YA readers. DNF.
I have to say I was not a fan of this book from the start because unfortunately it didn't have the same level of edit as some of the other titles I've read for this year's competition, and the story didn't seem to be very fleshed out, it was quite fast-moving.
I ended up not finishing it as I got to 10% through and could tell that unfortunately the angst and the language just wasn't going to appeal to me, and I found it hard to push on with.
The general concept is interesting, there's a pair of brothers, Emile who's the elder and Max who is younger. These brothers appear quite different as Max is some sort of super-genuis and manupulator right from the start whereas E seems to be more of a carer for him in the absence of their father's time.
I like the concept of a baby brother with his own amazing ideas to be the plot, but I didn't like the way the story was told unfortunately. It moved so fast I felt like you just got thrown in and never situated with the characters or their motives or personalities.
Overall, I could tell early on with this one that it sadly didn't hit the level of some of the other titles just yet, but that the idea had potential and with some proper edits to flesh out the tale I think it would have flowed a lot better. Not one for me personally, but still maybe a fast-paced book which could capture the attention of some predominantly YA readers. DNF.
April 5, 2021
“The Spec Set” is a little piece of neurodivergent lit that is part superhero adventure, part spy thriller, part alien encounter, and sprinkled with a healthy dose of coming-of-age drama for our MC, Emile. Emile has always taken care of his little brother Max; making sure he gets around, that he’s safe, that he has what he needs. But Emile knows that Max is brilliant, that he is capable of more, even though he doesn’t talk, if only their over protective father would stop coddling the kid. Then Max finds a therapist whose young daughter (Lily) not only helps Max, but introduces Emile to a whole new world, one where he can play a part—as long as he, too, can see his little brother for who, and what, he truly is. I really loved the narrative voice of this novel from the onset, it’s fun and just my kind of sarcastic. I also really loved how Emile views Max early on; as someone with a neurodivergent brother, I related to being a sibling’s keeper, and feeling like they were playing the system more than necessary. But there was also a lot happening in this short read, and I often felt like chunks were missing from the story.
I liked that the author made it so neurodivergent characters had powers of sorts, and I thought there was a lot of fun creativity that went into their abilities, it reminded me of the X-Men and those just happen to be my favorite comics. I also liked the stories overall premise: a set of chemicals have been stolen which, while bad on earth, turn out to be even worse when the culprit flees through a portal to another world. I also really liked the authenticity of Emile, where he is often frustrated with Max but that never stopped him from doing what his brother wanted, from helping him, and going along with Max and Lily even when he didn’t want to. But the other characters often belittled Emile for that. They treated him like he was… dense I guess is the best way to describe it. And even though Max and Lily had good intentions, I just could never like them much because they never seemed to like Emile all that much in turn. Which, unfortunately, those two characters set the tone for the others in the Spec Set and how they viewed Emile as well. So, needless to say, I had a hard time connecting to the large cast of characters, and never really felt like I got to know any one of them that well.
But when you have a story with so many different parts, it can be hard to give each part it’s due. The family relationship with Emile, his dad, and Max is strained, but never gets much of a focus or resolution. The earth case of the missing chemicals felt swept aside in order to focus on going through the portal which is, admittedly, more exciting but it was a loose end that just got glossed over really quickly. The twist with the new world is really cool! But not enough time is spent there either to where when, the book ends, I felt like they accomplished their original mission, as it got pushed aside for an intense gladiatorial-type battle. I also was a little irked that going to this new planet “fixed” Max. It was a conflicting message that maybe I didn’t entirely get because there was so much else going on. But that’s what I mean by it felt like large chunks of the book was missing. That may be by design because the story is told in Emile’s POV and maybe certain aspects bored him, or he felt like he couldn’t share because of agency secrets, but it mostly left me confused.
Overall, this story has an amazing concept, one that is a thrilling ride, but suffers from a lack of adequate world and character building. The bones are all there, and they are all solid and good, but it needed a bit more fleshing out to really set the scene and immerse me in this creative world. This book has some really fun X-Men vibes, so if that’s your jam, and you’re looking for a fast-paced alien espionage type adventure, you may enjoy this YA sci-fi more than I did. Which isn’t to say I didn’t like it, but it had such a strong start that the rest of the book struggled to live up to, in my opinion, which is why I am giving this 3 stars. But thanks to the author for sending me a copy for an honest review!
I liked that the author made it so neurodivergent characters had powers of sorts, and I thought there was a lot of fun creativity that went into their abilities, it reminded me of the X-Men and those just happen to be my favorite comics. I also liked the stories overall premise: a set of chemicals have been stolen which, while bad on earth, turn out to be even worse when the culprit flees through a portal to another world. I also really liked the authenticity of Emile, where he is often frustrated with Max but that never stopped him from doing what his brother wanted, from helping him, and going along with Max and Lily even when he didn’t want to. But the other characters often belittled Emile for that. They treated him like he was… dense I guess is the best way to describe it. And even though Max and Lily had good intentions, I just could never like them much because they never seemed to like Emile all that much in turn. Which, unfortunately, those two characters set the tone for the others in the Spec Set and how they viewed Emile as well. So, needless to say, I had a hard time connecting to the large cast of characters, and never really felt like I got to know any one of them that well.
But when you have a story with so many different parts, it can be hard to give each part it’s due. The family relationship with Emile, his dad, and Max is strained, but never gets much of a focus or resolution. The earth case of the missing chemicals felt swept aside in order to focus on going through the portal which is, admittedly, more exciting but it was a loose end that just got glossed over really quickly. The twist with the new world is really cool! But not enough time is spent there either to where when, the book ends, I felt like they accomplished their original mission, as it got pushed aside for an intense gladiatorial-type battle. I also was a little irked that going to this new planet “fixed” Max. It was a conflicting message that maybe I didn’t entirely get because there was so much else going on. But that’s what I mean by it felt like large chunks of the book was missing. That may be by design because the story is told in Emile’s POV and maybe certain aspects bored him, or he felt like he couldn’t share because of agency secrets, but it mostly left me confused.
Overall, this story has an amazing concept, one that is a thrilling ride, but suffers from a lack of adequate world and character building. The bones are all there, and they are all solid and good, but it needed a bit more fleshing out to really set the scene and immerse me in this creative world. This book has some really fun X-Men vibes, so if that’s your jam, and you’re looking for a fast-paced alien espionage type adventure, you may enjoy this YA sci-fi more than I did. Which isn’t to say I didn’t like it, but it had such a strong start that the rest of the book struggled to live up to, in my opinion, which is why I am giving this 3 stars. But thanks to the author for sending me a copy for an honest review!
March 26, 2019
Read this review and more like it on my blog at BeckieWrites.com!
The Spec Set by Taya Okerlund was a fun and fast paced inter-dimensional adventure that will delight fans of the X-Men, the Avengers, or superheroes in general. Okerlund populates her pages with a diverse group of characters that seem to jump off the page. The protagonist, E, is particularly lifelike as he does his best to figure out how to balance navigating the world with his newfound super powers while being the best big brother possible.
The protagonist's younger brother, Max, was my favorite character. I have friends and family members that I dearly love who have Asperger's Syndrome and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder. Although I have read many nonfiction books about what it is like to love a person with autism, this is the first time I have had the opportunity to read a work of fiction in which neruodivergent characters had the opportunity to be the heroes.
One of the things I thoroughly enjoyed about The Spec Set by Taya Okerlund was that she was willing to take risks with her writing and to explore the world through a unique point of view. I have a soft spot for science fiction and it has been a long time since I have had the opportunity to visit this genre. I particularly enjoy the way science fiction allows us to speculate about the world in which we live and to ask what life would be like if things were just a little different or if technology was just slightly more advanced.
In The Spec Set, Okerlund asks the question that many of us have been asking all along: What if neurodivergence isn't a disability- what if it is a unique and beautiful way of living and existing in this world? Then, Okerlund answers this question by adding a healthy dose of imagination and adventure.
The only note of constructive criticism that I have about this book is also a compliment: I would have liked to have seen more in-depth characterization. The entire cast of characters were so fascinating that I would have happily read more about them and their background stories. I wish that the author would have spent a little more time delving into the characters' diverse motivations; however, i also appreciate the fact that she kept the story moving forward with a sort of frenetic energy that kept me rapidly turning the pages.
If you love diverse representation in literature or enjoy a good science fiction book, The Spec Set is one adventure that y ou won't want to miss!
Note: I would like to thank the author for a free digital copy of this book. I received a free digital copy of The Spec Set in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Spec Set by Taya Okerlund was a fun and fast paced inter-dimensional adventure that will delight fans of the X-Men, the Avengers, or superheroes in general. Okerlund populates her pages with a diverse group of characters that seem to jump off the page. The protagonist, E, is particularly lifelike as he does his best to figure out how to balance navigating the world with his newfound super powers while being the best big brother possible.
The protagonist's younger brother, Max, was my favorite character. I have friends and family members that I dearly love who have Asperger's Syndrome and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder. Although I have read many nonfiction books about what it is like to love a person with autism, this is the first time I have had the opportunity to read a work of fiction in which neruodivergent characters had the opportunity to be the heroes.
One of the things I thoroughly enjoyed about The Spec Set by Taya Okerlund was that she was willing to take risks with her writing and to explore the world through a unique point of view. I have a soft spot for science fiction and it has been a long time since I have had the opportunity to visit this genre. I particularly enjoy the way science fiction allows us to speculate about the world in which we live and to ask what life would be like if things were just a little different or if technology was just slightly more advanced.
In The Spec Set, Okerlund asks the question that many of us have been asking all along: What if neurodivergence isn't a disability- what if it is a unique and beautiful way of living and existing in this world? Then, Okerlund answers this question by adding a healthy dose of imagination and adventure.
The only note of constructive criticism that I have about this book is also a compliment: I would have liked to have seen more in-depth characterization. The entire cast of characters were so fascinating that I would have happily read more about them and their background stories. I wish that the author would have spent a little more time delving into the characters' diverse motivations; however, i also appreciate the fact that she kept the story moving forward with a sort of frenetic energy that kept me rapidly turning the pages.
If you love diverse representation in literature or enjoy a good science fiction book, The Spec Set is one adventure that y ou won't want to miss!
Note: I would like to thank the author for a free digital copy of this book. I received a free digital copy of The Spec Set in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
March 8, 2019
Action-filled YA
Okerlund pens an action-packed, explosive story in The Spec Set. I really enjoyed this story, as the pace was perfect for the story, and didn't leave the reader behind. The characters were wonderfully created and had a sense of depth to them. I found the character Max, who has some form of disabilities, to be wonderfully divided into many parts of himself. The story works, showing what could be complicated to be living life, and dealing with extraordinary powers and other worlds. This may be focused for the young adult audience, but this reader (not a young adult) enjoyed this very much. I've read Okerlund's work before and definitely look forward to reading more.
Okerlund pens an action-packed, explosive story in The Spec Set. I really enjoyed this story, as the pace was perfect for the story, and didn't leave the reader behind. The characters were wonderfully created and had a sense of depth to them. I found the character Max, who has some form of disabilities, to be wonderfully divided into many parts of himself. The story works, showing what could be complicated to be living life, and dealing with extraordinary powers and other worlds. This may be focused for the young adult audience, but this reader (not a young adult) enjoyed this very much. I've read Okerlund's work before and definitely look forward to reading more.
October 11, 2019
I liked this one, I think the concept was really cool, but it didn’t connect with me as a reader as much as I wished it had.
Let’s start off with the good. The Spec Set is a book about mostly teenagers who all have some sort of special powers and team up to, well, not exactly fight crime, but sort of run special ops missions? Emile is our main protagonist. He’s a bit hard to read, has a lot of family issues, but loves his little brother Max despite twelve year old Max’s eccentricities. Max is a bit of a genius when it comes to chemistry and such, actually he’s more of an alchemist. When Max gets mixed up with some missing chemical, Emile is introduced to The Spec Set, and his own powers emerge. I really dig the concept of a bunch of teens with special powers. Gen X was always my favorite X-Men comic after all. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with a concept like this before outside of comics. I know they exist, but just haven’t read them. Also, there’s a whole parallel/portal to another world thing going on here, and I thought that was handled really well. I love that this other world works slightly different than our own but is close enough to have some back and forth. These concepts were interesting when put together, as well as with all the special powers the kids have.
Things that didn’t work as well for me…well, there are a few things. The prose here didn’t work for me at all. I’ve read a book by this author previously, under a different name, and this style of prose worked really well there. Here, not so much. I felt like there were pieces missing, things that should have been said that were just skipped over. It was a little bit confusing for this type of story. Also, this story is Emile telling his story, omitting some details because of security concerns, but I kept forgetting that until I was taken back out of the story and reminded again by Emile talking to the audience. It felt jarring. If that was the goal, mission accomplished, if not then things could have made it feel more like Emile was continually telling his story rather than such abrupt reminders. Because of the prose, it made other things tough for me, like connecting to the characters. I just felt at such a distance from them, even the main character.
One of the other things that bothered me is a bit of a spoiler so I won’t mention it here, except in a vague way. I do find it hard to believe that such an agency would let kids have so much say so, basically be in charge, of an operation like what took place in the book. It was hard for me to suspend my disbelief in that regard.
I really wish that I had liked this book more than I did, but this may be a case, partly, of me not being a great fit for the work. Despite this one not connecting with me, I appreciate the imagination and creativity here and look forward to seeing what this author does next. 2.5/5 stars.
Thanks much to the author for providing a copy for review purposes. This did not affect the content of my review in any way.
Let’s start off with the good. The Spec Set is a book about mostly teenagers who all have some sort of special powers and team up to, well, not exactly fight crime, but sort of run special ops missions? Emile is our main protagonist. He’s a bit hard to read, has a lot of family issues, but loves his little brother Max despite twelve year old Max’s eccentricities. Max is a bit of a genius when it comes to chemistry and such, actually he’s more of an alchemist. When Max gets mixed up with some missing chemical, Emile is introduced to The Spec Set, and his own powers emerge. I really dig the concept of a bunch of teens with special powers. Gen X was always my favorite X-Men comic after all. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with a concept like this before outside of comics. I know they exist, but just haven’t read them. Also, there’s a whole parallel/portal to another world thing going on here, and I thought that was handled really well. I love that this other world works slightly different than our own but is close enough to have some back and forth. These concepts were interesting when put together, as well as with all the special powers the kids have.
Things that didn’t work as well for me…well, there are a few things. The prose here didn’t work for me at all. I’ve read a book by this author previously, under a different name, and this style of prose worked really well there. Here, not so much. I felt like there were pieces missing, things that should have been said that were just skipped over. It was a little bit confusing for this type of story. Also, this story is Emile telling his story, omitting some details because of security concerns, but I kept forgetting that until I was taken back out of the story and reminded again by Emile talking to the audience. It felt jarring. If that was the goal, mission accomplished, if not then things could have made it feel more like Emile was continually telling his story rather than such abrupt reminders. Because of the prose, it made other things tough for me, like connecting to the characters. I just felt at such a distance from them, even the main character.
One of the other things that bothered me is a bit of a spoiler so I won’t mention it here, except in a vague way. I do find it hard to believe that such an agency would let kids have so much say so, basically be in charge, of an operation like what took place in the book. It was hard for me to suspend my disbelief in that regard.
I really wish that I had liked this book more than I did, but this may be a case, partly, of me not being a great fit for the work. Despite this one not connecting with me, I appreciate the imagination and creativity here and look forward to seeing what this author does next. 2.5/5 stars.
Thanks much to the author for providing a copy for review purposes. This did not affect the content of my review in any way.
March 6, 2019
Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
Emile, his little brother, Max and Lily are connected. It starts out at science camp but when the FBI arrives Emile isn't pleased (like he should be) he gets to go home... because it means Max is in big trouble. Lily and her crew are able to help... if Emile is willing to go along with her crazy ideas. Working to close the case on the real thief the teens take the chase into the Y Universe, where physical laws make everything chemically unpredictable.
The short review...
I felt it was just as well written as the author's previous works. By the end I found it really quite creative too and I really loved the premise once I understood it better. I liked Emile at first and liked his juxtaposition to Lily and Max. I liked that Max was extremely special needs. Mental health is always a powerful topic for me.
The reading experience wasn't a match to all the details I loved about The Spec Set. The pacing threw me off. I didn't like Max or Lily at all. I reallllllllly wanted to. On the face of things I SHOULD have loved them... and maybe YOU would love them. I found myself rooting for Emile and even though I didn't agree with him all the time I could understand. He tried with his brother, he tried to respect Lily and he did things he didn't want to in order to support what they both wanted. I can respect that, but it didn't make for the emotional journey that I wanted, despite how much I really enjoyed all of their adventures.
The twist does make up for a lot of flaws... I got to 45% and was WOWed by where we journeyed to with these three. I had to see where they ended up and the end does tidy up everything... even if it sets us up really well for another edition of The Spec Set.
Cover & Title grade -> B+
I really love the title, The Spec Set. This really inspires the idea that there is a group of special teens. You aren't sure how or what that entails but it makes you curious. I'm not in love with the cover. I do like how the blue color makes it feel more sci-fi, which is good because this falls into that genre, but the image itself doesn't match to me. Still the typography is good and stands out if you are scrolling through Amazon looking to download a book.
Why did The Spec Set WOW me in the end?
-The World!
Honestly I can't totally explain why this worked so well because spoilers, but let me tell you what I can... This is set in our time, an American city, but it has paranormal powers... and MORE! It's a sort of magical realism but from a super science angle rather than magic. It's a combo that teens would enjoy and really relate to hardcore.
-Superpowered Friendship!
Each kid in the group has a super power that was sparked through an interaction with another person. It causes their power to pop! I really loved all the super powers and how they worked with each character, especially Emile's escape power. I also really enjoyed how these powers pulled this group together. That friendship worked like a well oiled machine.
-The Adventure!
This is a roller coaster of emotions... I can't even imagine being a teen involved in the adventures of Lily, Emile and Max! They get to go to Y universe, talk to the FBI, travel to France and even fight in a duel with their super powers!! It's fun and exciting...
As a Writer...
A big problem with The Spec Set was that I didn't like any of the three main characters. I didn't feel sympathy for them and I wasn't motivated to root for them either. It makes events where I should be concerned boring and worse, contrived.
I did enjoy Emile at first, but by the end I couldn't handle his guilt. Max chose his situation. You are saving him. Button it about the guilt.
I found Lily too perfect. The only thing she wasn't good at was that her body couldn't handle this specific environment. No one is that perfect. Sorry.
Max wasn't consistent. A lot was made of his reluctance to talk and yet he spoke up at the worst times. He just rang false. I have autistic people in my life as well as some other mental health people and the one thing I know absolutely is they're always consistent.
I feel like I sound really harsh. I think readers who are all about badass women will love teen Lily who is well on her way. You want a guy who does well on his feet, cares about his too smart little brother and listens to his girl? You want Emile. And Max is the one a younger teen will want to BE... they may not have caught my heart... but they very well could yours.
The Spec Set is full of super powered teen spirit! There is a will they or won't they couple, a little brother extraordinaire and a group of friends that will support them anywhere. The twist takes The Spec Set on an adventure of a lifetime!! It makes you want to explore old train tunnels and old French gardens. It's not perfect but it is fun!
⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐ Authenticity
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Writing Style
⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ Plot & Pacing
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ World Building
Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my special perspective at the bottom of my reviews under the typewriter...
Please like this review if you enjoyed it! *bow* *bow* It helps me out a ton!!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews