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Willpower

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Jennifer Mah has a secret ― a big one . She can move objects with her mind. She knows if people learn about her abilities, she would be taken and subjected to horrible experiments. That’s why she and her father have been living in a new city under false identities. But when Jennifer uses her powers to save someone from being hit by a car, she exposes herself to the authorities. Her father is taken away by agents and Jennifer has to find a way to save him without getting caught herself.

112 pages, Paperback

Published February 15, 2022

2 people are currently reading
13 people want to read

About the author

Marty Chan

35 books26 followers
Raised in Morinville--a small town north of Edmonton, Alberta--Marty Chan is a playwright, radio writer, television story editor, and young adult author.

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Profile Image for Read by Curtis.
587 reviews21 followers
August 23, 2022
In this high-interest accessible (previously "high interest low reading level") novel, telekinetic teen Jennifer and her widowed father are on the run from an evil scientific organization hoping to exploit Jennifer's powers.

In spite of reading like fanfic for Stephen King's Firestarter or a Marvel mutant storyline, Willpower is nonetheless a great addition to a classroom library; the fast-paced plot will engage reluctant teen readers.

1 review
Currently reading
January 3, 2025
Week 1 - Choosing a book (Q1 and Q2)
When I chose Willpower by Marty Chan, several factors impacted my decision. First, the engaging introduction on the back cover immediately drew me in. It outlines the story of Jennifer Mah, a protagonist with the extraordinary ability to control objects with her mind—wow~how amazing is that? Additionally, the cover art is both stunning and mysterious, which piqued my curiosity even more. Another important factor was that the book doesn’t have too many unfamiliar words for me. Finally, it was recommended by Ms. Andrews, whose suggestions I trust. I’m thoroughly enjoying this book so far and am excited to continue reading it!

Week 2 - Determining (Q1 and Q2)
Jennifer Mah is the protagonist of the story, she can move objects with her mind. She knows if people learn about her abilities, she would be taken and subjected to horrible experiments. Her primary motivation is to protect her abilities. She wants to make friends, but she has to keep a low profile and hide herself.

Her father, worried that she would reveal her skills, taught her not to attract attention. And he has instilled in Jennifer “thousands” of times about the importance of remaining inconspicuous.

Noah Benson is the antagonist in the story so far, he is the captain of the basketball team and the head of the debate club, positioning him as a popular and influential figure in school. When Noah sees Jennifer and her father struggling with their noisy truck, he laughs and mocks them, showing his disrespect and tendency to bully those he perceives as weaker. His motivations seem to stem from a desire for power and status, often at the expense of others.

Week 3 - Predicting (Q1 and Q3)
The main character, Jennifer, may always want to be left alone and avoid being bullied, especially by people like Noah. She might also want to keep her superpower a secret because using it drains her energy and could make her more of a target if people find out about it.

What gets in the way of that is Noah’s bullying and his possible revenge. If Noah realizes she has a superpower, it could make things worse, as he might use that knowledge to threaten or manipulate her. Additionally, Jennifer’s limited energy after using her powers puts her in a vulnerable position, making it harder to defend herself.

She might overcome Noah by standing up to him without using her abilities, such as seeking help from teachers, or secretly using her superpower.

The conflict in "Willpower" is that Jennifer used her superpower to embarrass Noah by making soda burst on his pants after he bullied her and laughed at her for being poor. This made everyone laugh at Noah, thinking he peed his pants. Using her power drained her energy, and now, at the end of the school day, she's scared of Noah getting revenge. When she tries to leave, she sees him looking for her and starts to run, but Noah chases her.

My prediction is that Noah might realize that Jennifer has a superpower, because a can of soda can’t just burst open for no reason. Instead of just seeking revenge through a fight, Noah could start piecing things together and confront her about it. He might become curious or even scared of her powers, which could change how he reacts. He might want to use her power for his own gain, or he could try to blackmail her, threatening to tell others about her ability unless she does what he wants.

Week 4 - Connecting (Q1, Q2 and Q5)
In my childhood, I thought I was the only person who had a superpower—the ability to use my mind to move objects, just like Jennifer in Willpower. But when I couldn't actually move things with my mind, I believed it was because my power hadn't' t been activated yet and that it needed a special moment to trigger. I kept it a secret, never telling anyone about it during my childhood. This relates to the book because, like Jennifer, I felt the need to keep my “power” hidden, and I thought it would come with special challenges and responsibilities. Jennifer also hides her ability from others, knowing that revealing it could bring more problems than solutions, such as scientists or experimental teams wanting to test on her. Jennifer needs to use her ability at a reasonable and appropriate time without being discovered. It's just like Magician's tricks.

A story that comes to mind is the movie Now You See Me, where a group of magicians uses their tricks to manipulate and control outcomes in their favor. In Willpower, Jennifer and her father manipulate the casino system, using her powers to cheat the game and win money. Both stories involve bending the rules and relying on deception to achieve their goals, but while Jennifer uses a literal superpower, the magicians in the movie use illusion and clever planning. Thrills and excitement are an important part of the theme of both stories.

As for the theme of the book, I think it speaks to the idea of survival and doing whatever it takes to make ends meet. Jennifer and her father are struggling, even needing to sleep in their van if they don't win some money. It makes them have to use a cheating method to win money in the casino, which was to use her superpower to control the turntable. The book also wants you to think about how far you would go in similar situations.

Week 5 - Inferring (Q1 and Q3)
When I'm reading the book, I felt deeply fearful and stressed about Dr. Lansing. She kept wanting to capture Jennifer and experiment on her, which made the whole story very uneasy. When Jennifer realized that her father might have been captured by Dr. Lansing, it felt like Jennifer's last confidence and protection were gone. Dr. Lansing always tried to track Jennifer, and there was a feeling of impending doom.

The story mentioned that Dr. Lansing and Jennifer's deceased mother might have been good friends in the past, because the story vaguely mentioned "I hope my mother didn't tell anything about us to her". So this doctor probably approached Jennifer’s mum because she knew that Jennifer had a superpower, and then Jennifer’s mother died in order to protect Jennifer.

Dr. Lansing's character embodied an imminent threat, which made me worry about Jennifer's safety, and I didn't know if she could escape the siege or survive.

Week 6 - Visualizing (Q1 and Q2)
One scene in the book where a sensory image is used is “I was trapped. I turned and screamed in my mind:Push! The woman flew back up the stairs and slammed against the wall. She slumped down, dazed from the impact. I ran down the stairs toward the man in the tracksuit. Before he could grab me, a cleaner's cart slammed into his body and knocked him sprawling to the ground. Noah grinned up at me. ‘Need some help?’”

In this scene, the author used vivid sensory images to show Jennifer’s superpower, especially through touch and movement. When Jennifer "screamed in her mind" to push the woman, I could almost feel the force she sent out. “The woman flew back, slammed into the wall, and slumped down, dazed.” This detail made the power feel real and intense.

As a reader, this created a sense of tension and excitement. I felt the urgency as Jennifer’s power burst out while she tried to escape. Just as she was about to be caught, Noah suddenly appeared and rescued Jennifer, letting me breathe a sigh of relief. The details – the woman slammed into the wall, the cart slammed into the man – made the scene feel more tense. This moment shows readers Jennifer’s strength and determination, and it also made her character feel more real.

Week 7 - Summarizing
The protagonist Jennifer has a secret superpower that allows her to move objects with her mind. Her parents discover her superpower and take her to see a specialist, thinking she can help her. But they soon discover that the specialist actually wants to experiment on Jennifer. Jennifer and her family realize the danger and start to flee to avoid being caught.

Week 8 - Questioning (Q1 and Q2)
In some scenes, the author uses some stereotypes to describe the characters, but at the same time he also breaks some stereotypes. For example, the image of a bodyguard is presented in a stereotypical way: he is wearing black clothes, black sunglasses, and have a muscular build. The author wanted to use an image of a bodyguard that is more familiar to the public to heighten the tension of the atmosphere.

Jennifer, an Asian Canadian, also took advantage of stereotypes. She tells the casino bouncer, “We Asians always look younger than we really are,” and then the bouncer believed that she’s actually older than she looks like, it’allowing her to bypass security with a fake ID. While Jennifer uses stereotypes to achieve her goals, this scene also subtly breaks it because Jennifer is looks like the same age as she really is.

Jennifer also breaks away from the stereotype of a passive victim. Instead of quietly putting up with Noah’s bullying, she stands up for herself and fights back. This shows her as strong and determined, rather than weak or helpless.

Week 9 - Analyzing (Q1, Q2 and Q3)
Jennifer uses her superpowers to save Noah from a car accident, which also exposes her superpowers and drives the story forward. This also sets up the plot for Dr. Lansing to find her and try to catch her again, and for Noah to help Jennifer.

Halfway through the story, Jennifer's father is captured by Dr. Lansing. This plot is the main turning point of the story. He has been described in the first chapter: The brim of his dirty baseball cap cast a shadow over his tired face. His eyes had dark circles under them, and his scruffy beard still had remains of breakfast in it. All of which represent that he doesn't care much about himself, but cares more about his daughter. This is also reflected when he is captured by Dr. Lansing. In the video sent by Dr. Lansing, he said” Jennifer, run!” He doesn't want her daughter to be exchanged with him. His priority is clear: he wants to protect her, even at the cost of his own life.

After the main turning point, the second main turning point also occurs. Noah stole an agent's phone, and they used the agent's phone to send a message to Dr. Lansing, wanting to make a "deal" with her and then find a time to snatch her father back. The message reads "This is Jennifer, you want me, bring my father to me." When they don't know what to do to find her father, this plot connects them with her father and Dr. Lansing.

Week 10 - Synthesizing (Q1 and Q6)
I feel like Jennifer is a very brave character in Marty Chan's Willpower. She takes risks and confronts Dr. Lansing when her dad is captured by the enemy. If Jennifer were a real person, I would definitely want to know her. Her bravery would make her an inspiring friend, someone who can teach others how to face their fears and stand up for themselves. In addition, her willingness to open up to someone like Noah shows her generosity and forgiveness.

Reflecting on my previous predictions for this story, I realize that my predictions turned out to be completely wrong. I initially thought that Jennifer would remain independent and not make friends, and that Noah might use her superpowers to manipulate or threaten her. However, I see a twist in the story. Jennifer's saving Noah from a car accident led to a meaningful friendship with Noah, who became a better person and became her ally instead of an opponent.

Week 11 - Reflecting (Q2, Q4 and Q5)
My favorite scene in Marty Chan's Willpower is the heartfelt goodbye between Jennifer and Noah at the end of the book when they say each other's full names. This moment is very meaningful because their full names are only mentioned once at the beginning of the book, but they both still remember them. This point is really touching. It also represents that they see each other as true friends.

At the end of the book, after they get rid of the doctor, they send a video to the doctor, saying that if the doctor continues to try to catch Jennifer, they will release the “recording and videos” of her kidnapping Jennifer’s father and experimenting on Jennifer, and put her in jail. But they didn't actually record it, and it's very likely that Dr. Lansing would suspect that and not stop there, and continue to pursue it. This way the story can continue, and the book can have a second season for me to read or be adapted into a multi-episode live-action TV series.

Week 12 - Critiquing ( Q1 and Q3)
I was partially satisfied with the ending of the book. For the part that Jennifer saved Noah and her father through her wit, and they are still alive, I was very satisfied. And It is close to a happy ending, but I was a little dissatisfied with how the story ended Dr. Lansing's story line. She should have been sent to prison or killed at the end, but at the end of the story, she was just lured away and scared that they had "evidence" that she kidnapped them. This left room for the Dr.Lansing to continue to hunt them. On the other hand, Jennifer's story felt complete. However, I think it would have been better if the ending explored Jennifer's future in more detail, such as how she planned to use her powers in the future and her future development plan. This would provide a stronger sense of closure and allow readers to feel her growth more deeply.

The second half of the book is fast-paced and full of fighting descriptions, so I think the adventure style and magical elements of this book make it a great recommendation for readers who like fast-paced or action-packed stories.
Profile Image for Katie.
147 reviews
November 8, 2024
lowkey, for a short story, this kinda ate. i don’t remember much about it it so if you ask me to explain it, i’m at a loss for words. #lipsaresealed?
Profile Image for Jenna Scribbles.
665 reviews38 followers
February 7, 2022
Willpower by Marty Chan

Orca Book Publishers is out of Canada. This is a High Low book. High interest subject for people with a bit lower reading ability. (Older students do not want to read Peppa Pig!) Dyslexic readers, English as a second language, etc. These books are great resources for teachers and students.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I read another book by Chan and enjoyed it: Haunted Hospital.

Jennifer has powers she’s not supposed to use. Abilities. She’s trying to fit in at school. This task is not easy. “Don’t draw attention to yourself.” Her dad warned. When she saves a classmate from being hit by a car, she fears their secret is out.

There is a mysterious Dr Lansing searching for Jennifer and her father. It adds to the intrigue. The action is well done and will keep readers turning pages.

What side is Noah on? Can Jennifer trust him? Lots of fun.

I had trouble with the concept of Jennifer going to school. If she was in hiding, why enroll in classes? A bit off for me. And the misspellings in the texts were annoying. Unnecessary.

Overall this is a good option for school libraries and ESL teachers. Lots of drama and mystery. Another solid offering from Marty Chan and Orca Book Publishers.
Profile Image for Jaime Andrews.
Author 2 books14 followers
February 9, 2022
Incredibly short "book"
Read like an intro for a book. Interesting tho overdone concept. No story arc...more of a beginning & end without a middle.
Profile Image for Ashlyn.
1,767 reviews14 followers
May 13, 2022
I flew through this book in like 45 minutes. I loved it! It was quick to read and very engaging. I’m glad I picked it up on a whim from my library!
Profile Image for Karen.
1,725 reviews13 followers
November 29, 2022
Jennifer and her father are on the run from a scientist who wants to study Jennifer’s ability to move things with her mind. An unlikely schoolmate becomes an ally in Jennifer’s escape.
Profile Image for Emily K.
2 reviews
January 7, 2023
I’m speechless ITS JUST AWESOEME!!!Any other books like this?
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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