Hush Money (Talent Chronicles, #1)

Aug 25, 2010 Leena rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I first started reading Hush Money I was wondering what the title was about. As I continued to read everything clicked and began to fully understand the story. I loved the chemistry between Joss and Dylan and all the other characters. I also really liked how it was written in both their point of views. I really enjoyed reading this book because I read a couple chapters a day and at night before I went to sleep I couldn't stop thinking about a book. I would definitely suggest this book to an...more

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Jan 22, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of The Candidates

Shelves: 2011-reads, could-have-been-better, covers-i-love, disappointing-books, reviewed

Let it be known that I thought I would really like this book. I was excited when I downloaded it. I rushed to start it and hoped that it would be a great read from an indie author. I was expecting to be wowed and engrossed. . .but, well, my reading experience was far different than I had expected.

Sometimes it's hard to form my thoughts about a book into words for a review. My thoughts and feelings can be all over the place with certain books. Such is the case with Hush Money -- a book about Tale...more

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Aug 23, 2010 beedee ( astounding dreams ) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! O_O I promise I don't have an echolalia. I just couldn't help it! The book was enthralling and never failed to give me palpitations from excitement, the thrill!!! I so loved it. I'm recommending it to people who love mystery, supernatural stuff, romance. Oh, everyone! There.

Can I just stop and only say IT'S TOTALLY AMAZING!?!

Seriously, it is so amazing my heart's still pounding hard just by thinking about it and looking at the book's cover. It's a book for...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

3.5 stars. I was sort of nervous to read this book. It seems like every single time I go into a story with excitement because the premise seems different from all of the other current offerings, I'm often let down. Thankfully, this did not happen for me - big surprise!

Although, I do have a complaint to get out of the way first. The first half of the book seemed like it took forever to get moving. I was waiting to see kids on superpower crack! Instead, I got a lot of : it appears he likes her but...more 3.5 stars. I was sort of nervous to read this book. It seems like every single time I go into a story with excitement because the premise seems different from all of the other current offerings, I'm often let down. Thankfully, this did not happen for me - big surprise!

Although, I do have a complaint to get out of the way first. The first half of the book seemed like it took forever to get moving. I was waiting to see kids on superpower crack! Instead, I got a lot of : it appears he likes her but isn't saying anything - it appears she likes him but doesn't like to talk to people. Okay. Gotcha. These two kids are going to take a metric crapton of time to figure out that they should let each other in on the news. Can we get moving now? Luckily, the book is short, so my measurement of forever is not as long as you might think.

But the second half - so much fun superpower goodness! All of the "talents" are different. You've got the invisible kid, the super-strong kid, the kid who can move things with her mind, etc. There is the potential for a lot of crazy adventures in the future with this group.

Another great thing to have in the mix - what appears to be a "real" villain in our midst. One of the kids seems to be pure evil. He's already tried to kill one of the others! I'm all for letting characters redeem themselves, but in this case, I hope this guy stays a baddie. There's too many interesting paths this story could take if this is the case.

We also have the dynamic of the kids needing to lean on each other, in order to avoid being captured by the government agency who wants to lock them up in special schools to manipulate their powers. Again...much potential here for great adventures in the future.

The love story worked so much better in the second half of the book. I liked that the guy knew he was weaker in many instances than the girl (and the enemy), but still tried to help, even when he was possibly nervous. He came across as brave, yet not entirely sure of himself. With the initial assessment of him being sort of a bad-boy (and he does do bad things), I assumed he'd be stereotyped as ultra-cocky, and he wasn't. Yay for breaking stereotypes! On the flip side, I appreciated that the girl didn't automatically trip all over herself to be with this guy. She held tight to her reasons for shutting him out, until there was no longer an option to do so.

I have the feeling that I'll be reading book 2 sooner rather than later. Can't wait!
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Sep 03, 2010 A.M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-copies, fiction, fantasy, young-adult

Hush Money is the very promising debut of Susan Bischoff‘s Talent Chronicles series, a YA urban fantasy series that — rather refreshingly — avoids any mention of vampires or sparkling (because teens are interested in more than just blood-sucking).

High school girl Joss has done everything in her power to go unnoticed. She eats alone, carefully controls her grades, and doesn’t even think about talking to her crush. Because Joss has a terrible secret: she’s has a Talent… and kids with psychic abili...more Hush Money is the very promising debut of Susan Bischoff‘s Talent Chronicles series, a YA urban fantasy series that — rather refreshingly — avoids any mention of vampires or sparkling (because teens are interested in more than just blood-sucking).

High school girl Joss has done everything in her power to go unnoticed. She eats alone, carefully controls her grades, and doesn’t even think about talking to her crush. Because Joss has a terrible secret: she’s has a Talent… and kids with psychic abilities tend to mysteriously disappear. Then new girl Kat joins the school, and puts herself into harm’s way whilst rescuing Joss from the school bully. In a world in which psychic abilities are punishable by imprisonment, Joss must choose between keeping her secret and doing what’s right to save a friend.

Susan Bischoff has played her cards right: she has managed to write a captivating, engaging tale perfect for teens as well as all of us who… errr… aren’t quite teens any more. In a YA market over-saturated with the same old stories, Hush Money is a breath of fresh air and more besides: it is a fast-paced, engaging introduction to the Talent Chronicles series which will leave you hungry for the sequel.

What truly sets Hush Money apart from its contemporaries are the characters. You’ve got the high school loneliness and angst of early Smallville, the large crew of cool X-men like-powers, but most importantly you have teenagers who are three-dimensional believable people. Joss and her crush Dylan are the protagonists, with the story alternating between their points of view, but the strong character depth extends beyond the main players, creating a fully-fleshed setting which you’ll enjoy sinking into. Furthermore, there is none of this “we were destined to be together” malarkey — in true awkward teen style, the romance is light-hearted, bumbling, and achingly sweet.

The plot had a good mixture of high school drama and larger overpowering (governmental) threat, and while the issue is partially resolved, Susan Bischoff has planted many small seeds which will lead to a gripping, addictive series. After all, while Hush Money is dedicated to introducing the characters, world and dangers, the novel hints that there will be far more at stake in times to come.

My only nitpick? While I enjoyed the alternating points of view — particularly because they were so distinct, and true to each character — the initial few pages felt a little forced. Joss’ use of ‘like’ felt a little contrived, a little “trying too hard to be a teenager”… but either the voice improved, or the story sucked me in soon after, because it didn’t bother me throughout the rest of the novel.

Overall, Hush Money is just the tip of what might become a very huge iceberg. Be careful if you skim past this novel, because even with the smallest scratch you might find yourself sinking right in. That’s where you’ll find me, waiting for the sequel.(less)

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Apr 16, 2013 Tatiana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-twice, favorites, boys-who-stole-my-heart, bad-boy-alert, batshit-crazy-and-or-badass-heroine

What a great book. Who doesn't love main characters that are sarcastic, funny and with supernatural powers??? I know i love 'em. This book was so funny and fast paced that i read it twice in the same week, which is something i never do. The story is told from 2 points of view which is(for me at least) a very good thing since you get to see things from 2 different perspectives. I love it when authors do that, especially when both main characters are so likable. I really enjoyed this book and i re...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Calamus rated it 4 of 5 stars

Set in an almost dystopic America where those born with Talents (ie: super powers) are taken away to camps where unspeakable things happen to them. Joss is a teenaged girl with a tragic past who wants nothing more than to fade in the background. The less she's noticed the safer she and her family are. Enter Marco, a two-bit thug extorting Kat, Joss's new friend and fellow Talent. Can Kat, Joss, and Joss's crush Dylan stop Marco or is Joss's biggest fear about to become a reality?

Hush Money, the...more Set in an almost dystopic America where those born with Talents (ie: super powers) are taken away to camps where unspeakable things happen to them. Joss is a teenaged girl with a tragic past who wants nothing more than to fade in the background. The less she's noticed the safer she and her family are. Enter Marco, a two-bit thug extorting Kat, Joss's new friend and fellow Talent. Can Kat, Joss, and Joss's crush Dylan stop Marco or is Joss's biggest fear about to become a reality?

Hush Money, the first in The Talent Chronicles, reads like a superhero origins story without the spandex suits. The plot may seem familiar, but the strength of the story is in the characters. Joss is a truly conflicted heroine, taught to never get involved or risk exposure to herself and her family watching her struggle to choose between her family and standing up for her friend is what kept me hooked throughout the book. She doesn't always make the choices I want her to, but every choice feels authentic and the character growth evolves naturally throughout the book. Marco, Joss's rival and a truly disturbing villain, was the other standout character. It's not his anger or ability to do violence that makes him so chilling. It's his cleverness. Marco is not your typical dumb bully. He's cunning, narcissistic and as amoral as they come. What makes him even more chilling is when he's juxtaposed with his best friend Dylan's memories of him as a younger, kinder version of himself.

My only real issue with Hush Money comes from the world building. The details given to the reader about this world of super powers is sparse at best and what we are told, that the government takes away Talents and all Talents are afraid of them, seems inconsistent. I'm still not sure if the fear that permeates Joss's life is a symptom of her family's paranoia, the town's refusal to talk about Talents and their fates, or a national aura of fear and suspicion. More details and a more consistent tone would have made the world cohesive and much more realistic.

In the end, this book was a quick tense read with a couple amazing characters and I can't wait to read Out Past Curfew, the second in the Talent Chronicles. (less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Sydney Prevor added it

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Aug 01, 2012 Lexie rated it 5 of 5 stars

So, I just finished both of the books in this series after getting them last night. There are several books out there with teenagers having powers; elemental powers, completely crazy unique powers, teenagers being transported to various worlds and gaining unique wizarding powers. However, The Talent Chronicles stands out from the pack through the character development of each of the characters and the intricate attention to detail that Susan Bischoff gives to her world.

If you had a special talen...more So, I just finished both of the books in this series after getting them last night. There are several books out there with teenagers having powers; elemental powers, completely crazy unique powers, teenagers being transported to various worlds and gaining unique wizarding powers. However, The Talent Chronicles stands out from the pack through the character development of each of the characters and the intricate attention to detail that Susan Bischoff gives to her world.

If you had a special talent you’d want to show it off wouldn’t you? We’re born and raised to rise above the pack, excel, and shine. The Olympics, NFL, and NASA all have one thing in common, the people that are in these groups are special; they possess unique skills that most of the world doesn’t. We celebrate them. However, having unique talents in is something that is Hush Money , the first book in the Talent Chronicles, will get you sent to the State School by the government NAIC. Believe me, it’s not like public school it’s more like an experimental prison. In Farview, an unusual number of teenagers seems to have talents and are being hauled off to the State School.

So, when Joss’ dad realizes she has a talent for telekinesis, Joss is raised to stay off the radar. Her father teaches her to do everything she can to not attract attention. She doesn’t have any friends, she keeps to herself and is always in control of her emotions and actions, and above all she tries to always be on the lookout for potential problems and solutions to those problems. It’s worked since she was a child. What she never anticipated was how one girl was going to change her whole life. Kat is a pretty popular girl, who does what she wants and is used to getting her own way. So, when she goes out of her way to help Joss when Marco is picking on her she simply expects both Marco and Joss to accede to her wishes. Joss suddenly finds herself at the “popular table” with Maddy and her twin Matt, Heather, and Elizabeth. She has know idea what to say to this girl who is the complete opposite of herself. Kat keeps seeking Joss out, convinced that she’s going to draw her out of her shell. Joss finds herself being drawn towards Kat, almost like a magnet. Telling her things that she’s never told anyone. Could it be that Joss isn’t the only one with a talent?

At Kat’s birthday party NAIC agents bust in looking for a boy with laser vision. Kat stands up to them and suddenly Joss finds herself standing up to them as well. Suddenly several teenagers from the “popular table” as well as Joss’ secret crush Dylan are all standing up to the agents. Talents are being used back and forth as kids are trying to find exit strategies and protect one of their own. Joss has trained for this her whole life. The only catch is it was always supposed to be for herself and her family, never outsiders. But Joss begins to realize that her morality isn’t going to let her walk away from her friends and other “Talents.” It becomes an us versus them mentality. Only, not all Talents are looking out for one another.

Marco and his crew have their own plans in mind, and they don’t appreciate Joss and her friends getting in the way.
There are tons of action scenes, interspersed with banter that had me laughing out loud. It was so easy to visualize the characters in my head, because Bischoff describes them so perfectly. I could anticipate exactly what Kat would say to Joss, and how Heather would jump in with her own dialogue with Joss that Kat wasn’t privy to. Suffice to say, almost every kid in this book has a talent and they are seriously cool. The is it-isn’t romance between Dylan and Joss also added to the book. It reminded me of those feelings we all used to have in high school where you can’t think of the right thing to say and are constantly overanalyzing what was said and done.

Bischoff does an excellent job of weaving just the right amount of action, humor, romance all overlaying the seriousness of the situation everyone is living in. The lines are clear between who are the villains and who are the “heroes.” As everyone begins to look to Joss as a leader, will her strength of character and her Talent be enough to fight off the villain? And will the teenagers realize the true villains aren’t always who they appear? The undercurrents of Hush Money are powerful and you can tell that Bischoff is leading the reader onto a bigger adventure in the next book.

This was an excellent read. I absolutely loved it! Joss is a perfect heroine. She’s strong, kick-ass, strategic in her thinking, sarcastic, trying to find her way in a new social world with friends, and always lead by her morals. If I hadn’t already had the second one I would have bought it immediately, because I didn’t want to leave Joss’ world.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves urban fantasy. If you’ve never read urban fantasy and you’re looking for a book to try this is it. Believe me; you’ll be missing out if you don’t read this, and this is coming from someone who reads several books a week. Yes, it’s truly that good!
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Jul 15, 2012 Liz rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was ok, a bit inconsistent in writing and characters though. Joss would think one thing but do another. Dylan seemed to be another main character but he didn't really get a lot of time compared to her; his section seemed unnecessary except for the whole robbery job.

The section in the home where all the talents were running had a lot of people with convienient powers - the x-ray wall girl for example.

The ending killed it for me. I'm sorry but the guy with average strength winning against the g...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Your Need To Read added it

Shelves: izzy

Full review here
http://www.yourneedtoread.blogspot.co...

When I bought Hush Money by Susan Bischoff, I was not expecting anything, honestly—book snob that I am—but the first page really caught me. The beginning explains what's going on without giving everything away in one quick info-overload.

Joss Marshall is one of the main characters, is one of my favorite heroines from any and all books I've read. She's tough without it being a big deal, but she also has very teenage emotions and thoughts, whi...more Full review here
http://www.yourneedtoread.blogspot.co...

When I bought Hush Money by Susan Bischoff, I was not expecting anything, honestly—book snob that I am—but the first page really caught me. The beginning explains what's going on without giving everything away in one quick info-overload.

Joss Marshall is one of the main characters, is one of my favorite heroines from any and all books I've read. She's tough without it being a big deal, but she also has very teenage emotions and thoughts, which to me gives Susan Bischoff very major points. Too many YA characters “think” and “speak” either too maturely, or too much like an adult trying too hard to be YA and that's not what's happening here.

The book is in first person, and half of the book is in Joss's point of view, therefore, because Joss already knows what's going on, she doesn't get into overlong explanations of that don't really need to be there about things like NIAC (National Institutes for Ability Control) and Talents. She just gives enough information for readers (assuming we are smarter than the average bird and able to click into such things) to get the gist of what's going on.

From the very beginning, you can tell Joss has a repressed sense of justice that scares her—and her father. Just the way everything unfolds in chapter one—fast, but not too fast; a nice, steady pace—made me grin; this is gonna be good.

The other half of the book is in Dylan's point of view which just made me so incredibly happy; plus, as the book's hero, he gets top marks. He's easier with people than Joss, and less abrasive—which makes me happy, because usually it's the other way around in books: the heroine must be softer/sweeter/shyer than the hero, even if she's “tough”.

Right away Dylan is seen as the “bad boy”, except that he makes it clear he doesn't want to go that route anymore—he just doesn't know how to get out of the wrong crowd and that's so human to me that I loved him from his second page. Teenagers get into the wrong crowd and when they want to get out—maybe they mature a bit, or wake up—maybe they don't know how. (Though, while Dylan's methods make for a great story, it's so much better to get adult help).

Hero, heroine, and that leaves our villain, who happens to be our hero's best friend. Can things get any juicier, Bob? Yes! Our villain is a smart, sleezy, super-strong bully! Not your average bully that just makes it harder on our heroes. And that makes for a better story.

Everything ties together with an adorable dash of romance thrown in and a good plot. The adorable romance—Dylan crushes on Joss. Joss has been crushing on Dylan. (I wouldn't say it if it wasn't so obviously obvious from the beginning). I definitely recommend this book.(less)

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Mar 11, 2012 Justine rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is about Joss, a high school student, who has to keep a secret, she has a Talent.
The people with Talents, once exposed are usually turned into theNational institutes for ability control or NIAC for short. Is is a government agency that supposedly helps kids control their Talents. But there are lots of horror stories going around that is it like a prison where they experiment and torture the children to find out what makes them tick.

Joss usually keeps to herself for fear of letting it s...more

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Jan 01, 2012 InkBitten rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: rachel

Judged by the Cover: Simply Stunning
Hush Money’s cover art seems to be trying to portray the leading lady, Joss. A detailed physical description I don’t think is ever given in the book (of Joss at least), but I did have a picture of her in my mind when I was reading, and she pretty much looked like that (you know, just without the freckles). Although the layout of the book made me think children's book...not young adult. It would have looked a little dull if it hadn’t been for the little paint s...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Kale rated it 3 of 5 stars

Set in a world where people with special abilities are detained by the government never to be seen and heard from again, the Talent Chronicles has a lot of promise. Hush Money starts off following the duel perspectives of our young would be couple. Loner, Joss who was trained and conditioned to blend in, keep her head down, and look the other way, has been getting by isolating herself and only trusting her family. Semi delinquent, Dylan finds himself in one bad situation after another, and it's...more

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May 04, 2011 Jennifer Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Taking into consideration its target audience, i think that Hush Money was a really enjoyable read.
Unlike most YA Fiction authors i have read recently, Susan Bischoff doesn't seem to have felt the need to fill her pages with vastly overstated description or thersaurus bashing purple prose (*cough* Twilight *cough*). Her writing style is neat, her characters are all developed appropriately (the development doesn't just end at the protaganist it extends to her family, her friends and, in this boo...more

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Dec 05, 2010 Soleil rated it 4 of 5 stars

While most girls were brought up on Barbies, and My Little Pony, my favorite toy was an old blanket that I’d turned into a cape and took on many of my imaginative escapades. I’ve always loved the Superhero mythos, and while I would never EVER want the comic book industry to go under, I do wish that some of it lent itself more to novels.

Luckily it seems some authors feel the same way I do and that, on top of Lynn Viehl’s fantastic Kyndred series for adults, we also have an exciting new series for...more While most girls were brought up on Barbies, and My Little Pony, my favorite toy was an old blanket that I’d turned into a cape and took on many of my imaginative escapades. I’ve always loved the Superhero mythos, and while I would never EVER want the comic book industry to go under, I do wish that some of it lent itself more to novels.

Luckily it seems some authors feel the same way I do and that, on top of Lynn Viehl’s fantastic Kyndred series for adults, we also have an exciting new series for Teens thanks to Susan Bischoff.

To be honest, it was the title of the second book ‘Heroes ‘Till Curfew’ that made me take notice of the first. While the cover is lovely, ‘Hush Money’ didn’t make me think ‘Book = Superheroes + Romance’.

Except, having now read the book in it’s entirety, I have to acknowledge the subtle brilliance behind the title. Acknowledge it quietly that is because my no spoiler policy hasn’t changed any.

I was amazed at how so much of the book reminded me of Highschool. In the very first few pages, Susan describes a character trying so hard to get her teacher’s attention that she has to rest her raised arm in her other palm and I just laughed out loud. How many times have I done that? Little tidbits like this really made the book come to life for me. I found myself hella amused in the appropriate moments. I laughed a lot. And yet this is not a light-hearted tale. I think that says a lot for Susan’s own “Talent”.

I liked the fact that she didn’t try to tone down the language. The characters are put in some high stress situations and well, sometimes, F-Bombs are totally called for. Besides, any parent who claims they weren’t using the same language when they were that age is either suffering from an early on set of Alzheimer or a pathological liar.

Joss, our reluctant heroine, seemed very three dimensional to me. I adored her snark-especially when it was directed at herself. I’m hoping we will get more insight to her family’s back story in future books. The whole ‘military precision’ vibe is just too juicy to have no further explanation and then there’s the whole sub plot about her Father being just a tad unhinged. I’m dying to find out how it all factors in. I wouldn’t say Joss is kick-ass (which I don’t think is a bad thing either way), mainly because she spends most of the novel trying not to use her powers or draw attention to herself in anyway, but she certainly steps up to the plate when she has to. And she’s more inclined to handling her own shit then expecting other people to do it for her, so she’s definitely on my ‘Awesome Heroines’ list.

Dylan Maxwell is recalcitrant nice guy/adorably quirky. I roared with laughter every time his brain went for a walk around Joss and his imagination took hold-I thought only girls suffered those sorts of delusions of grandeur. No? Just me? *Sigh*. Dylan had some great dialogue (and I cracked up every time he thought about Joss’ Dad). I like that Dylan’s not exactly Mr. Heroic himself. None of the Characters are Boy/Girl Scouts. Mainly because they can’t afford to be. Still, like his love interest, Dylan too steps up to the plate when called.

The romance was sinfully sweet. I felt myself going ‘awww’ far more than I am usually wont to do. I felt it developed at a realistic pace given what stood between them. No spoilers, but yikes almighty, and I thought *I* knew that peer pressure was bitch.

I’m pretty interested in the development of the side characters: The feisty yet charming Kat, the quiet but courageous Heather, lovable scoundrel/speed demon Eric, geeky but snarky Rob (Thank you so much for not making him a stereotype and giving him a backbone), and The Twins. There are so many possibilities here and I’m so looking forward to seeing which direction Susan takes them in.

I have to admit I am hoping for a little more action in the sequels. I love me some epic super-powered fight scenes. While I enjoyed the one offered, I felt like it only whet my appetite a bit, so to speak.

Really enjoyable read, and I figure if I’m salivating for Book 2 that can only be a good sign. Definitely recommended if you’re inclined to Superheros, YA, and if you like your YA with a little Superhero para-rom.(less)

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Sep 15, 2010 Paige Prince rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-series, request

I’ve been in kind of a reading slump lately. No, really. I haven’t been able to get into a book and have had to force myself through them for a couple of months now. It’s not the books I’ve been reading, because they’ve all been good, but I just haven’t been yanked into a story and kept there.

Until Hush Money.

From the very first sentence, I was drawn in and I literally couldn’t put the book down. Even knowing that I had to get up at the crack of dawn the next day, I stayed up until 2am reading t...more I’ve been in kind of a reading slump lately. No, really. I haven’t been able to get into a book and have had to force myself through them for a couple of months now. It’s not the books I’ve been reading, because they’ve all been good, but I just haven’t been yanked into a story and kept there.

Until Hush Money.

From the very first sentence, I was drawn in and I literally couldn’t put the book down. Even knowing that I had to get up at the crack of dawn the next day, I stayed up until 2am reading this book.

Susan Bischoff creates a world where people are afraid to stand out in any way for fear of being carted off to special government schools. There are certain people who were born with special Talents, and the government wants to use them for their own purposes.

Joss is one such kid. Ever since she witnessed her best friend being dragged away years before, she’s terrified someone will discover her ability and the same fate will fall on her. So, when the guy she’s been crushing on for ages (Dylan) finally decides to take an interest in her, she’s understandably suspicious.

I loved Joss’s internal dialogue. She’s funny and sarcastic, smart, and remarkably grown up for someone who’s still in high school. She takes care of her little sister and helps out her parents with their store, even while she bemoans the fact that she can’t act like a normal kid because her father is too scared that she’ll draw too much attention to herself if she makes friends.

So, when someone at school decides to befriend her, it throws her world for a loop. Add in that Dylan is suddenly showing an interest in her, and everything is turned upside down.

Because Dylan is suddenly talking to her, his best friend Marco (who happens to be the biggest douchebag I’ve ever seen in my lief) decides to start picking on her. I kept ranting at my Kindle (sorry, Paige!) because I wanted someone to do something about him.

I didn’t like how Dylan caved to Marco’s demands or how Joss decided to take care of it the way that she did… but in order for the book to move forward and for the end to happen the way it was supposed to (which I loved), it had to be done. I guess I just wanted the HEA already. What can I say? I’m impatient. :)

Hush Money is the first installment of Susan Bischoff’s series The Talent Chronicles. I’m eagerly anticipating the next book in the series, since I’m dying to know what happens with Joss and Dylan, as well as all the other Talents introduced in the book.(less)

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Sep 08, 2010 Nan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nook, young-adult, dystopian

I received this book for free via a coupon from Susan Bischoff. The one condition of the coupon was that I agreed to review the book.

I don't think I'm a part of this book's target audience. What I mean by that is this--Hush Money will be popular with its target audience. However, the book didn't work for me. I'm a 34 year-old doctoral student working on a dissertation on 19th-century British Gothic fiction, so my standards are a little different from most of the people who will read this book.

Hu...more I received this book for free via a coupon from Susan Bischoff. The one condition of the coupon was that I agreed to review the book.

I don't think I'm a part of this book's target audience. What I mean by that is this--Hush Money will be popular with its target audience. However, the book didn't work for me. I'm a 34 year-old doctoral student working on a dissertation on 19th-century British Gothic fiction, so my standards are a little different from most of the people who will read this book.

Hush Money alternates between two first person narrators, Joss and Dylan. The story is set in an alternate modern country--unnamed, but probably the U.S. Things are different in this society because a portion of the population has been identified as having "Talents," similar to those of the mutants in the X-Men comics. The government has declared that it has the right to police and train these Talents so that they don't endanger others, creating a state of fear in the population. When teenagers disappear, everyone knows they've been taken by the NIAC, the secretive Talent police.

Joss is much like other YA heroines. She's quiet and friendless, trying not to get noticed. She's got a Talent of her own, and she doesn't want to get caught. However, she's had a crush on Dylan for ages, even though he hangs with the despicable Marco. Marco has been bullying Joss for years, all because she refused to date him. As these kids try to navigate the usual minefield of adolescent relationships, their Talents and their fears make their lives even more difficult.

This book is the first in a projected series, published as low-cost ebooks. The low cost will be attractive to teens and preteens, the presumed audience of this book, but their limited access to ebook readers may cause problems. The book was extraordinarily short, roughly 150 pages. Since the book itself is only $.99, that doesn't seem like a big problem. This reminds me of the sort of series books that I read as an early teen, so I can easily see it finding an audience.

Bishoff's world of Talents is fairly unique, although it does have a strong connection to the X-Men, as I noted above. Her writing is solid, and the plight of the characters seemed real. They were justifiably afraid, and Bischoff does a good job of creating tension. What she does next with the series will determine just how good it's going to be. It's off to a decent start here.

If you like this sort of book, I'd also recommend Holly Black's The White Cat Curse Workers 1.(less)

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Aug 28, 2010 Liz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

4.5/5

Hush Money starts off with Joss back in school after the “disappearance” of a classmate, Krista. Everyone knows Krista was taken away because of her Talent, but nobody wants to talk about it. Nobody ever likes to talk about Talents. Joss has been trained to be invisible, to blend in as much as possible. She avoids speaking in general and she doesn’t have any friends. But Kat, another student in Joss’s year, is determined to change this. And once Kat starts talking to Joss, other people begi...more 4.5/5

Hush Money starts off with Joss back in school after the “disappearance” of a classmate, Krista. Everyone knows Krista was taken away because of her Talent, but nobody wants to talk about it. Nobody ever likes to talk about Talents. Joss has been trained to be invisible, to blend in as much as possible. She avoids speaking in general and she doesn’t have any friends. But Kat, another student in Joss’s year, is determined to change this. And once Kat starts talking to Joss, other people begin to as well, like Joss’s long-time crush, Dylan. Joss soon realises she can’t go back to the way her life was before, but the fear she has always had still remains. What would happen if anyone found out she had a Talent?

Hush Money is an engrossing, fast-paced read. It’s told from two points of view; Joss’s and Dylan’s, and this dual narration is one reason this is such an engaging book. Hush Money is never boring because the switching of view-points keeps the story on track and moving forwards. I loved reading from both perspectives; I enjoyed Joss’s because it gave me a chance to relate to her, and it also helped build the back-story of the town and Talents. I liked Joss’s awkward first interaction with Kat – it’s easy to see that she’s not used to speaking to people because she’s been avoiding them for so long. I also liked how we got to see Joss become slightly more confident with each chapter and how she began to feel less uncomfortable around people than before. We were also given insight on Joss’s home life, which helped explain why Joss was the way she was and really built up and fleshed out her character. However, I also loved reading Dylan’s point of view, mostly because he’s a boy and it was just so interesting to get into his mind. I think his perspective was portrayed pretty realistically and it was definitely enlightening to see the course of events through his eyes. I liked his constant doubt about Marco, and how he was torn between doing the right thing and staying loyal to his best friend of so many years. One thing that really made me love Dylan though (besides the leather jacket :P) was the way he saw Joss, and the thoughts he had about her. He was protective, even from afar, and caring in a sweet yet dedicated way.

Other characters I liked were Kat and Heather. Kat’s very feisty and doesn’t take crap from anyone, and I thought she made a good friend for Joss because they sort of balanced each other out. Heather intrigued me because she has certain rules she abides by which I think make her a very decent person, but also kind of mysterious and almost wise.

Plot wise, Hush Money has the right amount of action, conspiracy, humour (four words: Dylan and Joss’s dad :D) and danger, and while there isn’t a lot of romance, I really appreciated the fact that this wasn’t one of those books where the characters fall in love after five minutes and then spend every waking moment together. The only problems I experienced were a few formatting issues and a few grammar errors, plus the use of a lot of ellipses toward the beginning, but I have no complaints about the story itself. The ending was a bit sudden (no cliff-hanger, just ended quite quickly) for me, but now I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series because I’m anxious to find out what happens next.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed Hush Money and I’d recommend it to anyone who liked Hex Hall or the Darkest Powers series (though there are no werewolves in this one!).
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Aug 22, 2010 Mei rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Teenagers

Hush Money (Talent Chronicles)

Synopsis
There are things that are never spoken about in Joss's town, and when Kristadisappears, she is just one more missing face that will never return. Joss knows how easy it is todisappear, her childhood friend was taken when they were five after a mysterious house fire. Since then, she has taken ever precaution to avoid attention of let anyone close enough to discover her secrets. If it comes to light that she has a Talent, she is as good as dead.

Review
I found...more

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Aug 05, 2010 Kait Nolan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You remember the early seasons of Smallville, back when Clark was mooning over Lana, they were all still in high school, and every week was an episode about stopping some isolated problem and the important thing was keeping his secret? If you're like me and really miss those days, Hush Money is absolutely for you. In a market that's positively flooded with stories about teen vampires or fairies, Bischoff provides a refreshing and absolutely believable world about teenagers with superpowers. Chlo...more

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Aug 05, 2010 Kait Nolan rated it 5 of 5 stars

You remember the early seasons of Smallville, back when Clark was mooning over Lana, they were all still in high school, and every week was an episode about stopping some isolated problem and the important thing was keeping his secret? If you're like me and really miss those days, Hush Money is absolutely for you. In a market that's positively flooded with stories about teen vampires or fairies, Bischoff provides a refreshing and absolutely believable world about teenagers with superpowers. Chlo...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads

This is the second time that I have read Hush Money, by Susan Bischoff. I had forgotten how good it was. It isn't a great book by any stretch of the imagination, but I do enjoy much of the plot of this story and some of the questions that come to my mind as I read. First of all, I am not the target audience for this book. This is definitely a book written for teens, and probably it would be more accurate to say that it seems to be targeted to angst-filled teens. But although I was not who this b...more This is the second time that I have read Hush Money, by Susan Bischoff. I had forgotten how good it was. It isn't a great book by any stretch of the imagination, but I do enjoy much of the plot of this story and some of the questions that come to my mind as I read. First of all, I am not the target audience for this book. This is definitely a book written for teens, and probably it would be more accurate to say that it seems to be targeted to angst-filled teens. But although I was not who this book was written for, I still found some themes to be interesting, and this troubled world in which the main character, Joss, finds herself brings up larger questions about our own world.

Reading this almost seemed like reading a spinoff to the Heroes series from television. There are youth throughout this town at least who possess superhero powers. And there are a bunch of powers. It isn't totally clear just how many kids have these powers and exactly what they are. Just a few -- moving objects with the mind, invisibility, super strength, laser vision, mind reading, stretchiness, fire starting, etc, etc, etc. Unfortunately figuring out these powers is difficult as a reader because everyone is hiding these powers from the government. One unstable kids in the past used his powers and harmed someone, so now the government has labeled all kids with Talents as dangerous. Parents are required to notify the government if their child has a Talent so that the government can take the child to a special government school to be studied (in reality tortured, never to be heard from again). Naturally, parents are not feeling inspired to turn their children in to be effectively incarcerated by the government, so they keep the secret as best they can. But, it is impossible for the youth to always keep their talents hidden, especially when they come in handy once in a while. So, there is a traitor in their midst, turning kids into the government. The government agency in charge of managing this situation then comes and basically arrests the Talent child. It's all a little creepy.

Joss has a Talent herself. She can manipulate air and move objects with her mind. She is apparently quite powerful, but she has been taught her entire life to stay off the radar of anyone outside her family. She is taught to avoid friendships, to only perform average work at school, and to protect herself at all means from others. She is a loner in every sense of the word. Her father is absolutely terrified that someone will discover her abilities, so he does everything in his power to prepare her to protect herself if she is attacked. He counsels her over and over again about the dangers of having friends or sharing herself with other people in any way. She is to avoid interactions with others at all cost.

This perfect life that Joss's father has tried to create falls apart when Kat arrives at school and will not take no for an answer. She attaches herself to Joss and will not allow Joss to avoid her. Kat works her magic to get Joss to slowly open up to her and find friendship. It isn't really a deep friendship yet. Joss has had too many years of preaching against friendship to just jump right into a deep and abiding friendship, but she is moving in that direction, whether she plans on it or not.

Things get crazy at Kat's party when government agents come to pick up one of the kids who has a Talent. This kid doesn't sit quietly and wait to be taken away. He stands up for himself, and in the process finds out that there are others who are willing to stand with him. Several of the party goers demonstrate their own hidden Talents as they help him to escape the house. It is a chaotic scene, but in that scene Joss finds out that there is value in standing together to fight this terrible system that is attacking those like her. She opens herself up just a little, and it is the real beginning of her finding a beneficial purpose to using these Talents.

This story is primarily told in Joss's first person narrative. You can feel her emotions as she tries desperately to avoid detection by anyone around her. But it is also obvious that she has much to offer the people around her, and it is only a matter of time before she has the inner strength to fight what has always been taught to her and try to make a difference in the world around her. She has a secret crush on Dylan, but Dylan seems to be attached to Head Bully-in-Charge, Marcos.

Dylan also occasionally tells the story through first person narration. I'm not sure that I really liked the switch between the two narrators. If it has been more of a regular switch it might have been better, but Joss tells 90% of the story, and Dylan is only telling a small bit of it. When he does jump in, it is almost a bit jarring. However, the parts that Dylan narrates are good parts to include in the book for background information, and there really wasn't any other way to tell that part of the story, so I guess it was necessary to use Dylan in this manner.

I could see some of my libertarian friends who are concerned about the increasing police state presence in this country finding much to agree with in this book. I thought of their facebook posts while I was reading about this government program to protect the society from these "dangerous" youth. What started out as a drive to keep the world safe has become a terrifying government intrusion into the lives of these families. No one can be trusted, and these youth have overwhelming fear of their government. It is an example of how freedom can sometimes be trampled on in the quest to create a completely safe world. Is it worth it? This book would seem to argue that it is not. I would have to agree -- although I do have to say that I would prefer to not have some kid with fire making skills or laser vision to burn down my house also. There has got to be a better way to manage things.

There is also a great theme about the value of having friends who understand you and will protect you. It is true that when we open ourselves up to others we also open ourselves up to a degree of vulnerability. We give others some power over us as we allow them to see the inner workings of our heart and mind. There is danger in this, to be sure, but the benefits to ourselves and our world greatly outweigh the possible harm. Joss is gradually starting to realize this at the end of the book. She isn't all the way on board yet, but she is slowly working that direction. She still has trouble trusting anyone -- even Dylan who has just shown in a very obvious way that he is willing to do whatever he can to save her from harm. The relationship that Joss is developing with Dylan will be fascinating to continue to read. He brings out the inner Joss, but she fights against this over and over. She finds conspiracy when it doesn't exist and can't find it in herself to completely trust Dylan. I wonder what it will take to bring out her trust.

So, overall this was an enjoyable book to read. There is a lot of anxiety in Joss's character, but it is ironing itself out a bit by the end of the book. Things are definitely not all rosy at the end. Marcos is still out there ready to reveal his secrets and harm Joss and her friends. The government is still working tirelessly to round up all these Talent youth. Joss still is fighting her increasing closeness to the youth around her. There is much to still develop. This is a relatively short book, but it was worth reading for me because of the themes that it allowed me to explore as I read. Now I'm headed off to start book two in the series to see where it takes me.(less)

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Aug 19, 2011 Talizmyn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, fantasy, young-adult, urban-fantasy, my-library, reviews, 2011

I picked up this book due to the cover. (Hey - I admit it!) And it was available as an e-book for $1.00. Win-win, I thought. It seemed interesting enough, previewing the first few pages, and for only $1.00 I couldn't really go wrong - I have spent as much on far worse.

My initial reaction was that it seemed... interesting. The writing style was easy to follow, and did not come across as awkward like some other YA books I have read. It took some getting used to the alternating between two protagon...more

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Nov 13, 2010 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

*** Before I begin this review, let me just insist that you jump over to Amazon and purchase this e-book. It is currently on special for .89 and was one of the more delicious finds of the year. ***

I'm giving this gal five stars because I think she's got a great little novel here.

From what I can deduce, it seems Bischoff has published HUSH MONEY herself. This knowledge is a bit surprising when you consider the gorgeous cover and the very engaging voice she tells her story in. I sincerely hope he...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Anoolka rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, series, sci-fi, young-adult, male-protagonist, female-protagonist

Over all I liked it. Fast, well written, with interesting setting and ok distinctive characters.
I expected something more game changing, though. While the protagonist's life and outlook do change in the end the society at large doesn't. I kind of expected the Talents to take on a bigger threat in the end, so it felt a little unfulfilling/unfinished. Especially with (view spoiler) Perhaps the next book will unleash them on the...more

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Jan 06, 2011 V.J. Chambers rated it 5 of 5 stars

Hush Money is one of those brilliant indie finds that just makes you happy. It's a nifty mash up of superheroes, teen fiction, and romance. I fairly flew through it, and found it absolutely wonderful. Just the right bits of angst, tension, and some pretty fun action scenes.

There are two really fun things going on here. One is the fact that even though the characters are superheroes, with superhero powers, everything's pretty understated. No capes or masks or anything silly. The end result is th...more

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Apr 17, 2011 Samantha Young rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourite-authors, favourites, ebooks-i-own, covers-i-like, indie

I read a review somewhere that Hush Money was Roswell meets Smallville. I think that’s such an apt description; and as a massive Roswell fan I got really excited about reading this book.

It TOTALLY lived up to my expectations. Susan Bischoff is an excellent YA writer, and I’m pretty surprised this novel hasn’t been picked up by a traditional publisher. The characters are so well developed, their voices realistic and likeable, and the development of the relationships between them is nicely-paced....more I read a review somewhere that Hush Money was Roswell meets Smallville. I think that’s such an apt description; and as a massive Roswell fan I got really excited about reading this book.

It TOTALLY lived up to my expectations. Susan Bischoff is an excellent YA writer, and I’m pretty surprised this novel hasn’t been picked up by a traditional publisher. The characters are so well developed, their voices realistic and likeable, and the development of the relationships between them is nicely-paced.

Hush Money is told from Joss and Dylan’s perspectives. Unbeknownst to one another they have a crush on each other - Bischoff pulls this off with great panache. There’s nothing cheesy or cliché about their attraction to each other, and I loved how they actually grew to like each other over the course of the novel rather than having this instant connection I call the ‘soul mate phenomenon’ that’s so popular in this genre. I don’t mind the phenomenon, I just like a break from it sometimes, and Hush Money gave me that.
I particularly love Joss. She’s my kind of heroine. She’s a bit of a cool loner, with too much responsibility weighing on her shoulder. I loved that she wasn’t perfect, that she didn’t always make the heroic decisions, and that it took her a while to come out of her shell in that respect. It made her authentic - like a confused, scared teen would be. Also, for someone who's kind of introverted and has a massive crush, she reacted perfectly to Dylan whenever he spoke to her. It was great reading.

The plot itself is really different. Marco’s character is truly nasty, and all through the book I waited for him to get his comeuppance. I can’t wait to read the next novel to see what happens there.

There’s plenty of action in Hush Money; it’s a fast-paced plot - quick reading - with a modern prose that sucks you in until you’re addicted.
If you’re looking for something refreshing from your YA Paranormal books then Hush Money is definitely the one to pick up. Bargain download. It’s now on my favourites shelf!

Five Massive Stars!

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Jun 20, 2012 Kate Copeseeley rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

This is my first review via iPhone, so you'll have to excuse my typos and shortness.
I was definitely excited to pick up this book, since my beloved Kait Nolan raves about Bischoff all the time. And overall, this novel did not disappoint.
In fact, this book (I hesitate to call it that because it seemed so short to me-more on that later) had some of the best character work I've seen in an indie. Not only did the main characters have excellent backstory and personality descriptions, but...more

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Feb 28, 2012 M a y a rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, ya-paranormal, dystopian, ebooks, indie, e-books

Great teeny-bopper version of X-Men. It is a super-fast, fun intro to Bischoff's world where humans with Talents (aka super-powers) are carted off to who-knows-where by the government. The characters are likeable, realistic, and funny. The romance is very cute. I thought the dual points of view between the romantic leads was fun and got a very warm and fuzzy feeling about them.

My main issue was that it was a little too short and incomplete; something I find myself often complaining about with YA...more

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