What do you think?
Rate this book
The Hero Agenda #1
Powerless
In a world of superheroes, the line between good and evil is always clear. Right?
Kenna is constantly surrounded by superheroes. Her best friend, her ex-boyfriend, practically everyone she knows has some talent or power. Kenna doesn't have a power. Sure, she's smart and independent, but surrounded by all the extraordinary, it's hard not feel very ordinary. And she's tired of it.
So when three villains break into the lab where she interns, Kenna refuses to be a victim. She stands her ground. She's not about to let criminals steal the research that will make her extraordinary too.
But in the heat of battle, secrets are spilled and one of the villains saves her life. Twice. Suddenly, everything Kenna thought she knew about good and evil, heroes and villains is upended. And to protect her life and those she loves, she must team up with her sworn enemies on a mission that will redefine what it means to be powerful and powerless...
The Hero Agenda Series:
Powerless (Book 1)
Relentless (Book 2)
Kenna is constantly surrounded by superheroes. Her best friend, her ex-boyfriend, practically everyone she knows has some talent or power. Kenna doesn't have a power. Sure, she's smart and independent, but surrounded by all the extraordinary, it's hard not feel very ordinary. And she's tired of it.
So when three villains break into the lab where she interns, Kenna refuses to be a victim. She stands her ground. She's not about to let criminals steal the research that will make her extraordinary too.
But in the heat of battle, secrets are spilled and one of the villains saves her life. Twice. Suddenly, everything Kenna thought she knew about good and evil, heroes and villains is upended. And to protect her life and those she loves, she must team up with her sworn enemies on a mission that will redefine what it means to be powerful and powerless...
The Hero Agenda Series:
Powerless (Book 1)
Relentless (Book 2)
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 2015
About the author
Tera Lynn Childs
55 books3,112 followersTera Lynn Childs may pretend to be a goddess, but she’s really just a normal person. Well, maybe not normal. She is a writer, after all. Her works include the mythology-based Oh. My. Gods. series, the Forgive My Fins mermaid romance series, the kick-butt monster-hunting Sweet Venom trilogy, and the Darkly Fae fantasy series. Tera currently parks her laptop in the Seattle area and spends her time writing wherever she can find a comfy chair and a steady stream of caffeinated beverages. Learn more about her magical realms and find behind-the-book extras at teralynnchilds.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
February 18, 2016
It’s every child’s fantasy to have a sort of super power, be a superhero. This fantasy is manifested in acting games children often play which usually have this plot: a bunch of superheroes have to save the day or save someone they love captured by the evil super villains and this is exactly the novel’s plot except the superheroes become the super villains. Kenna, the heroine and ironically a powerless girl in a world of supernatural powers is forced to see that not all heroes are good and not all villains are bad. In no time, she finds herself partnering with the most wanted, most powerful super villains in a united mission to stop the super heroes from their vile actions.
In other words, it’s a fast-paced, entertaining, sci-fi/fantasy novel with a fun twist to the familiar premise so that the plot although largely predictable and well, uhm, a bit childish, (action here, explosion there *Kapow, boom bam! *Insert more superhero comic book words here*) Kenna’s narration is enjoyable and easy to read. I like that she has a straight and positive attitude despite her lack of powers. The rest of the main characters have their shining moments too.
The bigger problems, however, are the lack of world building and the insta-romance which kind of gave me the goosies and not the good kind especially when the guy (Draven) growls. *shudders* I don’t understand how they could have time for smooches when lives of people they love are at stake.
But like I said, I still enjoyed the story. I think it has potential and could improve in the sequels.
One of my favorite GR buddies, Tamara, enjoyed it even more. You can read her quick but alluring review that made me read the book. Just click here.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Tammy! May you be the happiest 21 year old gal on your special day. Love you, girlie! <3
September 26, 2021
3.5 stars
I think I liked this more the second time around. I suspected I liked Draven, and I liked Rebel. Interested to see what happens in book 2.
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley.)
This was a YA sci-fi story about people with superpowers.
Kenna was quite a determined girl, but I could see why she felt powerless. Being surrounded with people with superpowers whilst she was totally normal wasn’t the best feeling for her.
The storyline in this was about Kenna’s mother being kidnapped, and Kenna and her friends trying to figure out what was going on and who was to blame. We also had a bit of a ‘who’s really bad’ storyline going on with the villains verses heros.
The ending to this was a cliff-hanger.
6 out of 10
I think I liked this more the second time around. I suspected I liked Draven, and I liked Rebel. Interested to see what happens in book 2.
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley.)
“Mom might be working on a way to neutralize villain powers and amplify hero ones, but I’m working on a way to create them.”
This was a YA sci-fi story about people with superpowers.
Kenna was quite a determined girl, but I could see why she felt powerless. Being surrounded with people with superpowers whilst she was totally normal wasn’t the best feeling for her.
The storyline in this was about Kenna’s mother being kidnapped, and Kenna and her friends trying to figure out what was going on and who was to blame. We also had a bit of a ‘who’s really bad’ storyline going on with the villains verses heros.
The ending to this was a cliff-hanger.
6 out of 10
July 1, 2015
“It's not about who's got powers, morons. It's about who's not afraid. And who's going to do what has to be done.”
----Michael Grant, an American author
Tera Lynn Childs, an award-winning best-seller author and Tracy Deebs, pseudonym of Tracy Wolff, pens their new YA book, Powerless which is the first book in The Hero Agenda series, that is all about superheroes and their superpowers and it is mostly about those who don't belong in this lucky category or rather say someone who doesn't have any powers. This is Kenna who belongs in a world of heroes and villains and despite her ordinary condition, she fights hard for herself to make herself a part of this world, where everything is not so laid out like it is supposed to be.
Synopsis:
Kenna is tired of being "normal". The only thing special about her is that she isn't special at all. Which is frustrating in a world of absolutes. Villains, like the one who killed her father, are bad. Heroes, like her mother and best friend, are good. And Kenna, unlike everyone else around her, is completely ordinary— which she hates.
She’s secretly working on an experiment that will land her a place among the Heroes, but when a Villain saves her life during a break-in at her lab, Kenna discovers there’s a whole lot of gray area when it comes to good and evil and who she can trust.. After all…not all strength comes from superpowers.
The world is full of Heroes and Villains. Kenna is a resident of such world, where both her mom and dad are the Heroes- the good ones. Unfortunately, the Villains- the evil ones, killed her father when she was a kid. Now her mom is the leader of the Heroes and is currently working in her lab for a secret superpower for Heroes to fight against the Villains. Well, Kenna is just like her readers- powerless, or what they prefer to call her as 'ordinary', although, her mom developed a secret serum to keep Kenna immune to all kinds of powers- good and evil, but Kenna is so bored being so ordinary.
One night while Kenna was working in the lab, alone, to invent some powers for herself, the lab got attacked by some Villains, claiming to looking for their relative being held at the Heroes lab, and that is the moment when Kenna realizes that not everyone is defined by their powers and there's lot of secretive grey area inside her community that she needs to find out to believe and learn whom to trust- her people or Draven, the hot and notorious Villain who protects her.
This book falls in the urban fantasy category of YA genre, although there is very little scope of world building through out the story, yet it felt like an engaging read for me. The plot is quite predictable at times and I believe everybody must have read this kind of story at some point in their lives. What I liked the most is the pacing and the narrative style of the authors that is masked as well as layered with some emotions and depth.
The writing is very strong and it immediately pulled me off into the heart of the story with it's momentum of action packed scenes. There is vividity in almost every events which is intricately detailed and that really played the trick to keep me hooked into the story.
The characters are all strongly developed and since it is a fantasy book, the authors did a great job in sketching distinct characters with lots of depth. The main protagonist, Kenna, is a strongest woman in this book who doesn't take any shit from anyone, and although being powerless, it doesn't deter her from fighting from the evils. Although I think Kenna's POV annoyed me most of the time, as her mind only revolved around the fact that she is completely powerless unlike her people.
There is very less romantic angle in the book, especially between Kenna and Draven, as the book mainly focuses on the action part. Female bonding is evident between Kenna and her friend, Rebel, who helps Kenna develop her trust issues. The guys featured in Kenna's group are really cool and smoking hot and their constant bickering kept me engrossed.
Verdict: YA Dystopian lovers 'might' love this book, yeah I said might, because there are more must-reads hanging in the corner and you can blindly skip this one!
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers for giving me an opportunity to read this book.
----Michael Grant, an American author
Tera Lynn Childs, an award-winning best-seller author and Tracy Deebs, pseudonym of Tracy Wolff, pens their new YA book, Powerless which is the first book in The Hero Agenda series, that is all about superheroes and their superpowers and it is mostly about those who don't belong in this lucky category or rather say someone who doesn't have any powers. This is Kenna who belongs in a world of heroes and villains and despite her ordinary condition, she fights hard for herself to make herself a part of this world, where everything is not so laid out like it is supposed to be.
Synopsis:
Kenna is tired of being "normal". The only thing special about her is that she isn't special at all. Which is frustrating in a world of absolutes. Villains, like the one who killed her father, are bad. Heroes, like her mother and best friend, are good. And Kenna, unlike everyone else around her, is completely ordinary— which she hates.
She’s secretly working on an experiment that will land her a place among the Heroes, but when a Villain saves her life during a break-in at her lab, Kenna discovers there’s a whole lot of gray area when it comes to good and evil and who she can trust.. After all…not all strength comes from superpowers.
The world is full of Heroes and Villains. Kenna is a resident of such world, where both her mom and dad are the Heroes- the good ones. Unfortunately, the Villains- the evil ones, killed her father when she was a kid. Now her mom is the leader of the Heroes and is currently working in her lab for a secret superpower for Heroes to fight against the Villains. Well, Kenna is just like her readers- powerless, or what they prefer to call her as 'ordinary', although, her mom developed a secret serum to keep Kenna immune to all kinds of powers- good and evil, but Kenna is so bored being so ordinary.
One night while Kenna was working in the lab, alone, to invent some powers for herself, the lab got attacked by some Villains, claiming to looking for their relative being held at the Heroes lab, and that is the moment when Kenna realizes that not everyone is defined by their powers and there's lot of secretive grey area inside her community that she needs to find out to believe and learn whom to trust- her people or Draven, the hot and notorious Villain who protects her.
This book falls in the urban fantasy category of YA genre, although there is very little scope of world building through out the story, yet it felt like an engaging read for me. The plot is quite predictable at times and I believe everybody must have read this kind of story at some point in their lives. What I liked the most is the pacing and the narrative style of the authors that is masked as well as layered with some emotions and depth.
The writing is very strong and it immediately pulled me off into the heart of the story with it's momentum of action packed scenes. There is vividity in almost every events which is intricately detailed and that really played the trick to keep me hooked into the story.
The characters are all strongly developed and since it is a fantasy book, the authors did a great job in sketching distinct characters with lots of depth. The main protagonist, Kenna, is a strongest woman in this book who doesn't take any shit from anyone, and although being powerless, it doesn't deter her from fighting from the evils. Although I think Kenna's POV annoyed me most of the time, as her mind only revolved around the fact that she is completely powerless unlike her people.
There is very less romantic angle in the book, especially between Kenna and Draven, as the book mainly focuses on the action part. Female bonding is evident between Kenna and her friend, Rebel, who helps Kenna develop her trust issues. The guys featured in Kenna's group are really cool and smoking hot and their constant bickering kept me engrossed.
Verdict: YA Dystopian lovers 'might' love this book, yeah I said might, because there are more must-reads hanging in the corner and you can blindly skip this one!
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers for giving me an opportunity to read this book.
April 3, 2018
There isn’t much down time in Powerless. It starts with a bang and never really lets up.
The Good:
Kenna is tough and smart. She does spend too much time thinking of tall dark and villainy, but I still liked her. And there was a little sprinkled humor throughout the book, which I always appreciate.
The side characters were so good I kept wishing to hear from their point of view. I loved her best friend Rebel! I think she’d have made a great protagonist. She’s just so much fun! And maybe a villains point of view too! (I know a book is good when I have a wish list for next time!)
Kenna and her potential love interest bicker almost constantly at first. I prefer banter, but they grew on me. Considering the book only takes place over three days their relationship didn’t feel too quick. (The intensity of her feelings by the end was a bit much for me though.)
We get minimal world building, mostly what we learn about super powered people is in the prologue. I wish there’d been a bit more, like why some people are born with hero powers and others villains and what makes them different.
The Bad:
It didn’t bother me but this is the sort of book where she rarely said says, but gushed, spit, etc. Kenna also has a habit of repeating herself. (Which did annoy me.)
There’s a plot hole near the end, where a previously strong character is suddenly exhausted despite not doing anything.
I also feel I should mention the amazing number of times our ‘heroes’ failed. And the partial cliffhanger ending. (I would’ve read the next book. You didn’t have to torture me like this!)
Overall: A fun book with good characters, though the plot was nothing special. (Almost all action)
Point of View: First present (Kenna)
Predictability: 4 out of 5 (Where 1 is totally unpredictable and 5 is I knew what was going to happen way ahead of time.)
The Good:
Kenna is tough and smart. She does spend too much time thinking of tall dark and villainy, but I still liked her. And there was a little sprinkled humor throughout the book, which I always appreciate.
The side characters were so good I kept wishing to hear from their point of view. I loved her best friend Rebel! I think she’d have made a great protagonist. She’s just so much fun! And maybe a villains point of view too! (I know a book is good when I have a wish list for next time!)
Kenna and her potential love interest bicker almost constantly at first. I prefer banter, but they grew on me. Considering the book only takes place over three days their relationship didn’t feel too quick. (The intensity of her feelings by the end was a bit much for me though.)
We get minimal world building, mostly what we learn about super powered people is in the prologue. I wish there’d been a bit more, like why some people are born with hero powers and others villains and what makes them different.
The Bad:
It didn’t bother me but this is the sort of book where she rarely said says, but gushed, spit, etc. Kenna also has a habit of repeating herself. (Which did annoy me.)
There’s a plot hole near the end, where a previously strong character is suddenly exhausted despite not doing anything.
I also feel I should mention the amazing number of times our ‘heroes’ failed. And the partial cliffhanger ending. (I would’ve read the next book. You didn’t have to torture me like this!)
Overall: A fun book with good characters, though the plot was nothing special. (Almost all action)
Point of View: First present (Kenna)
Predictability: 4 out of 5 (Where 1 is totally unpredictable and 5 is I knew what was going to happen way ahead of time.)
Read
November 19, 2015Really enjoyed this take on heroes vs villains. Love the name of the very good looking romantic interest. It's Draven. Isn't that a cool hero name? Glad that there is more to come. Actually really liked the ex-boyfriend as well. Girl has good taste. =)
December 26, 2015
actual rating: 4.5 ahhhhh it was so good I'm surprised this book shocked me on how much i loved and enjoyed it
Characters: The characters in this book felt real and not 2 dimensional they each had their own set roles and personalities and were each unique in their own way some of the dialogue and interaction between the characters were so endearing and funny they had me laughing out loud literally
Plot: The plot was very structural which i liked and seemed to have a set direction which i also enjoyed the plot stayed interesting and gripping throughout the entire book and was pretty fast paced the new revelations made and twists toward the end were shocking to me and i enjoyed all the things that came to fruition the plot had me hooked and my heart was pounding throughout all the action parts
Writing Style: The writing style was very easy to follow and left me hooked and complemented the characters and their dialogue well. The writing style melded nicely and seamlessly with the plot and characters especially.
Romance: I enjoyed the romance for the most part but i didn't feel that the connection between Draven and Kenna that much if they had gotten to know each other better and had more conversations and more moments other than fleeting touches maybe i would have felt their supposed connection more prominently honestly i liked Dante more than Draven and he wasn't even the main love interest i just had a hard time picturing Draven i guess.
Character Development: There was a lot of character development in this book i loved the character development Kenna went through especially it was evident by the end how much she had changed and i enjoyed seeing her transformation it was very believable.
The Powers: i loved the aspect of the powers it kind of reminded me of that old disney movie Sky High i loved that movie and i loved the way the super powers elements was dealt with the technicalities of the powers and the heroes and villains side was believable and fascinating to me i just wish it was explained a bit further as far as the heroes and villains go but i really enjoyed that aspect it had to be my favorite aspect of the story.
All in all i loved this book so much and would definitely would recommend it i will definitely read the sequel and i highly advise all my goodreads friends to check it out i don't think you will be disappointed:)
Characters: The characters in this book felt real and not 2 dimensional they each had their own set roles and personalities and were each unique in their own way some of the dialogue and interaction between the characters were so endearing and funny they had me laughing out loud literally
Plot: The plot was very structural which i liked and seemed to have a set direction which i also enjoyed the plot stayed interesting and gripping throughout the entire book and was pretty fast paced the new revelations made and twists toward the end were shocking to me and i enjoyed all the things that came to fruition the plot had me hooked and my heart was pounding throughout all the action parts
Writing Style: The writing style was very easy to follow and left me hooked and complemented the characters and their dialogue well. The writing style melded nicely and seamlessly with the plot and characters especially.
Romance: I enjoyed the romance for the most part but i didn't feel that the connection between Draven and Kenna that much if they had gotten to know each other better and had more conversations and more moments other than fleeting touches maybe i would have felt their supposed connection more prominently honestly i liked Dante more than Draven and he wasn't even the main love interest i just had a hard time picturing Draven i guess.
Character Development: There was a lot of character development in this book i loved the character development Kenna went through especially it was evident by the end how much she had changed and i enjoyed seeing her transformation it was very believable.
The Powers: i loved the aspect of the powers it kind of reminded me of that old disney movie Sky High i loved that movie and i loved the way the super powers elements was dealt with the technicalities of the powers and the heroes and villains side was believable and fascinating to me i just wish it was explained a bit further as far as the heroes and villains go but i really enjoyed that aspect it had to be my favorite aspect of the story.
All in all i loved this book so much and would definitely would recommend it i will definitely read the sequel and i highly advise all my goodreads friends to check it out i don't think you will be disappointed:)
September 6, 2015
Heroes vs. Villains
Good vs. Evil
White vs. Black
Who will win? Who has won?
A world where one believed two things: a world where people are ultimately good and another where people are spawn from the devil. But what about the in between? Can one only be good or evil, hero or villain? What about a boy born into a villain family, but his only intention is to be good and save the people he cares for? What about a girl raised into a family of heroes, but sides with the villains when the good guys take her mom?
Discovering lies and manipulation, what decisions can one make when the world of powerful people are trying to capture her and her friends? Heroes are corrupted and villains want to help, the world doesn't make much sense any more. Who are the true heroes?
Good vs. Evil
White vs. Black
Who will win? Who has won?
A world where one believed two things: a world where people are ultimately good and another where people are spawn from the devil. But what about the in between? Can one only be good or evil, hero or villain? What about a boy born into a villain family, but his only intention is to be good and save the people he cares for? What about a girl raised into a family of heroes, but sides with the villains when the good guys take her mom?
Discovering lies and manipulation, what decisions can one make when the world of powerful people are trying to capture her and her friends? Heroes are corrupted and villains want to help, the world doesn't make much sense any more. Who are the true heroes?
June 5, 2015
Tera Lynn Childs and Tracy Deebs should collaborate more often because when they do, magic occurs! From word one to the final cliff-hanger ending, I could not tear my eyes from the page. Each character fully expressed unique emotions, and the scenes exploded (in an amazing way) because of it. Overall 5/5 stars; the wait for the next book is going to be excruciating!
November 13, 2018
Guys, I've found the Fight Book of the Year. At this rate I'm actually wondering if there's such a thing as a Blogger's Choice Awards so I can actually nominate this.
(If there is one, point me there NOW. I'll love you forever. :p)
In a world with heroes and villains, Kenna Swift works as an intern in a lab. While working in the lab one night, Kenna gets attacked by villains and is even saved by one of them. Being saved by a villain causes her to think about what a hero or a villain really is, and she ends up teaming up with them after finding out that maybe heroes aren't exactly heroes.
I actually like Kenna as a character. Considering her circumstances, she's actually pretty brilliant and resourceful – when all else fails, kick butt by kneeing someone in the balls. She even had an experiment before everything went Inferno to try and become a hero as well instead of being powerless. Her brilliance and intelligence sometimes fall short in the midst of chaos, but I pretty much approve her as a character.
Except... I'm still irritated. Powerless just has sooo many arguments and fights. The characters fight with each other constantly – verbally and physically. The fighting takes up over half of the book when Kenna, Rebel, and Jeremy team up with villains. Kenna is basically a bystander, Rebel is ironically the glue, and Jeremy is going neck to neck with Draven. Nitro and Dante already have some tension between them. There's boy drama and fighting thrown together, and it is SO. DARN. IRRITATING.
Have I mentioned it sounds completely immature? By some point in the book, I've deemed Powerless a book unworthy of memorability in my brain simply because of the number of fights that belong in a playground with unruly little kids tugging each other consistently. The amount was also great enough I mentally started to threaten poor A.G. Howard's Unhinged.
But of course, Splintered has a love triangle to which I feel completely indifferent to regardless of the fact I like the world and read the second book to determine which, if any, corner actually deserves my complete and utmost devotion.
(It also inspired a few discussion posts for the future. *tucks posts in an invisible drawer*)
Anyways, back to the fights. The majority of book are the characters not getting along for most of the book – it's akin to the romance overshadowing the plot and I found it highly annoying. Meanwhile, I'm left with questions about the entire world after reading the book and none of them actually got answered.
How does this whole power thing work? Are powers inherited, or are they random? Is being a villain or hero random, or are they inherited (that seems to be yes)? Why was the hero/villain world created? HOW was it created? Was it an experiment gone awry? Is it similar to Captain America?
I got vague answers or no answers. Childs and Deebs may answer those questions in the sequels, or perhaps it's the overall plot of the series, but, I don't really see how it will all fit with what they've laid out in Powerless. It's plot-driven and doesn't take too much time to develop the world or the characters, but makes you question what is considered good and evil.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
(If there is one, point me there NOW. I'll love you forever. :p)
In a world with heroes and villains, Kenna Swift works as an intern in a lab. While working in the lab one night, Kenna gets attacked by villains and is even saved by one of them. Being saved by a villain causes her to think about what a hero or a villain really is, and she ends up teaming up with them after finding out that maybe heroes aren't exactly heroes.
I actually like Kenna as a character. Considering her circumstances, she's actually pretty brilliant and resourceful – when all else fails, kick butt by kneeing someone in the balls. She even had an experiment before everything went Inferno to try and become a hero as well instead of being powerless. Her brilliance and intelligence sometimes fall short in the midst of chaos, but I pretty much approve her as a character.
Except... I'm still irritated. Powerless just has sooo many arguments and fights. The characters fight with each other constantly – verbally and physically. The fighting takes up over half of the book when Kenna, Rebel, and Jeremy team up with villains. Kenna is basically a bystander, Rebel is ironically the glue, and Jeremy is going neck to neck with Draven. Nitro and Dante already have some tension between them. There's boy drama and fighting thrown together, and it is SO. DARN. IRRITATING.
Have I mentioned it sounds completely immature? By some point in the book, I've deemed Powerless a book unworthy of memorability in my brain simply because of the number of fights that belong in a playground with unruly little kids tugging each other consistently. The amount was also great enough I mentally started to threaten poor A.G. Howard's Unhinged.
But of course, Splintered has a love triangle to which I feel completely indifferent to regardless of the fact I like the world and read the second book to determine which, if any, corner actually deserves my complete and utmost devotion.
(It also inspired a few discussion posts for the future. *tucks posts in an invisible drawer*)
Anyways, back to the fights. The majority of book are the characters not getting along for most of the book – it's akin to the romance overshadowing the plot and I found it highly annoying. Meanwhile, I'm left with questions about the entire world after reading the book and none of them actually got answered.
How does this whole power thing work? Are powers inherited, or are they random? Is being a villain or hero random, or are they inherited (that seems to be yes)? Why was the hero/villain world created? HOW was it created? Was it an experiment gone awry? Is it similar to Captain America?
I got vague answers or no answers. Childs and Deebs may answer those questions in the sequels, or perhaps it's the overall plot of the series, but, I don't really see how it will all fit with what they've laid out in Powerless. It's plot-driven and doesn't take too much time to develop the world or the characters, but makes you question what is considered good and evil.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
June 3, 2015
Oh, this was a really fantasti book! Loved reading it, loved Kenna's voice, it was so awesome, and I can't wait for the sequel! There's just so many things to be fixed! And things to learn!
March 10, 2021
I read this book yearsssss ago and really loved it for some reason?? It’s like every cliché out there and it’s WONDERFUL.
Shelved as 'dnf'
May 18, 2015DNF @ 24%
Ugh, I just can't anymore. Kenna is so annoying! She's stupid, oblivious and more stupid. The book starts off with villains breaking into her lab. She's almost kidnapped and tortured (or so it seems), but the villains don't actually really harm her and one even helps her. Still she keeps to the mindset that society put on her. Villains are bad, heroes are good. Because the people upstairs say so and they MUST be right. Right? No. Then she's still thinking about the guy that almost saved her while keeping to the stereotypes as she runs into her best friend who knows the name of one of the villains that just attacked the lab and of course Kenna believes the lame excuse her bf comes up with cause omg they're bff4ever blabla. But then she sees her bff kissing one of those guys and she describes how her mind is blowing up and stuff by this sudden and unexpected reveal that I totally saw coming. She won't even listen to the explanation her bff wants to give afterwards. Now she's suddenly the bad guy too. So she still has her stereotypes in her head but she still wants to go back to the lab and acts like a whining baby when her mom forbids her for her own safety. I JUST CAN'T ANYMORE. I hate this main character and it won't end well if I have to read through 300 pages with her leading the bunch.
I did like the banter between those villains though. If they were the MC's, I'd keep reading. Ah fiddlesticks... I hate this. I love superheroes and that stuff. Sigh. Monkeyfeathers. (if you get that reference, I will love you forever.)
January 1, 2016
This book is perfect. Absolutely and positively PERFECT! I was SO excited to read it, and it didn't disappoint!
There's enough real-life drama to appeal to contemporary readers-can you say swoony love interest? Sci-fi readers will love the superhero aspect, and the main character who is strong and brave enough to stand up to the bad guys.
Are heroes always the good guys? And are villians always bad? That's what Kenna's going to have to decide when everything she's been told unravels before her eyes!
If you read one YA book this year, make sure it's Powerless. I can't wait for the second book, because I know this series is just going to keep getting better and better!
There's enough real-life drama to appeal to contemporary readers-can you say swoony love interest? Sci-fi readers will love the superhero aspect, and the main character who is strong and brave enough to stand up to the bad guys.
Are heroes always the good guys? And are villians always bad? That's what Kenna's going to have to decide when everything she's been told unravels before her eyes!
If you read one YA book this year, make sure it's Powerless. I can't wait for the second book, because I know this series is just going to keep getting better and better!
June 3, 2020
Dante cracks his neck. “Let’s show these heroes what villains can do.”
“Villains and heroes,” Jeremy corrects.
When you start to read, everything is happening really upbeat and fast. Then it started to slow down, around the middle.
I found I had more questions than answers.
Powerless showed that heroes can be villains and villains can be heroes.
Now I have to get my hands on the next book, to get my answers.
3/5 stars
“Villains and heroes,” Jeremy corrects.
When you start to read, everything is happening really upbeat and fast. Then it started to slow down, around the middle.
I found I had more questions than answers.
Powerless showed that heroes can be villains and villains can be heroes.
Now I have to get my hands on the next book, to get my answers.
3/5 stars
June 18, 2015
To see review with bad photo of chart and gif click here.
love the idea of a superhero YA book, except with the exception of a few of them, they usually don’t work. Unfortunately, Powerless falls in this trend.
I really don’t know why it’s that difficult to pull off a superhero type book. Because there’s so many directions you can go. From over the top campy, to dark and gritty, you can essentially do anything with superheroes. Unfortunately, Powerless did nothing with its world. Really, nothing. Oh, maybe something happened in the second half of the book-I DNF’d it-but I seriously doubted it. This book was just so dull of so many levels.
Which was really sad.
I would’ve thought the world building would’ve been stronger. I really did. While Tera Lynn Child’s Forgive My Fins series wasn’t perfect, there was actually some world building there. Same thing goes with Tracy Deebs, Tempest Rising, wasn’t bad world building wise.
Oh, wait there was Doomed But even with that catastrophe, I would think the two could pull it together to create a sensical world, but there wasn’t really anything all to this world to this world other than heroes, villains, and let’s try to do Sky High but not do Sky High because that wouldn’t be cool.
Okay, I think you get a general idea of what a hot mess the world was. But what about the characters…
Well, I know nothing about them other than the fact that Kenna is an idiot. Oh, wait…I do know something about them because if you take the jacket off of the book you get this….
Yes, your very own character chart (sorry that my phone couldn’t display the entire picture. But if you’re going to know anything about these characters you better look at this chart. You also might get a little confused if you don’t look at either because these characters have names like Khardashians (they all start with the same damn letter based on family, to the point of stupidity. I mean really, Draven. I have no words).
Other than that though, the characters are pretty much archetypes and nothing else. There’s the main character Kenna who is just dim beyond belief. Who’s main deal is that she is powerless in a world full of super heroes-um, so was Batman but he still kicked Superman’s butt in like every episode of the JLU ever made just saying. Then there’s Draven who I think is suppose to be the love interest because were given a paragraph about his stupid blue eyes and about how Keena is not suppose to be attracted to him. And there’s there’s Jeremy who is suppose to be Kenna’s ex who is basically like the Jeff Goldblum in the book (aka strangely attractive ridiculously tall nerd). Then there’s the punky best friend and a lot of other characters I could care less for.
The best thing I can say about this one is that shit did happen. It was sort of chaotic at best, but things still happened. So there was that…
And yet, somehow throughout the chaos I was able to pretty much predict everything that was going to happen. The plot was like that AU episode of The Justice League with the Justice Lords (if you haven’t you should watch that episodes it’s better than this book) mixed with Sky High. It just didn’t work.
I didn’t even care enough about Kenna to learn the truth about her pseudo Bruce Wayne background because girl was so useless she’s obviously no Batman. She’s not even Ironman when he’s drunk and telling everyone he can use the bathroom in his suit. She’s that useless with useless Bella Swan non-superpowers.
Overall, Powerless was a huge disappointment for me. It had an interesting enough premises, but it was poorly executed. To have a properly done superhero book you need a well formed world. It can be extremely cheesy or extremely gritty, but there needs to be some sort of world that our characters are fighting for and there wasn’t here. The characters need to be more fleshed out than a brief description on the back of a book jacket too. And above all, there names don’t need to be Khardashian inspired.
love the idea of a superhero YA book, except with the exception of a few of them, they usually don’t work. Unfortunately, Powerless falls in this trend.
I really don’t know why it’s that difficult to pull off a superhero type book. Because there’s so many directions you can go. From over the top campy, to dark and gritty, you can essentially do anything with superheroes. Unfortunately, Powerless did nothing with its world. Really, nothing. Oh, maybe something happened in the second half of the book-I DNF’d it-but I seriously doubted it. This book was just so dull of so many levels.
Which was really sad.
I would’ve thought the world building would’ve been stronger. I really did. While Tera Lynn Child’s Forgive My Fins series wasn’t perfect, there was actually some world building there. Same thing goes with Tracy Deebs, Tempest Rising, wasn’t bad world building wise.
Oh, wait there was Doomed But even with that catastrophe, I would think the two could pull it together to create a sensical world, but there wasn’t really anything all to this world to this world other than heroes, villains, and let’s try to do Sky High but not do Sky High because that wouldn’t be cool.
Okay, I think you get a general idea of what a hot mess the world was. But what about the characters…
Well, I know nothing about them other than the fact that Kenna is an idiot. Oh, wait…I do know something about them because if you take the jacket off of the book you get this….
Yes, your very own character chart (sorry that my phone couldn’t display the entire picture. But if you’re going to know anything about these characters you better look at this chart. You also might get a little confused if you don’t look at either because these characters have names like Khardashians (they all start with the same damn letter based on family, to the point of stupidity. I mean really, Draven. I have no words).
Other than that though, the characters are pretty much archetypes and nothing else. There’s the main character Kenna who is just dim beyond belief. Who’s main deal is that she is powerless in a world full of super heroes-um, so was Batman but he still kicked Superman’s butt in like every episode of the JLU ever made just saying. Then there’s Draven who I think is suppose to be the love interest because were given a paragraph about his stupid blue eyes and about how Keena is not suppose to be attracted to him. And there’s there’s Jeremy who is suppose to be Kenna’s ex who is basically like the Jeff Goldblum in the book (aka strangely attractive ridiculously tall nerd). Then there’s the punky best friend and a lot of other characters I could care less for.
The best thing I can say about this one is that shit did happen. It was sort of chaotic at best, but things still happened. So there was that…
And yet, somehow throughout the chaos I was able to pretty much predict everything that was going to happen. The plot was like that AU episode of The Justice League with the Justice Lords (if you haven’t you should watch that episodes it’s better than this book) mixed with Sky High. It just didn’t work.
I didn’t even care enough about Kenna to learn the truth about her pseudo Bruce Wayne background because girl was so useless she’s obviously no Batman. She’s not even Ironman when he’s drunk and telling everyone he can use the bathroom in his suit. She’s that useless with useless Bella Swan non-superpowers.
Overall, Powerless was a huge disappointment for me. It had an interesting enough premises, but it was poorly executed. To have a properly done superhero book you need a well formed world. It can be extremely cheesy or extremely gritty, but there needs to be some sort of world that our characters are fighting for and there wasn’t here. The characters need to be more fleshed out than a brief description on the back of a book jacket too. And above all, there names don’t need to be Khardashian inspired.
June 7, 2015
The full review can be found at The Book Bratz!
This book was so much fun! Superheros? That is some what new to me. It was an interesting concept that I wasn't 100% sure about, but by the end of the story I knew that this series is going to be amazing. Growing up my favorite movie was Sky High (The one about the superhero teenagers that go to a superhero high school along with children of Villains) and this book reminded me of that. Though this book was much better.
Kenna's world was always black and white. Heroes are good and Villains are bad. That is until the day three villains break into the lab she works at, claiming to be rescuing Deacon, a villain who is being hidden on sub level three. Only Kenna is pretty sure there is no sub level three, she practically lives at that lab. She would have known. But as secrets come to light and Kenna's mom is kidnapped, she teams up with her sworn enemies to stop the heroes and their twisted games and to find her mother.
In Kenna's society, everyone has a power. Except her. She is powerless. That doesn't stop her though. While her mother works on serums to help other heroes Kenna is working on her own, to make her a superhero. Kenna is one of the most determined female heroines that I have read about in a long time. It was easy to forget at some points that she didn't have a power. Besides Kenna you have a cast of villains and heroes who are on the run, wanting to rescue Deacon, and Kenna's mother but also stop the heroes and their twisted forms of torture. The banter between this group was awesome. There were many moments when I laughed out loud at something that was said. There was a bit of romance in Powerless. I think that Kenna's feelings for Draven (a villain) really showed her that not every villain is bad as society has told her they are.
There were a few things that I did have issues with though. The difference between heroes and villain wasn't touched up much, you catch something about a marker here and there but what makes them what they are? Also, is the whole world a hero or villain or are they a secret society? There were a few things that weren't talked about that I hope are expended upon in the next book.
Overall I really did enjoy Powerless. It was a fun read, that I'm going to recommend to all superhero junkies. This is my first run with Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs, so it is safe to say that I will be reading more from them soon.
This book was so much fun! Superheros? That is some what new to me. It was an interesting concept that I wasn't 100% sure about, but by the end of the story I knew that this series is going to be amazing. Growing up my favorite movie was Sky High (The one about the superhero teenagers that go to a superhero high school along with children of Villains) and this book reminded me of that. Though this book was much better.
Kenna's world was always black and white. Heroes are good and Villains are bad. That is until the day three villains break into the lab she works at, claiming to be rescuing Deacon, a villain who is being hidden on sub level three. Only Kenna is pretty sure there is no sub level three, she practically lives at that lab. She would have known. But as secrets come to light and Kenna's mom is kidnapped, she teams up with her sworn enemies to stop the heroes and their twisted games and to find her mother.
In Kenna's society, everyone has a power. Except her. She is powerless. That doesn't stop her though. While her mother works on serums to help other heroes Kenna is working on her own, to make her a superhero. Kenna is one of the most determined female heroines that I have read about in a long time. It was easy to forget at some points that she didn't have a power. Besides Kenna you have a cast of villains and heroes who are on the run, wanting to rescue Deacon, and Kenna's mother but also stop the heroes and their twisted forms of torture. The banter between this group was awesome. There were many moments when I laughed out loud at something that was said. There was a bit of romance in Powerless. I think that Kenna's feelings for Draven (a villain) really showed her that not every villain is bad as society has told her they are.
There were a few things that I did have issues with though. The difference between heroes and villain wasn't touched up much, you catch something about a marker here and there but what makes them what they are? Also, is the whole world a hero or villain or are they a secret society? There were a few things that weren't talked about that I hope are expended upon in the next book.
Overall I really did enjoy Powerless. It was a fun read, that I'm going to recommend to all superhero junkies. This is my first run with Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs, so it is safe to say that I will be reading more from them soon.
June 1, 2015
I couldn't resist reading POWERLESS. I like Tera Lynn Childs' Greek mythology-inspired series and Tracy Deebs' romance novels as Tracy Wolff. Plus, novels featuring superheroes are one of my favorite things. A topic I like by authors I enjoy? Yep, no way I could resist.
I'm glad I didn't. POWERLESS is a propulsive read that both tells an exciting story and sets up several future plotlines for a series. It all starts in a lab, where Kenna Swift is working late. Kenna is powerless, but she's also immune to powers thanks to a serum her mother secretly cooked up. Hero or villain, it doesn't matter - although Kenna can still be hurt by collateral damage. That's why she remembers the three villains who invaded the lab looking for a friend, even though one of them thought he wiped her mind. Kenna knows who the heroes and the villains are, but she can't help thinking that they didn't seem that evil. So she goes snooping.
If you like stories about family secrets, people banding together to do the right thing, and creative uses of chapstick, you'll enjoy POWERLESS. I liked that there was an interesting mix of relationships in the main group. There's Kenna, her best friend Rebel, and her ex-boyfriend Jeremy representing the heroes. Then Draven (who Kenna is attracted to), Dante, and Nitro representing the villains. There are romantic, sibling, and friend relationships within the group, in addition to some tensions between people who used to be enemies. This mix means that even though it is a larger ensemble, there's a lot to define each character and how they react to the others.
I liked that Childs and Deebs didn't spend too long building up to the heroes-are-the-villains reveal. (In fact, the prologue basically gives it away.) It's where the story is obviously heading, so why save it for the climax? When we get it at the beginning of the book we get to see more of how Kenna reacts. (To be fair, it is mostly denial at first.)
POWERLESS did feel like the beginning of a series. There's several action scenes, but they're mostly set up for events in future books. At the same time, I feel like Childs and Deebs still managed to tell a complete story about Kenna and her friends. I'm definitely curious about how things will play out in the second book.
I'm glad I didn't. POWERLESS is a propulsive read that both tells an exciting story and sets up several future plotlines for a series. It all starts in a lab, where Kenna Swift is working late. Kenna is powerless, but she's also immune to powers thanks to a serum her mother secretly cooked up. Hero or villain, it doesn't matter - although Kenna can still be hurt by collateral damage. That's why she remembers the three villains who invaded the lab looking for a friend, even though one of them thought he wiped her mind. Kenna knows who the heroes and the villains are, but she can't help thinking that they didn't seem that evil. So she goes snooping.
If you like stories about family secrets, people banding together to do the right thing, and creative uses of chapstick, you'll enjoy POWERLESS. I liked that there was an interesting mix of relationships in the main group. There's Kenna, her best friend Rebel, and her ex-boyfriend Jeremy representing the heroes. Then Draven (who Kenna is attracted to), Dante, and Nitro representing the villains. There are romantic, sibling, and friend relationships within the group, in addition to some tensions between people who used to be enemies. This mix means that even though it is a larger ensemble, there's a lot to define each character and how they react to the others.
I liked that Childs and Deebs didn't spend too long building up to the heroes-are-the-villains reveal. (In fact, the prologue basically gives it away.) It's where the story is obviously heading, so why save it for the climax? When we get it at the beginning of the book we get to see more of how Kenna reacts. (To be fair, it is mostly denial at first.)
POWERLESS did feel like the beginning of a series. There's several action scenes, but they're mostly set up for events in future books. At the same time, I feel like Childs and Deebs still managed to tell a complete story about Kenna and her friends. I'm definitely curious about how things will play out in the second book.
July 24, 2022
exactly what I needed. All action, no substance. So many plot holes, so much wrong, but it’s okay because it’s YA dystopia at it’s absolute worst (best).
July 1, 2015
3.75/5
Okay, here goes:
I'm a sucker for pretty much anything and everything superhero related. So, when I saw this, I snapped it up immediately. Now, while I really enjoyed it, it did leave me with some complaints and asking a couple questions.
One: The character development was like pulling teeth. Trying to get any background info on characters, powers, or world building was really kinda frustrating. For example: Kenna hugs her friend Rebel after being attacked and Rebel makes mention of a detail that she shouldn't know of the attack and this makes Kenna suspicious. Here's my problem: this is a super-freakin-hero book. I don't know what Rebel's powers are, how do I know she doesn't have some telepathic power like a kick-ass-punk-girl Dr. X?? We don't even find out her power in fact until later in the book! There are a couple of instances of this throughout the book that I'm too frazzled to remember. ALSO, how old are these kids? High School? College? If HS, why aren'y they in school?? (summer break? if so, TELL ME)
Two: Okay, so technically this fits into the first problem, and that is this whole deal with villain and hero "power signatures". Uhh, okay? Sooo how did this start? How did this whole thing get decided? Is it decided on power types? OR were they born with it in the beginning of time and said "welp, your marks' on the right, guess that means you're a villain forever #suckstobeyou mwahaha." Like....I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!! UHG. And this idea really actually fascinates me But I neeeeddddd mooooorrreeeee!!
Well, I thought I had more but I think I just word vomited it all out there in one go. But anywho, I really did like this book. It fascinated me, it was easy and engaging and I liked the characters pretty much (omg Nitro is my little psycho pyro fo-realsies). And I will probably be reading the second book, if nothing else but to hopefully find the answers to ALL MY BURNING QUESTIONS!
Okay, here goes:
I'm a sucker for pretty much anything and everything superhero related. So, when I saw this, I snapped it up immediately. Now, while I really enjoyed it, it did leave me with some complaints and asking a couple questions.
One: The character development was like pulling teeth. Trying to get any background info on characters, powers, or world building was really kinda frustrating. For example: Kenna hugs her friend Rebel after being attacked and Rebel makes mention of a detail that she shouldn't know of the attack and this makes Kenna suspicious. Here's my problem: this is a super-freakin-hero book. I don't know what Rebel's powers are, how do I know she doesn't have some telepathic power like a kick-ass-punk-girl Dr. X?? We don't even find out her power in fact until later in the book! There are a couple of instances of this throughout the book that I'm too frazzled to remember. ALSO, how old are these kids? High School? College? If HS, why aren'y they in school?? (summer break? if so, TELL ME)
Two: Okay, so technically this fits into the first problem, and that is this whole deal with villain and hero "power signatures". Uhh, okay? Sooo how did this start? How did this whole thing get decided? Is it decided on power types? OR were they born with it in the beginning of time and said "welp, your marks' on the right, guess that means you're a villain forever #suckstobeyou mwahaha." Like....I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!! UHG. And this idea really actually fascinates me But I neeeeddddd mooooorrreeeee!!
Well, I thought I had more but I think I just word vomited it all out there in one go. But anywho, I really did like this book. It fascinated me, it was easy and engaging and I liked the characters pretty much (omg Nitro is my little psycho pyro fo-realsies). And I will probably be reading the second book, if nothing else but to hopefully find the answers to ALL MY BURNING QUESTIONS!
May 26, 2015
((4.5 stars))
Powerless isn't what I expected at all. I thought I'd like the main character, but I expected her to be a lot more affected by her lack of powers. I thought maybe she'd whine a lot, worry about having no powers and nothing would get done, and I thought there'd be a whole lot of self pity. And I expected that to stunt my enjoyment. Boy was I wrong.
From the first page it's pretty clear Kenna is not a person to mess with. She may be powerless but she isn't helpless, not by half. She's a scientist, and she's brave and determined. I admired her a whole lot, and her drive and determination made this book awesome. I loved almost every other character too, especially Draven, the typical brooding villain with a heart. Their bickering brought a layer of passion I hadn't expected from the romance, and it took my like of this book up to a screaming love. (So much that the ending KILLED me. Why would you do that to my precious Draven? How could you do that?)
The story of this book is pretty epic, too. Instead of the drama coming from villains, it's heroes that are the bad guys (and they are The Worst). Heroes have taken Kenna's mom, and this guy called Deacon who's important to a lot of people, and the heroes are secretly torturing everyone they don't like, while painting villains as the ... well, villains. Kenna and her best friend and her technopath ex-boyfriend and a bunch of villains join together to save them, and it is the best group dynamic I have read in a LONG time,
I liked Powerless a lot, and it felt really original. I didn't see any of the story coming, and it made it exciting. Coupled with the awesome gang of characters, the high stakes, the tension between Kenna and Draven, and a shocker of a plot twist, this book isn't one I'll forget in a hurry.
Can I have the second book now?
Powerless isn't what I expected at all. I thought I'd like the main character, but I expected her to be a lot more affected by her lack of powers. I thought maybe she'd whine a lot, worry about having no powers and nothing would get done, and I thought there'd be a whole lot of self pity. And I expected that to stunt my enjoyment. Boy was I wrong.
From the first page it's pretty clear Kenna is not a person to mess with. She may be powerless but she isn't helpless, not by half. She's a scientist, and she's brave and determined. I admired her a whole lot, and her drive and determination made this book awesome. I loved almost every other character too, especially Draven, the typical brooding villain with a heart. Their bickering brought a layer of passion I hadn't expected from the romance, and it took my like of this book up to a screaming love. (So much that the ending KILLED me. Why would you do that to my precious Draven? How could you do that?)
The story of this book is pretty epic, too. Instead of the drama coming from villains, it's heroes that are the bad guys (and they are The Worst). Heroes have taken Kenna's mom, and this guy called Deacon who's important to a lot of people, and the heroes are secretly torturing everyone they don't like, while painting villains as the ... well, villains. Kenna and her best friend and her technopath ex-boyfriend and a bunch of villains join together to save them, and it is the best group dynamic I have read in a LONG time,
I liked Powerless a lot, and it felt really original. I didn't see any of the story coming, and it made it exciting. Coupled with the awesome gang of characters, the high stakes, the tension between Kenna and Draven, and a shocker of a plot twist, this book isn't one I'll forget in a hurry.
Can I have the second book now?
August 5, 2015
Best book I've read in a while! It was so full-on all the time. I just loved every minute of it. I can't believe I have to wait like aaaages for the next book to come out. I don't know how I'm going to do it.
February 26, 2016
Look I'm tired, cold and head achy so this won't be a pretty preliminary review. But I am SO not in love with how this book played out. Pacing problems, character motivation problems, deus ex machinations up to high hell...
I'm over it.
I'm over it.
June 26, 2015
This book was not what I expected it to be. Going into this book I had an image of what it would look like. But boy was I proven wrong. When you get this book I highly recommend reading the inside of the cover. It tells you a lot about the characters more so than the book does. When I started reading the book I was surprised by how fast the plot started. You didn't really find out that much about the characters or their relationships with one another. It just went straight into the plot. It wasn't bad but I was shocked for a bit. I didn't like the amount of times the word powerless was used. It was a little bit annoying. There is a case of insta-love but it didn't bother me that much because they were actually focusing on the plan as well. I should also warn you that there isn't any real world building. This did not bother me. I think it might be explained in the next book but I'm not too sure. My favorite part about this book was the team work. Never have characters amongst the books I have read come together that quick and manage to put their differences aside for the sake of saving loved ones. I liked all the characters and especially loved Kenna's voice. I also liked the plot. Overall this was a pretty good book and I will definitely be reading the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2016
*Source* Library
*Genre* Young Adult, Science Fiction
*Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
Powerless, by authors Tera Lynn Childs (Fins, Medusa Girls) and Tracy Deebs (Tempest), is the first installment in The Hero Agenda duology. The story is narrated by Kenna Swift, a teenager who is growing up among villains and superheroes. In fact, her own mother Jeanine is a famous scientist who has developed a slew of toys that superheroes use when fighting the bad guys, and her father was once one of the best superheroes around.
*Full Review Posting @ Gizmos Reviews 03/26/2016* Link to Follow
Published June 2nd 2015 by Sourcebooks Fire
*Genre* Young Adult, Science Fiction
*Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
Powerless, by authors Tera Lynn Childs (Fins, Medusa Girls) and Tracy Deebs (Tempest), is the first installment in The Hero Agenda duology. The story is narrated by Kenna Swift, a teenager who is growing up among villains and superheroes. In fact, her own mother Jeanine is a famous scientist who has developed a slew of toys that superheroes use when fighting the bad guys, and her father was once one of the best superheroes around.
*Full Review Posting @ Gizmos Reviews 03/26/2016* Link to Follow
Published June 2nd 2015 by Sourcebooks Fire
June 28, 2016
Inventive premise-- but the plot is riddled with predictable surprises and almost no backstory to the world, and the incessant need for a dark and brooding love interest in young adult fiction is killing me here. If you're as obsessed with heroes as I am, you'll probably enjoy the book, but if you're looking for a masterpiece, I'd advise you to keep looking.
March 30, 2016
You can read my full review on my blog: http://pitchblacksky.net/book-review-...
Overall: A fast-paced, entertaining YA sci-fi novel with lovable characters that is definitely worth your time, even if you're not into the superhero thing!
Overall: A fast-paced, entertaining YA sci-fi novel with lovable characters that is definitely worth your time, even if you're not into the superhero thing!
May 17, 2018
A fun and thought-provoking YA read with a huge twist on hero stereotypes.
Shelved as 'dnf'
March 2, 2022DNF at 68%
DNFing simply because I have no motivation to complete it
DNFing simply because I have no motivation to complete it
July 16, 2017
It's a good book, but the really annoying part is that the protagonists just keep failing. It's basically about how Kenna is powerless in a world of superheroes and villains and she then happens to meet a villain that saves her life. She uncovers the truth and fights for justice and blah blah blah.
May 25, 2015
I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, I was in no way compensated for this review.
When I saw Powerless was written by Tracy Deebs along with Tera Lynn Childs, I knew I had to have it because I have LOVED Tracy Deebs' books! Her Tempest Maguire trilogy was a favorite mermaid read of mine so I was curious about this new superhero book! I haven't read too many of those all things considered, especially since I love watching the comic book/superhero movies. But I was not prepared to be totally blown away with Powerless! It was extraordinarily awesome and I am left weeping for more!
Kenna is a normal human girl. Her parents were superheroes, her father died when she was young and her mother is more of the super genius type of hero. Kenna though has her own unique talent thanks to her mom, she is immune to hero and villain's superpowers. She takes an injection every so often that gives her this immunity and it's come in handy a few times, but it's a secret she must keep or else there would be trouble for her and her mom. And in part, it's what gets her into trouble one night while she works in her mom's lab. She's her mom's "ranscriptionist", basically copying her mom's sloppy notes into legible format. One night, villains break into the lab and all hell breaks loose.
It's not long before Kenna learns that there is more going on to the villains breaking in. They were looking for someone they believe the heroes are keeping prisoner, but Kenna isn't quick to believe it all. Until her best friend, Rebel fills in her on a thing or two. It's not really until Kenna's mom gets kidnapped or otherwise goes missing that she's willing to get on board with a rescue mission.
Now Kenna puts aside long held prejudices against the villains and works with them. The heroes have been keeping secrets for too long. Plus, she needs to find her mom so she can get another dose of her shot to keep up her immunity, for the medicine is already beginning to wear off.
This was just such an action packed read! I loved every minute of it! If I hadn't had prior obligations to take care of yesterday, I could easily see myself finishing this then! It was incredible!! I loved this cast of characters, we have our heroine Kenna, who has a few things to learn about herself. Internally, emotionally, and all that jazz! But the villains, oh my! I love those guys! They are incredible! Draven is Kenna's potential love interest. I love how these two interacted. She stands up to him, especially when she's against him. And he even tries to be heroic, almost, in the little things that he does around her. Otherwise, these two are pretty much in each other's faces shouting a lot and arguing, but you can definitely tell that these two have a chemistry together long before they realize it!
And then there's Dante, Draven's cousin. It's his brother who is missing and he just so happens to be Rebel's secret boyfriend. We learn a lot about hero and villain differences in this one. It's definitely something you could see with some prejudices that still exist in our society today, and here these teenagers are able to shove those aside and work together, even get as close to friendship then you wouldn't think possible!
There's also Nitro, another villain who cracks me up! He's a bit hotheaded, but man does that boy have power! Then bring in Kenna's ex-boyrfriend, hero Jeremy, who's basically a techno-whiz and wow! The dynamics between these guys is hilarious! Not to mention a little bit of jealousy on Draven's side!
Not only was this an action packed read, it was quite suspenseful! It sort of had a conspiracy theory going, but we have yet to learn the whys of it all. There's still a lot left unsaid and even more added mysteries and questions get brought up by the end! And let me tell you, I about had a heart attack at about the 96% point! And just as I can almost, almost breathe a sigh of relief, the tension mounts up again and so does my heartrate! The wait for the next book will be excruciating!! It will be painful and unbearable!! And OMG I SOOOO need there to be second book asap!!! The journey has only just begun for Kenna as she learns the true difference between hero and villain!
If you're looking for a different kind of read, you can't get more different than a superhero and super-villain kind of read! Action packed, tension driven, filled with suspense, comedic relief, stunning revelations and of course, a budding romance, this book has it all! Powerless was quite the powerful read!! ;) And I so cannot wait for more!
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
Powerless releases June 2, 2015
When I saw Powerless was written by Tracy Deebs along with Tera Lynn Childs, I knew I had to have it because I have LOVED Tracy Deebs' books! Her Tempest Maguire trilogy was a favorite mermaid read of mine so I was curious about this new superhero book! I haven't read too many of those all things considered, especially since I love watching the comic book/superhero movies. But I was not prepared to be totally blown away with Powerless! It was extraordinarily awesome and I am left weeping for more!
Kenna is a normal human girl. Her parents were superheroes, her father died when she was young and her mother is more of the super genius type of hero. Kenna though has her own unique talent thanks to her mom, she is immune to hero and villain's superpowers. She takes an injection every so often that gives her this immunity and it's come in handy a few times, but it's a secret she must keep or else there would be trouble for her and her mom. And in part, it's what gets her into trouble one night while she works in her mom's lab. She's her mom's "ranscriptionist", basically copying her mom's sloppy notes into legible format. One night, villains break into the lab and all hell breaks loose.
It's not long before Kenna learns that there is more going on to the villains breaking in. They were looking for someone they believe the heroes are keeping prisoner, but Kenna isn't quick to believe it all. Until her best friend, Rebel fills in her on a thing or two. It's not really until Kenna's mom gets kidnapped or otherwise goes missing that she's willing to get on board with a rescue mission.
Now Kenna puts aside long held prejudices against the villains and works with them. The heroes have been keeping secrets for too long. Plus, she needs to find her mom so she can get another dose of her shot to keep up her immunity, for the medicine is already beginning to wear off.
This was just such an action packed read! I loved every minute of it! If I hadn't had prior obligations to take care of yesterday, I could easily see myself finishing this then! It was incredible!! I loved this cast of characters, we have our heroine Kenna, who has a few things to learn about herself. Internally, emotionally, and all that jazz! But the villains, oh my! I love those guys! They are incredible! Draven is Kenna's potential love interest. I love how these two interacted. She stands up to him, especially when she's against him. And he even tries to be heroic, almost, in the little things that he does around her. Otherwise, these two are pretty much in each other's faces shouting a lot and arguing, but you can definitely tell that these two have a chemistry together long before they realize it!
And then there's Dante, Draven's cousin. It's his brother who is missing and he just so happens to be Rebel's secret boyfriend. We learn a lot about hero and villain differences in this one. It's definitely something you could see with some prejudices that still exist in our society today, and here these teenagers are able to shove those aside and work together, even get as close to friendship then you wouldn't think possible!
There's also Nitro, another villain who cracks me up! He's a bit hotheaded, but man does that boy have power! Then bring in Kenna's ex-boyrfriend, hero Jeremy, who's basically a techno-whiz and wow! The dynamics between these guys is hilarious! Not to mention a little bit of jealousy on Draven's side!
Not only was this an action packed read, it was quite suspenseful! It sort of had a conspiracy theory going, but we have yet to learn the whys of it all. There's still a lot left unsaid and even more added mysteries and questions get brought up by the end! And let me tell you, I about had a heart attack at about the 96% point! And just as I can almost, almost breathe a sigh of relief, the tension mounts up again and so does my heartrate! The wait for the next book will be excruciating!! It will be painful and unbearable!! And OMG I SOOOO need there to be second book asap!!! The journey has only just begun for Kenna as she learns the true difference between hero and villain!
If you're looking for a different kind of read, you can't get more different than a superhero and super-villain kind of read! Action packed, tension driven, filled with suspense, comedic relief, stunning revelations and of course, a budding romance, this book has it all! Powerless was quite the powerful read!! ;) And I so cannot wait for more!
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
Powerless releases June 2, 2015
Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews