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The Supernormal Legacy #1
Dormant
When Olivia Woodson witnessed her supernormal mother die fighting terrorists, she rejected her destiny as a supernormal. Now, at 14, she just wants to be normal. But when Olivia gets caught in the middle of a bank robbery, she must use her powers or watch her boyfriend die. Olivia saves the day, then tells herself this is the only time she’ll ever use her powers. But they refuse to be contained, forcing Olivia to connect with the supernormal side of her family and awaken the incredible ability lying dormant inside her.
- GenresYoung AdultFantasy
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 20, 2018
About the author
LeeAnn Elwood McLennan
4 books20 followersLeeAnn Elwood McLennan is the author of the Dormant Trilogy. Growing up in Fort Worth, Texas, she was always looking for any opportunity to read – under the covers in bed, in the car, and in class using the book hidden in the textbook trick. When her father introduced her to sci-fi/fantasy through a book of short stories from Astounding Stories, the possibilities in every word captivated her interest and her daydreams involved other worlds, magical powers and time travel.
Root is the second book in the Dormant trilogy. The final book, Emerge, will be out in 2018.
Though she graduated from Clemson University with a degree in English, LeeAnn has spent her career working in computer engineering related fields. LeeAnn lives in Portland, OR with her husband, Andy, and three cats (number of cats subject to change). Visit her at www.leeannmclennan.com, follow her on Facebook @lemwrites, and Twitter @atticusmcl.
Root is the second book in the Dormant trilogy. The final book, Emerge, will be out in 2018.
Though she graduated from Clemson University with a degree in English, LeeAnn has spent her career working in computer engineering related fields. LeeAnn lives in Portland, OR with her husband, Andy, and three cats (number of cats subject to change). Visit her at www.leeannmclennan.com, follow her on Facebook @lemwrites, and Twitter @atticusmcl.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 1, 2018
Full disclosure: I helped edit this book and I'm one of the co-publishers. I love this novel so much! The characters are so well developed and realistic that I feel I know them. The plot speeds up to a frenzy for the thrilling conclusion. This is a thoroughly satisfying read for any fan of YA or superheroes. Get in on this now since the whole series is coming out this year!
March 6, 2018
I was predisposed to like this story of a reluctant teen superhero in the Pacific Northwest; it's my sub-sub-genre, too. McLennan delivers the goods with a relatable young protagonist in a recognizable real-life setting. Dormant provides a nice twist on the origin story, too: rather than being surprised by the sudden advent of powers, Olivia has known about them her whole life and doesn't want them.
Who wouldn't want superpowers? But 14-year-old Olivia has good reason. Descended from a long line of “supernormals,” as a child she witnessed her mother's death in action and blames herself. She rejected her powers and that side of her family, suppressing abilities that should have manifested when she was 13. When a bank robbery compels her to use her abilities, Olivia is drawn back to the “family business” and begins training with her cousins to learn to control her powers and help protect the city of Portland from supernormal bad guys and monsters. (I really loved that her superteam is a group of cousins, a special kind of friend-relative that everyone should have a bunch of to grow up with.) When more than one local landmark is violently destroyed in her presence, Olivia and her family begin to wonder if she's turning into a villain herself, unconsciously using powers when upset or angry. Meanwhile, she's trying to keep up her old normal life of school, friends, and boyfriend while avoiding a mean girl who has it in for her; but the universe—and her aunt and uncles—have other ideas. Plenty of action--and humor--keep this from devolving into an angsty-teen emo-fest.
For someone who spends most of the book rejecting or suppressing her powers, Olivia takes great delight in using them. She knows deep down that this is who she is and what she does. I especially liked those scenes, which showed she was still capable of joy. Although she had good reason for turning away from that identity, embracing it seems like her one hope for healing from her early trauma. By the end of Book 1, she has excellent motivation for training and using her abilities. Book 2, Root, comes out in June. Read Book 1 now so you're ready.
Who wouldn't want superpowers? But 14-year-old Olivia has good reason. Descended from a long line of “supernormals,” as a child she witnessed her mother's death in action and blames herself. She rejected her powers and that side of her family, suppressing abilities that should have manifested when she was 13. When a bank robbery compels her to use her abilities, Olivia is drawn back to the “family business” and begins training with her cousins to learn to control her powers and help protect the city of Portland from supernormal bad guys and monsters. (I really loved that her superteam is a group of cousins, a special kind of friend-relative that everyone should have a bunch of to grow up with.) When more than one local landmark is violently destroyed in her presence, Olivia and her family begin to wonder if she's turning into a villain herself, unconsciously using powers when upset or angry. Meanwhile, she's trying to keep up her old normal life of school, friends, and boyfriend while avoiding a mean girl who has it in for her; but the universe—and her aunt and uncles—have other ideas. Plenty of action--and humor--keep this from devolving into an angsty-teen emo-fest.
For someone who spends most of the book rejecting or suppressing her powers, Olivia takes great delight in using them. She knows deep down that this is who she is and what she does. I especially liked those scenes, which showed she was still capable of joy. Although she had good reason for turning away from that identity, embracing it seems like her one hope for healing from her early trauma. By the end of Book 1, she has excellent motivation for training and using her abilities. Book 2, Root, comes out in June. Read Book 1 now so you're ready.
January 20, 2019
Supernormal Legacy Dormant is really good and one of my favorite books of all time. Olivia is unique in that unlike other hero stories, she doesn't get her powers and decide to be a superhero. Because of her previous experiences, she doesn't want to be a superhero. I cared about the side characters' interesting lives and what happened to them throughout the book. I felt the story held onto my attention throughout the entire book. The ending was satisfying and I didn't want it to end later or sooner. The powers the main characters had were super interesting and fun to hear about. The book gives reasons on both sides why these powers can be awesome or really bad. Living with super powers as a secret from the rest of the world is your classic superhero stuff. The mystery of why bad things keep happening to Olivia is intriguing. Olivia is also really charismatic and relatable. This book has interesting characters like Uncle Alex who is cool and nice, and Aunt Kate is loving and supportive. The other characters also have their clear motives and likeable features. I recommend this book.
January 22, 2019
I think everyone should read this book. It is really good. I really like all the twist and terns. There was nothing I did not like. I could not stop reading it and I cant what to read the next book.
March 16, 2018
All her life, Olivia has struggled with the belief that she has superpowers and her mother's death is her fault. She's tried to suppress her abilities, but is forced to use them during a bank robbery. Now, along with her cousins, Olivia must learn to accept and control the abilities she's always hated and feared. Whether it's other supernormals or monsters, Olivia's new mission is to help protect Portland, OR.
When a landmark is destroyed, Olivia and her family begin to suspect that her abilities are getting away from her. Could she be lashing out in fear or anger without knowing it?
And as if that's not enough, Olivia still has to attend school, deal with friends and her boyfriend, and avoid the mean girl who's out to make her life miserable.
Fans of the TV series Grimm will particularly enjoy seeing the things that go bump in the night run amuck in the Pacific Northwest once again.
When a landmark is destroyed, Olivia and her family begin to suspect that her abilities are getting away from her. Could she be lashing out in fear or anger without knowing it?
And as if that's not enough, Olivia still has to attend school, deal with friends and her boyfriend, and avoid the mean girl who's out to make her life miserable.
Fans of the TV series Grimm will particularly enjoy seeing the things that go bump in the night run amuck in the Pacific Northwest once again.
July 13, 2018
An exciting book that's great for fans of X-Men and the Pacific Northwest! This is an exhilarating story, filled to the brim with cool superpowers, family tension, romantic drama, and a captivating mystery. Olivia is a spunky heroine with a complicated life, and her voice is strong as we follow her though her life. The characters are all complex and well-developed, especially the various family relationships.
It perfectly weaves thrilling action with touching personal moments as we attempt to unravel the mysterious happenings in Portland, OR, which we simultaneously get a tour of as we read! The culture of this secret supernormal society is also really interesting to learn about and discover alongside Olivia. This book had me gasping and cheering and biting my nails, and I can't wait for the sequel!
It perfectly weaves thrilling action with touching personal moments as we attempt to unravel the mysterious happenings in Portland, OR, which we simultaneously get a tour of as we read! The culture of this secret supernormal society is also really interesting to learn about and discover alongside Olivia. This book had me gasping and cheering and biting my nails, and I can't wait for the sequel!
August 5, 2019
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: The Supernormal Legacy: Dormant
Author: LeeAnn McLennan
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 19
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 7/10
Of the 19 readers:
17 would read another book by this author.
14 thought the cover was good or excellent.
19 felt it was easy to follow.
17 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
12 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
18 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
17 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘This is such a good book. There re tons of twists and lots of pace. I liked Olivia too.’ Girl, aged 13
‘The battle she has as to whether to be ‘normal’ or ‘supernormal’ was the best element of the book. I didn’t love the cover. I thought it was too young-feeling for the story.’ Boy, aged 15
‘The whole Olivia character is really well done. What happened to her mum, how she now rejects her powers, how she can’t decided what to do. Really interesting. Books like this are mostly plot-driven. This was character-driven.’ Girl, aged 16
‘Cool story. Lots of bad guys, and a confused hero!!! Lacked humour but it has pace and amazing characters. I liked her family and how they helped her. The author’s writing style is easy to follow. The ending was also good. I’d would read another book by this author.’ Male reader, aged 14
‘Fab book! Read it, loved it!’ Girl, aged 13
To Sum It Up:
‘A gripping ‘superpower’ YA novel. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: The Supernormal Legacy: Dormant
Author: LeeAnn McLennan
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 19
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 7/10
Of the 19 readers:
17 would read another book by this author.
14 thought the cover was good or excellent.
19 felt it was easy to follow.
17 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
12 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
18 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
17 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘This is such a good book. There re tons of twists and lots of pace. I liked Olivia too.’ Girl, aged 13
‘The battle she has as to whether to be ‘normal’ or ‘supernormal’ was the best element of the book. I didn’t love the cover. I thought it was too young-feeling for the story.’ Boy, aged 15
‘The whole Olivia character is really well done. What happened to her mum, how she now rejects her powers, how she can’t decided what to do. Really interesting. Books like this are mostly plot-driven. This was character-driven.’ Girl, aged 16
‘Cool story. Lots of bad guys, and a confused hero!!! Lacked humour but it has pace and amazing characters. I liked her family and how they helped her. The author’s writing style is easy to follow. The ending was also good. I’d would read another book by this author.’ Male reader, aged 14
‘Fab book! Read it, loved it!’ Girl, aged 13
To Sum It Up:
‘A gripping ‘superpower’ YA novel. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
May 16, 2023
I won a Kindle version of this book quite a while ago (sorry, so many books, not enough time!) in exchange for an honest review.
I've always enjoyed YA fiction and was excited to read Dormant. I'm glad to say I was not disappointed! The story unfolds at a satisfying and consistent pace. The characters each have their own personality and don't necessarily need another character to support their own story line. Olivia aka Ollie, does seem to feel like an older 14 and I did forget halfway through the story that she was so young, but that didn't matter as she went through the expected emotions of any regular teenager.
The book was well written and I would read another from this series (I am bummed none of the libraries in UHLS carry these books). I do hope that some other characters from the story appear with more development in the following books, specifically - the best friend: Anna, the boyfriend: Jack, the father: Sam, and the school "nemesis": Mindy (and her family). I feel there should or could be more to those characters other than being there "just because."
Overall, I gave this book four stars as I found it a bit predictable, especially with who the villain turned out to be and the deal with Ollie's father, and I wanted just a little bit more out of it. It could be because we've got teenager kids at home and understand certain things more as an adult than I did when I was their age or maybe it was meant to be figured out by the reader. Definitely good, though, and I would recommend it to those I know that enjoy YA fiction.
I've always enjoyed YA fiction and was excited to read Dormant. I'm glad to say I was not disappointed! The story unfolds at a satisfying and consistent pace. The characters each have their own personality and don't necessarily need another character to support their own story line. Olivia aka Ollie, does seem to feel like an older 14 and I did forget halfway through the story that she was so young, but that didn't matter as she went through the expected emotions of any regular teenager.
The book was well written and I would read another from this series (I am bummed none of the libraries in UHLS carry these books). I do hope that some other characters from the story appear with more development in the following books, specifically - the best friend: Anna, the boyfriend: Jack, the father: Sam, and the school "nemesis": Mindy (and her family). I feel there should or could be more to those characters other than being there "just because."
Overall, I gave this book four stars as I found it a bit predictable, especially with who the villain turned out to be and the deal with Ollie's father, and I wanted just a little bit more out of it. It could be because we've got teenager kids at home and understand certain things more as an adult than I did when I was their age or maybe it was meant to be figured out by the reader. Definitely good, though, and I would recommend it to those I know that enjoy YA fiction.
October 27, 2018
Excellent fresh ideas, great storytelling and twists, with a lot of attention to teenage feelings and relationships. A 14 year old girl trying to suppress and avoid her special abilities, after a shock in her childhood. The book is about how she discovers what she can do, building and rebuilding family connections.
I definitely want to read the next book!
I got the book on a Goodreads giveaway, thank you!
I definitely want to read the next book!
I got the book on a Goodreads giveaway, thank you!
January 22, 2020
This was a really well written book, with an enticing story line and well-developed characters! A great coming-of-age story about accepting who you are for what you are. I loves reading books with strong family bonds, so this one really appealed to me. A great, new twist to classic superhero stories, I fully recommend this book to people who love stories about fantasy with enough reality to make it believable.
July 18, 2018
I am not used to go back to Young Adult novels, but this one is good. The kids act like kids, the adult are being adults. And it shocked me how everything could have been avoided if someone had reigned in the Daddy of the villain girl who pushed her too far.
Give it a chance though it's good stuff!
Give it a chance though it's good stuff!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews