Greetings once again and a very happy book birthday to H.L. Burke and Power On!

I loved the author’s Superhero Rehabilitation Project series, so I was ecstatic when she announced a spinoff YA series.

Without further ado, on to the review!

Summary:

Jake’s family ties have turned to cuffs.

Born with the ability to fragment his body at a molecular level, Jake Lucas has devoted his life to his uncle’s supervillain gang. When he’s captured by superheroes, he’s certain his life is over at only sixteen.

To Jake’s surprise, he doesn’t end up in prison but at Camp Sable: an intervention project for at-risk super powered teens. Jake’s not interested in rehabilitation. As far as he’s concerned, the camp mentors are just a barrier between him and his true family, the Sand Fox gang.

Forced to work alongside the likewise screwed up duo of fire-powered Marco and electricity manipulator Laleh, Jake waits for the perfect escape opportunity. Having friends and the chance at a real family is more appealing than Jake originally thought, but going soft can cost a supervillain his life. Jake soon finds the forces fighting to control his life threatening to tear him apart.

Will Jake choose to remain the villain his uncle made him, or become the hero his new friends think he can be?

A Young Adult Superhero series featuring found family, friendship, and one superpowered ferret.

Personal Review:

A fast-paced superhero adventure with ties to the original series? Who could ask for more?

Since I started reading the original SVR series, I’ve been so impressed by H.L. Burke’s growth as a writer, and this book was no exception. The teens, their motivations, and their actions are just as realistic as those of the adult characters, something that’s often hard to balance in a YA book.

I loved watching Prism and Fade step into these new leadership roles, and all of the relationships present in this story are so genuine.

There are some amazing quotes in this book (I’ll share a few below), and I appreciated all the little nods to the SVR series. One of my favorite parts of this new series so far is watching Fade’s growth. Since his first appearance, he’s been a character that I’ve rooted for and been engaged in his journey. As he comes full circle and mentors teens that are in positions similar to his former ones, I can’t help but admire how the author has crafted his story arc.

Power On would be the perfect introduction to H.L. Burke’s storyworld, but I think it would be even more special to a reader that’s followed Prism and Fade’s story through the SVR. So many moments held greater significance because I knew just how far the characters had come.

H.L. Burke’s stories always grab my attention and refuse to let go, and this one was no exception! I can’t wait for book 2 (and the next book in the SVR series)!

Content Review:

Language –

– b—–d, a–, and d–n are the extent of the language

Sexual – A couple references to adult situations

Other – A couple reference to adults drinking

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Quotes:

• [talking about the gang] “Also none of them were fellow kids, as the meme went.”
• “We’re a team now, and teammates don’t leave other teammates alone in the dark facing existential dread.”
• I can’t walk both worlds – but man, I’m not ready to choose.

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I received a free eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Further Reading…

If you haven’t already read the SVR series, be sure to check out my review for the first book, Reformed! Reviews for books 2-4 are coming soon!

Reformed Book Review

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That’s all for now! There are a couple exciting book releases this week that I hope to talk about/review soon, so farewell until then!