If you could control minds...would you? It's hard enough for Dawn hiding that she's a teen psychic from her new classmates and new step-family, but it gets even tougher when she learns that ESP spells D-A-N-G-E-R. When Dawn gets involved with a fortuneteller mentor and two girls who share her mysterious talents, she finally belongs after years of being a misfit. When she learns her new friends may be tied to freak "accidents" in town, Dawn has an important choice to make - continue developing the talent that makes her special or challenge the only people who have ever accepted her.
Audible
Review:
The interactions between characters were all very interesting. Dawn's mother seems to have blinders on or want to avoid things and I don't think that's a very healthy thing to do. But it was cool to see how things worked out because of her. It's a difficult situation but one that should be dealt with and not hidden. It's a really terrible thing to see what Dawn does and not be able to stop it.
I couldn't even imagine what Dawn had to go through even as I was reading her perspective. It just seems a really difficult thing to deal with.
And then to find out the reason behind everything that's going on and Dawn's inability to see things. I was surprised how the ending came about as I didn't think that would actually happen but it was certainly unexpected and that was good.
It was certainly a good read and I would recommend it to anyone.
Excerpt:
As Ken backed out of the driveway, Dawn searched her brain for something interesting to say. She finally gave up. Ken didn’t seem in any hurry to chat, either.
She and Ken had made small talk a few times over the summer, but he never invited her to join him and his friends downtown. She didn’t think Ken disliked her, but he wasn’t that friendly, either.
As he turned up the radio full blast, Dawn rubbed her aching forehead. Normally she loved music, but not right now.
She reached over and lowered the volume. "Is that okay? I’ve got a splitting headache."
"Hey, this is my car. I control the tunes." Ken jerked his gaze off the road.
"Sorry, I’m just not feeling well." Dawn fastened her eyes on the floor mats, which badly needed shaking out. Maybe she was wrong and he did hate her.
"Who asked you here, anyway? I ought to go back and drop you off at the bus stop."
"Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t ask you to drive me."
"Yeah, my dad did. Except he didn’t ask. He ordered."
"Don’t worry, you won’t have to be seen with me anymore. From now on, I’ll catch the bus." Dawn’s voice wobbled. If he snapped at her one more time, the warmth pressing behind her eyelids would explode.
"You’re not crying are you?" Ken glanced at her sideways.
"I told you, I have a headache," she said, dabbing her cheeks with her shirt sleeve. "I’m a little nervous about school."
"It’s not you, okay? Your mom’s always in my face and Dad keeps bugging me to be nice to her. If he wanted to get married, fine, but leave me out of it."
"I know what you mean." Dawn wiped away the last of her tears. It helped to know Ken had problems adjusting, too.
"I’ll keep the radio down. Okay?" He looked at her anxiously, as if afraid she’d sob into his letter jacket.
"Thanks."
They drove in silence. Dawn stared out the window at Covington Center, for once empty of tourists and kids on skateboards. Her mother said they were lucky to live a mile from the Center, where all the action was, but there were only so many times Dawn could visit the same shops and arcades. Even a mall would have cheered Dawn, but the closest one was a half hour away. She was trapped in Beach Blanket Hell.
This morning, the carousel horses were lifeless and carnival rides frozen. Gulls swooped down to vacant park benches, hunting for day-old remains of fried dough and pizza. Most everything shut down after Labor Day. Jeff had explained that the only places to stay open off-season were Mario's Pizza, the Center Sweet Shoppe and the Sand Castle Drugstore.
Dawn gave an involuntary shudder as they drove past the beach. The gray tide pitched forward, swallowing the slick mirror of sand. She gazed down at her knuckles, fisted in her lap. Her mother and Jeff worshipped the ocean, but to her it was a mysterious monster foaming at the mouth.
Stacy Juba loves to write stories about Characters at a Crossroads: individuals who are finding themselves and getting on the right life path after overcoming obstacles. She has made numerous bestseller lists including GalleyCat’s Barnes & Noble Bestsellers and GalleyCat’s Mystery and Thriller Bestsellers. Stacy has written about reality TV contestants targeted by a killer, an obit writer investigating a cold case, teen psychics who control minds, twin high school hockey stars battling on the ice, and teddy bears learning to raise the U.S. flag. She has had a book ranked as #5 in the Nook Store and #30 on the Amazon Kindle Paid List. Stacy also offers the affordable Crossroads Editing Service for writers and does her editing the old-fashioned way, on a hard copy, so that she can mark up manuscripts with extensive comments and line edits. In addition, she teaches online writing and book promotion classes for various writers organizations. Browse her website for more information on her mystery, romance, and contemporary fiction books for adults, teens and children.
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