Jacqui Pretty
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
What do you do when you’re the only member of your entire family without Superpowers? For Hanna Super, there’s only one option; to become a skilled scientist and to win her father, Artem’s, favour by splicing her siblings’ DNA and somehow turn it into something that can be reproduced so that she can wield it. But that won’t be an easy task when her three of her four siblings despise and revile her. Indeed, when a rescue mission during a hostage situation goes horribly wrong and her siblings are injured, Hanna discovers that someone else has seemingly replicated her work already and managed to enhance a normal human with super powers. Her father and three of her siblings are furious – expelling Hanna from the family and threatening her life. She escapes, barely, with thanks to the one sister who has always supported her – Maria. As Hanna tries to forge ahead – owning only the clothes on her back – she becomes embroiled in the dark underbelly of the city. An organised crime group called The Brotherhood – who may have been responsible for the death of her mother. Her loyalties are torn as everything she thought she knew about her family, father and The Brotherhood is turned on its head.
Powerless is incredibly fast paced, filled with action and tension as Hanna begins to navigate a world of Mafia bosses, guns and drugs. There’s a mystery in the story of Hanna’s mother – as well as a hint of thriller – with the political intrigue and attempted heists. For a Young Adult novel, it’s gritty – dealing with several issues. Hanna suffers from familial abuse from most of her siblings – with them bullying her relentlessly while they treat her as though she’s not much more than a servant. Her father delivers emotional abuse; telling her she’s useless and making her feel as though she’s less than anyone else. She’s left out of everything from missions to family meetings – barely even allowed to leave the house. Hanna uses self harm as a way to disassociate from the many abuses, with Pretty going into graphic detail of the way Hanna uses the pain as an escape.
As far as the mystery aspect of Powerless goes, more questions than answers are posed. There’s little resolution of some of Hanna’s main concerns; such as – who is her mother? Who is the girl in her father’s lab? What is the connection to The Brotherhood? It leaves the reader feeling frustrated at the end of the novel (which seems to come around very suddenly) – as though there’s parts of the story missing. Hopefully, Pretty plans a follow up to Hanna’s story – because it feels as though it’s only just begun.
S.A
First published on Reedsy Discovery as part of their ARC programme. You can read the original review here.
Powerless is available to buy on Amazon.
* Some links on The Indie Book Nook may contain affiliation. Your rights are not affected by this, nor is the price. The Indie Book Nook may receive a small fee from the seller if you purchase through this link.