Teresa, codename Trance, used to have powers. Fifteen years ago, something happened to make all of the people with paranormal abilities, mostly kids on the "good guy" side and adults on the "bad guy" side, lose their abilities. They went from comic book action characters to reviled enemies---both sides---in an instant. In a moment of agonizing pain, Teresa has powers back, but they aren't hers, and they seem to be killing her. She groups up with a few of the other former kids, the ones who aren't dead or being killed, and tries to figure out what's going on. She's thrilled to meet up with Gage, on whom she had a major crush, but neither Gage nor Teresa are used to sharing secrets, space, or anything with anyone anymore, and they aren't likely to succeed in whatever they were born to do if they don't get their acts together and figure out who the real enemy is. Secrets abound, and they cannot trust anyone, not even themselves.

This is a phenomenal work. I could see people saying, "oh, right, The Incredibles; wasn't that a few years ago?" No. The Incredibles is a cute movie that depicts supers being relegated to gray suburbia; this work demonstrates how society really can fear and isolate those who are different as well as how perspective matters in every situation. This is an excellently well-crafted work.

Book Summary

The first in a new series by popular urban fantasy author Kelly Meding, featuring an X-Men -like group of young people with superpowers who must find a way to work together After years of bouncing aimlessly from one dead-end job to another, Teresa ;Trance ; West's superpowers return in a moment of blinding pain and panic. Inexplicably stolen at the climax of the devastating Meta War, the handful of surviving Rangers had been powerless for fifteen yearsonly Teresa's powers came back wrong. She used to be an average telepath. Now, her eyes are purple, her hair is streaked violet, and she can create powerful energy orbs by snapping her fingers. Plagued by headaches, cramps, and violent energy bursts, Teresa seems to be allergic to her new powersand if that's not bad enough, now there's a killer after her&.