Josie's seventeenth birthday turns her whole world upside down. Things start off badly as her mother is overprotective, her father appears to have left them and doesn't call, her boyfriend dumps her, and she's now the same age as her brother Nick was when he died. However, Josie's about to learn that everything she thought she knew was a lie. Reid Wentworth arrives in town and his job is to teach Josie- because Josie is one of the Oculi and a single thought from her can change reality.

ANOMALY alternates between points of view, as we see the story unfold through the eyes of both Josie and Reid. I like the alternating viewpoints as it adds a bit of depth to the storyline. It also helps prevent everything we learn coming from the perspective of someone completely new to the world of the Oculi.

ANOMALY is the first in a trilogy and I suspect I will like the second book a bit more. Tonya Kuper has to spend a lot of time introducing both the reader and Josie to the Oculi and her powers and so we see a lot of training scenarios. I like that Tonya Kuper doesn't do a lot of info dumping as instead we see the powers of the Oculi being used in action rather than just hearing what they can do if needed.

Josie is a great heroine! She's brainy, witty, and loves all things geek-related. I love the various nods to The Big Bang Theory, Star Trek, and Star Wars! In fact, it is Josie's strength of character and personality even more so than her Oculi abilities that really makes ANOMALY work.

ANOMALY is a fast paced and fun start to what appears to be a promising trilogy. I look forward to reading the next book, as I can't wait to see how things evolve, particularly in light of the bombshells dropped near the conclusion. ANOMALY is easily recommended to readers of paranormal young adult fiction!

Book Summary

Reality is only an illusion. Except for those who can control it…

Worst. Birthday. Ever.

My first boyfriend dumped me—happy birthday, Josie!—my dad is who knows where, I have some weird virus that makes me want to hurl, and now my ex is licking another girl’s tonsils. Oh, and I’m officially the same age as my brother was when he died. Yeah, today is about as fun-filled as the swamps of Dagobah. But then weird things start happening…

Like I make something materialize just by thinking about it.

When hottily-hot badass Reid Wentworth shows up on a motorcycle, everything changes. Like, everything. Who I am. My family. What really happened to my brother. Existence. I am Oculi, and I have the ability to change reality with my thoughts. Now Reid, in all his hotness, is charged with guiding and protecting me as I begin learning how to bend reality. And he’s the only thing standing between me and the secret organization that wants me dead…