Sixteen-year-olds Demarcus Bartlett and Lily Beausoliel are among a select group of youth invited to an exclusive, all-expenses-paid conference at social media giant Alturas’ California headquarters. Led by charismatic founder Simon Mazor, the world’s youngest billionaire, this isn’t the typical honors society. It seems that everyone here has some secret, untapped potential, some power that may … may not be entirely of this world. An ancient prophecy suggests that if these teens combine their abilities, they could change the course of history. The only question is: Will it be for better or for worse?
more
Wow!
I didn’t know what to expect from this new-to-me author, but I was blown away!
This story was very captivating and intriguing. It flowed so smoothly even though it had things I wasn’t familiar with, being that I’m an older person and not really up on the tech stuff. It was easy to understand and imagine.
Another thing that I loved was the whole idea of these kids with special gifts. Each one did not know what their gift was or why they had it. Only thought they were weird. This is so true for young teens. Many of them struggle to find who they are and what their worth is.
Jason Joyner is new to me as an author, and I really enjoyed the way he told this story. His writing was easy to read and full of wonderful images. The characters were well developed and very relatable.
I’ve worked with middle and high school students, and I know many would love to read this book. It draws the reader in and keeps them engaged.
I highly recommend picking this book up to read if you like YA fiction, superheroes, and Christian fantasy. It will keep you wanting to see what these kids can really do in the future.
I know I’ll be reading the next book in this series.
I was given this book by the publisher which did not influence my review in any way, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Superpowers and suspense!
What a delightfully fun story!
When teens with superpowers convene at a gathering for kids with “potential”, they have no idea why they are there or how they were selected.
Demarcus can move fast. Incredibly fast. When we are introduced to him, he sets out to race a Camaro. With an open throttle. And he wins! This young man is a blend of faith and insecurity. His mom has taught him his entire life that God has given him gifts to be used for His purposes. Whatever that might mean!
Many of the characters have suffered at the hands of bullies. While this is not a major theme, I loved when Lily finally realized that enough is enough and decided to stand against it.
So as to not give anything away, suffice it to say it was great! Full of adventure and a fight of good against evil. Though there were certainly elements of fantasy, there was also a faith element as John, the custodian, shared Bible stories of those showing super powers (Samson, for one) and exhorted the boys to not allow pride to draw them from the Lord. There were hints at the end that more is still to come. I will be watching for more stories in the Rise of the Anointed series.
Well suited for teens and young adults, even older adults who appreciate a superhero story will want to read Launch.
I absolutely loved the names of the characters. They were thoughtfully given and many were subtle puns. If you aren’t sure, do a search on the name – either first or last to see what you might find. Let me give you a few examples. Demarcus had to learn to distinguish the boundaries of right and wrong – demarcate. Simon Mazor was the mastermind behind the social media giant. Mazor Robotics is the real-life name for an Israeli robotic guidance system for surgery (with the author working in the medical field, I’m sure this is a name he is familiar with – I had to look it up.) John Presbus is an ancient man who is attempting to point the teens to Jesus. In case that word sounds slightly familiar, it means “leader” and is the root of “presbyter”, an elder in the church. I’ll leave you to see if you find others yourself.
Read my review of Launch by Jason C. Joyner at AmongTheReads.net
Launch is a snappy Paranormal that brings people with extraordinary Biblical gifts into the 21st-century. The nice character development and imaginative plot make this a great page-turner as well as a stimulating spiritual challenge.