by Orson Scott Card
Blackstone Publishing, 2019, Young Adult Fiction, 288p
Ezekiel Bliss is a loner and likes it that way, or he did, until he meets Beth and she wants to walk with him to school. She is a proportional dwarf, so she looks like she is about seven years old, even though she is 14. Zeke and Beth find in each other the friend neither knew they needed and Beth and one of the counselors at school help Zeke embrace a talent, or "mico-power" he has. He can sense lost things and instinctively knows how to return them to their owners. Although his talent has gotten him into trouble before, it now might help save someone's life.
I always associate Card with Ender's Game and the Alvin Maker series. I was a bit surprised that this new offering from the award winning author isn't more "high fantasy." There is a fantasy element, but mostly this is a mystery and a teen relationship story. That said, I really liked it. I don't know how a 68-year-old author channels at teen boy's mind so well. The character of Ezekiel is spot on and his relationship with his dad is both sweet and authentic. I also like his relationship with Beth. It is a true friendship, unfettered by romantic interest. Although there is no romance, this is squarely a teen book because Card mentions some tough stuff related with child pornography and there is some "off stage" violence that is pretty gruesome. Still, I think both teen boys and girls will like this one. (2019, 288 p)
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