I received a review copy of this book for my stop on the blog tour at Donnie Darko Girl.
Outshine was such a fun and entertaining story to read with likable characters, a solid plot, and excellent pacing. I love reading about characters with superhuman powers, so when I found out that's what this story was about, I knew I had to read it! There was even a mystery element with Watts's disappearance, what happened with Gabe and Watts's dad years ago, what happened with Jessa's parents years ago, and how and why they came to have their abilities.
Gabe is a walking lie detector. Every time he hears a lie or even speaks a lie himself, he gets terrible headaches. There's always a bottle of ibuprofen in his pocket. History class is the worst for him - even just the wrong dates can send him into a tailspin. I really felt for him because he has to constantly deal with the negative effects of his ability not to mention the fact that his mom gives all of her attention to his younger brother, Watts.
Jessa has superhuman strength and healing powers. She decided when she was younger to hide her abilities by becoming the social queen bee of the school, which is a decision I thoroughly enjoyed - not only did it accomplish her mission but also brings a lot of comic relief to the story. I also liked her character quite a bit. She's feisty and strong. No matter what, she wouldn't give up and faced situations she found herself in head on. You gotta admire that in a female character; I know I do!
Gabe's brother, Watts (short for Watson), has gone missing, and Jessa talks Gabe into teaming up with her to find out what's happened to him. She's convinced Watts didn't run away, and when Gabe comes to the same conclusion, he reluctantly starts working with her to find him. Though it would take a lot for them to admit this, they made a great team. A hilarious and highly effective team.
Outshine was so easy to get into, and I didn't want it to end. In no time at all I found myself drawn into the story and flew through it in one sitting! I loved the sci-fi aspect as well as the layers of mystery that are uncovered by Jessa and Gabe. I loved reading about superhuman abilities. And most of all, I loved these characters. Outshine is a novel I can definitely see myself reading all over again.
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