NONNY, BOOK TWO: UNFOUND

A teen who lacks superpowers (which everyone else has) turns amateur sleuth to investigate a murder in this second installment of Ford’s YA series.

Paley Curtis’s last summer before beginning high school isn’t terribly exciting. Her job is boring, and she lives with a family of six in a scorching, unairconditioned apartment. By the age of 15, Paley’s “talent” should have revealed itself, but unlike her peers, she still has no supernatural ability. Even so, she investigates a fatal shooting she witnessed some time ago, though she didn’t see the shooter. In the course of her sleuthing, Paley notices someone following her wherever she goes—three someones, actually. She suspects they’re spies for Dillon-Cray Engineering executive Stan Lemmelson, who believes she’s a “sparkie” able to generate electricity. She’s not, but her best friend, Jen, is; so Paley keeps quiet to protect her. The savvy, resourceful Paley has to worry about herself, too, when she is targeted for abduction. Ford’s story, which includes copious nods to past events and characters, assumes readers are familiar with the previous book in this series. The adolescent hero is immensely likable, persistent, and coolheaded as she evades the followers on her trail. Paley’s most notable villain is a school bully, and there’s clearly trouble in her parents’ marriage, quotidian concerns more compelling than the fantastical superpowers on display. Paley’s murder case doesn’t fully engage, in part because it’s a carryover from the last entry in the series. Nevertheless, Ford’s effervescent passages propel the story and conjure lyrical moments, as when Paley is caught in a storm with her best friend: “Car-sized wisps of cloud were flying down the dirt road, following the contours of the ground.” This sequel, with its decisive conclusion, implies the series’ end.

A genre-bending mystery at its best when showcasing its relatable young protagonist.