ENERGY WARS

In Dee’s middle-grade series starter, a young teen discovers a war fought with balls of energy that only he can see.

When 13-year-old Myles Tanter’sclassmate, Sally Munson, comes to school wearing unusual purple-silk pants, it draws ridicule from her peers, including Tommy Milfoil. As Sally and Tommy interact, Myles notices that their emotions manifest visually as flaming balls of fire, but only Myles seems to perceive them. He concludes he must do what he can to better understand his strange new ability; he soon observes that positive feelings also create energy, suggesting that any intention can be transmitted in this way. Myles tells his best friend, Charlie, and Sally about what he’s seeing, and they soon join him in his investigations. During lunch, Myles notices that a girl named Lucy, who’s new to the school, is being targeted by older students, so he decides to test the effects of positive energy; he finds that it can counteract negative intentions and spread good feelings. Later, Myles finds a letter from his grandmother that provides insights into the phenomena; his grandfather reveals that she was involved in secret activities, and he gives Myles a key to a safe deposit box. This, in turn, leads to the discovery that changes Myles’ perspective on the world forever. Overall, Dee focuses less on the superheroic elements of her story than she does on themes of empathy and friendship, and her book has a strong anti-bullying message throughout. Still, readers who enjoy superhero origin stories will enjoy this tale, even though there’s no clear inciting incident that activates Myles’ powers; there is, however, an amusing allusion to a spider bite as the possible trigger. The story also includes some standout scenes that young readers will find relatable, as when Myles begins a journey of self-acceptance: “Where do those thoughts come from? I would never say hurtful things like I think about myself to Charlie or Sally….Sometimes, it feels like my thoughts are my worst enemy.”

A thrilling but thoughtful adventure that older children and tweens are likely to enjoy.