CONTROL

In Cassera’s YA fantasy novel, the first of a trilogy, a girl fights to uncover who she really is while a boy must repress his psychic powers to survive.

Natalie Covington and Henry Thorne are seniors at the elite Lockwood Academy, located on a private island on the Washington state coastline. Natalie hails from a wealthy family while Henry attends the school on a scholarship. Separated by social status and unlikely to connect, the two find their lives entwined following a ceremony in which Natalie’s boyfriend Jack Carter is sworn in as the student body’s president: When Henry appears distressed, Natalie runs to his aid, convinced he’s having a panic attack and appalled that no one steps up to assist him. However, when she approaches, Henry shoves her away, despite his immediate attraction to her. It turns out that he secretly has psychic, precognitive abilities, and his visions predict Natalie’s death: “An electric bolt pulses through my body and then I see… Natalie’s face—eyes wide in horror.She seems to be straining, trying to breathe.” Although precog support groups and family members forbid Henry from informing Natalie of her fate, another student precog named Wes Thompson challenges him to defy the odds, telling Henry a story about his brother, who successfully changed his girlfriend’s destiny. Natalie is drawn to Henry, and she embarks upon a quest to understand her deceased mother, herself, and her capabilities. Written in the first person, this contemporary fantasy novel alternates between Natalie and Henry’s perspectives, which effectively propels the plot forward. The narrative integrates themes of friendship, romance, and identity as it charts a journey to self-discovery characterized by strength, loyalty, and understanding in the face of evil. There are moments when prescribed gender roles impact the story; while Henry’s abilities take center stage, there is little foreshadowing about the fact that Natalie is also more than human. A more equitable presentation of Natalie’s budding superpowers and more extensive worldbuilding outside of Lockwood would enhance the story. Despite these flaws, the story is sure to whisk readers away from reality’s daily grind with its deft balancing of relationship plots and fantasy tropes.  

An intriguing first installment of a promising fantasy series.