Foreseen

Did I hear a gasp? A second Young Adult novel in the same month? Yes, it's true. Better yet, it was worth getting a little less sleep in order to finish it by the wee hours of the morning.

Foreseen by Terri-Lynne Smiles

Foreseen is a science-fiction romance set in the future. The novel is written in the first person, the narrative jumps between Kinzie Nicolosi and her boyfriend Greg Langston.

The main focus of the story is on 18 year-old Kinzie, who becomes aware of her latent super power. The power to influence and manipulate human thought. Suddenly, she finds herself being sent to a unique place called the Rothston Institute in Maine. The Rothston Institute houses a special group of young individuals who also harness certain abilities. They are the "adept" and  they are sanctioned with the duties of doing "good" by changing the course of human thought and cementing it for the betterment of society. An ancient governing body, also comprised of the best "adept" members, called the "Seven" oversee the entire process.

Of course, the reader must keep in mind, that when faced with such power, every individual has the choice to act upon their abilities. Kinzie is faced with a moral dilemma that encompasses a bout of self-rumination and the ponderance of ethics in serving such a group. Obviously, she is a teenager barely on the cusp of adulthood and still going through her own growing pains. As such, Kinzie lacks the self-assurance and security that often accompanies the uncertainty of youth. What she must realize, more than anything, is that she holds the power of her own destiny. Nothing is set in stone.

As the story opens up in it's deceptive simplicity, I was thrown a curve ball. The deeper I read, the more I realized that this book housed so much more than a group of extraordinary teenagers out to save the world. It addresses the human condition and the age old quandary of where the ethical line begins and ends. Kinzie and Greg develop not only their relationship but they mature into deeper individuals who can make decisions for themselves.

It was a wonderful story full of action, adventure, love and science. Categorize it however you wish, but give this entertaining read a try, especially if you have a young adult at home.

The Club Rules

When you've been out of the game a while, it's hard to remember the hard and fast rules. At times, it's even a bit intimidating to dip your toe in the dating pond.

The Club Rules

I don't generally like reading self help books. Personally, I enjoy the world of fiction. But this book was a straight-forward, simple reminder of the levelheadedness that we've set aside in the real world of dating.

The Club Rules, by Kimberly D. and Johnny Mac, helps you reassess what you've been missing on the dating front. I read this book with my husband and we both had a good laugh with the advice doled out to both "girls" and "boys" in the dating world. We were even able to point out little things that we indelibly followed in the dating scene... Of course, that was eons ago. 

In our current reality, saturated with social networking and complex technologies, we sometimes forget that real-world interaction has a different set of rules. It is an insightful guide based on the author's experience and logic. After all, common sense isn't so common.

"Have fun, be wild, be plugged into your gamer mode, but know when to turn it off and have a meaningful conversation. Even video game geeks get off the couch to hang out with friends every once in a while."

If you're new to the dating scene, or even if you've been there done that, everyone can use a little refresher here and there. Give "The Club Rules" a chance. It'll make you laugh and remind you that a little human interaction is a wonderful thing.