Impostor

September 2, 2013
Teenage Tessa is a âvariant,â meaning sheâs a mutant with special powersâin her case, the ability to take on the appearance of anyone she touches. Rejected by her mother for her âfreakishâ ability, she is now a member of a secret government agency that sends her to impersonate Madisonâthe victim of a serial killerâin order to crack the case. Narrator Emily Rankin proves perfect for the role of Tessa, conveying the characterâs conflicted feelings: the desire to do a good job on her first assignment, the fear of being the killerâs next victim, and, most of all, a yearning to remain Madison, basking in the love of the girlâs unsuspecting parents. Rankin makes Tessa an authentic, sympathetic character whom listeners will root for and relate to. She differentiates the other characters well, deepening her voice for the male characters and changing her tone for the various female onesâconveying all the charactersâ emotions believably. Ages 12âup. A Razorbill hardcover.

May 15, 2013
This attempt at a teen paranormal-thriller/romance novel is about as satisfying to fans of the genre as a cup of weak herbal tea would be to a thirsty vampire. Who hasn't wanted to change places with someone else...someone prettier, smarter, more popular? Tessa can. She's a Variant, born with a special skill, trained by a special--and very secret--branch of the FBI. Her ability to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches allows her to take on the identity of popular, small-town Madison, the latest victim of a serial killer. Tessa takes her form, and the news of her "survival" is leaked to the press. Using a cover story of amnesia, Tessa assumes Madison's life. This includes loving parents, an attractive brother, a close best friend, an ex-boyfriend and all the normal activities of high school--something Tessa's never known and always wanted. It's not long before Tessa feels more like Madison than herself. But the killer isn't about to leave her alone, and it's beginning to look as if this predator may be a Variant, too. There are many undeveloped plotlines that never resolve satisfactorily, and characterization is straight from central casting. Tessa's first-person narration does little to distinguish itself from the many others of its ilk, beyond a refreshing return to the past tense. Readers will probably recall the X-Men universe and wish these characters were as well-drawn. (Paranormal thriller. 12 & up)

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December 1, 2013

Gr 7 Up-Tessa has a special skill set: she can absorb the DNA of anyone and become that person. She is one of a group of Variants who use their talents as part of the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities (FEA). Fellow members include a boy who is inhumanly strong and a girl who can become invisible. They are under the supervision of the Major, but they do not know his talent, and Agent Summers, who can manipulate minds. Tessa is pulled from training and put into the field to help capture a serial killer whose latest victim survived, but will not for long. She assumes the form and identity of Maddy and struggles to fit in with the girl's family and friends. With her cover story of amnesia, her questioning uncovers Maddy's affair with one of her teachers, providing another suspect. As days go by, Tessa reads accounts of the murders and notices that there was a fog or mist the nights of the attacks; she suspects that the killer is a Variant who can control the weather. Trying to complete her mission before she totally loses control of her variation leads her into a situation that almost gets her killed when she is told about a group of rogue Variants (the setup for a sequel). The book should appeal to readers who like high-octane novels with a paranormal twist. Be prepared to clear up possible confusion between this and Robinson Wells's "Variants" series (HarperCollins).-Suanne B. Roush, Osceola High School, Seminole, FL

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2014
A serial killer murders a girl in a small Oregon town, and teenage FBI trainee Tessa must use her genetic ability to mimic another person's appearance to find the killer. What this sci-fi murder mystery lacks in character depth, it makes up for in suspense and action. While the comic-book romance is by-the-numbers, this is an intense, engaging story reminiscent of Twin Peaks and X-Men.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)