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Reviewed by:
  • The Possible by Tara Altebrando
  • Kate Quealy-Gainer
Altebrando, Tara The Possible. Bloomsbury, 2017 [304p]
ISBN 978-1-61963-805-1 $17.99
Reviewed from galleys         Ad Gr. 7-10

Thirteen years ago Kaylee's mother, Crystal, was imprisoned for killing Kaylee's little brother; subsequently adopted at four by a loving couple, Kaylee, now a high school junior, lives a contented stable life. That life is threatened when Liana Fatone, a successful podcast producer (think Serial), shows up on Kaylee's doorstep wanting to discuss the case and especially Crystal's telekinetic powers, which had made her famous long before the murder. Kaylee hesitantly agrees, mostly because she's freaked out by recent incidents—some of them resulting in fatalities—that have her wondering if she inherited her mother's supposed abilities. The juicy premise is enough to draw mystery/crime fans, and Altebrando unspools details with a deft hand, giving plausibility to the several horrific theories about the murder. While Kaylee's narration is deeply teen (she's got nicknames for her school's cliques, and she's starry eyed over a boy she's never talked to), she's unfortunately just plain unlikable, with a navel-gazing selfishness that eventually makes her a YA caricature who's difficult to sympathize with. Still, the unanswered questions regarding Crystal's and Kaylee's powers are enough to keep the pages turning, and though the ending goes a bit off the rails, it may be entertaining enough to earn the read.

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