The Candidates

Gr 6—10—Dancia works hard at being nondescript because of her supernatural powers: not too smart, not too pretty, not too friendly. So when recruiters from the prestigious Delcroix Academy show up at her house the summer before her freshmen year of high school and offer a full scholarship, she is sure that there has been some kind of mistake. Once at the academy, the teen begins to make friends and let people in to her life, including two equally interesting but very different young men. While this should be a good thing, Dancia can't help but worry; caring too much causes trouble. When she feels threatened, her protective instincts kick in and things happen that she can't control, like windows breaking and things collapsing, and sometimes people getting hurt. At Delcroix, Dancia realizes she is not alone with her powers and that a program can help her to control and strengthen her talents. Unfortunately, while great for Dancia, not everyone whom she has grown close to feels the same way. While nothing about Scott's premise is especially groundbreaking, the plot is quick and gratifying, and Dancia is much more empowered than the female protagonists in some other popular supernatural thrillers.—Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VA