Review of The Fourth Kinetic
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Review of The Fourth Kinetic
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Fourth Kinetic" by Brady Moore.]
The Fourth Kinetic: Clairvoyants by Brady Moore is the first installment of a science fiction and adventure series that revolves around the life of seventeen-year-old Rion (pronounced Ryan) Grean, an African-American boy who struggles with the discovery of his telekinetic powers and their implications on his life. After growing up with a nomadic lifestyle due to his mother’s job, Rion is no stranger to isolation and prefers to avoid creating connections with people since he knows he won’t be around for very long. His mother is his best friend but a lack of communication between the two is very clear, revealing a significant hole in Rion’s understanding of his mother’s job and her past.
When Rion discovers people with powers like him, he is awestruck to find that he is not alone. However, the Clairvoyants are just as surprised to find Rion since he comes from a fourth, previously unknown telekinetic strain. With uncertainty as to whom he should trust and how to keep his family safe, Rion struggles with his powers and the forces that thirst for them.
Personally, I found the diverse cast of characters to be my favorite aspect of the book. With the main character being an African-American male and there being a variety of supporting characters from different races, this book diverges from the overdone, all-white cast that dominates much of the YA fiction genre. While reading this book, it was refreshing to be given detailed descriptions of Hispanic, Asian, and African-American features that added to the development of the characters overall, allowing readers to fully visualize each character with specific, diverse details rather than through extrapolation.
However, I did dislike the pacing of the book overall. At the beginning of the story, the plot felt a little too slow and void of action, almost causing me to lose interest in the book. Then, later in the book after Rion’s powers are revealed to his mother, events begin progressing rapidly. It felt like a problem was barely presented before a solution was suddenly introduced seconds later. The pacing could have allowed for more consternation and time for reaction to major plot events instead of forcing the plot forward too quickly.
Overall, I would rate the story with a 3 out of 4 stars. It was difficult for me to find grammatical errors that I was sure weren’t intentional, so I would say the book had good editing. I did enjoy the plot overall, even if it did progress awkwardly for my tastes. The addition of my personal favorite character, Lyra the cat, did liven up the book and dramatically increase its appeal for me as well.
I recommend The Fourth Kinetic: Clairvoyants to anyone who loves sci-fi, diversity in their reading, action-packed scenes, and YA fiction. This book is best suited for young teens and adults due to some profanity.
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The Fourth Kinetic
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
The Fourth Kinetic: Clairvoyants by Brady Moore is the first installment of a science fiction and adventure series that revolves around the life of seventeen-year-old Rion (pronounced Ryan) Grean, an African-American boy who struggles with the discovery of his telekinetic powers and their implications on his life. After growing up with a nomadic lifestyle due to his mother’s job, Rion is no stranger to isolation and prefers to avoid creating connections with people since he knows he won’t be around for very long. His mother is his best friend but a lack of communication between the two is very clear, revealing a significant hole in Rion’s understanding of his mother’s job and her past.
When Rion discovers people with powers like him, he is awestruck to find that he is not alone. However, the Clairvoyants are just as surprised to find Rion since he comes from a fourth, previously unknown telekinetic strain. With uncertainty as to whom he should trust and how to keep his family safe, Rion struggles with his powers and the forces that thirst for them.
Personally, I found the diverse cast of characters to be my favorite aspect of the book. With the main character being an African-American male and there being a variety of supporting characters from different races, this book diverges from the overdone, all-white cast that dominates much of the YA fiction genre. While reading this book, it was refreshing to be given detailed descriptions of Hispanic, Asian, and African-American features that added to the development of the characters overall, allowing readers to fully visualize each character with specific, diverse details rather than through extrapolation.
However, I did dislike the pacing of the book overall. At the beginning of the story, the plot felt a little too slow and void of action, almost causing me to lose interest in the book. Then, later in the book after Rion’s powers are revealed to his mother, events begin progressing rapidly. It felt like a problem was barely presented before a solution was suddenly introduced seconds later. The pacing could have allowed for more consternation and time for reaction to major plot events instead of forcing the plot forward too quickly.
Overall, I would rate the story with a 3 out of 4 stars. It was difficult for me to find grammatical errors that I was sure weren’t intentional, so I would say the book had good editing. I did enjoy the plot overall, even if it did progress awkwardly for my tastes. The addition of my personal favorite character, Lyra the cat, did liven up the book and dramatically increase its appeal for me as well.
I recommend The Fourth Kinetic: Clairvoyants to anyone who loves sci-fi, diversity in their reading, action-packed scenes, and YA fiction. This book is best suited for young teens and adults due to some profanity.
******
The Fourth Kinetic
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Latest Review: Mysteries you can't put down by Brad Bennett
