Review of Beth
Posted: 26 Jul 2025, 02:42
[Following is a volunteer review of "Beth" by S. R. Kent.]
Beth by S. R. Kent is a science fiction novel about a girl hiding with her uncle from authorities for fear that their powers would be exploited. Elizabeth "Beth" Taylor is about to turn seventeen, but she can't enjoy life like a normal teenager. Tim Taylor, her uncle, tries to protect her from people who'd use them like tools, and this means that they have to move often. Beth is coming back to the trailer where they live when an Air Force team finds their home, so she can only see her uncle blow it up with him inside, in the hope that the soldiers think that both of them died. Beth runs away, lost in her pain. She meets Luke, a boy who's going through a rough patch, and he decides to help her.
Stories about someone on the run from some government agencies, even if they did nothing wrong, are far from new. It's a type of story that was already done in science fiction. In my opinion, what makes Beth different is the development of the important characters, including the villains. Beth's world isn't the only world made of secrets, as there's the NSA, and there's the United States Air Force Special Investigations Section, which is a cover for the investigation of people with superpowers. Some characters are not exactly what they seem, which means that their development goes through the discovery of their secrets. This includes Tim Taylor, who kept many secrets from Beth.
After losing her uncle, Beth is left with a few bits of information about her origin. Her only hope is that any lead she finds among those bits might help her. The consequence is that her story is also a journey of discovery and self-discovery. Any new information about her origin and her family helps her understand her powers, which means understanding herself.
All Beth wanted was to be a normal girl. The author shows that at the beginning of the novel, when she wanted to go to a ball with a boy, instead, she found herself on the run after losing her uncle, the only person who really knew her. Even when she's hiding, Beth shows that she's a teenager when she and Luke tease each other. Those are moments that allow her some relief, but most of the time, she's in danger.
I liked how the continuous revelations and surprises kept the story engaging even in moments when there was a lot of dialogue that slowed down the pace. Together with the rollercoaster of Beth's emotions, this made the novel never boring. Honestly, a few parts of the plot were predictable, and some plot developments happened very quickly, but in my opinion, those are minor flaws, as I found most of it well-constructed and surprising.
The novel is targeted mostly at young adults, as it's also a coming-of-age story, but I think it can be appreciated by older readers as well. I appreciated it for its twists and surprises. It contains occasional profanity, but nothing your average teenager hasn't heard many times. There's some mention of sex, but kissing is all that actually happens. There are some errors, but they didn't hinder my reading experience, so I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars. I saw that a sequel was published, but it can be read as a stand-alone novel. If you like stories of characters with superpowers, I recommend Beth.
******
Beth
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Beth by S. R. Kent is a science fiction novel about a girl hiding with her uncle from authorities for fear that their powers would be exploited. Elizabeth "Beth" Taylor is about to turn seventeen, but she can't enjoy life like a normal teenager. Tim Taylor, her uncle, tries to protect her from people who'd use them like tools, and this means that they have to move often. Beth is coming back to the trailer where they live when an Air Force team finds their home, so she can only see her uncle blow it up with him inside, in the hope that the soldiers think that both of them died. Beth runs away, lost in her pain. She meets Luke, a boy who's going through a rough patch, and he decides to help her.
Stories about someone on the run from some government agencies, even if they did nothing wrong, are far from new. It's a type of story that was already done in science fiction. In my opinion, what makes Beth different is the development of the important characters, including the villains. Beth's world isn't the only world made of secrets, as there's the NSA, and there's the United States Air Force Special Investigations Section, which is a cover for the investigation of people with superpowers. Some characters are not exactly what they seem, which means that their development goes through the discovery of their secrets. This includes Tim Taylor, who kept many secrets from Beth.
After losing her uncle, Beth is left with a few bits of information about her origin. Her only hope is that any lead she finds among those bits might help her. The consequence is that her story is also a journey of discovery and self-discovery. Any new information about her origin and her family helps her understand her powers, which means understanding herself.
All Beth wanted was to be a normal girl. The author shows that at the beginning of the novel, when she wanted to go to a ball with a boy, instead, she found herself on the run after losing her uncle, the only person who really knew her. Even when she's hiding, Beth shows that she's a teenager when she and Luke tease each other. Those are moments that allow her some relief, but most of the time, she's in danger.
I liked how the continuous revelations and surprises kept the story engaging even in moments when there was a lot of dialogue that slowed down the pace. Together with the rollercoaster of Beth's emotions, this made the novel never boring. Honestly, a few parts of the plot were predictable, and some plot developments happened very quickly, but in my opinion, those are minor flaws, as I found most of it well-constructed and surprising.
The novel is targeted mostly at young adults, as it's also a coming-of-age story, but I think it can be appreciated by older readers as well. I appreciated it for its twists and surprises. It contains occasional profanity, but nothing your average teenager hasn't heard many times. There's some mention of sex, but kissing is all that actually happens. There are some errors, but they didn't hinder my reading experience, so I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars. I saw that a sequel was published, but it can be read as a stand-alone novel. If you like stories of characters with superpowers, I recommend Beth.
******
Beth
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon