I think it was the Wells brothers' podcast the quoted: Just because a story is about something doesn't make it good.

For instance, just because it's about vampires, doesn't make it good.

And yet, if you give me something with superpowers, I'm going to like it.

Fun read. ( )

2.5 Stars rounded up to 3

Well that was an entertaining action story about some over-powered teens!

I liked the premise and the multi POV. I'd like to have seen a bit more use of their powers in battle situations but overall it was a satisfying story. What was missing was some much needed world building. We had no context for why there were terrorists and what they hoped to achieve. I will actually follow up with book two at some point however it will be a wee way down the TBR to be honest. ( )

In Blackout, teenagers all across the country have been exposed to a virus that gives them powers; some weak, and some very strong. Aubrey can make it seem as though she is invisible for short periods of time and Jack has extremely heightened senses. Both are anxious to help the government deal with powerful teenagers who are using their powers to topple world governments including the United States. When Aubrey and Jack meet Laura, who has superior strength and speed, and Alec, who has the ability to control the thoughts of others, they soon realize that the two "Lambdas" they are helping may actually be the ones they should be fighting.

This book builds a good, thought-provoking story. It would benefit from a little more character development, but overall the story is a good one. Much of the background regarding the origin of the virus and how it creates powers isn't explained in this book, but I assume those things will be covered in the sequel, Dead Zone. ( )

Something strange is happening to certain teenagers. It's not ... normal. With the terrorism that's crippling America, and the fact that some of these special teenagers seem to be involved with the terrorist acts, the government has only one option ... find them and utilize their abilities or keep them locked away for the safety of the general population.

Blackout by Robison Wells explores the idea of a virus that gives teenagers superhuman qualities and what they will do with it, how the government will respond to "superheroes and super-villains", as well as the debilitating effects that a superpower could have on a regular human body. It's an intriguing concept and a lot heavier than one would expect from the subtext in the novel, but the balance is there most of the time. The characters - Aubrey and Jack - are likable, though I often wanted to hit them both over the head and scream: "Wake the hell up!" because they make idiotic choices that, were I in the same position, I would never have made. In other words, I didn't relate to them much. As for the terrorists - Alec and Laura - even they weren't very good with the decision-making of their efforts to piss off the government. They were successful, mind, but Mojo-Jojo would have been able to escape the government when they were rounding up the kids, so ... there's that.

I expected more from Blackout, after reading the blurb of the book, and I have to admit that although Audrey is a refreshing change to the usual female protagonists commonly found in YA novels, her presence wasn't enough to save the whole book. The writing wasn't bad whatsoever and I liked the concept a lot. However, the plot holes will annoy readers. Also, other characters, like Nicole, aren't explored and utilized in the way they should have been.

Basically, Blackout (as a standalone read) is a hit and miss in every way. Either you'll like it or you'll hate it ...

Review originally posted on:
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3.75 stars for Blackout!

This book had a really interesting concept: What if teenagers were terrorists with superpowers?

I mean, what?! So intriguing!

I thought this book was really great and I enjoyed reading about each of the different characters and how they were involved in the "war" that was going on.

Alec, Laura, and Dan are teenage terrorists. Aubry and Jack are not. They're two best friends who have drifted apart but are brought back together when everything starts to go to shit. They each have a really cool super power that is bestowed upon them through a disease that only affects teenagers. Some of the teens are using these powers to commit acts of terror, while others are being recruited by the Army to fight back.

This story was really fast paced and action packed and I really loved that aspect of the novel. There were a few things at the end that I still has questions about, but there's going to a sequel coming out this year that I hope will answer everything that was left untouched.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it if you like superheroesque stories with a dash of terror and destruction. ( )