The Knowers by Nina Martineck is not what you’re expecting. It has the intrigue of dystopian fiction and the tension of a romance, but it is neither of those things. A fresh, quirky conspiracy book about the kind of awkward kids you know, it has a story that pulls you along and dialogue that makes you smile. It leaves you with a couple of things to contemplate. I’m not sure I want my young adult fiction to do more than that.
The hook of the book is the Knowers for which the novel is named: kids who feel different, learn they are different, and then come to terms with the fact that, like everything, your specialness can be a bug or a feature. They perceive time differently, which can make them seem smart and clever. And gives them the power, collectively, to rule the world from the shadows.
It does not give them the power of avoid crushes, hold tempers or avoid catastrophe.
All of which makes for a really fun read.
Looking forward to the next one.