Summary:
Be normal, invisible. Don’t get close to anyone. Kids with psychic abilities tend to mysteriously disappear when they get noticed. Joss has spent years trying to hide. Now she has an unasked-for best friend, who is the victim of an extortion plot by the school bully, who used to like Joss, who is best friends with her long-time crush, who is actually talking to her. Life just got more complicated.
Review:
Finding great reads on Barnes and Noble's NOOKbook deals page is like finding money in last season's purse. I love it! Hush Money is my latest hidden gem.
The people in Bischoff's world are just like us except for one thing: some people have Talents. Talents are something people can do supernaturally that no one else can do. Examples are superhuman strength, invisibility, mind control, and the ability to shoot fire from your eyes. Reading back over that list, it's kind of Superman-ish. Each person with a Talent only has one ability, and most keep their Talents a secret, because people with Talents are taken away by the government for the safety of everyone else. How Talents came to exist is not explained (something I would have liked to know).
The concept of Talents reminded me of Kristin Cashore's Graceling, but not so much that it kept me from enjoying the story. The addition of the Talents is what makes this story so great. The other elements of the story are common enough in YA: a loner main character, the new friend, the enemy/bully, and the love interest. Bischoff handles these elements well and ties everything together to make a great story. The story is written in the first person point-of-view of both Joss and Dylan. The chapters alternated between the two main characters: something that can feel jumpy but was handled well.
I would recommend Hush Money to fans of YA and fans of dystopia. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series.
Finding great reads on Barnes and Noble's NOOKbook deals page is like finding money in last season's purse. I love it! Hush Money is my latest hidden gem.
The people in Bischoff's world are just like us except for one thing: some people have Talents. Talents are something people can do supernaturally that no one else can do. Examples are superhuman strength, invisibility, mind control, and the ability to shoot fire from your eyes. Reading back over that list, it's kind of Superman-ish. Each person with a Talent only has one ability, and most keep their Talents a secret, because people with Talents are taken away by the government for the safety of everyone else. How Talents came to exist is not explained (something I would have liked to know).
The concept of Talents reminded me of Kristin Cashore's Graceling, but not so much that it kept me from enjoying the story. The addition of the Talents is what makes this story so great. The other elements of the story are common enough in YA: a loner main character, the new friend, the enemy/bully, and the love interest. Bischoff handles these elements well and ties everything together to make a great story. The story is written in the first person point-of-view of both Joss and Dylan. The chapters alternated between the two main characters: something that can feel jumpy but was handled well.
I would recommend Hush Money to fans of YA and fans of dystopia. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series.
Just One Gripe:
The ending felt abrupt.
The ending felt abrupt.
The Best Thing About This Book:
The originality.
The originality.
Appropriate for a younger audience:
Yes
Yes
Score:
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 3/5
Setting/Imagery: 4/5
Originality: 4/5
Ending: 3/5
Total Score: 18/25
An abrupt and unsatisfying ending is usually a deal-breaker for me, but I have such a thing for dystopia right now! I'm totally going to have to read this! Great review! :)
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this one before, but it sounds promising! Great review. I love finding new books via my blogger friends!
ReplyDeleteOoh, this sounds like a great read! Loved your review :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read... I'll have to check this out!
ReplyDelete~Brooke
Hey! Very cool, I wouldn't mind checking this one out!! Loved your review :-D
ReplyDelete