The Lost Causes by Etting and Schwartz - ADVISABLE

The Lost Causes by Jessica Koosed Etting and Alyssa Embree Schwartz, 341 pgs. KCP Loft (Kids Can Print), 2017. $17.99 Language – PG13 (50 swears, 0 “f”), Mature Content – PG13; Violence – PG; 

HS – ADVISABLE. 

Z, Sabrina, Andrew, Gabby, and Justin have all been given up on—their problems are too much to handle, and they are too far gone. Then the five get a chance to prove to themselves and their community that they are worth something: the FBI gives these five high schoolers a serum to unlock parts of their brains with psychic abilities and recruits them for help on a murder case. With this new found purpose, these five lost causes start to become more than they thought they could.

The murder mystery was fun and made more exciting with the five teenagers trying to figure our their new abilities. However, I was disappointed by the lack of clues throughout the story to figure out the ending. In the end, everything was revealed and fell into place quickly after agonizing for so long on the wrong track in the book. Other than that, though, I enjoyed the story and how the five wanted to change and become more than they were once they decided not to give up on themselves. 

HS – ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen