School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-High school student Charlotte Westing isn't like her peers. She's an Oracle, and she is not allowed to tell anyone. Modern Oracles are forbidden to alter the future. Charlotte once tried to change an outcome based on a vision, with disastrous results. Now, under the tutelage of her aunt, also a seer, Charlotte struggles to contain her visions and keep them from getting through. Her new visions are too powerful, however, and break through all of Charlotte's defenses. The bloody and gruesome scenes she sees are of a serial killer's victims-her classmates. After a second murder, Charlotte gets a text from a stranger named Smith, imploring her to change the future and prevent more attacks. He can show her how, if she'll just let him into her mind. Can Charlotte change the future without repercussions? Is she willing to take the chance? Pike's newest novel is a thrilling paranormal mystery with a hint of romance. Charlotte is a likable and sympathetic character coping with larger-than-life problems. Her situation as an outsider is universal, even while the cause is firmly rooted in the realm of fiction. Teen girls, fans of Pike's previous novels, and those who are just discovering her will enjoy this unique, quick read.-Heather Miller Cover, Homewood Public Library, AL (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Charlotte Westing has been raised not to do, not to talk, and not to discover-which makes for slow reader engagement with her situation. Oracles are no longer active in the world, but they continue to be born, quashing their gifts through rigid discipline and the oversight of fellow Oracles, the Sisters of Delphi. Charlotte has been mentored by her aunt, Sierra, historian of the society, who denies Charlotte access to her books but, of course, brings them within reach, as well. Charlotte's obedience to the rules breaks down when she is assailed by visions of her classmates in gruesome death poses. Unable to bear the guilt of inaction, she's willing to break every rule if doing so might prevent another death. That she has interfered before, with fatal consequences, has bafflingly little impact on Charlotte's thought process, and is emblematic of the murky rationales that underlie much of the book. Pike dedicates the novel "to the survivors of Newtown," which may strike some readers as questionable, given the plot's reliance on violence inflicted on youth. Ages 13-up. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (May)? (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Charlotte is a sixteen-year-old Oracle with visions that strike like migraines. Although her aunt teaches Charlotte to block the visions, she won't answer questions about the forbidden powers the two share. When a stranger helps Charlotte use her powers to capture a serial killer, she unwittingly unleashes devastating forces. Pike's fast-paced novel is a thriller with a supernatural edge and a smart resolution. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Sixteen-year-old Charlotte Westing is shy and not especially popular, and she has long been ostracized for her frequent health issues, including debilitating migraines that accompany her rare gift/curse she's an Oracle and can see the future. To date, that ability has not served her well. Ten years ago, she broke rules that led to her father's death and her mother's wheelchair-bound state. Charlotte is guided in her Oracle training by her aunt Sierra, who teaches her to resist the urge to follow through on her visions and interfere with possible future outcomes. But when Charlotte's classmates begin falling to a serial killer, she decides it is time to ignore that training and follow the advice of Smith, a mysterious man who seems to know about Oracles. Unlike Aunt Sierra, he's happy to teach her what he knows. There's plenty of action, gore, and romance in this quick-paced read that will appeal to Pike's many fans. As Charlotte figures out the rather obvious solution to the mystery, she gains self-confidence and strength, leading to a satisfying conclusion. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The droves of fans for the Wings Series will be ready and waiting for Pike's latest.--Carton, Debbie Copyright 2014 Booklist
