Freakling

by Lana Krumwiede

Overview

A thrilling, fast-paced dystopian novel about the dangers of unchecked power and the dilemmas facing a boy torn between two ways of life.

In twelve-year-old Taemon’s city, everyone has a power called psi — the ability to move and manipulate objects with their minds. When Taemon loses his psi in a traumatic accident, he must hide his lack of power by any means possible. But a humiliating incident at a sports tournament exposes his disability, and Taemon is exiled to the powerless colony. The "dud farm" is not what Taemon expected, though: people are kind and open, and they actually seem to enjoy using their hands to work and play and even comfort their children. Taemon adjusts to his new life quickly, making friends and finding unconditional acceptance. But gradually he discovers that for all its openness, there are mysteries at the colony, too — dangerous secrets that would give unchecked power to psi wielders if discovered. When Taemon unwittingly leaks one of these secrets, will he have the courage to repair the damage — even if it means returning to the city and facing the very people who exiled him?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763669386
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	02/25/2014
Series:	Psi Chronicles Series , #1
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	HL600L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 Years

About the Author

Lana Krumwiede is a debut novelist with many short stories, articles, and poems to her credit. She lives in Richmond, Virginia.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Memorable characters; a smooth, suspenseful plotline; and a fascinating premise make this debut a worthy addition to the genre. Give it to kids who are a little too young for Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games.
—School Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

Memorable characters; a smooth, suspenseful plotline; and a fascinating premise make this debut a worthy addition to the genre. Give it to kids who are a little too young for Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games.
—School Library Journal

Readers who are not yet ready for The Hunger Games should be attracted to resourceful Taemon, as he learns that real strength comes in many different forms
—Publishers Weekly online

This is an exciting tale that will keep readers hooked until the end.
—Library Media Connection

From the Publisher

Debut novelist Krumwiede offers a fast-paced dystopian novel that ably explores the corrupting influ-ence of power. In the future, people with "psi" (abilities that typically manifest as a type of telekinesis) have segregated themselves into a mountainous region, and those few without such powers are ban-ished from the main city. Taemon, a 12-year-old boy, has discovered that his psi goes beyond telekine-sis to include remote viewing and other gifts. His jealous older brother, Yens, believes himself to be the True Son predicted in prophecies, and he is willing to kill Taemon to secure his place. When an accident leaves Taemon powerless, he is exiled and begins to discover both the true nature of psi and the secret history of his people. Krumwiede's combination of conspiracy and corruption among the ruling class is familiar, with nefarious villains sometimes crossing into cartoonish territory. Still, readers who are not yet ready for The Hunger Games should be attracted to resourceful Taemon, as he learns that real strength comes in many different forms. Ages 10–up. Agent: Molly Jaffa, Folio Literary Management. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Set in a dystopian future where there are two types of people—those who have a power called psi and those who do not—Taemon Houser is one of the members of the society with psi known as Deliverance. The colony is looking for their next True Son, a new leader that has been prophesized for years, and Taemon's brother Yens believes he is the next True Son. This begins to cause discord between the brothers because Yens is changing, slowly becoming more hungry for power and attention. When Taemon and Yens are involved in a terrible accident, Taemon makes a decision to give up his psi. Once his lack of ability is discovered, he is sent to the dud farm, a place where colonists without psi are sent. However, Taemon soon discovers the dud farm is a much richer and interesting place because the people live without psi and are able to make human connections and have experiences that Taemon has never seen before. Taemon's story becomes more complicated when he meets Challis, a middle-aged woman who knows much more than anyone realizes. Taemon begins to see that not everything is as simple as he once thought, and he soon realizes that he needs to return to his home to help control his brother and fight against the evil plans of the religious leaders. This is the debut novel by Krumwiede, and the writing is fairly simplistic, but it is a strong story, thanks to the intriguing idea of a society full of people with psychokinesis. Taemon is a character who is pure good, which is a nice example of heroism and strong moral conviction for young readers. There is never a sense of real danger because you know that Taemon will prevail, but the characters are engaging and the book is fast paced. Reviewer: Kate Neff

VOYA - Kate Neff

Gr 5–7—This dystopian novel packs a punch with an original premise and a fully developed future society. Taemon, 12, lives in a city where everyone can move objects with their minds, a power called psi. One day, while arguing with his brother, he hears a strange voice and is asked to make a difficult choice. His decision costs him his supernatural abilities. Taemon attempts to fake it for a while, but it's next to impossible. Without psi, he can't even feed himself, since using his hands would reveal his secret. It doesn't take long before he ends up exiled to a colony of "powerless" people. The colony isn't as backward as Taemon was raised to believe, though, and there he learns valuable lessons about the power he lost and the power still inside him. Meanwhile, his cruel older brother is being groomed as the True Son, a much-revered individual who, according to prophecy, will bring on the next Sacred Cycle. All of this leads to a gutsy conclusion. While the concept of psi and all of its intricacies is described well, at times the narrative feels repetitive, reminding readers that every action is accomplished using it. However, memorable characters; a smooth, suspenseful plotline; and a fascinating premise make this debut a worthy addition to the genre. Give it to kids who are a little too young for Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games (Scholastic, 2008).—Mandy Laferriere, Staley Middle School, Frisco, TX

School Library Journal

The power of psi, or the ability to control objects with thought, is kept in check by one's conscience. So, when 12-year-old Taemon's brother Yens, a boy with far more drive than self-control, is named True Son--a prophesied Messiah-like figure--Taemon is forced to decide how far he is willing to go to protect those he loves. Following a terrible accident, Taemon hears a voice giving him permission to kill his unstable brother. Rather than follow this psychic command, he gives up his psi, leaving him unable to live within the city. Taemon is forced to move to a powerless colony where people use their hands to eat and work. There he meets Challis, his mother's sister, who exposes him to many secrets that threaten to undo everything he believes. An uneven plot and predictable showdown between the two brothers is partially saved by the surprise ending. Krumwiede facilitates worldbuilding with a psi-centered religion, jargon and slang, as well as caste divisions. At first penned as the stable, sensitive brother, Taemon seems oddly unaffected by his exile. In contrast, Yens, rather than being complicated or interesting, comes across as simply psychotic. Supporting characters are similarly flat. Readers will be drawn to the unique premise, but the many obvious flaws will leave them wanting more. Ultimately unsatisfying. (Dystopian adventure. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews