Review: Hush Money by Susan Bischoff

Book Description via Goodreads:

They call their abilities Talents, and that’s what they call themselves as well. Talents are people born with supernatural powers, feared by the population at large. Possession of an “unregistered ability” has become illegal, and those who are discovered are forcibly removed to government-run research facilities. For Talents, keeping their secret is the most important thing in their lives. For some, that need for secrecy begins to define who they are.

That’s how it is for Joss, a high school girl who does everything in her power to go unnoticed. She's incredibly bright, but strives to maintain grades that are good yet not too good. She doesn't participate in school activities, keeps quiet in class, eats by herself. Despite her longtime crush on Dylan, she wouldn't even think about trying to talk to him. Joss doesn't make friends of any kind, because friends can draw attention, friends can make you slip up, friends can make things complicated.

When new girl, Kat, steps in to rescue Joss from an uncomfortable situation with Marco, the class jerk, she doesn’t realize what she’s getting into, and it blows up in her face. Joss finds herself torn between a desire to do the right thing, to find some way to help a girl who was kind to her; and her need to mind her own business and fade into. For the first time, Joss begins to question the way she operates, and starts to long for connections with other people--especially a connection with Dylan, who's finally starting to talk to her.

But what's up with Dylan's sudden interest? As Marco’s best friend, can he be trusted at all?

It's bad enough when a girl's got to worry about friends, boys, over-protective dads, and shoes that pinch, but when you throw in blackmail, government agents with guns, and really annoying little sisters...that's just about too much to handle, even for a girl with an ass-kicking superpower.

Source: Susan Bischoff (Thanks!)

My Thoughts:

First off, I had never heard of the Talent Chronicles until I saw this in an IMM post. I’m so glad that I took the chance to request this because Hush Money is worth it. Bischoff created a story filled with fear and questions. As a fan of X-Men, I liked the vibe of Hush Money. It was both familiar and new. It was like at was at home, watching X-Men or even Heroes.
The people were moving under the weight of tension, avoiding the attention of NIAC as much as possible. I just wish that the presence of NIAC was more pronounced. And that the claws of NIAC were proven to be more dangerous by more incidents rather than just one.

Told in alternating perspectives, readers are let in into the secrets of Dylan and Joss, as well as their worries. The readers share the secrets and share the surprise of the characters with every revelation. Two heads are better than one in this story world where everyone has something up their sleeves.

Bischoff gave us a variety of character, all of whom are interesting and fun. The youthfulness in them was so real especially with the language. Dylan was sweet and loyal. Joss was protective and careful. Her training and her calculating moves worked well with the story. Being alone and having no friends was her normal life. To see Joss peeling off this mask of protection was great. The difference in her before and after reflects what kind of life she had as a Talent.

Hush Money is fun, thrilling and suspenseful. The YA version of X-Men won't fail to entertain.

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