The Samantha Granger Experiment: Fused by Kari Lee Townsend

Book Description via Goodreads:

After Sam is fused with her cell phone, she's ready to conquer the world! Or at least the 8th grade...

When Samantha Granger touches a meteor while talking on her cell phone, her life is changed forever: her body now has all the capabilities of her phone (GPS, phone, text, camera). She secretly calls herself a "Digital Diva" as she rushes to answer emergency calls. But will her identity be discovered when sparks fly (literally!) between her and Trevor, her dreamy crush? Samantha has to get a handle on her abilities and quick, because when Sam gets kidnapped and the entire town is in danger, she is the only one who can save them.

Source: Kari Lee Townsend (Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

Fused made me laugh, gape, worry and feel for the character, Samantha. From the viewpoint of a 13 year old girl, everything was perceived in a simple way, without the burden of much emotional baggage that I usually encounter in YA. The innocence of the character was very obvious through her thoughts and reactions. It made me remember what I was like six years ago.

Samantha Granger always had what she wanted: gadgets. But she never had her mother and father’s time. She was adjusting to adolescence, wanting a complete family over material things, and crushing on the Sheriff’s son, Trevor. Sam and her alter ego conflicted and worked together at times. But in the end, they both just wanted to do the same thing: to set things back to the way they were. The weight of consequences and the idea of duty over passion were portrayed in this novel. Sam was mature enough to take responsibility for who she was and what she has done. She desired to help people eventhough she was not so sure how to do that. Endearing and brave, she went out trying to undo what has happened to her and helping people. But when she was just Sam, she was trying to make the most out of her time by spending it with her dad and trying to fix her love life.

I loved the humor in the book. I enjoyed the story a lot. This book reminded me of Disney cartoons – fun, action-packed and sometimes, out of this world. There was even a character with cronies. Stereotypes were also present but instead of sticking with the usual portrayals, they outlived that. The writing was good, showing the same scenes that I would imagine a cartoon has. One scene to the next, important scenes that really show the readers what is going on. I love the idea of a gadget superhero! I’ve never encountered one before and I think it’s really entertaining to read about one. Since almost everyone has a mobile phone, young readers will like this.

Fused is a light, cute, humorous MG read. I recommend this to superhero fans, people who can’t live without their phone and to people who want a light read.

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