Hey everyone! I’m so excited to participate in my very first buddy read! I want to thank Pamela over at The Picky Bookworm for asking me! And, guess what? This is her first buddy read too!
We decided to read The Dysasters by mother/daughter writers P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast since we both enjoy fantasies. You might know the authors from their famous House of Night series, however this book is much different. No vampires in sight! It is more of a superhero origin story.
Be sure to check out Pamela’s review over at The Picky Bookworm!
Synopsis: Foster Stewart knows she’s different. Her life has never been “normal.” Talking to plants and controlling cloud formations aren’t things most seventeen year olds are into. Tate “Nighthawk” Taylor is perfect. Star quarterback and all around dreamy boy next door he never thought about his “extra” abilities. What quarterback wouldn’t want night vision? That’s not weird, right? It’s cool!
But on the night of their first meeting a deadly tornado brings them together and awakens their true abilities – the power to control the element air. Unbeknown to Tate and Foster, they are the first in a group of teens that were genetically manipulated before birth to bond with the elements. Which truly sucks for Foster, as she has to face the fact that Dr. Rick Stewart, her beloved scientist father, betrayed her and now wants to use her and the others for his own nefarious world domination plot.
Foster and Tate must stop Dr. Stewart and his minions before he destroys their lives and the world.
My Review:
The Dysasters is a fast-paced, quick book that reads like a superhero origin story. This story focuses mainly on the Foster and Tate, elementals who can control and manipulate the air. When Foster and her mother Cora go to a football game to meet Tate Taylor, Foster never expected him to be the gorgeous star quarterback. She also didn’t expect to stop a tornado with Tate’s help. As they flee from the wreckage of the tornado and the mysterious group that is hunting them, Foster and Tate must learn to control their powers while grieving the loss of their loved ones and their old lives.
SIDE NOTE: Pamela and I discussed which element we would want to control. Pamela chose air, and I chose earth! 🙂
The story has a really interesting premise that involves genetic manipulation, elemental powers, and pulse-pounding action. It is told from multiple perspectives, which I found interesting. In addition to Foster and Tate, we also have the perspectives of two of the Core Four, the antagonists who are after the teens, as well as two other teens whose powers are also emerging. I liked reading the different points of view as it gave a well-rounded perspective of the events in the story. It also adds to the character development since you have the thoughts and feelings of a multitude of characters.
I didn’t love Foster’s character and felt that she had a huge chip on her shoulder for much of the story. However, I understood the reasons for her acerbic attitude. She has suffered much loss in her life and most recently lost the most important person in her life. Add to that her newfound powers that she can’t quite control, and I’d have a chip on my shoulder too. What I like about Foster is that she grows throughout the story as she deals with her grief and learns to use and control her power.
I also enjoyed the positive depiction of grandchild/grandparent relationships in the story. Tate and his grandfather have a special bond, and Charlotte has a wonderful relationship with her grandmother. These strong bonds help to define Tate and Charlotte and say a lot about their characters.
The Star Wars references are fabulous, and the unique way that they controlled their powers and the elements is pretty cool. I also love the integration of music and singing to control one’s emotions and the natural events that unfold around them. There were many unique characteristics like the integration of music that differentiated The Dysasters from the typical origin story.
Overall, this is a fast-paced, interesting story with a ton of action and interesting powers. There were some plot holes and a few questions were left unanswered, but I suspect that will be resolved in future books.
Rating:
Favorite Parts:
- The Powers!
- The grandchild/grandparent relationships.
- The multiple perspectives.
Recommendations:
Readers who enjoy young adult sci-fi/fantasy with main characters with super-human abilities will enjoy this story. Readers who enjoy origin stories will also like this book.
This was such a fun buddy read! I hope we can do it again sometime! I am sorry this was only a 3.5 read for you…their books start out a little slow, but get really good as the series progresses. I hope you give the rest of the series a chance 🙂
It was so fun, and I would love to do another one! 🙂