Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula (Cassidy Jones Adventures, Book One) [Kindle Edition]

I must proclaim that I am not normally a Young Adult reader. I've struggled to read a couple and just couldn't do it. Not so in the case of Cassidy Jones! I loved the book from beginning to end. It's a wonderfully engaging read, perfectly appropriate for the age level it's intended for but so well-written and fun that any age can read and enjoy it.

I love Cassidy - she's adorable, totally 14 and completely courageous. Her hormones are raging naturally, then throw in the secret formula and watch out. All the characters are very well-drawn and her family life is believably wonderful.

Her newfound pal, Emery, is a combination of heart-throb and nerdy intellectual that's very appealing. Their interactions are so spot-on that I felt I was back in high school with them, struggling to get through the drama and trauma.

I highly recommend this book to adults - young and old - who just want to have a good time once in a while when they read. You'll love it.

This is the perfect novel for a girl or boy.

While she starts on some well-travelled roads -- a teenage protagonist who gains super-powers from an accident in a lab -- author Elise Stokes actually shows more skill in weaving that plot point into the plot of this book. She knows what it means to be a writer, and demonstrates this with a clear, fast-paced writing style that keeps readers focused on the story, not on her ability to write.

Cassidy gradually discovers her new super strength and super speed, and teams up with Emery to find his mother and the kidnappers.

So far, pretty standard middle-grade stuff, right? But Stokes reaches a higher level by describing her characters' reactions and emotions with skill, humour and absolute dead-on believability.

Why is this a perfect book for teens?

Because it depicts a girl and her family so well. The Joneses are not ordinary. Dad's a local celebrity and Mom stays at home. A smaller and smaller minority of North American families can afford that lifestyle. But the situation is handled well. It makes sense, because Dad is successful in what he does.

The kids are also believable, with the behaviours and flaws that we see around us and within us all the time.

And the plot is not predictable. I've read far too many books and seen way too many movies where I can predict the next scene and the next plot development, because it's been done before many, many times. While Stokes may have borrowed a page from Spider-Man to begin her story, her plot is original. There is a twist at the end that I did not see coming, and there were several points where my predictions about whodunit were proved wrong.

My only complaint is that the end of the plot was wrapped up a little too quickly. The emotional arc of the story was fully developed, but the logical plot was rushed. It would have been nice to read about Cassidy discovering the final details and her reaction to them. This was the one part of the book where I found myself saying (quietly) "show, don't tell." It felt as if the author were rushing to finish the book.

Cassidy Jones was clearly written as a character with a series of adventures ahead of her, and even though I'm very far from being an adolescent American girl, I'm looking forward to the next installment.

It's not every day that you find a really good read, after all.

I have to say that I was absolutely intrigued from the very beginning of this story and simply could not put the book down. Elise Stokes has woven a fantastic tale about a 15 year old girl that unwittingly finds herself becoming a scientific blunder. Turned into a super hero she soon has to join forces with the scientists son in order to save his mother from possible doom. This story has all elements of surprise and a captivating side story involving the life of a teenager in High School. This book is great for kids ages 12 and up and I cannot wait for the sequels to come!

Elise Stokes ranks up there with other YA masterminds! This is a definite must -read book!

-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club