The Synthesis

Powerless #1

by Jason Letts

***The first book in the Top 10 Best-Selling YA Fantasy Powerless series is free for a short time! Step into a new world that 100,000 other readers are discovering!***

Mira Ipswich couldn't have ever known the startling difference that separates her from the rest of humanity. But when she discovers a strange anomaly in the midst of her seclusion, her parents are forced to reveal she exists in a world where everyone is imbued with a wondrous natural gift. Everyone except herself that is. Accompany Mira as her attempts to fit in among peers and understand her inconceivable condition embroil her with the dangerous forces threatening her homeland. Protected by nothing more than her imagination and ingenuity, she begins to explore the strange world around her she never knew was there.

The first book in the Powerless series is the tale of Mira’s turbulent and perilous entry into the world around her. And once she’s a part of it, nothing will ever be the same again.

The Synthesis is approximately 89,000 words long.

All five books in the Powerless series are now available on Amazon!

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal, Young Adult Fantasy

228 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 30, 2010

About the author

Sometimes I think writing makes me crazy, but then again I'd probably be even more crazy without it. There are a lot of things I do to balance out though: traveling, distance running, hiking, reading, orange juice, tennis, food fights, walking out of movie theaters telling the people in line that Harry Potter dies, cooking ethnic food, and competitive napping.

Find My Books:
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Reviews

[[ J o ] · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's got an interesting concept that kept me reading, but the execution was abysmal. A young girl born in to a world of super powers without one, making her the odd one out. We follow her journey in to the wider world as she finds out so she is.

Whilst it's nice to have a teenage protagonist who isn't completely devoid of any intelligence and isn't entirely self-absorbed, Mira was unfortunately boring and unrealistic. There were quite a few grammatical errors and the writing was stuffed-full to the rafters with unnecessary adjectives.

The dialogue was the worst part, with unbelievable conversations and terrible info dumps. The 15-16 year old students were behaving at approximately a nine-year-old level. The relationship between Mira the protagonist and her parents was a mile away from any realistic one and the plot plodded along at a dreary pace. A nice idea but not done well.

[P. Aaron Potter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book idea which deserved better treatment than it received. The initial premise - a world in which everyone has super powers except one unfortunate girl - is compelling. Unfortunately, the author simply isn't up to the task.

The book is riddled with language problems. Every third sentence, it seems, is redundant (example: Jeanna is "startled by her daughter's unexpected and sudden appearance," when only one of those modifiers was necessary). Incorrect word forms abound ("she let out an agonizing sigh," which should use the adjectival form "agonized"). Imagery is often clumsy ("He considered it for a moment, rolling his head around his neck") or simply relies on malapropisms. The latter chapters are very slightly less error-prone than the first, indicating that this is a first draft, the author learning as he went along, and that he never really revised the text.

All of this might be forgivable if the story held together, but it doesn't. Mira's parents have carefully kept her hidden away , ignorant of all society, for fourteen years...then, for no particular reason, at the first sign of an *actual* threat to her safety, they turn her loose, unsupervised, into a world of killers. Although she has supposedly never seen another person, Mira is familiar with all the social niceties, such as how to greet perfect strangers, and displays no real social awkwardness other than that of any teen in a new school. The big war which supposedly threatens Mira's people is never explained. One teacher briefly mentions the enemy is 'jealous of the peace' of their society...a society which places all its children into warrior academies and live-fire attack drills at an early age. The book supposedly takes place in some pre-industrial society, reliant on farming...yet Mira plans on making "paper *airplanes*" for her birthday decorations, and later mentions "spaceships." The inconsistencies are vast, the character motivations absent.

Perhaps worst of all, the author never seems to have thought out the implications of his initial premise. The whole plot hinges on the idea that Mira is uniquely unpowered, at risk in a dangerous world...yet we find that another classmate has no observable power, and hasn't for years, and that other members of society have utterly useless powers. Theoretically, Mira is going to save herself by virtue of her uniquely logical and practical brain...yet the author grossly abuses the laws of physics. At one point he claims that because objects accelerate at 9.8 meters per second per second, they fall 9.8 meters in the first second, which is simply untrue. At another point, Mira suggests one grease-producing student can somehow glide, frictionlessly, over rough terrain, even though if he were able to do so, he wouldn't be able to move, and would use more oil than he has body mass within seconds. Later, Mira fashions a mechanical bird which she will mount on one arm to lift her off the ground...even though if she did so, it would take a ridiculously powerful fuel cell, the size of a car battery, it would need wings the size of a glider, and the thrust described would tear her arm off. If, as I suspect, the novel was partially intended to serve as an inspiration for teens who feel displaced or unpopular, the route is not through teaching them bad science, or inconsistent plotting.

I am aware of how difficult it is to write a complete novel. I respect the author's intentions. Perhaps Letts will do better at some later time, or if he worked with an editor. However, I can't recommend this book.

[Garrett Alley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

Take your typical fantasy novel -- where the hero discovers she has mystical powers and must save the world -- and turn it on its head.

With "Powerless" the author has created compelling characters and a fascinating setting with a twist: the main character is the only person without a special power! In a world where every person has an extra ability of some sort, Mira is exceptional in that she has none.

I could not stop reading this book. The story pulled me in and kept me riveted right through to the end. Jason Letts does a fantastic job of introducing new mysteries and challenges while keeping the characters and their interactions believable. I particularly enjoyed how the story began with the main character, Mira's, entire world limited to her parents' house and the surrounding yard. Then throughout the story the camera pulls back to reveal more and more of the world and its intricacies.

I'm waiting impatiently for book two! If you're looking for something different, or if you're just looking for a great story with interesting characters I highly recommend this book.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Move over Harry Potter and the Twilight series. The next big thing in young adult fantasy is here with the debut novel in Jason Letts' Powerless series, "The Synthesis."

"The Synthesis" is a coming of age and underdog story of of fifteen year old Mira Ipswitch, who must navigate and succeed in a world in which everyone is given a special power but her. Using her common sense, problem solving skills, and knowledge of mathematics and machinery, Mira is able to compete in the senior level class at Dustfalls Academy with other teens her age who have special powers such as the ability use gravitational force, singing to brain wash people, and exuding abnormal amounts of heat. Mira is an excellent role model for teen and tween girls and boys alike.

It is a bumpy ride for Mira, who was sheltered in her childhood home for her first fifteen years by a cloud of mist courtesy of her father Kevin. After homeschooling and no social interaction with other children, she must introduce and befriend students who had known each other since the age of five all while finding a way to stay competitive without a power. Author Jason Letts does a great job in portraying a real teenage girl who stumbles sometimes in her navigation of this new environment, making poor choices, and then working to correct them.

The cast of characters surrounding Mira on the first leg of her journey are all unique and three dimensional. Each character brings something to the story, making it better and more intriguing with their presence. The array of special powers is astounding. Mira's father, Kevin, can create a mist to protect himself and others. Mira's mother, Jeana, can make someone fall asleep. A neighbor, Mert Bogger, doesn't need to breathe. The special powers alone are a testament to the author's imagination and a sign of the amazing things to come in future installments of the Powerless series.

I cannot say enough positive things about Jason Letts' debut novel. It is an enchanting and well written story that young adults and adults alike will be able to enjoy reading over and over again.

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mira Ipswich lived in an isolated world of her parents creation. Trying to protect their daughter from an unspeakable evil, Kevin and Jeana Ipswich have protected their daughter the only way they knew how. A series of events convinces them that they must release her to the world and her fate. When Mira discovers there is a wall beyond the mist she is confused and excited. Then she finds out why her parents have tried to protect her. Everyone is born with a power or gift. That is everyone except Mira. She must enter this world with only the things she has been taught, the use of all of her thinking skills and survive to fight a war that by the end of the book becomes a personal battle for her.


This was an absolutely awesome book!!! I read it straight through. It is the first in a series. I don't know how many will be in the series but I look forward to reading the next and the next....

Jason Letts has done an excellent job of throwing a group of teens together and showing the way they behave no different than teens today. He has shown their strengths and weaknesses and shown how the right leader can bring them together for the good of all. I will definitely recommend this book to everyone I meet.

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

From the book summary I really thought I was going to enjoy this story a lot, but sadly, I didn’t enjoy it at all. The plot is full of holes and rife with inconsistencies, the story bored me to tears and it’s clear from the vast amounts of grammar errors that this was a first draft which wasn’t revised. I really, really wanted to enjoy this story, but from start to end I just couldn’t get into it, and there were few to no explanations for most of the characters’ motivations. Too much telling and too little showing, too much narrative and no character development – the list is endless. In my opinion the idea for this book has lots of potential and with the guidance of a professional editor, it can easily become a bestseller. Unfortunately, I won’t be reading the rest of this series.

[Tracey Alley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jason Letts' Powerless is a surprising, delightful new take on the 'typical' fantasy read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this as did my two 14 year old nieces. Whether YA or adult I think you will enjoy this very charming story.

[Candice Abraham · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book because the first chapter appeared at the end of my e-copy of Amanda Hocking's Switched. The first chapter intrigued me, both for it's premise and because I thought it was well written - better than Hocking's book that I just finished actually. Powerless is the story of Mira Ipswitch, a girl who lives in a world where every person has a special power, except for her.

I really liked this premise because I thought it was an interesting twist on the more traditional version of this story (a character growing up in a world where he/she discovers he/she has powers in a world where no one else does). Unfortunately, after the first chapter the book really begin to drag for me. The writing itself was very good, clean sentences, a nice flow to the prose. The main problem with this book that caused it to really stretch out and become boring was that the novel was filled with so much narrative and very little described in scene. There was so much telling and far to little showing. Often the dialogue even resembled narrative instead of being dialogue - characters speaking in full, clean sentences and often telling whole back stories in long paragraphs of dialogue. More telling and not showing. I would have loved to have read some back story in actual scene as opposed to the way it was told to me.

The second reason why this book became very boring for me (so much that about half way through I decided to start skipping pages, which I very, very rarely do and dislike doing) is because I felt the plot took so long to move. In many chapters in the book I kept asking myself what this particular moment had to do with the story as a whole. So much of what was happening seemed to do little to move the story along.

Furthermore, I thought that there was a lack of character development in a lot of places. When characters did things or said things it so often felt contrived to me. Like the characters were puppets just playing out there part as opposed to characters motivated to do things on their own. Of course, all characters are contrived in a sense but the job of the writer is to hide this so that the reader doesn't feel it or so the reader forgets he/she is reading.

Lastly, a big question I had about this work and seemed to really ruin the premise of the whole thing for me had to do with Mira's friend Mary. Mary is a girl in Mira's class who doesn't know what her power is - just like Mira. This really threw me for a loop because it's explained in great detail at the beginning of the book that Mira is the only person in this entire world to be born without a power. Then we meet Mary, who, as the author explains, doesn't know what her power is and has never been able to figure it out. So why does she and everyone else assume she has a power at all? This is never explained. It's accepted that Mary has a power but doesn't know what it is and Mira just doesn't have a power. But couldn't the same thing be true of Mira? Finally, Mira discovers Mary's power and then someone in the class actually suggests that maybe Mira just hasn't discovered her power either. But no, it turns out that Mary's power is to detect the power in others (of course) and Mary says she can't detect any power in Mira. Before this though, no one can detect anyone's power so why is it just accepted that Mary has a power even though she doesn't know what it is or how to use it and Mira doesn't? Characters are asked in the book "who are you" and they answer by stating their power - both Mira and Mary could never answer this so it doesn't make sense why Mary is seen as having a power and Mira isn't and why they are treated differently by their families and peers as a result. Their plight, up until the point Mary discovers her power, is one in the same.

At the end of this book Mira finds things out about herself that open up many more questions and the opportunity for the author to continue this series, which he does, with four more books in the Powerless series written and available in e-book format. Unfortunately, I will not continue with this series because I just couldn't connect with the characters or the story in the first book, although I really wanted to and really tried. I respect the author and his clean prose, but beyond that I found that the story itself lacked in too many areas.

[Robert Marda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book.

This book has no swear words in it, no sex scenes, and not much violence.

[Robert Duperre · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, let me say that I dislike the term, “Young Adult Fiction”. This particular tag labels a work as childish, only for children or “young adults” (duh!). I recently read an article that said if Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” were to be published for the first time today, it would most likely be labeled as such. This is sad, because I have a feeling there are many YA books out there that are fantastic reads, and yet adults may pass them by, thinking the material to be beneath them.

Jason Letts’ “Powerless Book I: The Synthesis” is one of those books.

The story is simple and yet brilliant. On an earth much like our own, the whole of the populace has been granted super powers (for lack of a better word) since birth. All, that is, except our heroine, a precocious sixteen-year-old named Mira.

Mira has been kept isolated by her loving parents for all her life, surrounding their house by a wall of impenetrable mist to keep their vulnerable baby safe. Life goes on as usual for this family until, one night, a face appears to Mira through the clouds. This sparks her curiosity about the outside world, and leaves her parents with little choice than to unveil the reality of existence to their daughter.

From there, the storyline follows a fairly predictable trail. Mira goes to school, meets her classmates, makes friends (and possibly enemies), and generally experiences the growing pains that would accompany a person who’s lived their entire life locked away from the rest of humanity. However, when I say “predictable”, I don’t mean “bad”.

The wonder of this novel isn’t the storyline, but the feel of the characters. These are teenagers we’re talking about here, and though they are as selfish, vain, and insufferable, as teenagers usually are, there is also a layer of righteousness in each of them. We can see it, just beneath their surface, even if those acting out the deeds on the page cannot. It was truly inspiring to see, and I felt myself being thrown back into my own late teen years, wishing that in my own trials and tribulations I could’ve made the same bright and insightful choices that the characters here do.

The novel’s setting is magical, though in a subdued sort of way. There are many times where the reader will shift from a realm of high fantasy, what with the village square and the sealed fortress, where everyone walks (or flies, or teleports, or whatever else) to where they have to be through lush forests, to modern-day realism, where there is a knowledge of batteries and mechanics. This is not a stretch. Think about living in a world where everyone can do such wonderful things with their bodies. There would most likely not have been an industrial revolution, as there are folks who could perform certain tasks (a la shaping metal with the slightest touch or lift heavy objects from a distance with nothing but flick of the wrist) with relative ease. This doesn’t mean that science is dead; no, on the contrary, science exists, and it is very much the same, but it is pushed to the background because, with all these wondrous gifts, it is relatively unnecessary.

This is an innocent book and, as I said, simple. And it is also the first of a series. Like some of the other great works dealing with children (from Harry Potter to Buffy the Vampire Slayer), we should understand that as the volumes build and the characters grow older, the product will become darker and more adult. This is why the early books – or episodes – of these particular series should be cherished. Though they grew in scope and reached exciting and satisfactory endings, there is still, when one looks back, a sort of melancholy that emerges. We understand that we’ve known these characters since they were naïve and impressionable, and it hurts just a little to see their innocence diminish through their troubles and the sorrow of reaching adulthood. We should always remember that innocence, that clarity of youth, because without it, we become nothing but hollow shells.

“Powerless Book I: The Synthesis” captures all of this, and more, and promises that there will be even grander adventures right around the corner.

[M. B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine a world where everyone was special. Each person was born with a unique gift... a special power. And now imagine being born powerless... bringing new meaning to the word unique and "special". This is the world that author Jason Letts brings us into. Here we follow fifteen year old Mira who was brought up in a a little bubble so to speak. Her parents raised her at home surrounded by a wall of mist... separating her from the outside world in an attempt to keep her safe because of her "uniqueness". Ultimately, Mira's parents agree that they cannot hide her from the world any longer. And that Mira, quickly growing into adulthood, has the right to know about the world around her and to make decisions on her own if she is truly to live. Thus begins our journey with Mira, experiencing with her this new world outside the mist.

As I began reading the book, I was rather disappointed. The writing didn't seem to flow well. Sentences were short and abrupt, and there were times where I questioned the author's use of descriptive words... it just didn't seem... right. The dialogue also bothered me. The way the characters spoke to each other didn't seem believable.

That being said, I continued to read, and the writing did improve. The story developed and I was truly sucked into the Mira's world. I loved the journey that Mira went through. She went from a sheltered young girl into a more mature young lady in the 6 months that she went through her senior year. What I truly enjoyed was her reaction to her peers. She didn't just start school and make friends right away... that would be totally unbelievable considering for the past 15 years the only people she knew were her parents. She went through many emotions... from being shy and wary of her new classmates, to anger and mistrust because of her insecurities, and as her self-confidence grew, to tentative trust and friendships.

The school which Mira attended kind of reminded me of The Hunger Games, without all the killing. Throughout the school year, the kids are pitted against each other in order to determine who will be class leader. So the dynamics between the kids was interesting. You have your cliques as in any other school, but with the twist of the super powers each of the students possessed. You see that dynamic change once Mira joins the class. The climax of the book where the kids are allowed to finally work together was wonderful, if a bit confusing as to who was doing what-nothing a good editor can't fix.

I would definitely love to read what happens to Mira and her friends despite the faulty writing (the final monologue at the end was a let down for me). Just hope that gets improved, because this really is an interesting story and an interesting world.

[Spinster Witch · Rating 2 out of 5]

I need to preface this review with this: LOADS of people loved and enjoyed this book. I thought the story was compelling, and I really enjoyed the last couple chapters. So read 5-star reviews, too.

My frist problem was that the setting was not well established. It seemed like a pre-industrial farming society, yet Mira knew all sorts of science-related facts that we take for granted today, she spoke of paper *airplanes*, and she seemed to have all this electronic technology that is definitely post-industrial. It took me a long time to feel comfortable in the setting due to these inconsistencies.

The characters themselves seemed off as well. They are all supposed to be around 15 years old, but I felt like they spoke and acted more like they were 10 or 11, which, at that age, is a huge difference. I had to constantly remind myself that they were older than they seemed. As someone who is very character-oriented, this really bugged me. I know 15 year olds aren't by any means mature, but they're at least a bit more mature than portrayed in this book. The way POV switched between paragraphs with no section separator between them was jarring. I recently read an article about the different kinds of POV, and I believe this is what's called 3rd person omniscient (but don't quote me on that), which means you read the POV of MANY different characters. This is probably the most difficult POV to write, so it has to be done well. In my opinion, that means there needs to be a visible separation between the POVs of different characters. It's really confusing and somewhat annoying when the POV changes 5 times on one page, and that happens a lot in this book.

Another thing I found strange was that there is a war going on, and one of the characters states that the reason the war began is that their enemies envied the peace of their nation. Yet this same nation teaches children to be warriors who go off to fight on the front lines after they graduation and are mentored. Doesn't seem very peaceful to me, but maybe I misunderstood it, or they're just really desperate.

Overall, I thought the story was compelling, but it should have been delivered differently. While reading, I felt like not enough editing had gone into the writing of this novel.

If you've read this - I want to stress again that many people really liked this book, so there is every possibility that you will too. If you decide to read it, don't think about the critiques I made, and just see what you think.

[Darsie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I managed to get to the end of this, but only through dogged determination.

For a first book in a series, I found the initial chapters to be distinctly lacking in detail and explanation. This is the set up for this world.. and therefore the reader needs to understand the rules and perameters.
Evidently the author decided on an "explain as you go along" method but neglected to explain enough, at all really, so that most of the story didn't make sense.

The main character is presented as an intelligent girl with an enquiring mind and natural talent for inventing and fixing things. So it was surprising to say the least that when she discovered the truth of her existance... she asked hardly any questions at all and basically sulked in her room. What?
Even as a basic "coming of age" tale (though in a fantasy setting) the story didn't hit its mark.

I admit there were a few exciting and tense moments but sadly for me, this book failed on nearly all levels.
I wont be repeating this mistake with the other stories in this series.

[Samantha Kane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m sorry to say this book just confused me, what is the story? Where is it set? When is it set? It should have been good. It had all the right aspects of a different and good story. But I just didn’t get it. You go to school to learn to read and write and count! No in this book you go to fight to be the leader of your school friends. WHY!?! Oh why! I’m going to try and read the next book in the series to see if it gets better or if I can at last understand this messed up story.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea of a girl who has no special power being born into a world where everyone else has a power. Unfortunately the book just didn't work for me. The characters just didn't come alive for me so I just wasn't very interested in what happened to them.

[Britt · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was entertaining. Interesting premise. The first book was the best of the series. In the end the series was predictable and the chemistry of all of the characters was not fully developed. But I wanted to read to the end to find out what happened so it kept my interest throughout.

[Vicky Connelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This main character is 17 before she finds out there are other people existing in the world other than her family of three. She chooses to enter school and discovers everyone has an exciting gift but her. She struggles to figure out her gift only to help another classmate discover her gift.

[Bellavida]

looks interesting

[Pranesh Sreekantan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good start

[Ginger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book of five. It was not very good, but I did read all five and I liked it better by the end. I give the series 4 stars overall.

[Karissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a lot of potential, but didn't quite pull it off.

Mira's parents have kept her in isolation for the first 14 years or so of her life. Their reasoning was that they were protecting her. But they've learned they can't quite do that anymore because they've raised so an intelligent and curious young woman. They reveal to her that everyone in the world has a power, but she does not. The world is dangerous for the powerless. But Mira insists on going to school with the other students that do have powers.

When Mira is enrolled, she is enrolled as a senior. At the end of senior year there is a competition and only one person can win. Obviously it will probably be someone with powers. Right. And Mira doesn't exactly fit in with everyone else (shocker). But we learn that there is a character that doesn't know what their power is. How does she fit in when Mira doesn't? Book logic.

Somehow, Mira is smarter than everyone, even her teacher. And she uses science as her power. She's an inventor, so obviously she'll want to invent something that shocks people if they get too close. Mmhmm. The teacher gets so frustrated with his students because they're "lazy" and think they can get away with not having a test. Which tells me that someone has poor classroom management skills!

In short, I don't plan on reading anymore of the books in the series. Glad to get a book off my TBR though!

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short version: there are some great ideas here, but they aren't fleshed out enough to be engrossing. I wish there was a "Meh" rating, a 1.5 stars. "I didn't like it" isn't accurate, but neither is "It was o.k.".

I tend to be pretty openminded in my approach to reading things that are labelled YA. The things that I like in books don't change: tell me a compelling story, and I can ignore just about any other issue. And while I would probably recommend "The Synthesis" to a young reader (and I mean fairly young, probably grades 5-7, or lower), I wouldn't recommend it to another adult. There are some great YA series out there that can bring you back to that youth headspace and get you entrenched in the story, but Mira's story isn't one of them.

Minor spoilers below.

A large part of the issue I have is with suspending my disbelief. The initial conceit (girl lives life in bubble created by fearful parents, goes to see the world) is a good one, but then Mira goes to town and no one seems to notice. No one starts calling her "Cloud girl" or "Mist girl" or even questions the fact that she just showed up. When she meets new people, no one says "Oh, so you're THAT girl!" or "OHHHHHH... that's what your dad was hiding!" She's just accepted, ho-hum like. She lives in a small town where everyone knows everyone else. You CANNOT show up one day and expect to be part of the community. Sure, the classmates treat her like the "new girl", and some of them are bully-ish, but that's as dangerous as it gets. There are large parts of how the community works, or how Mira would actually be viewed in her situation that are glossed over, as are most of the more realistic and less sunny aspects of the story.

In large part, the biggest difficulty I have with the story is that it reads more like an initial draft of a made-for-kids TV show, or a Disney movie, where you're following a rigid G-rating-only, no-cussing-kissing-or-cutting rule. Everything works out the safe way, and the way you expect. Enemies become friends. The dangerous rogue is a thief, but he has a heart of gold and only steals from worse people.

I teach grade 7 students, and they are already reading books with more depth and danger to them. Offering them this read would be a step backwards for most of them. It would be great for weaker readers, or for kids who don't have the maturity for a little bit of realism in their stories.

I will probably read the sequels, but only because A) I've already bought them, and B) this might be the first act to a story that matures and deepens as it goes. But truthfully, given what I've read, I don't hold out much hope for the latter.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a world where everyone has some superhuman ability, Mira grows up isolated, unaware that this is the case, because her parents are so worried about her lack of a power that they keep the truth from her until she's 15. Now she has to try to find a way to fit in with the other kids, find a place for herself, and cope with lacking something she never knew she was supposed to have.

Things I liked about this book:
- Stick to the script. I've read/seen a number of stories in which the initial premise is a protagonist who lacks superhuman abilities in a setting where most others have them. Inevitably, by the end of the story, the protagonist discovers powers, which are typically in excess of normal. In this one, Mira starts out with no powers...and still has none at the end of this book. I respect that.

- Mostly realistic kids. The kids in the book range from shy to popular to outcast, dull to smart, lazy to ambitious. Most are very competitive, but few seem to fall into stock characters of jock/bully/queen bee/class nerd/etc.

Things I did not like about this book:
- Underdeveloped world. The world is consumed by a war between two factions. After reading this book, I still have no idea what the two factions stand for, what their differences are, or why they are at war. I also have no idea how the protagonist's parents earn a living, whether this is a future or past Earth (though the fact that it's Earth is developed), where on the Earth they are, what the powers of several of Mira's classmates are, etc.

- Internal inconsistencies. Everyone has some power in this world. No one knows what it will be until it manifests, and it's considered very weird that one of the characters (not the protagonist) doesn't know what her power is in her final year of school. Yet we're also introduced to the town's healer, whose power is that people who consume her protein heal rapidly from injuries. How on Earth did she figure out that people who eat a chunk of her hair would start to heal?

- Clumsy scene changes. There are several sections which shift abruptly and disjointedly across scenes or points of view which struck me as in need of a good editor to smooth them out.

[Arwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I read this series back-to-back I am going to review it as one entry. The first thing you have to know about this series is that it’s set in an imagery world where they have absolutely NO IDEA how to educate children. If this is going to bother you then don’t read the Powerless Series, because it will be a big deal in the first few books and really set the underlying tone for the world-building.

The next thing you need to know is that because of the education system the military is run by power hungry dunder-heads. If an completely incompetent military will drive you nuts that you probably shouldn’t read this series.

Those things aside, this is one of the most unique worlds I’ve ever visited in a book. The author’s idea for the world is so outrageous that I just had to read through all the books to find out where he was planning on taking it.

The back drop is a world where everyone has some sort of power, everyone that is except for Mira. These powers range from useful (controlling the weather) to bizarre (sweating oil or giving birth to random animals.) Basically instead of relying on scientific understanding to get things done they reply on finding someone who has the power to do it.

We being the story with Mira, who has been kept from the outside world by her fathers ability to control the weather who has created a cloud wall around their home. Her mother (who has the power to put you to sleep with a touch) and father are afraid that a powerless person would be a freak and wouldn’t be able to make it in the outside world. So they’ve kept her at home teaching her from a series of scientific manuals.

Teenage Mira finally gets to join her peers in school and tries her best to fit in. The problem is that her peers do think shes a freak, and the education system is set up to pit power against power to see whose power can win in a fight (really, I warned you that their system was the worst.) It becomes a story about overcoming the odds, coming of age and learning to work together.

Like any series some books are better than others, but over all I enjoyed the journey.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were so many annoyances and plot holes in this book. It was a huge deal that Mira’s powers hadn’t showed, but there was a girl in her class with the same issue so that excuse of keeping her behind the mist doesn’t make sense (and of course was not the actual reason, but before Mira found out the real reason, she accepted her parents’ excuse without question even though she knew the other powerless girl was not locked up in her house for years). Once Mira’s parents let her out of the mist, they became, literally, the worst parents on the planet. Instead of helping her navigate the confusion of how the school works and dealing with not having a power while the others do, they just kind of left her to it and became ridiculously hands off. Except when a mirror that belonged to Mira’s grandmother got broken accidentally. That was pretty much the end of the world. There was a game that’s apparently the worst thing ever according to parents, but was really just a not so horrible game of truth or dare with pictoral dice and weird rules (like randomly getting rid of some of the pictures if the other players can’t make them fit together). In school, the teacher was a complete idiot, teaching them things like a watched pot takes longer to boil. The students were nearly as stupid, but Mira knows everything because her parents taught her at home all those years. Sometimes Mira seemed fine and communicated with others well and other times she was just completely naive and weird. Winning the final trial was the most important thing, but all that really mattered was the powers they were born with. The kid that sweats oil and the kid that senses other people’s powers were at a serious disadvantage to the kid who can jump far distances and the kid who can control gravity. The final trial is pretty much Hunger Games without the killing. Powerless: The Synthesis is the first book in a series. While the premise is interesting and the story was sometimes interesting, there was enough that irritated me that I will not be reading any more of them.

[John Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read Powerless: The Synthesis on my Kindle for iphone app, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will admit up front that I am a sucker for all things superhero. Flying people? Let me at it! Super-human strength? I'll read it! Telekinesis? Yes, please!

Uncontrollable sweat with the consistency of Crisco? Um... Control and mastery over grubs and earthworms? Yikes!!

No, this is not your typical comic-book superhero storyline. Jason Letts (who, by the way, is an immensely funny guy and a blast to chat with online) has created a world where EVERYBODY receives a super power upon birth. Some are lucky, and get the "nifty" powers like strength, speed, or mind control. Many get not-so-nifty powers like really bendy thumb or the ability to communicate with grapenuts.

Still, the main character, Mira Ipswitch, is the unluckiest of all. She has NO power whatsoever. Because of this, her parents had kept her sheltered from the rest of the world for her pre-teenage years. Finally revealing the truth, they let her attend her Senior year of school, where she has to use her intelligence and natural abilities to fit in with her suspicious classmates.

All of this is set in a world that seems very primitive. You would think with everyone having superpowers, there would be teeming metropolises, mega-transportation centers, and an intricate governing body. Instead, the world Mira is awakened to consists of an outpost, little more than an encampment, really, governed by one town elder who hears all.

This is book 1 in a 5-part series, and the ending does indeed set the stage well for a second act. Anyone looking for a fun new Young Adult series would do well to check out Powerless. Especially since it's only 99 cents on the Kindle!

[Stephen Hermer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for my Kindle, based on the rating it had on Amazon as well as the $2.99 price. I was expecting it to be good, but I was really surprised at how good it is. Normally I stay away from young adult books, particularly with female heroes, but my recent experience with Amanda Hocking allowed me to take a chance on this series.

Powerless is a young adult series about a young woman and her friends, and it is beautifully written. Jason Letts gives us fantastic but very real characters in an interesting world. He also gives us a really great story! I could hardly put this book down, and time and again I was surprised at how things turned out in the story when they could have easily been clichéd. There are twists and surprises of course, but it never gives you that "I have read this a thousand times" feeling. Refreshing!

The story seems short, but it is probably just because it is so good you are left wanting more when it ends... and luckily there are more books in the series. To be honest, I have nearly finished the third book already! I'm not sure I completely bought into the main character's scientific skills, but otherwise this has been one of the best books I have read in years. Don't be afraid that this is a young adult novel, it is highly recommended to anyone who likes a good fantasy.

[Alexia Purdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up The Synthesis (Powerless #1) as a free ebook on Amazon.com It looked interesting, so I decided to give it a shot. I found the story to be original and different. Mira is a girl who grows up in a secluded cottage with her parents knowing nothing about the outside world. As she discovers that there is a world beyond the mist of her home, she finds out that she has no super human powers at all, which is quite unusual in a world where everyone has some sort of power. This story takes her through her schooling and shows her overcoming obstacles of her disability to triumph in the end. The first half of the book was interesting, good set up, detailed characters and scenery. Then the middle half kind of lost me for a bit, I found it tedious to read and repetitive. The last part of the book finally hooked me back in and it ended splendidly with alot of action and Letts executed the wrapping up of the story line beautifully. I only wish there had been more action sooner and less concentrating on dragging out the details that we already knew were there, like Mira working on her skills and gadgets over and over and over again but without any interesting details to grab my interest in those parts. Otherwise, definitely the right price (free!) and worth the read, it's not a quick read either.

[moxieBK · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another book from my “Free/To Read” pile. The title didn't really inspire me to read it, therefore, it kept being moved down the pile. When I finally did read it....WOWZERS!, I wish I had read it sooner! Immediately, the story pulled me in and I wanted to know more. I felt empathy for the characters and really was behind the protagonist from the onset. I felt her emotions; they felt real and personal. Although the theme was of the "coming of age"/"discovery of self and place in world" genre, it was told in a fresh, new way. It was well developed and kept me on my toes. It didn’t seem easy to figure out what was going to happen; the story flowed naturally. It was a delight to read. As the story moved on, I really didn't know how it would finally turn out; either way, the ended did not seem unnatural and convoluted.

As I stated earlier: for me, the title was a misnomer, and it was what kept me from reading it for so long. (Although, thinking on this, I’m not sure what title would have made more sense or worked better;) and though I’m thinking the audience is the pre-teen/teenage group, any audience will find the book charming to read. The story tended to feel like a nerdy, mech head, intellectual story. I will definitely continue to read this series.

Appropriate reading for all age groups.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

As we are introduced to Mira, we see that she lives quite the sheltered life with her parents. For being overly protected, she is quite imaginative, scientific and is ‘gifted’ with the ability for making gadgets. When her parents decide it is time for her to grow and attend school, Mira slowly learns to stand on her own in a world like nothing she imagined. All but Mira have their own special ability which will help them for the upcoming war. Mira is overwhelmed by not having her own power for the obstacles to come from school and for what is waiting in her future.
Jason Letts has created a very interesting world of magic and power, while at the same time truly symbolizing the desire to be accepted by our peers. While Mira does not have her power, she does indeed have her truly unique gift that puts her at the head of the class. I really enjoyed reading this captivating tale and I am ready to pick up where I was left hanging!