Lost and found

In this uneven novel by Card, a young man with the "micropower" to locate lost items must explore new applications of his abilities after the police enlist him to find a kidnapped girl. At first, Ezekiel Blast, 14, is reluctant to help; previous misunderstandings over his abilities have left him branded a thief with a healthy, even obnoxious, distrust of authority. But with the assistance of his new friend Beth, a girl with proportionate dwarfism, and a support group dedicated to those with similarly unusual powers, Ezekiel succeeds in tracking down the missing child. Then Beth is taken, and Ezekiel must find her before she suffers a terrible fate. While Card (The Hive) starts with an intriguing premise, the story devolves into ongoing commentary and extrapolation about the micropowers. In addition, many of the younger characters, especially Ezekiel and Beth, sound inauthentic and overly adult. Readers may also be disturbed by the narrative's sudden twist into poorly integrated darker material, such as the introduction of a pedophiliac pornography/snuff ring. While this story raises provocative questions about family, friendship, and the value of individual abilities, the irregular narrative tone and disjointed parts fail to cohere. Ages 12--up. (Sept.)

A teen with the micropower (much smaller than a superpower) of finding lost things is asked to help in a kidnapping investigation.Long ostracized as a thief because no one believes him, freshman Ezekiel has tried to tamp down his ability to recognize lost items and compulsion to return them. His loner act is interrupted by Beth, an almost 14-year-old sophomore with proportionate dwarfism who wants to befriend him so that his isolation bubble can protect her from the bullying she faces. He's jerkish as a defense mechanism; she's persistent; they're both precocious intellectuals with snarky, dark humormost importantly, she believes in and encourages his micropower. Also encouraging him is a desperate detective who wants Ezekiel's help in a missing child case (though Ezekiel's more accustomed to being accused and mistreated by police). The pacing of the multilayered mystery enables a buildup of dread leading to the revelation of how incredibly dark the crime story really is. The story's psychological elementsboth traumatic fallout and beautiful interpersonal relationshipsare given breathing space in a satisfying denouement. Physical and racial descriptors are largely absent, creating a white default. The slur "Paki" is used without contextualization in reference to a Bangladeshi American character. Despite the infantilizing descriptive phrase "pitter patter of little feet," Beth is portrayed as strong and capable.A winning combination of wit, a twisted crime drama, and a fresh take on teens with powers. (Thriller/science fiction. 15-adult) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.