Launch by Jason C. Joyner (Rise of the Annointed; 1)

The Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-olds Demarcus Bartlett and Lily Beausoliel are among a select group of youth invited to an exclusive, all-expenses-paid conference at social media giant Alturas’ California headquarters. Led by charismatic founder Simon Mazor, the world’s youngest billionaire, this isn’t the typical honors society. It seems that everyone here has some secret, untapped potential, some power that may not be entirely of this world. An ancient prophecy suggests that if these teens combine their abilities, they could change the course of history. The only question is: Will it be for better or for worse?

I received this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.

Review:

*There is an alternate cover edition*

Is there a better way to grab the attention of teens than to mix social media, super powers, celebrities, and some rocking parties together into a giant conspiracy?

I honestly don’t think so, and for the first time since I read The Chronicles of Narnia, I found myself wanting to be sucked into this book, trials and all!

Launch is full of powerful lessons about self identity, sacrifice, and tapping into our full gifting potential. The story has a smooth and sometimes exhilarating pace that keeps us fully interested and never bored.

I loved each of the characters so much. They all reflected different struggles, strengths, opinions, and personalities so it was easy to watch them with admiration as they grew to embrace who they were Created to be.

Launch is a Christian young adult book, but it’s not one of those overly “preachy” books. The story certainly revolves around Christian content and Bible stories, but it’s presented in a way that compliments the story rather than takes over the story. I was very pleased with it and because of its Christian based writing, it is a very clean book, though the action is decently high and I would definitely like to reiterate that its a Young Adult book, not Middle Grade.

So in complete overview, I give Launch 5 out of 5 stars and cannot wait to get my hands on book 2!