Spark follows 17-year-old Evie as she learns she is the third-gen result of a failed government super-soldier experiment. She (as a Shield) is compelled to connect with and protect certain people (Sparks) from other types of failed super-soldiers (Strays), who find themselves with an uncontrollable desire to kill particular Sparks. Fortunately, Evie’s first Spark happens to be her best friend.

The action is tense, becoming even tenser as Evie learns the truth of who her Stray really is. Rachael Craw is aware of her genre and has fun fighting its stereotypes – I got a kick out of the wry ‘Not very PC, huh?’ remark made by Evie’s aunt and fellow Shield when Evie found herself becoming more attractive upon activation. Spark is perfect for ages 14 and up who liked Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series and, of course, Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games trilogy.

Dani Solomon