A review by enchantingreads_rosyreviews
Powerless by Lauren Roberts

adventurous dark emotional funny sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

"'I’m tougher than I look, I assure you. The strongest weapon a woman has at her disposal is that she is often underestimated,' I answer with a small smile. 'And I wield that all the time.'”

When I started reading this, I thought this was a copycat of The Hunger Games. Don't get me wrong, that series is one of my faves, but mirroring its formula feels unnecessary. That said, the more I kept reading, the more unique elements of this story emerged. The Trials are a series of challenges, there are less contestants, more than one survivor is allowed but there's only one winner. Plus, there's quite the variation in abilities people have without it being too confusing.

"... we are trading off blows and blocks as we toy with one another. It’s like a dance, and she is a fierce partner... One minute we’re flirting and the next we’re fighting—possibly even both at the same time. I can’t seem to figure this vicious girl out."

Okay, so I get it now… this is a great book! It’s very “The Hunger Games” but with a unique twist. The relationship dynamic between Kai and Paedyn is amazing (some of their scenes are my absolute favorite). Plus, the way the Trials are set up leaves me on the edge of my seat with anticipation of what’s going to happen next. And it’s interesting to have so many different kinds of enabled people that society can’t keep track of all the different power types, allowing Paedyn to fake an ability in order to blend in. Some moments broke my heart, some made me laugh out loud, but all of them were entertaining and engaging. Highly recommend this book and look forward to the rest of the series!

"I’ve never been looked at like it’s a privilege to be in my presence, an honor to hold my gaze, a gift to get a glimpse of me. Not until I met him. His mask slips, splinters, shatters, leaving only a boy beholding a girl like she is worthy of his wanting... I can’t help but long for this boy who has saved my life more times than I care to admit. This boy who is equally calculating and charming, equally cool and caring. The one who’s tended to my wounds, learned about my past, been my distraction when I needed it most. The one who understands me."

As for the audio, I'm a bit spoiled & have only listened to duet or full cast audiobooks, but dual narration makes up the majority of the audiobook space. And this book is narrated in dual form: the male POV chapter is read entirely by the male narrator & vice versa, meaning he reads female parts & she reads some male parts that occur within their specified chapters. So, this is not my favorite style because when the narrators switch genders, it takes me out of the performance a little bit. That said, it didn't make me hate the narration or take much away from the story's impact because both of these narrators did a fantastic job (especially with the banter moments). 
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