Super 16

Jessie has recently developed super powers and might be the strongest in generations. Unlike others, she has more than one power. Luckily she has a boyfriend who knows her secret. Or is it lucky? Jessie's sixteenth birthday is just around the corner and life has become super complex. Her mother seems to have feelings for the local sheriff and Jessie has a hard time dealing with it. To add to the confusion Jessie must face braces, eggplant, an emasculated boyfriend, the trials of the League of Liberty, her birthday, and someone who wants to burn down the school. Once again we see that Jessie is just a normal girl even if she can pick up an elephant. Her personal problems and feelings show a real person. I hope this series keeps on going although giving Jessie a more intelligent vocabulary would fit better (she has trouble with words she should know but not with ones she should have little exposure to).

I really enjoyed reading this book and read it in one sitting. Jessie, from the previous Super What?, is back! She gets into more wacky adventures, not to mention, more problems! At one point she feels everyone is mad at her - but never fear! Jessie is here! Jessie manages to appease everyone she has angered - and she even cracks a case about an arsonist at her school! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was a fun, breezy read. I suggest you read Super What? before this, though. It might make more sense. I cannot wait for more of Mrs. Abbott's books. She is truly talented when it comes to writing humorous reads for teens. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a good, funny read!

You would think that having super powers would make life simpler, and until she acquired them, Jessie would have agreed. Now she's learning that they cause at least as many problems as they solve and are useless in handling things like broken hearts, jealousy, braces, and bad hair days. They can't even help her pass her driving exam; however they do require her to take the trials- dreaded tests that determine whether she can live at home or must be fostered to one of the council fogies until she is grown. At her lowest point, when Jessie is sure she will fail the trials, since she's failing everything else, the possibility of being sent away almost seems like a good thing. Yet, when it all comes down to it, she finds that she does have super powers that count, ones of the soul. **** Having ''super" as part of the title is almost redundant- becaue this book is super under any name. Jessie's crises and how she handles them will make her a super hero to a world of normals who face the same things. Maybe she can help them laugh when they want to cry. As an aside, if the demented dentist is looking for a new gig, she might consider joining a tour of Little Shop of Horrors. ****

Superhero-in-training, Jessie, has a lot on her mind. Her sixteenth birthday is quickly approaching, and she plans on it being the sweetest sixteen ever. Unfortunately, there are a few qualms that she must overcome before the big day. First of all, she needs to figure out what possessed her to drive her mother's boyfriend's - who just happens to be the sheriff in town - car into a river. Second, she totally needs to calm down about her new boyfriend - who is quite the hottie - trying to get to second base with her. Third, she needs to figure out what in the world possessed her to not only tell the prestige League of Liberty that superpowers are such a thing of the past; but to also accuse the quarterback - and all around popular jock - of setting the school on fire. And if that weren't enough, Jessie has to find a way of apologizing to her evil orthodontist for purposely blowing up his drill when he announced that it was time for her to get braces. Now Jessie has to figure out how sixteen can be so sweet when you've got problems galore. I adored Abbott's first installment featuring Jessie, SUPER WHAT? But it is now obvious that SUPER 16 has taken over my heart. As always, Jessie's hilarious personality is shining through as brightly as possible, while at the same time she is filled with enough teen angst to fill a hot air balloon. This is a fabulous, laugh-out-loud thrill ride for any girl who has ever had the dream of possessing super powers, as they will quickly see that being super-human isn't all it's cracked up to be. Erika Sorocco Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper