The Rising

In just 24 hours, Alex Chin went from being a popular high school athlete with the whole world in front of him to an injured fugitive trying to make sense of his parents' murder and hiding from their killers. Adopted as an infant, Alex possesses special abilities that were previously unknown to him but that are valuable and dangerous to others. His parents and doctor all died as a result of knowing his secret. On the run with tutor and NASA intern Samantha, Alex tries to piece together clues and confessional videos from his late parents in an effort to learn as much about his past and birth parents as he can before he becomes the next victim. This collaboration by suspense novelists Graham (Night Moves) and Land ("Caitlin Strong" series) feels familiar—think Netflix series Stranger Things or the 1986 film The Manhattan Project—and what it lacks in originality, it makes up for in pacing and occasional suspense. Short, brisk chapters keep the narrative flowing.