Power Within by C.L. Causer

Power Within (The Lazarus Children #1)
By C.L. Causer
Published March 12th 2012 (Kindle)
Recieved PDF from author (thanks!)
400 pages

"Charlotte 'Charlie' Gordon wants nothing more, than to be a normal girl. But having a near death accident as a child, she finds out that she has powers. After accidentally electrocuting her sister and blowing up her mother's kitchen, she suppresses her powers for ten years. Unknowing that there are more people like her out there. A lot more.

That is until a secret group of them try and hunt her down because of her unusual abilities. Forcing her family into hiding, she goes on the run. Having to learn about her powers and her past, she meets many new friends along the way. But you can't run forever. She learns that someone has betrayed her to the very people she is running from." - Goodreads

I hope I'm wrong when I say: This is one of those books that probably will never get the recognition it deserves; this is a book that should belong in the market, sitting on shelves at all bookstores. Yes, I think that Power Within is one that many people will enjoy. I certainly did!

Charlotte "Charlie", is a great main character. A girl who wants nothing more than to be normal and to keep others safe, she is a true fighter. When her "powers" start to get stronger, she must run from people who want nothing more than to hurt her, meaning she must leave her family behind. Charlie is a very relatible character and I easily connected to her. A quick thinker and strong willed, you know Charlie will not go down without a fight. Her family and friends, although not going into too much detail, were great to have in the story. Sometimes I found it difficult to keep everyone straight in my head but generally, the important characters stick in your mind. From the people she leaves behind, to the people she meets: they are all interesting to read about. I was surprised by some characters, especially at the end. What I really enjoyed were some of the conversations with Charlie and the friends she makes: they act and speak like real university/college aged teens!

Power Within did start off a little bit slow. Until the first confrontation, I had a hard time getting into it but as soon as we pass a point, I simply could not stop! I was on the edge of my seat and hooked.  I finished the 400 page ebook in one day. The way the story progresses, with the dreams mixed in there (Charlie's), the foreshadowing was impressive. I loved the chunk of the book that contained Charlie's 'on the run' experience. It was like I was watching a movie unfold. All the different settings we are taken to throughout her journey were described well.  Now, the "powers". I thought they were really cool and explained ok. I didn't fully understand how they came to be but I think, since this is a trilogy, it will be explained even more. I want to just mention the ending. (Author note: your cruel you know that?) it was a cliffhanger. And oh my, I was NOT at ALL expecting that revelation at the end. It just kinda made me shock-still... and pained me. I will be looking out for the second book!

I'd highly recommend this for para-normal/sci-fi, romance, action, and mystery fans. It was an incredible ride and I hope others will hop on the train!

Excerpt:

Their tiredness evaporated when they parked the car. They felt safe in the car. Now they were here, and had to go out on foot, it made Charlie feel exposed. The fact that they were parked in a dark tower block with no windows and limited exits, made them reluctant to move. It was an ideal setting for a cliched horror movie story. Or in their case, an ideal spot for Mr. Collins and his goons to grab them.

"We'll get some food in the shopping center," said Jake not moving from the driving seat. They both just sat staring out of the front window.

"Right," Charlie said looking out the car window seeing if there was anyone around. The car park was pretty full with workers and commuter cars. Nobody drove in the city center unless they had to.

"No offence. But if they are going to get us, I don't think these doors are going to keep them out," he said watching Charlie look out the windows. She pulled a face at him and got out of the car. Zipping up her jumper she looked around the car park level. It was even creepier standing there. Just as they walked away from the car, there was this almighty clang, echoing in the hollow building. Charlie's heart raced as they both jumped out of their skins. Whipping around, they saw an old lady picking up a can of beans as she got out of the elevator.

"Oh God," whispered Jake, hugging Charlie from behind, "Run! Run for your life."

"Get off me you idiot," she smiled shaking him off, trying to calm down her racing heartbeat.