Charlie should have drowned in that shipwreck, instead she came out with superpowers controlled completely by her emotions rather than her mind. She finds others with powers like her own while discovering new mysteries about her abilities and learning to control them, all while on the run from those who seek to capture, lock up, and experiment on those like her.

This story has a most captivating premise with the likes of what I’ve been hoping to see for a while: what would the life of an X-men be like before they discovered the school that could help them? In Charlie’s case, she eventually does find such a place to call home but even then she is not protected from those who seek to do her harm. This is a fast-paced tale full of action, tough decisions, character depth, and danger lurking around every corner. I didn’t love the ending but it was a clever balance of resolution versus forcing the reader to buy the next in this series called The Lazarus Children.