Is this another coming-of-age fantasy about a super-powered teen, his friends and rivals?

Use this forum to discuss the September 2021 Book of the month, "The Fourth Kinetic: Clairvoyants Book 1" by Brady Moore
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Re: Is this another coming-of-age fantasy about a super-powered teen, his friends and rivals?

Post by Rachael S 1 »

This is another coming-of-age fantasy about a super-powered teen. This is just another story of outcasts on the run from the government for fear of their powers. There really is not anything to differentiate the book from the other numerous storylines. That said, the book is still very well written and worth a read. Hopefully, the storyline will twist a few more times in the upcoming books.
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Sushan Ekanayake
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Post by Sushan Ekanayake »

Favour AN wrote: 04 Sep 2021, 20:31 I agree with you. Its just the same with the rest. A boy gets older then suddenly discovers he had powers he has never had. Then some people suddenly want to his kind and starts hunting them. Nothing new, just the same old story.
Well, I must correct this by a bit. Actually he had those abilities from his childhood and he accidentally utilized them several times. Once a girl who tried to kiss Rion was pushed away. And in another occasion same thing was done to a bully. So it did not came like a sudden revelation. He always knew that he is different, and later on he learned how to control his abilities.
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Post by emeraldlaurice012 »

I agree that the concept and the elements present in the story were cliché and common. A teenager suddenly discovering his power and a fight between good and evil is as old as it gets. So no, I don't think the book offers anything new to the genre.
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Post by Jennifer Garcia 555 »

I agree that this is similar to many other stories, but it kept my interest and I hope the next book will lead this story down a more unique path. I liked how Rion knows nothing about his past, but embraces his powers and is excited to learn to use them. Also, he does not just blindly follow his new friends. He leaves and attempts to find his own way.
“Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” — L. M. Montgomery
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Post by Kristy Khem »

I agree with you. I think the story revolves around common themes; good vs evil, teenage issues, heroes vs villains, and superpowers. When I was a teen, I liked sci-fi/fantasy books, comics, and cartoons. This book may appeal to that age group, but those of us who have read a lot of them now find these same storylines a bit redundant.
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Post by Amynwankwo_ »

I agree that it is your typical coming of age, lonely boy gets superpowers and now has responsibilities type of book. However, the author tried to input a freshness into the story like Rions relationship with his mother. That was an unconventional input in a book like this.
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Post by P Chap »

This series gives major 'Divergent' vibes, which in itself was inspired from the young adult series The Hunger Games. So, I think we can say that Clairvoyants is another coming-of-age sci-fi story, only with the added twist of spirituality to it. A brave but awkward youngster suddenly finds out he/she is bestowed with a special power and is then chased down by suppressive governments. This is a very common plot, the same hand in a different glove.
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Post by Mwatu »

I agree that the book relies on the same script for this genre that you mention. I am however unsure whether there would be a storyline if the stereotype was given a pass.
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Post by ReviewerDiksha »

Nothing is new under the sun, and same goes for this novel as well. The trope of sudden emergence of superpowers in a young adult is a very common sci-fi and superhero trope. At the end of the day, it is the way the story is told that matters. While nothing new was particulary done in the book, I think it was fun to read.
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Post by Eunice Geres »

Truthfully, for me, it's just another coming of age, the battle of good and evil, and fantasy. But like humans, we are all the same thoughts just different versions. I think what this version's difference to other publicated book is Rion's relationship with his mother and his inability to connect.
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Post by Daniel Jembi »

While the story follows a basic formula, there are differences in the plot that can make for a movie with new twists. For instance, Rion's impulse to divulge secrets is a novelty to me. This could create new twists in a story line.
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Post by Cynthia Olyy »

The plot is always the same. Some guy with powers is faced with oppositions who are out to eradicate him. It's the same storyline for every Sci-fi I've read.
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Post by EternalD »

To be quite honest, I didn't see anything groundbreaking in The Fourth Kinetic. That's not to say I didn't like the book, far from it. The problem is that more and more authors are thinking more about writing about a trendy subject than letting their true talents blossom naturally. With the market saturated, fewer and fewer people will like this type of book.
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Post by Gabriella1997 »

Sushan wrote: 01 Sep 2021, 00:26 The book features the constant battle between a group of people with super powers (the Clairvoyants) and a group who are determined to eradicate them (the mysterious organization which tries to capture all the super-powered ones).

The moment I took this in I thought "this is a common concept which has been used in sci-fi fantasy for a long time". And with its published date (2021 May), it is unlikely for the other work to be inspired by this book.

What do you think? Is this another book in which can be categorized as a common sci-fi fantasy with super powered fellows and their rivals? Or has the author been able to create something more with it?
This is the classic boy with superpowers story. To give this style of science fiction a new twist won't be easy because in my opinion it almost certainly been done before. Don't get me wrong however i love it and can't get tired of the classic boy with superpowers storyline.
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Post by Abby Heitzman »

I don't think this is like other coming of age books. Usually those kids have friends or family that they can connect with and even talk about their powers with. Rion has no friends and he didn't tell his mom about his powers. He had to learn how to use them by himself. Also, he never really had a great support system, he had to learn from people who were with him out pf convenience. I think this book had a unique plotline.
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