Review: Think Twice by Sarah Mlynowski

Title: Think Twice (Don't Even Think About It #2)
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Edition: Orchard Books, 2016

Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis

What's worse than having telepathy in high school? Having telepathy in high school, and then losing it. When class 10B got their flu shots and developed the unexpected side effect of telepathy, it seemed like the worse thing ever. But two years later, they've got used to their powers. They've even come to like them. And as they prepare to leave school, they're all making exciting plans - plans that involve them being Espies. So when one by one they suddenly begin to lose their powers, they know they can't let it happen. Can they save their telepathy before it's too late? Or will they have to learn how to survive without them once again?

Review

I first read Sarah Mlynowski when I picked up her book Ten Things We Shouldn't Have Done (which I recommend to fans of Kody Keplinger). After that I picked up Don't Even Think About It. And, boy am I glad I did. 

This two-book series has the most incredibly premise, and the voice is even more amazing. I have never read a book with this perspective before; I'm not even sure what to call it. It's first person (third person?!?), past tense...but plural. As in, not 'I' but 'we'. When the group is all together it reads as first person. But when the focus shifts between individual characters it's third person. Whatever you want to call it, as a writer, I find it incredible. It elevates the entire novel's theme of friendship and intimacy. I may write a review in the future dedicated to Don't Even Think About It, but for now I'll focus on Think Twice. 

I don't remember having a problem in the first book with the number of characters being juggled. But this time round I did find myself getting a little lost, especially when the view jumped from one character to the next after only a single paragraph. This may perhaps have been because it's been a while since I read the first book, where characters were really introduced. 

I know it's kind of obvious, given the premise, but I loved the inclusion of the conversations where thoughts were just being thrown about. For example during the discussions where most of the Espies were present. 

I thought the characters were well thought out, with a range of personalities that made for a realistic set of teenagers. There were some that I didn't like, some that I loved, and some that I was indifferent towards: it's the same way with life. I did find myself way more invested in some characters than others - Liv, Cooper, Tess, BJ - and I wonder whether it was written to encourage more attachment to those characters or whether it's just personal preference.

I'm going to touch upon the ending, without giving away any spoilers. I'm going to try at least. Part of me is a little disappointed by the ending. I so enjoyed the original style that it sort of upset me when it was changed towards the end. I didn't want to know. On the other hand, I think it'll be interesting to re-read both the books knowing what I know now. Because of this, I've taken a star from my rating, leaving it at four stars. 

So, like I said, mixed feelings about the ending, but good feelings about the rest. An original story with a genius premise that I doubt I'll find anywhere else. If I do, I'm sure it wouldn't be as well written as Think Twice. 

Favourite Quote
(It's a bit of a cheat because this is the one at the front of my copy but I really do like this one)
"The future awaited us and was ours to command. ESP was our magic wand. Or so we thought. It turns out, magic wands can break."