When Hanna was eight years old the first of her siblings got powers. Now 8 years later all her siblings have superpowers, but not her. Her father Arten Super, who discovered the superhero gene, is disappointed in her as she works hard in the lab to discover a way to unlock her powers. A supposed security leak gets her forced out of her home. She could return only if she wasn't 'powerless' anymore. She gets entangled with the Russian mafia — the Brotherhood — and learns dangerous secrets. But can she use them, who can she trust and can she survive?

The premise is captivating. A darker The Incredibles with a dangerous crime family as shadowy adversaries, what's not to like? Supers plus conspiracy heaven but with emotional gravitas. The pacing is a steady canter with bouts of galloping when needed. The writing brings you right into the action which is engagingly detailed. That and the intrigue have you not being able to put this book down.

The narrative is inviting, with a relatable protagonist you instantly root for, whose inner turmoil and familial agitation you can 'taste' from the beginning. In this story, Hanna wrestles with her moral compass. The depiction of intense feelings, self-harm etc is done wonderfully without sensationalism, but with sensitivity. The 'dangerous' parts are not sugarcoated, you feel how high the stakes are. The development of the characters is done in tandem with the story, never staunching the flow to the unfurling of the well-thought-out storyline. The twists and turns of the plot, undeniably surprising. I caught myself going "Whaaat?!" quite a few times.

This is about being true to yourself and the people who deserve it. It compliments inner strength, showing us that we are stronger than we think. About wanting to belong, to be accepted.

At times heart-wrenching, this is an exhilarating ride where anyone could be the good guy or the bad, that roars in its breathtaking intensity towards an epic finale. I adored this book and even if it stands quite well alone, I really hope there is a sequel.

“We become who we need to be to get it done”
Plot-★★★
Characters-★★★★
World building-★★★
POV- single pov from FMC

This book was given to me, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked this book, it drew me in from the start and I finished it in one sitting. We get to follow Hanna, a girl with a super human gene who never got her powers. Her father, famous for his super children, gives up on Hanna and kicks her out of the home. Left alone and homeless on the streets, Hanna finds herself in the hand of the most notorious mafia, the Brotherhood. Now she must decide which side she’s really on, and who she can trust in a world full of lies.

I wish I could recommend this book to everyone, but this book can be super triggering to people. There is a content warning in the beginning of the book that reads. “This book contains strong language and depictions of self-harm, violence, depression and unhealthy family dynamics. Please be mindful of these and other possible triggers.” Other than that, I would recommend this book.

This book focuses on a special family, the Supers, and the powers that they have. Artem, the father, has 5 children that all have a super gene that enables them to have unique powers. He has trained them and pushed them to their limits in order to help society. However, one of the girls, Hanna, never actually developed powers. He gets sick of taking care of her and throws her out of the house. Hanna is only 16 and had no where to go as she rarely ever left their house to begin with. This book tells the tale of her leaving and joining in in a much larger problem.

Overall, this book was okay. It didn’t have the crazy action scenes one might expect with super humans. Nor did it involve magic in anyway. I would say this is more of a dystopian fantasy where humans have this mutation. It was a good story and was a bit of a feel good one where Hanna gets a decent ending. However, it definitely leaves it open to have a series built out of it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A fun and interesting superhero story with worldbuilding that had a significant effect on the story. I haven’t read many superhero stories, but this is certainly one of my favourites. It had an interesting cast of characters with an unique plot. I’m certainly excited to find out what happens in the next installment!

With a beginning, which reminds a bit of The Umbrella Academy, this fast-paced adventure packs tons of intrigue and unexpected twists.

Hanna is one of the five siblings known as the Supers. Each harbors a unique gene, which gives them special powers: strength, fire, etc. Unfortunately, Hanna is sixteen and long past the point, where her powers should have emerged. While she's highly trained in combat, medical emergencies, and holds a special talent for genetic research, she's looked down upon by her siblings and father. When she accidentally spills chemicals over one of her experiments, her father has had enough of her mishaps and kicks her out of their home. Without money, ID, or even her shoes, she has to somehow find a way to survive, and soon, this mutates to a mission to save the world from her own family.

While the first chapters of this read rang with a little familiarity, it soon takes an exciting twist and shoots off in unexpected ways. I was surprised at quick the tension shoots up, and Hanna is propelled from one horrible situation into the next. It takes awhile before she even gets to catch a bit of a breath. Constant action and difficult predicaments along with tons of danger kept those pages turning, making sure it's not one easily put down. There were some logic stumbles on the flow end, but nothing which made me want to put the read down. There is violence, and this tale does hold triggers surrounding torture, abuse, murder, and mentions of drug use.

Hanna is a character with some grit, quite a bit of hesitancy, and okay morals despite the people around her. The author builds her family situation and relationships up nicely before heading off into the main thrust of the story. From there, the other characters fit in as necessary with enough quirks and personality to make them interesting. I didn't completely connect with Hanna's later friends, but that was fine considering everything that was going on. And there's a lot going on.
It was an exciting ride the entire way through.

I received a DRC and enjoyed this adventure quite a bit.

OMG, I loved this book. Hanna was an amazing character, perfectly portrated as an 16 year old girl, her struggles, her feelings, I could feel it all. The world build was so good and the mystery of it all was top notch. I hated her siblings (except Maria of course) and her father, how can you be like that to family? That poor girl suffered so much just because she didn't have powers, it wasn't fair. Liza and the rest of the gang were awesome, I love them, they were her family, made up and all. I can't wait for more from this world and see were things are going with literally everyone

I really enjoyed Powerless. I was sucked in from the first chapter, and enthralled throughout the rest of the book. Definitely recommend.

Hanna lives in fear of not being good enough for her father or her family. All her siblings have super powers while she has none. She is also far past the age where she should have started showing them. So she spends all her time researching in her father's lab for a way to make herself better and more acceptable to her family. As the author warns us in this book are depictions of self harm. Hanna does cut herself as a way to deal with the stress and fear she is under. Well she makes a mistake and her father kicks her out of the house with only what she carries on her back and sicks her demented family members on her.

The excitement is real as she flees from her family only to wind up in the embrace of a mafia family. Will she choose them or will she do anything to get back to the family that cruelly rejected her. This book is fast paced and well written. The world is detailed, terrifying at times and quite a mirror for those of us who have terrible family members and a history of self harm. You get so wrapped up with Hanna's survival that it is hard to put this book down. I couldn't until I finished it. You spend the book desperately wanting to protect this remarkably smart teen from the evils of her world and wanting to punish her family for their depravity. This is a fantastically written book and a good read for young adults.

This was fast-paced and well developed and a great addition to the variety of superhero novels that are around at the moment. I feel like I was slightly too old for the intended audience of the book but nonetheless thought it was a great read and does well as a standalone novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A Story guided by Hanna’s toxic family and her wish to be accepted in a family of super and be like them, led her to meet the people that will become her chose family or at least people that will accept her for who she is.
I really liked this book there’s Action all along,And if you’re a fan or If you liked The Umbrella Academy like me this book is for you.
A very pleasant pen to read, you can easily read this book in one seating. Easy to read for all the English beginners.
Just Please read the TW, above all if you visualise what you read.

PS: Artem made me think of Dr Osborn in Spiderman

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Une histoire guidée par la toxicité de la famille d’Hanna et son envie d’être acceptée dans une famille de Super la mène a rencontrer des personnes qui deviendront sa vraie famille ou en tous cas l’accepte pour ce qu’elle est.
De l’action tout au long, si vous êtes fan ou que vous avez aimé la série The Umbrella Academy, ce livre est fait pour vous.
Très rapide a lire ( peu se lire en one shot) et facile a lire si vous voulez commencer à lire en anglais.
Par contre attention aux TW si vous le lisez, lisez les bien SURTOUT si vous visualisez ce que vous lisez.

The action scenes are off the charts and the imagery is so vivid, it's like watching a movie in your head. I mean, seriously, I was hooked from the very first page!

Thankyou for this amazing arc.

Delicious, from the start! The imagery and action sequences are what made this charmer impossible for me to put down. Make the mad journey beside Hanna in this blood-pumping, emotionally charged and electrifying story that’ll leave you gasping and clawing at the pages for the answers!

Born into the Super family, famously known for the identified gene mutation and special powers, Hanna finds suspicion in her family and their past. Starting over as a Regular may be her only option. After a brutal rejection and abandonment that catapults her into the path of the feared group, The Brotherhood, Hanna must face the reality she may never know what or who she is. In this SUPER-fueled novel, her forced quest is now to discover the truth and fill in the gaping holes in the story of what is really happening in the world of Supers. Where are her powers? Why didn't they come? What really happened to her mother? Who can she really trust?

“Hanna Super
Age: 16
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Gene present: Y
Power: Unknown”

Friends among enemies or enemies among friends, she must decide what length her desperation for her powers and belonging will push her, as she awaits a dormant gift to pair perfectly with the Super genetic mutation present in her DNA.

SUPERbly written, Author Jacqueline Pretty shuttles you on magnanimous twists and turns in the epic book, POWERLESS.

This Advanced Reader Copy was Ferocious Fun!!