Book Review: "The Samantha Granger Experiment: Fused" by Kari Lee Townsend

Summary from the publisher: When you make a face or cross your eyes, do your parents tease that if you’re not careful, your face might stay that way forever?
Well, my parents said that if I’m not careful, I’ll turn into one of my gadgets.

I thought they were joking, people!

But—somehow, someway—I have become a living, breathing, walking piece of technology. Apparently my head now has a built-in GPS and my palm is equipped with talking and texting capabilities—just like my cell phone!

Now I’m a techno-superhero with powers that seem to have a mind of their own. And, in my case, keeping a secret identity is harder than it sounds. I short-circuit every time Trevor Hamilton looks my way.

Like being a girl isn’t stressful enough.

Kids and technology. They're glued to it 24/7. What would happen if that literally were to happen to them? That's exactly what happens to Samantha Granger in this book as a magical substance transforms her body into the most high tech piece of communication equipment ever made. Her hand has become a phone, her brain is filled with all sorts of knowledge akin to a encyclopedia, she has a built in GPS system and she can take pictures and videos with the blink of an eye. Warning to all kids, if you're not careful you might become what you wish for!

As others have said, this book is really cute and I highly concur with them. I love seeing how Samantha takes these new powers and uses them for good and to help others. It never enters her mind to use them in any other way, to back stab enemies or find out secrets that could potentially harm others. Pretty much after she figures out what's going on, she sets off to help those in need. I loved how everyone kept messing up the superhero names that she came up with as well as how everyone assumed that the masked masquerader was automatically a male therefore Samantha has to constantly correct them without looking too obvious.

Not only is there the technology aspect with a bit of action thrown in, but there is also Samantha's every day life in school. There she relies on her best friend to keep her secret (and also become her faithful sidekick) and help her in her adventures. She also is dealing with a crush that seems to interfere with her new abilities because every time he gets close, Samantha's new powers are immediately triggered. It takes teen romance and the phrase love is electrifying to a whole new level.

Overall this was a really fun story to read. It's perfect for middle grade readers and young teens who are constantly on their Iphones and Blackberries. They'll not only get a kick out of Samantha's adventures but it's also a good way to see an extreme version what happens when what your mom tells you actually comes true. I'll be looking forward to the next book in the series.

The Samantha Granger Experiment: Fused by Kari Lee Townsend is published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (2010)

This ARC was provided by the publisher