Children of the Periapt: Escape From Elmsmere by Cimone O'Byrne

My name is Vinnie, and I knew I needed to escape from Elmsmere Academy. I was stolen from my parents, dumped in that prison, and I could see it sucking the life out of the other gifted kids. My invisibility came in handy when I wanted to be alone, but it wouldn't help me get past the field of flowers. Liliana said they wouldn't kill me, but I wasn't so sure. I needed to help Kitty get out of there too, as Seekers took gifted kids away when they turned twelve; she'd be twelve in a month. No one knew where they'd be taken, and Kitty's older sister recently disappeared. I knew I had to get back home, but I promised to help Liliana find her sister. I never imagined where that adventure would take us, but the bigger surprise concerned Kitty. Who was she?

This book is the first in a series that follows the trio of gifted kids. Vinnie can turn invisible, and Liliana is able to speak to, and control, plants. Kitty is the most mysterious character, as her past is unknown. No one knows her gifted talent, and she carries a rare emerald periapt. The periapt is a crystal charm worn by gifted children on their bracelets. Kitty's past story is revealed near the book's climax, but the author saves other secrets for the sequel. I'm sure she'll become the center of the next conflict. Liliana's character is dynamic, since she begins the story as a timid, loner character. In the end, she learns to assert herself and discovers more power than she imagined. A message learned is that people who see injustice and do nothing are just as bad as those performing the injustice. People should act when they see something wrong. While I enjoyed the plot and characters, there were elements of the book that could have been improved. The transitions in time could have been better, as some of them were pretty abrupt. Also, characters sometimes stated things that should have been easily inferred by readers. It was redundant. Overall, the story was entertaining and interesting, and it should appeal to lovers of shortish speculative fiction novels. Give it a shot if it sounds like it's up your alley.