future flash by Kita Helmetag Murdock

My name is Laney, and I was left in a car seat on Walt's doorstep when I was a baby.  I can see into the future of people I touch, but I don't tell anyone about my ability. It's hard to explain, and they won't understand. A new boy came to school, and I flashed on him and me trapped in a burning building, Lyle covered in blood. I feel like I should look out for him, but it's not smart to become friends with the new target of the school bully. But I did anyhow. Lyle should tell someone about the beatings he's getting, and I guess I should tell Walt about my visions. However, I've become distracted by a painting I found in a shack behind Lyle's house. The picture showed a baby in a car seat, on Walt's doorstep!

Laney's ability to foresee the future is what makes this book fit into the speculative fiction category. However, most of it read like realistic fiction. Laney's visions caused me to anticipate future events which helped increase the suspense. She was a reluctant hero, as she found ways to avoid the bully issue and feared the day she would finally face the burning building. Her sense of right and wrong won out in the end. Even though visions foretold her death, Laney discovered that she still had some control over future events. Fate did not control her. The book kept me wondering, as I knew there were secrets surrounding Walt, Laney's mother, Lyle, and his mother. The book was a quick-read for me, as I finished it in one day. Give it a shot!