Rebel Undercover (The Forgotten Five 3) by Lisa McMann

What worked:

The main characters are children with some of them possessing supernatural abilities. Some of their parents have talents too that include x-ray vision, invisibility, and reading minds. However, the adults are performing heists for President Fuertes in other countries which creates conflicts for their kids. The children still love their parents but having them be criminals creates complications. The parents’ feelings for their kids range from love to indifference, to disdain which results in further mental/emotional problems. The children aren’t sure how to feel when they discover a parent they’d presumed dead turns out to still be alive. What will happen when the kids are finally forced to fight their mothers and fathers?

The biggest initial change is that Cabot leaves the team to rejoin her parents. This creates complications for her character and her friends. Cabot’s parents are nice enough but she’s strongly opposed to them working with Fuertes. Also, Cabot realizes she’s beginning to manifest a talent and readers will anxiously wait to learn what she can do with it. Cabot’s friends don’t know if she’ll ever come back to them so they aren’t sure if she’s now become an enemy. Later, Lada goes undercover by joining Fuertes’s supers hoping to discover information about their abilities and plans. Having these two characters live among the antagonists is intriguing and adds an element of tension and uncertainty to the plot.

A highlight of the story is the interpersonal relationships between the Forgotten Five and their friends. Birdie acts as team leader when The Librarian’s not around and her little brother Brix is very sensitive and wants to contribute. Seven and Birdie have been best friends for years so they’re always watching out for each other. Tenner is developing feelings for Lada but it’s not clear if she sees him the same way. Lada suffers from cerebral palsy so she’s forced to use a wheelchair or crutches to move around, although she’s started to perfect her ability to transport. The cerebral palsy causes pain in her legs and Tenner volunteers to stretch the muscles and rub out the soreness. The story has many questionable characters with shifting loyalties but Birdie’s team members are forever supportive and loyal.

What didn’t work as well:

There are a lot of characters to remember. Some of them have supernatural powers and some don’t. The parents, other adults, and kids present a large number of characters and it gets hard to quickly recall all of their backstories and the abilities they possess. Most of the adult supers seem to know each other and it’s strange to see “good guys” and “bad guys” interact civilly in public. It’s confusing when Fuertes’s supers talk about The Librarian with Lada when The Librarian is leading the efforts against the president.

The final verdict:

This book continues the series’ drama and controversy concerning the rights of citizens with supernatural abilities. The motivations of many characters are brought into question this time so readers will become engrossed with the unpredictability of their actions. The new powers emerging in several of the children add enjoyment and intrigue. Overall, I recommend you give this book a shot.