The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind by Jackson Ford tells the story of food-enthusiast, fun-loving government agent Teagan Frost. It has all the elements of a classic spy novel: a special off-the-books team does odd jobs for the government in Los Angeles, a man is murdered, Teagan is framed for the crime, and she has 24 hours to clear her name. It's the same as any Mission: Impossible movie except for one difference—Teagan can move things with her mind. If Teagan can't unravel the mystery in time, she won't just end up in a black site. The entire city of Los Angeles might be destroyed.
I was introduced to this book by my library's "blind date with a book" program, and it seemed so promising! A sci-fi novel about a girl with telekinesis who just wants to be normal? That's right up my alley. While I did enjoy the book, I unfortunately had some issues with it, too.
The book is told through Teagan's POV, but it occasionally switches to the antagonist Jake's POV. Those chapters give the reader insight into who he is, what he's doing, and why he's doing it when Teagan doesn't have that information. But in the flashbacks of Jake's life, his actions didn't always make sense. I understood his motivations and desires, but the actions he took to achieve them didn't click for me. They didn't feel realistic. They felt plot-driven like they needed to happen for the story but not for the character.
When I read the last page, I still had questions that I'm not sure will be answered in the sequel. The reason for Teagan not getting together with her love interest felt so cliche that I almost scoffed out loud. And though it's a minor issue, the author uses UK spellings, which felt weird for a book taking place in California with an American narrator. There was "kerb" instead of "curb" and "programme" and a lot of others that threw me off. It's a negligible issue, and since the book was published simultaneously in the US and the UK, it makes sense, but it was hard for me to ignore.
All that being said, this book was still a fun read. I liked getting to know Teagan and her team, and as the puzzle pieces were revealed, I was invested in the outcome. Overall, it was an entertaining book, which is all that matters, right?
I rate The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind by Jackson Ford 3/5 stars. I might read the sequels someday, but I'm in no hurry. If you're looking for an easy sci-fi spy novel, maybe this book is for you.
Comments