What super power would you choose if you had the opportunity? Flying? Invisibility? Telepathy? That last one is exactly the "gift" bestowed upon a classroom full of teenagers in Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski. In their sophomore home class, twenty- four students sign up to get their flu shots. One student is out sick and another refuses based on fears of unknown side effects from the shot. She may have had a point. It this particular batch of the vaccine, there is a mutation. It gives each of the inoculants the ability to hear the thoughts of the people around them. At first, each person believes he or she is hearing voices and perhaps losing their grip on reality. As the first few figure out what is going on, they help ease their fellow classmates into the transition. While it might be fun to hear other people's thoughts, the group soon realizes it is unnerving having their own secrets discovered.
Told in the first person plural, the characters form a group narrative. Their opinions and thoughts merge into one that they can't help but share. Every teen stereotype is present, but not in the annoying way one might expect. The cover of the book is a bit cheesy, but don't let it scare you away from this very fun book. The writing is good, it is a quick read and I would recommend it for teenagers or anyone else who enjoys YA fiction. I can't wait to read Mlynowski's Gimme a Call.
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