Duplex by Orson Scott Card

Ryan's dad has moved out and is converting their large house into a duplex so that the tenant income can help pay the rent.  The family that moves into the other side of the house includes Bizzy, a beautiful Romanian American girl Ryan's age.  Ryan is astonished when she befriends him, and he soon feels very attached to her.  While walking home together, a bee flies into her hair.  With preternatural speed, he gets the bee out of her hair, pops it into his mouth, and then releases it with a breath.  His swift response does not go unnoticed, and he is recruited by a club at school of kids with micropowers. He discovers that Bizzy also has a micro power, one that has made her a target of an evil group from her mother's country of origin.  Ryan's growing love for Bizzy pushes him to develop his skill so he can protect her and the others he loves. 

I started to listen to the story, and then about halfway through, when Ryan meets the kids in the micropotents club, I thought, "wait, haven't I read this before?"  Actually, I hadn't, but I realized it is the second in a series that started with Lost and Found.  It is, actually, remarkably similar to the first book.  In my review of that book I complained that Card really didn't capture authentic teen conversation.  That is true of this book as well.  It really sounds like an old guy trying to sound like a teenager.  It is also a bit preachy.  Ryan's dad gives him some meaningful "life lessons" talks that reminded me of the "To thine own self be true" talk in Hamlet.  Despite all that, I enjoyed the book. The premise is interesting and Card doesn't shy away from some hard issues.  The romance between Ryan and Bizzy is sweet and pretty age appropriate. It was a nice break after reading Talking to Strangers (review to follow).  (304 p. 2021)