TEKGRRL

Author: A. J. Menden ISBN: 9780505527875 6/2009 SCI-FI/ACTION Publisher: DORCHESTER

When she was 12, Mindy asked to go to the School like other gifted girls. Her parents sent her to another planet. Today, Mindy’s back on Earth. She’s a mechanical genius with the Elite Hands of Justice, America’s premier superhero squad. She’s been having headaches, though, and not just because her longtime crush is flirting with a teammate. It’s not because she’s pushing thirty. It’s also not because of the contrary actions of the new Secretary for Superhero Affairs, ex-ally Simon Leasure. No, what’s burning her brain is a past she can’t remember, a past that has been erased. It’s a memory surging closer—in flying saucers. Her worst nightmare is returning, big-time, and only she, her friends and her one true love can stop it.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

This is the sequel/companion to Menden’s previous Elite Hands of Justice book, PHENOMENAL GIRL 5, and follows the adventures of Mindy, aka Tekgrrl, as her life goes from weird to downright bizarre.

I find it immensely amusing that everything she wanted to happen in her life—Luke’s tender feelings, powers, romance—seemed to all happen at the same time, and not in a way she entirely wanted. Apparently, a new hairstyle, more mature attitude, and impending doom for mankind helped put her life in better perspective.

I liked Mindy a lot in PHENOMENAL GIRL 5—she was sassy, sarcastic and smart, but her hang up over Luke, aka Sensei, another member of the team, was cringe-worthy. She harbored a schoolgirl crush on him from the time she was twelve years old—he was her idol, her hero and knight in shining armor, and all she wanted was for him to notice her. Even from Lainey’s POV in PG5, it made me reflexively take a step back in horror.

At the start of TEKGRRL she resolves to put that behind her. She wants to prove, once and for all, she is mature now that she’s almost 30. And I applaud her for that, and for how hard she sticks to it. Sure, she was jealous over Selena and Luke’s apparent flirtation and attraction, but she didn’t let that consume her. Or let it interfere with working with them.

The development of her powers and the backstory behind them is gradual, and the pay out is painful to read. Objectively, I completely understood the reasoning behind it, but on a personal level, OW. Good intentions or not, I think everyone should feel very lucky that they were, in a manner or speaking, able to contain the situation, and it didn’t just flare up and out in one quick deadly burst.

Menden’s writing is quick and easy-to-follow—since this is a superhero caper, a lot of scientific stuff will sound fishy and implausible, but that’s par for the course. I’m not entirely certain what the need to reintroduce the cult from PG5 (the Dragon cult) was for, but maybe to illustrate that there is continuity, and it will be an underlying plot thread throughout any future books. Depending on how you look at Simon’s actions in this book, he either made himself the bigger jerk than in PG5 or he redeemed himself.

I was well satisfied with the romance and the ending. I’m interested to know who else can get their own book—I really liked Selena and would like to know more about her, but otherwise, none of the ones left at the end interested me overmuch.

Just remember to throw a toast up, folks—the good guys will always win.

Alexandra Cenni