This is an entertaining novelette about a young teenager who discovers he has very uncomfortable "powers" that make him a jinx to be around. It's bad enough when he wrecks his brother's bike, worse when a car accident endangers his family. The absolute last straw for Stephen is when he accidentally causes a fire that burns down the garage, and his parents aren't absolutely certain it was an accident.

Stephen runs away.

Misshapen stone monsters pursue the bus he's running away in.

Leaving the bus so the other passengers can be safe, Stephen discovers that he can, to a limited extent, use his "jinx" ability as a weapon--but it's not enough. The monsters are still going to get him.

And then rescue arrives in the nick of time. Except there are two groups. Stephen makes the wrong choice, and finds himself the pawn of a very strange cult that believes it has a use for him...

This is a great quick read, fun and interesting with some neat ideas. I'll look forward to more from D. F. Lamont.

Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley from the author for review. ( )

I enjoyed this book very much. I like science fiction, but it takes me longer to read it than any other genre because my nerdy brain is always trying to figure out the science and if it is real, could it really happen, etc. I loved the characters in the book. I think any kid who has ever had a bad day could identify with Stephen and his first day of school.
I would have liked to have learned more about Daedalus. Maybe we will see more of him and Stephen in another book. I’d gladly read another adventure about them. This is a book I will definitely recommend to my students and to anyone who loves Science Fiction/Fantasy ( )