Gifted: Better Late Than Never

Jenna Kelley can read minds, however her life is not going well when her mother has to go into detox. Tracey, one of her fellow gifted, offers her a place to stay and the two of them find that they can find friendship. Then Jenna's Dad turns up, having been missing all of her life, he has plans for her, she can't read his mind and things are going to get dangerous.

Meanwhile Amanda is pursuing Ken, who doesn't seem to be interested. She's determined to break his resolve but things change when she feels pity for him, and ends up in the driving seat.

It sounds a bit of a mess but it works and Amanda really annoyed me. This series is proving very entertaining.

Jenna's mother is put into rehab so she will be staying with her friend Tracey until her mom gets out. Jenna and Tracey are both "gifted" with paranormal powers. Jenna can read minds and Tracey can become invisible and they met in a special class for kids with there special situation. Out of the blue, a man claiming to be Jenna's long lost father shows up and want to get to know his daughter. Jenna and Tracey both have concerns. At the same time, princess of mean Amanda (also gifted) has her eyes set on classmate Ken. Ken however barely seems to notice him. If only she could get inside his head for a few minutes...

I enjoy these books. They short and fun but at the same time they deal with real issues facing kids. The characters are 13 show more or 14, so this series is ideal for tweens but enjoyable for older teens too. show less

Another fantastic book in the Gifted series. The focus has shifted away from Tracey as Jenna continues reading minds and Amanda snatches another body, only to fall in love with the ghost who talks to Ken (whose body she snatched). I will be passing these on to my reluctant readers - they are easy to read and full of action, so I know they will go over well.

This is the second book in the Gifted series. This book focuses a little more on Jenna Kelley though. Jenna's mother is going through rehab because of her drinking problem. Jenna was worried about where she had to stay until she realized that she was going to stay at Tracey Devon's house. Tracey can disappear and Jenna can read people's minds. Then one day, in their gifted class, Jenna is called to the principal's office. The reason for this is because Jenna's father has finally come to see her, or so she thought. After spending a few days with her father, Stuart Kelley decides that it is time to move. But first, Jenna's father must make some money. He decides to use Jenna who can read minds so that way he can win for sure. That is, show more until, Ken who can speak to dead people, hears somebody talking to him. It's Jenna's father. Jenna is confused at first until she finds out the truth. Jenna's real father died by a gunshot wound and he's trying to save Jenna. The guy who is faking and trying to be Jenna's father, is only trying to make money out of her. When "Stuart Kelley" realizes that Jenna knows the truth, he runs away. Jenna is hurt but her friends are helping her. That's the end of book two.
I could feel how upset Jenna was to find out that the person whom she thought was her dad, wasn't truly her dad. I thought that a few parts of the book was predictable, but it was still a great book. I could also relate to Rick( a guy that Ken can talk to, he's dead though) who's had his heart broken once. Then he had to break it again. This book was a liitle bit more heartbreaking than the first. show less

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER is book #2 in the GIFTED series by Marilyn Kaye. Things pick up where they left off with Amanda, Jenna, and Tracey.

Jenna's drunken mother enters a two-week rehab program, and Jenna fears a possible placement in foster care. That's when Tracey comes to the rescue by asking her parents if Jenna can stay with them.

Another unusual development for Jenna is that her long-lost father shows up. He is full of apologies and promises. Everything he promises sounds terrific to Jenna, but the fellow members of the gifted group are suspicious of his sudden appearance.

Amanda experiences another body-snatching event. This time she feels pity when she observes Ken show more watching a soccer practice. She sees how much he wishes he could play and the switch happens. Being in the body of a hot guy is definitely disturbing, but Amanda thinks this might give her the opportunity to get Ken's attention focused on her and a possible relationship. She certainly isn't expecting what really happens, and it might just change her forever.

I don't know how many books Marilyn Kaye plans to have in this series, but she is working her usual magic by slowly giving readers a look at her cast of interesting characters. From the sneak preview included from book #3, HERE TODAY, GONE TOMORROW, it looks like Emily and her ability to see into the future will be the next featured character. show less

I am a fan of series books that are easy to read and follow. This is the second of the series and it has left me wanting more. A little predictable at times, but certainly entertaining.

Library Summary: "Goth girl Jenna Kelley has the ultimate tool to stage a teenage rebellion: she can read people's minds without even trying. When her alcoholic mother is hospitalized, a stranger shows up who says he's her long-lost dad and promises a better future. Too good to be true? Her gifted classmates think so, but Jenna is so determined to have a real parent around and a somewhat normal life that she might have lost her ability to listen."

I liked this book. In my opinion, it was better than the first one. But it wasn't exactly a page turner like I hoped it would be. It didn't make me really get into the book. In order to love a book, I have to get into it so much that it will be hard to get me out. But other than that, it was a show more good book. I recommend it to all of my friends. show less