WHEN WE WHIR

In Begley’s YA novel, teenage twins aim to use their newfound supernatural powers to save their grandmother.

Seventeen-year-old Cole Lund excels at high school sports in his small Pennsylvania town of Lehighton. This is due mainly to a boost of energy he sometimes receives that, for example, gives him an impressively strong soccer kick. However, he only feels that power when his twin sister, Clara, is nearby. She initially claims she doesn’t feel/hear the same “hum” that Cole feels, but it soon becomes clear that the siblings share unusual powers. Before long, they learn that not only does their older cousin, Adler, feel the same hum, but also that their powers may be hereditary. A generations-old book, which the twins’ maternal grandmother, Amma, is slowly translating from Old Norse, tells of Vikings and an ancient Order. It also reveals a mental “training room” that Cole and Clara can access to hone their strange abilities, which involve far more than just super-kicks—and even include telekinesis. As one particularly notable ability gradually comes to light, Amma suddenly goes missing. When evidence shows that someone has abducted her and taken her to Iceland, the twins head overseas on a rescue mission. Begley’s impressive character development begets two great leads—a warmhearted, sometimes-dense, and popular jock and his bright sibling who’s perfectly content not to be part of the in-crowd. The book primarily deals with discovery: Cole and Clara learn about their family and their powers, and they stumble onto new threats, including one that’s shockingly close to home. Similarly, the story suggests a much larger universe; intermittent chapters center on people living on the Faroe Islands and an apparent “curse” from the magically gifted “Greymen.” Readers also get some insight into another character, whose brief, first-person narrative perspectives reveal a cryptic and somewhat disturbing personality. The engaging supporting cast also includes the twins’ history-nerd college-professor parents; Cole’s best friend, Asa, who once had a “fling” with Clara; and quirky Gran, the twins’ paternal grandmother.

Spirited characters enliven an engrossing contemporary fantasy with series potential.