Review: Thief (Icarus Helix #4) by J.E. Medrick

Thief is the fourth book in J.E. Medrick's young adult Icarus Helix series.

Book Description

Single parent household. One friend in the world. Father in jail for double homicide. Poor. Mute.

What would YOU do if you suddenly turned invisible?

15-year old Mason is dealing with just these problems. When he uncovers a crippling family secret that he blames on himself, he knows things need to change. He needs them to change. Not just for himself - but for his mother.

The ability to become a ghost just may be his answer...

Each Icarus Helix novella features a new teenager discovering a superpower. I never know how the next book will relate to the previous installment, but I always have the best time finding out.

Thief features a mute named Marcus who discovers the power to turn invisible. That would be a terrifying yet awesome power to possess! Maybe it's because I'm rereading The Lord of the Rings right now, but the more I think about it, invisibility is the power I would want.

Like the previous installments, Thief was a lot of fun to read. I enjoyed finding out more about the Icarus Helix origins, and as always loved discovering how Thief connected with the other Icarus Helix books.

If you haven't checked out the Icarus Helix series yet, check out my reviews for Cheat, Liar, and Coward. This is a great series to follow.

7/10: Recommended

Icarus Helix Series Giveaway!

You guys know I'm a big fan of novellas.  I've decided I want to share this love by doing giveaways of some of my favorite reads.

The first giveaway I want to do is for the entire (as published thus far) Icarus Helix series.


Icarus Helix is a super fun YA series about teenagers who start developing superpowers.  It reminds me of Smallville (the early seasons), ABC Family's Kyle XY, and NBC's Heroes.

Each "episode" of Medrick's Icarus Helix series centers around a different power possessing teen while giving us more insight into the Icarus Helix project and the characters we've gotten to know in previous episodes.

To enter the giveaway, just fill out this form with your email address and your desired format* (Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, Adobe Digital Editions, PC, Palm).   *These are ebook only.  I will leave this giveaway open until Saturday, September 3.  The ebooks will be gifted to the winning email address provided (via either Amazon gift or Smashwords download) on Sunday, September 4.

Update: This contest is now closed. Congratulations to the winner Kathy!

Review: Coward (Icarus Helix #3) by J.E. Medrick

Coward is the third installment of the Icarus Helix series by J.E. Medrick.

Book Description

David West is a normal, nerdy boy. His parents are never home, he is small for his age and he can't get up the courage to get a girlfriend.

But when he accidentally absorbs a shower handle, he realizes he might not be so average, after all.

His freshman year heads quickly for disaster as he crosses paths with the football team.  Now with stress building and nowhere to turn, David's power may be his last road out of mediocrity.  At the moment of truth, will he decide it's easier to be brave... or wicked?

As I've stated in the past, the Icarus Helix series is about teenagers with special powers with each installment being about a different teenager.

Coward - the story of David West - takes the series on a new turn: what happens when a less than popular boy gets a less than desirable power? Will he strive to be a hero or could he be the makings of a villain?

The Icarus Helix series is a lot of fun. You can technically read these books out of order, but I recommend reading them in the order they were released. Each book shows the events taking place from a different perspective, and I love the way everything is developing and unveiling.

If you are a fan of shows like Heroes or Kyle XY, Icarus Helix would be a great series for you.

Additional topics of interest:
Review: Cheat (Icarus Helix #1) by J.E. Medrick
Review: Liar (Icarus Helix #2) by J.E. Medrick

Review: Liar (Icarus Helix #2) by J.E. Medrick

Oh... J.E. Medrick... I see what you did there.  And I loved it!

After enjoying Cheat (Icarus Helix #1), I thought the rest of the series would be entertaining, mostly stand alone reads, but now I'm officially hooked.  These "episodes" are much more intertwined than I expected.

The Icarus Helix series is about teenagers with special powers with each installment being about a different teenager.

Liar features Ellen - a teen who can hear the real truth behind what is actually spoken.  (What a horrible gift to have in adolescence, right?)

Book Description

Marcus Tiller gambled away all of his money to the Bad Men. No sweat - they gave him more. But when his new bets went sour, he became desperate. He signed on with Icarus Consulting to inject newborns with an experimental compound.

Fourteen years later, Ellen discovers a startling ability - she can tell if people are lying. Not only that, but when they do, she can hear their true thoughts.

When a smooth-talking stranger hints at her powers, paranoia starts. Ellen finds herself drawn into best friend drama, tip-toeing around boys and fearing a divorce.

With the masks of people around her shattering, will Ellen learn to live with her power... or be struck down by it?

If you are a fan of Kyle XY, this is the perfect series for you.  I can't wait to see what's in store in Coward (Icarus Helix #3).

Review: Cheat (Icarus Helix #1) by J.E. Medrick

Cheat is the first novella in the Icarus Helix series by J.E. Medrick.

Book Description

How far would you go for money? For Marcus Tiller, gambling debt was an overwhelming shadow on his life. As a neonatal attendant at St. Mercy Four Cities Hospital in need of cash, he became CGT-Inc's ideal pawn. The contract: secretly inject newborns with an experimental compound - for $1,000 a head. But, three years after he began, he disappeared.

Now, 14 years later, the effects of the compound are starting to show. 17-year old Ian Reynolds, an aspiring varsity football player, suddenly finds he can control things with the power of his thoughts. Footballs miraculously end up in his hands, girls' skirts catch sudden drafts and life is good. But the gift comes with a price, both physical and mental.

As Ian tries to understand his power, the big rivalry against the Waredo Firehawks looms. But when a stranger who may know his secret begins leaving him cryptic notes, will Ian decide his power is best left... undiscovered?

I recently mentioned I won a copy of Cheat from The Man Eating Bookworm's site. I was super excited after hearing his great reviews of each release in the Icarus Helix series.

Cheat was a lot of fun and a great start to the series. The way I understand it, each story can be read out of order, but they all tie into each other with a main story arc. I will definitely catch up quickly on the next three books. I have a strong suspicion these will make it into my coveted Sunday night wind down reading time.

If you enjoy quick and entertaining reads of the young adult and extrasensory flavor, you should check out Cheat. ($0.99!) Check out The Man Eating Bookworm or stay tuned right here for more Icarus Helix reviews.

TBR: Icarus Helix Series by J.E. Medrick

I look forward to reading this series.  The Man Eating Bookworm has been praising these books on his blog and each one sounds even better than the last.  I was lucky enough to win a copy of the first book Cheat last week in a giveaway on his blog!

There are four books in the series so far:

Icarus Helix #1: Cheat

Book Description 

How far would you go for money? For Marcus Tiller, gambling debt was an overwhelming shadow on his life. As a neonatal attendant at St. Mercy Four Cities Hospital in need of cash, he became CGT-Inc's ideal pawn. The contract: secretly inject newborns with an experimental compound - for $1,000 a head. But, three years after he began, he disappeared.

Now, 14 years later, the effects of the compound are starting to show. 17-year old Ian Reynolds, an aspiring varsity football player, suddenly finds he can control things with the power of his thoughts. Footballs miraculously end up in his hands, girls' skirts catch sudden drafts and life is good. But the gift comes with a price, both physical and mental.

As Ian tries to understand his power, the big rivalry against the Waredo Firehawks looms. But when a stranger who may know his secret begins leaving him cryptic notes, will Ian decide his power is best left... undiscovered?

Icarus Helix #2: Liar

Book Description 

Marcus Tiller gambled away all of his money to the Bad Men. No sweat - they gave him more. But when his new bets went sour, he became desperate. He signed on with Icarus Consulting to inject newborns with an experimental compound.

Fourteen years later, Ellen discovers a startling ability - she can tell if people are lying. Not only that, but when they do, she can hear their true thoughts.

When a smooth-talking stranger hints at her powers, paranoia starts. Ellen finds herself drawn into best friend drama, tip-toeing around boys and fearing a divorce.

With the masks of people around her shattering, will Ellen learn to live with her power... or be struck down by it?

Icarus Helix #3: Coward

Book Description 

David West is a normal, nerdy boy. His parents are never home, he is small for his age and he can't get up the courage to get a girlfriend.

But when he accidentally absorbs a shower handle, he realizes he might not be so average, after all.

His freshman year heads quickly for disaster as he crosses paths with the football team.  Now with stress building and nowhere to turn, David's power may be his last road out of mediocrity.  At the moment of truth, will he decide it's easier to be brave... or wicked?

Icarus Helix #4: Thief 

Book Description 

Single parent household. One friend in the world. Father in jail for double homicide. Poor. Mute.

What would YOU do if you suddenly turned invisible?

15-year old Mason is dealing with just these problems. When he uncovers a crippling family secret that he blames on himself, he knows things need to change. He needs them to change. Not just for himself - but for his mother.

The ability to become a ghost just may be his answer...

Cheat is about to take a big skip up in the To Be Read list.  Stay tuned for some Icarus Helix reviews in the near future!