Kevin E. Morris’s Heightened is a fast-paced, emotionally layered YA science fiction novel centered around Kai, a teen orphan struggling with trauma, mysterious memories, and unexplainable auditory visions. When Kai starts hearing events from miles away, he’s pulled into a world of genetically enhanced people known as the Heightened. The narrative follows his journey from the confines of Hope Street orphanage to a secret underground society, revealing long-buried truths about his family, abilities, and the sinister government agency that wants him dead. What starts as a quiet mystery spirals into a full-blown adventure involving betrayal, secret powers, found family, and the growing pains of discovering who you really are.

I genuinely enjoyed the writing. Morris has a gift for voice—Kai’s inner thoughts are sharp, sarcastic, and often painfully vulnerable. The bursts of humor are well-placed and don’t undercut the gravity of what’s happening. His dialogue is natural, making even the exposition-heavy moments feel conversational. Structurally, the pacing is solid. Short chapters keep the action moving, and the moments of quiet—Kai lying on the roof, dreaming of a different life—are haunting in their stillness. The world-building doesn’t try to do too much at once. Instead, it layers slowly, revealing only what Kai learns, which makes the reader feel like they’re discovering things right alongside him.

What hit me most was the emotional undercurrent of the story. This is a book about abandonment, but also about resilience. Kai’s grief, anger, confusion, and hope are all tangible. Some scenes, like his first realization that his nightmares are real, or the moment he discovers his parents were murdered and not just absent, genuinely made my chest tighten. At times, I wanted to shake Flint (his mysterious protector) for being too vague, too secretive, too late. But that’s the point—Morris doesn’t write flawless saviors or heroes. He writes about damaged people doing their best in a broken world. And that makes the story feel real, even when the powers get borderline supernatural.

Heightened is ideal for readers who crave emotional connection in their sci-fi, who don’t need nonstop battles to be hooked, and who love underdog protagonists with grit and heart. If you liked The Maze Runner or Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, you’ll probably fall for this one too. Teens and adults alike will find something to hold on to here.

Pages: 214 | ASIN : B0F27J2Z5J