Heightened: Project Evolve, by Kevin E. Morris, is a YA adventure story following teenage Kai, as he begins to understand that the things that make him feel strange are actually special powers.

 The story follows his journey from the orphanage where he grew up to a secret underground society of genetically enhanced humans, explaining who his real parents were and how he manages to do things that other teenagers cannot.  He ditches orphanage school for wild hands-on lessons exploring his powers and learning about other like him. But these powers come with dangers, including a shady agency with the goal of controlling or destroying everyone with these special abilities.

Character dialogue flows well, which adds realism to some of the wilder scifi elements. This also keeps the worldbuilding feeling natural — Kai’s curiosity mirrors the reader’s. As Kai gets to know the other Heightened, these are also well-developed characters. Kai’s found family is made up of imperfect people, with their own goals and their own conflicts, which adds to the realism. The realistic moments of, say, a little kid hero-worshipping his cool teacher, or a new friend sharing her special interest, work so well with the drama of secrets and special abilities.

Heightened: Project Evolve is listed as YA, but it’s less of a teen coming-of-age story and more of a fast-paced adventure with a teen protag.  Kai is a fun and sarcastic character, and the focus is on the mystery and the world discovery. This would be a solid choice for a young adventure reader outgrowing middle-grades fiction. The world of the Heightened includes a lot of danger and suspense, with many surprises and twists for readers to discover along with Kai.

Although Heightened: Project Evolve is a fast-paced, interesting scifi adventure story, it’s also a book about resilience. Kai copes with grief and change, and still learns to trust and connect with others. This creates a readable story with a relatable, developed protagonist.