The story’s main focus is the Beaumont family. The family lives in Middle America on the borders between Kansas and Nebraska. The home town is known as Hebron. Something peculiar about the family is that every member has a unique power or savvy. From generations, the family has kept the secret of its members acquiring the unique savvy upon reaching thirteen years. Rocket made the whole town suffer blackout soon after turning thirteen when he short-circuited the electrical supply main lines. On the other hand, Fish caused a fierce storm after turning thirteen that made the family move to lower the risk posed by his powers. Furthermore, grandpa Bomba caused earthquakes and Momma could see perfection in any situation.
The book commences when the main character, Mibs, is preparing for her thirteenth birthday. The family is in a jovial mood and, everyone is looking forward to the big day. Her elder brothers, Rocket and Fish, are overly excited and cannot wait to see their younger sister get her own savvy. They are also skeptical on the nature of savvy Mibs will possess. The savvy had the potential to bring sweeping changes in one’s life. Moreover, practice was essential to make the new supernatural power useful. At the time, the brothers were creating hurricanes and electricity.
Two days before the celebration, an unfortunate thing happens when Mibs father was travelling home from work. Poppa was caught in a car accident that leaves him badly injured. He was hospitalized in a town located ninety miles away from their home town. The accident was a big blow to Mibs who wanted her dad to be present during her special day. She thought it was over for her and developed great hatred for poppa whom she blamed for messing her big day. However, the hatred did not last, and she lamented why she allowed herself to develop such feelings for her dad.
Momma was accompanied by Rocket to attend to poppa in hospital. The preacher’s wife, Miss Rosemary, heard about what had happened to the family and hurriedly went to keep the children company. Before the accident, Mibs thought she would acquire powers that would enable her have X-ray vision. However, her Poppa’s ill condition made her think otherwise. All she wanted is to see him healthy again soon. In fact, Mibs ambitions changed, and her hope was to get a powerful savvy that will save her dad.
Finally, it happens when she encountered a tattoo on a preacher’s kid during a tour in the church kitchen. She could hear strange voices in her mind that made her believe that she had finally found her savvy. To exercise the new powers, she needed to see her dad as soon as possible. Given the long distance from Hebron to Salina, she wondered how she would reach the hospital. She developed a plan to sneak onto a bus, belonging to a bible salesman, which will take her to the hospital.
After boarding the bus, she is taken aback upon realizing that the bus is headed in the opposite direction away from town. She is in the company of her siblings, Fish and Samson, and two other friends; Will and Bobbie. The journey ends up taking longer than usual has the driver made numerous deliveries that took a lot of travel time. However, the time Mibs spends in the bus helps her discover more about herself. She makes the realization that she may not be the only one who is secretive. It is also evident as the story ends that Momma was always truthful.
Personal thoughts about the book:
The story explains the intrigues young people experience when growing up. The struggle to understand oneself is well elaborated in the story. The story demonstrates love and hope. The reader learns how every individual is special; possessing exceptional talents that make the world a wonderful place. The book fills the reader with amazing emotions through its captivating characters and fantastic plot. Any child will find the book quite interesting and read it over and over again.