Weakling

By: L. I. T. Tarassenko

Narrated by: Brandon Fisher

A geeky high schooler develops superpowers and is recruited to an international peacekeeping unit at the same time as he's struggling with mental health problems.

Gonzalo Lopez, nicknamed "Weakling" by his bullies, is just a normal teenager, except that he has superpowers. Ever since that fight with Bill Jackson where his powers first manifested and he broke his attacker’s hand by accident, everything has been spiraling out of control. Now, all of a sudden, he’s getting invited to parties, his psychiatrist’s started dating his mom, and at least two different international organizations are trying to hunt him down.

Then there’s Ali—the new girl at school, the only other person who believes any of this is happening to him, who seems to be hiding a secret of her own. Is she really his friend like she says she is, or does she have some sort of ulterior motive for being so nice to him all the time? Should he tell her about Miracle Force, the superpowered United Nations peacekeeping unit he’s just been recruited to? And when this is all happening so fast how is he going to keep his head together?

©2023 Luke Ivan Thomas Tarassenko (P)2023 Luke Ivan Thomas Tarassenko

Critic reviews

"Managed to take me completely by surprise." (Hannah Sheppard, literary agent)

"I think audiences are going to love it." (Tom Carlisle, author of Blight, forthcoming, Titan Books)

"This is not your typical superhero story, in a great way.” (Amy Lynx Joel, professional editor)

Bullies are boring!!

Wonderful fantasy here, with superpowers for a bullied teenager.

It’s unusual but a great YA read.

Newfound superpowers &rollercoaster of challenges!

In "Weakling" by L. I. T. Tarassenko, expertly narrated by Brandon Fisher, you'll embark on a thrilling journey with Gonzalo Lopez, a geeky high schooler with newfound superpowers and a rollercoaster of challenges. Tarassenko's writing is captivating, and Fisher's narration brings the characters to life with skill and charm. This unique and bubbly tale of self-discovery and extraordinary abilities is a must-read or listen for fans of fantasy fiction.

Great story

This is a great story about a teenager who finds out he has superpowers and it’s a fun story that everyone can enjoy

Rather surprising story

So I had thought it would be a super hero story, but oh boy did those final chapters flip the script on me.

If my review caught your eye, I deeply recommend giving this book a chance.

Cute story

This book was good. Perfect for a YA novel including action, and adventure. I was not expecting the ending to be what it was, it threw me a bit. It leads me to think that there will be another book.

Thank you to the author and Happily Booked PR for the opportunity to read this book. The opinions in this review are mine and given in exchange for a review copy of the book.

Unusual Fantasy

This was my first experience with L.I.T. Tarassenko's work, and it was surprising. Gonzalo Lopez was a nerdy teenager, who was bullied quite viciously by other kids at his school. After a very brutal beating, Gonzalo realized that he had superpowers, and his life began to change. In the beginning, the story was good but seemed somewhat typical of other fantasies where a protagonist gained superpowers; however, after the middle, the story changed from good to great. Brandon Fisher's narration was skillful, and his performance kept my attention. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

Be a super hero

An epic hilarious story I couldn't stop laughing through any chapter I should say it really cleaned house in more ways than one