So Over This – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: Emotional Teenage Preterhuman Public Enemy.
YA book title: So Over This.
YA author: David Fenne.
Cover Design: Jacqueline Li.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy.
Published by: Ink Road.
ISBN: 9781785304767.
Recommended for children aged: 14-18 year-olds.
First published: Paperback November 2024.
This YA book is ideal for: An LGBTQIA+, superhuman, rainbow coloured escapism with relatable characters. Exploring relationships and societal issues through a lens of fantasy.
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Our review:
So Over This is the third book in David Fenne’s Overemotional series; if you have not yet read the first two books, you may wish to stop reading now to avoid any spoilers! Then again…
The story begins in the aftermath of the second book, Overthinking, where protagonist Steven Percival has been incorrectly labelled a murderer and ‘revealed’ to the world. We follow him and his friend Freya as they go off-grid to hide from the authorities, who are being misled by the manipulative and selfish antagonist, Professor Zachary Dent (who also happens to be a former crush of Steven’s). As if these circumstances were not already exciting enough, thrown into the mix is a selection of special abilities possessed by many of the characters, who are labelled as emomancers, EMTs, or preterhumans. As a preterhuman, Steven can channel his emotions to create various effects, ranging from producing sunshine to pulling objects towards him to becoming completely invisible (very handy when you’re an outlaw on the run from the police). However, Zachary’s hold over cognimancer Alice (who can look inside people’s minds and influence their thoughts) adds an additional layer of complexity. Although these abilities may sound a little confusing at first, readers will very quickly become fluent in preterhuman skills and might even forget they aren’t available in real life!
Relationships of all kinds play a key role throughout the story: friendships, parent-child bonds, sibling connections, and romantic relationships in both same-sex and opposite-sex partnerships. Ultimately, the healthy and mature relationships triumph, whereas the unbalanced and damaging ones are destined to fall apart. This means any young person reading this book can feel confident they’ll encounter plenty of strong, mutually respectful examples of communication, alongside some painful illustrations of glaring red flags in relationships that should be avoided.
As the story progresses, the characters face agonising political manipulation. The general public, convinced by the narrative presented by Dent, view Steven as a dangerous criminal from the outset. In addition to creating compelling obstacles for the characters to overcome, this plotline highlights the ways in which public opinion can be easily swayed by a charismatic figure and a selective presentation of events. Disturbingly, it also illustrates how human rights issues can be silenced or even justified through the lens of a carefully controlled public narrative. Without revealing too much, it’s safe to say that numerous preterhumans are grossly mistreated throughout. Some of this mistreatment is achieved through cognimancy, but it’s also evident that the public are not particularly interested in protecting preterhuman rights, as their fear is manipulated by Dent. With both his ability to instil fear and his charm, Dent establishes himself as a key figure in controlling preterhumans—all this despite being a preterhuman himself.
Despite these challenges, genuine and nurturing relationships shine through the narrative, providing a wonderful element for young readers. Steven and Troy’s relationship is marked by understanding and genuine love, even as they support each other through more difficult relationships. Steven and Freya’s friendship endures an incredibly rough patch but ultimately emerges stronger. Freya and Marcus’s relationship follows a passionate yet caring and steady path. Towards the climax, we are also presented with a complex sibling relationship, characterised by love, emotional and physical distance, and a shared history. Tricky relationships, often involving Dent, are tackled head-on by Fenne, offering readers insight into how to navigate such situations in their own lives.
Our verdict:
So Over This is a fantastic combination of real-life relationships and political issues, blended with imaginative preterhuman powers and the social dilemmas that accompany them. You can enjoy this book as a young person (or even as a slightly older one!) and embark on a journey alongside relatable and compassionate characters.
Many thanks to Ink Road for the review copy.
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