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Reviewed by Makeda Cummings for Readers' Favorite
What would you do if you had superhuman powers that others didn't know about? For fourteen-year-old Gem, it's just another incredible part of her identity that she has to hide. Precious Gem by K. N. Martin introduces us to a courageous and resilient teen girl, Gem, who goes through the turmoil associated with adolescence. As a multiracial girl, Gem experiences bullying by her former friend, Ayana, and a well-known popular girl, Tina, who often team up to tease her about her racial identity. Even though Gem has superpowers that make her strong and capable, her bullies sometimes make her feel weak and small. When video footage is released, capturing Gem using her superpowers, mysterious people immediately start searching for her. What will they do with Gem when they find her?
Precious Gem is a captivating YA book with a powerful message behind it—embrace your identity and always love yourself. Even though Gem has many changes to go through, and many challenges to overcome, family support, good friends and her faith are the things she relies on the most. This novel will occupy your thoughts long after you have finished reading it. K. N. Martin does a remarkable job of flawlessly weaving together different themes, like resilience, family ties, friendship, adolescent angst, self-identity, self-acceptance, and maturity. There is a positive takeaway from every character in this novel. You even learn a lot from the antagonists, depending on how you view them. I highly recommend this novel to readers who enjoy intense coming-of-age stories, especially one with a superhero twist.
