RETRO REVIEW: Being Jamie Baker

I have a strange litmus test for how much I like a literary character--when they cry, do I feel awkward or do I sympathize? There are some characters who burst into tears and I feel like a heartless robot because I. Just. Do. Not. Care. (No, I will not give you examples. Remember, I'm a *nice* person. Most of the time. Y'know. On days of the week that end in a y.) And then there are some who have been dumped on time and time again and really, when they cry, I just want to reach through the book and poke the author for being emotionally manipulative.

BUT there are characters who earn their tears, who have taken the load of tribulation in front of them, done what they can, and have to let some of their strength leak out of their eyes for a while. So, with that beginning, I'd like to introduce one of my favorite superheroes--Jamie Baker.

I really don't want to give away too much of the story, so I'll let goodreads do the hard work:

"An accident that should end in tragedy instead gives seventeen-year-old Jamie Baker a slew of uncontrollable superhuman abilities. To keep her secret safe Jamie socially exiles herself, earning the title of Rocklin High's resident ice queen. But during a supercharged encounter with star quarterback Ryan Miller she literally kisses anonymity goodbye. Now the annoyingly irresistible Ryan will stop at nothing to melt the heart of the ice queen and find out what makes her so special. Unfortunately, Ryan is not the only person on to her secret. Will Jamie learn to contain her unstable powers before being discovered by the media or turned into a government lab rat? More importantly, can she throw Ryan Miller off her trail before falling in love with him?"

Kelly Oram is one of my favorite authors because of her superb characterization ability. Jamie is more than believable--she definitely earns her tears--and her reactions to her new life, her new abilities, and to Ryan Miller are so legit. I love the Jamie under the Ice Queen--she's witty and loving and stubborn. Her moral compass is solid, just like Captain America, though she has way better fashion sense. My favorite part of the book is her growth as she learns to control her power and become a real person, integrating her superpowers and herself into one person.

On a Facebook fan page, Kelly herself suggested that Ryan Miller looks a lot like Chris Evans. (Yay Captain America! Yeah, I'm a fan.) And Ryan himself is absolutely adorable without being cheesy--that's a difficult feat to pull off, but Kelly did it. Of course, it helps that Ryan has a giant ego. And a heart of gold. He's not perfect, but he's pretty awesome.

Of course, not everything can be sunny or this book wouldn't have any depth. In this case, Jamie's superpowers make her a target for all kinds of nefarious characters--one who absolutely surprised me the first time I read the book. Despite her tempermental teenage nature, Jamie also finds help in the least likely of places. The pacing and the plot are tight, and I find it hard to put this book down every time I read it.

Being Jamie Baker is a jewel among superhero stories. Kelly Oram has taken the angst of high school and combined it with electricity and toxic fertilizer to create a tale of loneliness and despair transformed by love into the best thing in the world--confidence and a complete sense of self. Read Being Jamie Baker. You won't regret it.