The Point starts with Scarlett skipping out on her high school graduation to party. She's a troublemaker and I did not like her whatsoever.

Scarlett is given a choice, go to West Point, or go to prison... She chooses West Point. When she gets there, she discovers that she's actually a "superhuman" with powers and although she's attending West Point, she's actually attending The Point, the secret underground school for superhumans, where she's learning to control her superhuman power. This was kind of a military X-Men.

I thought this was a really interesting premise and learning about the real West Point was fascinating. Scarlett's character arc was great and she really grew on me over the course of the book. I loved her friendship with her roommate.

It was fun seeing the powers of the others, especially Dalia, who I hated. Dalia was a pretty scary character and I can understand why Scarlett tried to stay on her good side.

Jagger... Wow! He was quite the villain and I was sure that this book would have to end on a cliffhanger as I was running out of pages. But, whew. There was a decent ending that had me sighing in relief. I'm not sure if there will be any sequels, but I'd like to see more of this storyline and these characters.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for the advance copy!*

This is the story of Scarlett Winter who goes from hardcore troublemaker to a powerful posthuman. Scarlett was raised in a military family with a father who routinely beat her older brother Daniel who passed the beatings on to her. Despite that, she loves Dan and her mother. After blowing off her high school graduation and refusing to join the Army as her father wants, she finds herself having to choose between West Point and prison after it looks like she bombed a friend's graduation party. Colonel Oscar Rhoads, her father's former commander, is in charge of a new program that he feels she is just right for.

Scarlett chooses West Point but her heart isn't into becoming a successful cadet. Maybe fortunately, she becomes a member of The Point which is West Point for posthumans. There she trains with telekinetics and kids with other superpowers. Her own power is unique. She takes in energy and can expel it. Hit her and she gathers the power to hit back even harder.

Because her power is not the usual, she is set to train with another student with an unusual power. Dalia can walk in people's dreams and can give people dreams. She is supposed to be training Scarlett in yoga and meditation but sessions with her are all about her and her ego. She is secretly driving a former boyfriend insane as a form of revenge for wrongs he did to her. She is also manipulating Scarlett's dreams.

Meanwhile, other posthumans are committing terroristic acts which are terrifying the country. It turns out the Jagger who leads these posthuman terrorists is also acquainted with Colonel Rhoads and a dropout from Rhoad's training program for posthumans.

This was an entertaining science fiction story with an interesting main character who goes from a slacker to a hero - perhaps a little too quickly. I found her character change to be somewhat abrupt. I enjoyed the idea of these posthumans and thought the setup for why they existed and how someone became posthuman was plausible.

The Point is the first book by John Dixon that I have read, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was an interesting mix of characters. I definitely didn't like the main character, Scarlett, to start with. I thought she was self-centered and didn't care who she might hurt in the process. The program at The Point did change her in positive ways. While the book was interesting, I thought it was lacking on character development. And I didn't like that the program relied too much on negative conditioning to try to achieve its goals. Not a bad book, I just thought it could have been better.

Beautiful, intelligent Scarlett has always been a rebel. Blowing off graduation to get high is par for the course. Rather than deal with her long-suffering mother and abusive father, she crashes a friend's party and accidentally absorbs an explosion. The next day, the Army comes calling. Rather than go to jail for her presumed role in the bombing, she enrolls at The Point, a top secret unit of West Point where posthumans (all of them beautiful, intelligent, and rebellious) are trained to serve their country. Brutal hazing and training, eventual camaraderie and romance are inevitable, but the psychotic antagonist and incorporation of serious issues like PTSD are much more interesting.

I wanted to love this book but it just didn't pan out for me. The storyline just never flowed well and seemed a bit forced. For instance, in one of the terrorists attacks the terrorists claim it was Scarlett's fault they attacked but there really isn't any explanation as to why. There are other strange plot holes that never fully get explained. It's also pretty disappointing that Scarlett gets her power by being hit. The author couldn't come up with another method of generating power than a teen asking her boyfriend to hit her? SMH.

Troublemaker Scarlett has never been successful at anything but disappointing others. When approached by Colonel Rhoads with an offer she. can’t refuse, she finds herself in a special program at The Point, a secret group at West Point. There she develops her special skills along with many other misfits. When political circumstances change they’re called on to use their special powers.

The Point finally lands a punch that Scarlett can’t dodge.

Wild child and high school senior, Scarlett Winters has a history of initiating unexplained phenomenon, times when her body has done things her mind cannot comprehend. And after another series of shocking and unexplainable events, she is given an offer to go to West Point, an offer she can’t refuse. Once there, she quickly finds out that she isn’t intended to study with the regular pleebs, and is put into The Point, a special school designed to help “Posthumans” channel their special abilities. A national crisis will test the student’s abilities against a rogue group of Posthumans. Will Scarlett and her friends be ready?

Dixon’s novel is filled with scenes of horror and ruthlessness, yet also determination and compassion. His building of each character’s powers was unique and convincing. And I appreciated the relationships that Scarlett built with her fellow cadets; I found them authentic and important to the development of all their characters.

Mutant training, coming-of-age stories, government conspiracies. The Point by John Dixon is a hybrid of all the types of books I love to read. With a main character you can’t help to root for and a bevy of twists and reveals, this is a solid addition to any one of those genres.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House/ Ballantine, and Del Rey Books for an advanced copy for review.

I'm an X-Men fan, so obviously I couldn't pass up reading this book.  Think military X-Men battling rogue X-Men, but the 'good' X-Men are under government regulation - the bone of contention in Captain America: Civil War - and are a secret.

Scarlett is a great protagonist - an out of control, rules-be-damned, free-spirited teen who learns a hard lesson in responsibility and consequences.  But once she commits to something, she's in it wholeheartedly.  I thoroughly enjoyed her character arc.

Clearly, the author did extensive research on West Point, and it makes the story feel more authentic.  Nearing the last quarter of the book, I assumed there would be a sequel, but after a no-holds-barred climax, I was pleasantly surprised to see this novel is a standalone.  All questions are answered, and no plot lines are left dangling.       

Although The Point doesn't really bring anything new to the genre, it's a fast-paced, action-packed read that will appeal to superhero and sci-fi fans.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A GREAT beach read. I found the plot interesting if a little predictable. The characters are flawed which is always better for the story in my opinion. Overall worth the time and effort to read. Enjoyable distraction.

Scarlett was a rebel without a cause, a daredevil, a born troublemaker, a teen with a secret and now she has met her match. She is about to become part of a secret training program hidden deep within the bowels of West Point, but is she ready to become a hero?

THE POINT by John Dixon is a brilliantly edgy young adult science fiction tale that is jam-packed with action and danger, but where does the danger really lie? Teens with superhuman powers are being trained covertly to become the nation’s secret weapons, but is everything as it seems?

Called “posthumans,” these teens are raw, untrained and possess potentially deadly abilities. They are also highly intelligent and something just doesn’t feel right. Scarlett will be forced to choose between her own survival and the survival of her fellow students and her country.

John Dixon just blew me out of the water with his creative talents! THE POINT opened with a bang and never let up! Feel the emotional turmoil of young adults thrown into an unknown world, sense the tension that is building and witness some incredible characters rise to the challenges set before them. Personalities will clash, lies will be told, and blood will be shed as we become part of an incredible world filled with characters who come alive with the intensity of a fireworks display finale!

Magnetic from start to finish, horrifying at times, mesmerizing at others, science fiction lovers, this one’s for you!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Del Rey!

Publisher: Del Rey (August 7, 2018)
Publication Date: August 7, 2018
Genre: YA Science Fiction | Fantasy
Print Length: 320 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

I loved The Point! A great story that grabbed me right from the beginning. Scarlett Winter is an amazing character. I love West Point and the premise of the story I thought it was unique and very interesting. As a matter of fact all the characters were executed perfectly. I enjoyed this Authors writing and look forward to reading more of his work.

I give The Point 5 stars for its thrilling read.
I would recommend this book to Dystopian fans, YA lovers and anybody that just loves a good read.
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I read this one fast. Ignoring other tasks fast. That said I give it 3-3.5 stars for a few reasons detailed below. Spoilers may pop up read further at your own risk.

I’m a bad news first kinda girl so let’s start with problems. Editing. Especially in the first few chapters I highlighted a # of half words or missing words that took me out of the story every time I hit one. That, for me, is very frustrating and takes away from the story.

I enjoy reading about messy characters. Flawed characters who grow. Maybe they don’t become perfect but they grow and in the end the MC Scarlett does grow. Score! That said I had some problems with details of her character.

Throughout the book there are mentions of Scarlett missing her friends but we NEVER meet any friends. Even the boy she’s with at the start is more of a toy. She feels more of a loner who wouldn’t have friends because of how selfish she is. It also seems like it would be more interesting when she meets people at The Point who she connects with.

Why is her brother so mean to her? I get their dad beat him but what adult male is beating his sister and does he know about the powers? I honestly felt like her brother could be cut from the story and replaced with her father. Scarlett wants her fathers love and for him to see her as a good, strong person. To me the brother was a horrible person and there was no reason for Scarlett to love him, other than because the author wants her. He hits her and she brings that up more than once, that is all we see of him.

The Point- loved the details about West Point. Wonderful to see in my head. What I didn’t get is why Rhodes would so easily trust Dalia, she’s a terrible person and it’s obvious to everyone but the guy in charge? And no one talks. No one sees all the crap she does? Other than her, I loved everyone we met at The Point. It would be fun to explore other powers a little more.

I was confused why Scarlett never caught on to Dalia. She shows up in your “dream” but you never explore why the dream walker is there? I really did enjoy this book, perhaps that is why I picked up on details that didn’t work for me. I want it to work. I want to LOVE this world.

Some wishes, I want to see Scarlett with her BFF and other friends, we need that if we’re to believe she has so many friends. We need to see something good between Scarlett and her brother otherwise he’s a just another bully and her need for revenge feels forced. I’d love more info on Jagger. He’s terrible but I wanted to know more about him.

I feel like this is a lot, I really want more from this world and these characters. I want to know what happens next. How do they rebuild The Point? The Farm? Does anyone catch on the Rhoude’s is a terrible person who should not be in charge? Do we ever learn what Scarlett’s brother was up to? How does Scarlett change the world. Tell me. And hurry!!!

Thank you to Random House Publishing and Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book for my honest review.

I am out of context. I thought this was from my thriller/military genre. This might work for YA, comic book/fantasy readers but not for me. So 5 stars for you folks I guess

Scarlett Winter is a rebellious teenager who just wants to find adventure and not bend to the rules around her. On the night of her graduation Scarlett blows off the ceremony to hang out with friends only to find her parents had planned a surprise party she missed.

After a fight with her family Scarlett leaves yet again when the signs of her hidden powers start to get the better of her. What Scarlett didn’t expect was to come across a bomb and stop it from exploding with witnesses to the event.

The next thing Scarlett knows to the delight of her father a couple of military men show up at her door. As much as her father would like her to enlist Scarlett is determined to do things her own way until she’s taken aside and threatened with prison unless she signs up for a secret training program at West Point.

The Point by John Dixon was a decent science fiction thriller about a teen gaining super human powers and getting pulled into a secret program. The thing is this one didn’t feel overly original to me but blended in with a lot of other books of this genre. I also thought this one could have used a bit better world building with explanations of how posthumans came about and their powers right away to draw readers in a bit more quickly in stead of tossing them into the action. In the end I’d give this one 3.5 stars when finished.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I was provided an advance electronic copy of this book by NetGalley.

Other reviewers have offered very good synopses of this book and I will not repeat their efforts here. Also, I don't normally read in the young adult, new adult or superhero stories, so I cannot compare this book to others in their respective genres.

I found the protagonist to be rather messy, which is to be expected in a girl who has just graduated from high school and has no future plans beyond bumming around Europe with her boyfriend. But this is no ordinary teenager. Strange things happen to her, things she cannot explain or control. After one such incident she is given a choice: West Point, or imprisonment. Naturally, she chooses West Point, only to find out that she is to be part of a training program for young people with super powers, for lack of a better term. Her classmates and instructors are a mixture of good, bad and ugly, and she is never quite sure who she can trust as she struggles to learn how to control her powers.

The plot eventually builds to a climax in which, without giving anything away, the stakes are very high and the consequences of failure would be devastating. Quite typical of the few superhero genre stories I am familiar with, so no real surprises in the outcome.

The point was an incredible read with a different view on superpowers and humans. At first I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy it but that was quickly changed and I loved the entire book ! I couldn’t believe how quickly things got crazy in this book and couldn’t stop reading because I had to fine out what was going to happen between the High Rollers and the new Plebs at the Point !

I received a free copy of The Point by John Dixon in exchange for an honest review. Scarlett Winter is in the midst of rebellion against her strict upbringing and the military code that seems so central to her abusive authoritarian father. Scarlett only wants to coast and waste her life wasted. However, Scarlett has an ability that sets her apart from others. When this ability ends up inadvertently thwarting a terrorist attack, Scarlett is outed to the military. Given the choices of attending a special program at West Point or have the terror attack blamed on her, Scarlett joins the military she has despised her entire life. This story tracks Scarlett’s first year at what is basically a military college for superhumans.

The story was entertaining and moved along quickly. I enjoyed the tale of the reluctant heroics of Scarlett Winter.

#ThePoint #NetGalley

Dixon’s third sci-fi thriller finds a group of misfits being trained at West Point in a top secret program to harness their unique powers, often to the disdain of the “regular” cadets.

Scarlett Winter comes from a military family but would rather live her rebellious life cliff diving and taking risks of all types. She has been hiding her super power, one she doesn’t understand, but through a series of incidents is forced to take her place in the West Point program. She has the ability to store and project energy, and if she can learn to control it, could become the most powerful force on earth.

When Scarlett enters the program, she learns there are others like her, fellow students with all kinds of abilities from telekinesis to being able to invade people’s dreams. Picture X-MEN meets TAPS, only unlike the later, THE POINT then becomes a non-stop action adventure full of double crosses (from both humans and “posthumans”), truly evil villains (an attack on Times Square during a New Year’s Eve celebration is as grim as it is fantastic) and complex heroes who will surely appeal to fans of speculative fiction.

Like his previous novels PHOENIX ISLAND and DEVIL’S POCKET (both unrelated to THE POINT), Dixon once again serves up a likable team of fighters and places them in an impossible situation that will keep readers flipping the pages. A fun, exciting, cross-genre read that’ll make your time at the beach fly by.

Thank you so much to Random house publishing group via netgalley for sending me an ARC copy of The point by john Dixon. This will be released on August 7 of 2018.

The point ⭐️
“A shotgun blasy of emotion filled her with conflicting impluses”

Scarlett Winter. She had everything, good grades, amazing at all sports, beautiful, a loving boyfriend and yet... she quits every sport, doesnt care about others, doesnt really do anything.
So whats the point?
Scarlett has the potential to do so much more but she coasts through life not a care in the world. But soon we find out that Scarletts life is not perfect its quite a mess.

His writing style is gorgeous and flows so beautifully! His use of emotions and Adjectives make the story that much better.

I love X-men/superhero type books so I was excited to read this book.

What I liked: The MC is daring and reckless and interesting as a main character. I loved her ability to harness energy, and how she becomes a better person by the end of the book. The writing was well done also.

What I didn't like: Unfortunately, the language, sex, alcohol and drugs felt more new adult than YA. And gratuitous. It didn't move the story forward, but made me wonder if I wanted to keep reading.

I didn't like that the MC gains energy by being hit and even asks her boyfriend to hit her so she can collect that energy. Just felt wrong.