The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with her Mind is Jackson Ford's debut novel, it's published today, and you should read it.

Teagan Frost is having a bad day at work. A VERY bad day. It begins when a routine job goes wrong, endangering her and a colleague, gets worse when her boss gives her a carpeting for how she got out of that situation, and positively implodes when she's framed for murder and has to go on the run as the city of Los Angeles burns around her.

Oh, due to being on the run, she has to miss a date with a nice, single man at THE up and coming restaurant in LA.

And she hasn't slept in 48 hours.

Welcome to the world of The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with her Mind. Teagan is The Girl, and she can, indeed, move - stuff - mentally, a talent referred to as psychokinesis (Boss Paul won't let her call it PK for reasons explained herein). That talent's employed in the service of a secretive branch of Government, Teagan's cooperation the price she pays for not being taken away to a secret lab and vivisected to find out how she works. It doesn't make her very happy, but it's a living, and as long as she's living, she can dream and plan about opening her own restaurant.

I just LOVED this book. It's a non-stop, hectic chase around the seedy side of LA (presented with no glitz and glamour: somewhat reminiscent of Joseph Wambaugh's LA based police procedurals) as Teagan and her colleagues seek to establish her innocence while a mysterious opponent plays them from street to street, mall to mall and scuzzy diner to scuzzy diner. And that fire just keeps getting closer.

Written largely from Teagan's point of view and giving us a lively, if rather pissed-off, protagonist who's perhaps just a little too persuaded that she's right and that everyone around her is stupid, the book is nothing if not engaging. For a story with such a gaping, fanatical premise - PK is real, people, and can be genetically engineered - the writing makes it very believable. Getting the register and attitude of a bored, annoyed and overtired employee in a dead end job just right, Ford evokes roughly the same psychological/ bureaucratic space as Charles Stross's Laundry books, except that Teagan's not a diffident English male geek but a forthright LA woman with views on everything, especially food. And rap music. And her colleagues. And did I mention food?

It is, really, simply fun and a joy to read - though it does go to some very dark places. Teagan's Nemesis, whose point of view also features, is a truly grim and mixed-up person, especially dangerous for being convinced of being right (and, indeed, having some degree of justice to back that up) and does some truly grim and mixed-up things. And, as I've said, the book doesn't spare us the seamier side of the city, presenting the paradox of a vast area where the homeless live in tents amidst the wealth of one of the world's richest cities. There are also gangs, corruption and a particularly nasty black-ops soldier who really has it in for Teagan.

When you see what Teagan has to go before she can have a meal, a sleep and a beer, you won't be surprised how cross she gets - but you might be surprised by the results...

In all, a great read and, yes, I can see this becoming a popular and I hope long-running series. I wouldn't want to work with Teagan Frost but I do want to read more about her, please Mr Ford and please, O Orbit.

You think you’re having a bad day at work? All Teagan Frost wants to do is kick back and relax with a few beers, peruse her favourite restaurant and take-out menus, indulge her dream of opening her own restaurant one day, to pretend that she’s normal and so is her life. But Teagan has psychokinetic powers, exploited – sorry, “employed” – by a shady government agency, carrying out break-in missions no normal human could. Her current assignment is about to see her and her colleague take a leisurely drop out the window of an 80-odd floor skyscraper, and if that wasn’t bad enough, a body soon turns up at the same building, killed in a way that only someone with powers like Teagan’s could’ve pulled off. But Teagan is the only PK out there. Isn’t she? 24 hours is all she’s got to prove her innocence. If she can’t, it won’t only be her and her team’s lives at stake but the whole of L.A.

Reminiscent of the publication of The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North (later revealed to be Carnegie-nominated Catherine Webb), Jackson Ford is a pseudonym for an author of “16 bestselling novels.” But while the author may be a mystery (for now) the book’s mission statement is clear. It hits the ground running from the very beginning – with sh*t hitting the proverbial fan as well as flying through the air – and doesn’t let up for pretty much its entire four-hundred-odd-page run.

The story is told from the point of view of two characters: Teagan, whose chapters are told in first-person, and Jake, a mysterious young man whose search for answers threatens to take him to some very dark places, whose chapters are told in the third person.

Teagan’s voice is immediately engaging, while also being dry and sarcastic—"On second thoughts, throwing myself out the window of a skyscraper may not have been the best idea. Not because I’m going to die or anything. I’ve totally got that under control. It wasn’t smart because I had to bring Annie Cruz with me. And Annie, it turns out, is a screamer.” Plus it's also full of pop-culture references and it’s been described as a “blue-collar X-Men” and the book is aware of the similarities, with frequent references to both the franchise and the particular character of Jean Grey. And though Teagan is not without her vulnerabilities. Underneath the sarcasm is the knowledge and the sadness that her abilities mean she will never be able to lead a normal life and that it is only the tenuous goodwill of the slightly sinister Tanner—the government agent in charge of their little outfit—that’s keeping her from being locked away forever as a lab-rat, and possibly dissected to find out how her powers work, and presumably how they can be replicated.

Jake’s chapters, simply by dint of the fact they’re written in third person, are slightly more sedate, making them welcome breathers from the relentlessness of Teagan’s as well as furthering the plot. They also act as a pretty good tragic character study, with one particular revelation casting a character –who you may have thought you had the measure of –and their actions in a new light.

Teagan’s team starts out as very much not a cohesive team, rather a group of mismatched individuals who tolerate each other (to varying degrees) because they have to. During the course of the book they come together, so that by the end it feels as though this instalment is a curtain raiser onto the stage where future adventures will be set.

"The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind" delivers exactly what it says on the tin.

Teagan Frost has psychokinetic abilities and a bad attitude, and is the perfect protagonist for a fun action-comedy book. You know those science fiction books where someone discovers an unusual ability and painstakingly works out what they can and can't do with it? This isn't one of those books. Teagan knows what she can do, more or less, and the book starts right out with her throwing herself and a terrified coworker out a skyscraper window.

Teagan works for a shadowy arm of the government, more or less willingly, with the understanding that she'd be on a dissection table if she wasn't useful to them on covert missions as the world's only telekinetic.

Until one of their targets is killed, spectacularly and messily, in a way only a telekinetic could do.

The race begins as Teagan and her crew -- not all of whom like her much -- have 24 hours to find the other telekinetic and prove her innocence.

The book is fast-paced and fun. Teagan is foul-mouthed and disrespectful but despite the hardships she's had to overcome in her life she's still (mostly) positive and creative, and she clearly loves L.A. and at least some of the people in it. Jake, the more-powerful and murderous telekinetic they're after, is much darker but still compelling.

Don't look for layers, don't look for a psychological thriller. "The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind" is a fun read and I hope Jackson Ford writes more.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher Oni Press for allowing me to receive this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind By Jackson Ford

I unfortunately ended up DNFing this book. I found that even though Teagan is a great character, and one I found likeable and approachable. I ultimately was not invested into the story. I was not hooked enough to want to pick it up. Here is what I thought overall of what I did read!

Teagan is just your average woman with super powers, which is really awesome, forced to work with the government. She’s sarcastic, witty with a good moral code and overall was a pretty believable character. I did like that she wasn’t just a carbon copy of other characters with powers which kept the story feeling fresh.However, I really did not care at all about the romance plot and thought it could have been better without it. It felt a little cliched, and awkward. I tend not to enjoy romance side plots so that might just be my own preference for this novel.

I for the most part enjoyed the action pacing of the book, and thought it had some interesting mix of genres types. Where it really feel off for me was a mix of first and third person narrative. It made the story too complicated for no reason and would have benefited from picking one or the other. For me it fell flat, jarring and stilted the flow of the story, which is ultimately why I didn’t not have the interest to finish. It took out the enjoyment and connection to the book.

That said, this is an imaginative, hilarious and weird. So if you do not mind a point of view shift then I say for sure give a read for the fun and sassy protagonist.

2 Stars

I requested this book based on the title and, honestly, expected a kind of ridiculous pulp that I would love to hate, but was so pleasantly surprised to discover this book to be an actually well-written, unputdownable fun! The protagonist, Teagan, is a very relatable young woman / "superhero," who just wants to be left alone and open a restaurant, but also is a really well-developed, three-dimensional character. I had my reservations about the narration jumping from the first person (Teagan) to the third person (Jake), just because I feel like it breaks the flow a bit, but I can see why Ford chose that and, ultimately, it works out. The novel is on the lengthier side and so far I'm only halfway through it, but I'm loving it, and unless the ending truly sucks, I doubt my opinion will change... Definitely a recommend for your local bookstore's genre fiction shelf.

Update: I finished it a white back and loved it so much! I made my SFF staff pick and it's selling well. Excited for the sequel!

I'll be honest, I immediately requested this book because of the title. I love anything related to telepathy and combine it with an attention grabbing title, and I'm sold.

Just within the first few pages, it is evident that this story was going to be an action-packed, wtf is going on kind of story. The story deals with secret government agencies and a sarcastic and hilarious protagonist who can't even take herself seriously (my kind of girl!).

Teegan Frost has incredible powers of telekinesis, which makes her a subject of interest for the government. With Tanner at the helm as handler/team lead, Teegan and her team members are sent on missions to undermine the government agencies that want to destroy them.

Their latest mission goes horribly wrong (shocker), and the only way Teegan can save herself and teammate is to launch them through a skyscraper window and use her telekinesis to break their fall. After saving both of their lives, Teegan expects to be able to move on and deal with the next mission. What Teegan doesn't expect is to be accused of murder. Now Teegan has to race against time to figure out who else has an ability like hers and is trying to frame her.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. If you love fast-paced adventure, government secrets and espionage, and supernatural abilities then make sure you give this one a read!

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for providing an eARC for review. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

This book gripped me from the first chapter, but then its hold on me slowly dwindled. The heroine is fierce and funny, and absolutely relatable - sans the telekinesis, of course. The action is lighthearted in a way that makes reading it easier, BUT the book just lost all of its 'umph' about halfway through. I'm sorry I couldn't love it, but I'm so grateful for the chance to read and review!

** I received an arc in exchange for an honest review."
This book started out so well. Telekinesis, yes please. Snark, totally on board. Doesn't really play well with others, yep. However, about 1/3 of the way in the story just started to derail. There is not a specific thing that I can pinpoint but things just stopped being fun and I stopped caring about the heroine. I can see that this book will connect with some but it was just not for me.

I found this book by accident, loved the title and the blurb wasn’t too shabby either. Not expecting this book to change my world, I enjoyed it for what it was, an entertaining story, with a promise for more.

If you love watching super hero or action movies, this book is for you.

From Teagan’s special powers, to the top secret group she is hanging out with doing black ops for the government – all of it was right up my alley. It was exactly what I wanted out of this story, an easy and entertaining read.

All in all, it felt and sounded like a new adult book, one step above young adult in its topics, speech and how it was written, probably because it was written my a male writer. But it’s definitely geared toward a younger audience. And it’s actually a book that delivers what it promises.

Teagan Frost is having a hard time keeping it together. Sure, she's got telekinetic powers -- a skill that the government is all too happy to make use of, sending her on secret break-in missions that no ordinary human could carry out. But all she really wants to do is kick back, have a beer, and pretend she's normal for once.
But then a body turns up at the site of her last job -- murdered in a way that only someone like Teagan could have pulled off. She's got 24 hours to clear her name - and it's not just her life at stake. If she can't unravel the conspiracy in time, her hometown of Los Angeles will be in the crosshairs of an underground battle that's on the brink of exploding.

This was a fun, engaging read with plenty of twists. I particularly liked the ending and would definitely read the sequel.

DNF @ 14%: The novel started off promising; I liked how it started with action, and the snappy dialogue was quirky and entertaining. However, the sarcasm and the banter became annoying after a while and I quickly lost track of what was going on.

The Girl who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind is an entertaining and action-packed sci-fi mystery. Teagan is a psychokinetic/telekinetic working for the US government. As far as she knows, she’s the only one with her powers until a man is murdered in a fashion only Teagan would be able to pull off. It’s a race-around-the-clock story to clear Teagan’s name.

It is a lot of fun. Teagan’s first-person POV is easy to follow and get behind because she’s quite funny and forthright. She’s flawed and often speaks out-of-turn, but not in a way that made me want to strangle her; she grows throughout her journey and I enjoyed being along for the ride. I think she and I would get along quite well. There is no real info dump – we are given Teagan (and the other characters’) pasts as we go along.

As much as I can’t stand book titles that use “girl” when the character is clearly a grown woman, the title matched Teagan’s manner of speaking so I let it go.

The side characters were likeable, with pasts and personalities that build as the story progresses. Not only do we get a female lead, but people of colour are prevalent in the novel. There is a person with a disability who is not defined by said disability, nor is she made to be helpless or pitiable. The diversity was not forced or token, which I appreciated.

The antagonist’s sections, in third person, take a different tone. It’s obvious to the reader that Jake is being manipulated, which is what makes his spiral quite heartbreaking. His sections serve to ramp up the tension. I’m particularly glad this wasn’t a supervillain-trying-to-destroy-the-world scenario; the rather anti-climactic climax did not feel like a letdown but suited the story.

While the pacing is a little rushed overall, it’s a well-crafted novel. Seemingly insignificant minor plot points at the start of the novel tie-in to the mystery in ways that were elegant and fun.

The slight romance was the only component that detracted from my enjoyment of the novel. While the character was necessary to the plot, I didn’t feel the sexual tension, which made one of the final chapters unnecessary and melodramatic. Where Teagan’s abilities were well-explained and logical (as far as superpowers go), an aspect also introduced in this chapter was, quite frankly, silly. It raises more questions than answers, as well as being unbelievable.

Overall, it’s a very fun, entertaining, easy-to-read novel with a fun protagonist, an interesting plot, some funny moments, and action. Recommended!

I had a feeling The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind would be fun to read, and I was right. It's something I haven't read before, and I was drawn straight into the story from the start. Teagan is a unique heroine with abilities to move things with her mind. She's obliged to work with the government, unfortunately. She's accompanied by an unconventional motley crew who work with her. Teagan is funny, brash, totally unique and likeable in a delightful kind of way. I liked the dialogue, word choice and narrative structure of the story. I read it quickly. This story was everything I hoped it would be. Even if you don't think it's for you, give this one a try. Definitely different and fun! Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book caught my eye because of the great title and fun cover, and it was every bit as awesome as I was hoping it would be. It's a really fun action-thriller book with just a dash of sci-fi style super powers. I really liked all of the characters and thought they felt extremely real. They are all deeply flawed people, but most of them are trying to do their best and I felt like even when they made 'bad' decisions you could see why they did what they did. Teagan is a great narrator and the whole style of the book is very funny. It's also full of exciting action and even though it is almost 500 pages long I didn't feel like it started dragging at any point. The ending was satisfying while also setting up something very interesting for the next book. Can't wait to read more!

I had to read this book when I saw the title. It's hilarious and that humor extends to the main character Teagan. She is snarky and never quits. To be honest, her snark was almost too much, which I didn't think was possible. Between the nonstop action and the constant banter, I got exhausted and had to take breaks. Strong and humorous female leads are my weakness, but Teagan just started to get on my nerves because she NEVER turned it off.
The idea of a secret agent needing to save herself before getting wiped out is exciting and reminded me of Burn Notice, which I loved. Her power was incredibly interesting in the beginning because it made so much sense! Only inanimate objects, perfect. Genius actually and I was super excited about this.
In theory I adored this book, but the exhaustion from Teagan and the pacing along with the weird dual POV (first and third?) took away some of my enjoyment. I will be interested in the sequel.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Synopsis

For Teagan Frost, sh*t just got real.

Teagan Frost is having a hard time keeping it together. Sure, she’s got telekinetic powers—a skill that the government is all too happy to make use of, sending her on secret break-in missions that no ordinary human could carry out. But all she really wants to do is kick back, have a beer, and pretend she’s normal for once.

But then a body turns up at the site of her last job—murdered in a way that only someone like Teagan could have pulled off. She’s got 24 hours to clear her name—and it’s not just her life at stake. If she can’t unravel the conspiracy in time, her hometown of Los Angeles will be in the crosshairs of an underground battle that’s on the brink of exploding…

Full of imagination, wit and random sh*t flying through the air, this insane adventure from an irreverent new voice will blow your tiny mind.

Review

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advanced reading copy of The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel.

Seems like the new craze of putting Sh*t or F*ck in book titles won’t be going anywhere soon and TGWCMSwHM is the newest release that does just that. While a tantalizing title and over-the-top-hilarious cover reeled me in, not to mention a synopsis that sounded right up my galley (puns…) the story didn’t hook me line and sinker and I swam back off to sea.

I have seen several glowing reviews of this novel and I can see where they are coming from, but for me, it fell a little flat. This is also an instance where the blurbs let me down. Alias I sorta get, but X-Men? Nah fam. This is like watching Dark Phoenix and Cable having a beer together and shooting the sh*t, only to have cops bust in, demanding answers for a murder one of them may have committed.

While the beginning chapter gives us a glimpse into something fantastic, what with telekinetic powers galore and falling off skyscrapers, it then slows down and became two (2) different POVs. Not that that is necessarily an issue as the timelines finally clash, but the payoff is very “meh”. Not to mention that the characters are hollow shells, unwilling to let the reader in except as an outsider seeing the pain on their faces.

Don’t get me wrong, Ford does enough right to make this book a funnish romp, what with wit, flying sh*t, and adventure, but even Teagan can get annoying as f*ck and make you want to fly toward the finale to find out how this book ends.

All in all, these are just my opinions, folks. You may love the hell out of this book, but it was just an ok read in my mind. It was an enjoyable escape from twiddling my thumbs at work, but has absolutely no staying power.

So I wasn't totally sold on this book entirely in the beginning. Don't ask why, but I was skeptical. Anyways, as the story progressed I was totally immersed in the story. Fast-paced, and I never knew what was going to happen next. I will say, I would have loved more out of the Teagan's back-story and the same with Jake's. But since there's a sequel coming out, I'm hoping there will be more depth there. The twist took me by surprise, but it felt a little random. Overall, I was incredibly entertained and I'm excited for the next book. Just hope there's a bit more finesse in tying everything together.

“On second thoughts, throwing myself out the window of a skyscraper may not have been the best idea.”

I’ll take badass first lines for $1000, Alex.

I’m going to be honest, the only thing I knew about this book before I started reading it was that it had an awesome title. I didn’t look at the cover, didn’t read the summary and didn’t browse a single review. I read the title and just HAD to have it. I just really hoped that it involved a girl who would blow sh*t up with her mind (it did!) and that I wouldn’t be disappointed (I wasn’t). I’ll tell you what, though, the title may have initially drew me in but that first line had me hooked! I mean, how can you not keep reading? I had questions.

I flew through this book. I just couldn’t read it fast enough. Teagan has got to be one of my favorite people ever (I know I say that a lot but I truly mean it every time!). She has everything I love about a lead character; smart ass attitude, quick wit and one helluva superpower! There is also more to her than meets the eye, which only makes you love her more. She reminds me a bit of the Phoenix…if Phoenix had shitty apartment, no filter and a “do before you think” mentality. Actually, I like Teagan better. She’s much more fun. I’m still very much up in the air about Jake. He and I don’t really see eye to eye.

The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind has everything I need in a book. Fast paced, absolutely hilarious and filled with action and intrigue from the first page this is impossible to put down and leaves you wanting more. Summer is coming and this book is just begging to become your next beach read.

I can’t wait to see what Ford has in store for the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest opinion.

This was definitely a fun summer read. It was fun, entertaining, snarky, but a bit young. I would totally recommend this to my kids (teens). Overall I liked the characters. Not only was Teagan likeable and real, but the band of misfit reluctant agents was engaging, and for me the best part was the relationships and character growth we saw among them. My main complaint was the very end. Can't really say much without spoilers, but it seemed both put,of character and simplistic, and just rubbed me the wrong way.
3.5 Stars

4.5

Teagan Frost is a psychokinetic—or PK as she likes to call it. In other words, she’s the girl who can move sh*t with her mind. Teagan is the result of a successful experiment by her geneticist parents. Since their sudden deaths, and the loss of all their research, that’s about all she knows. Seized by the government at a young age, Teagan was given two choices: let them cut her open for experimentation or work as an undercover agent.

So we find Teagan living in LA for the past two years part of a group of other misfits who have also somehow found themselves at the mercy of the government, although none of them can move sh*t with their minds. As far as Teagan knows, no one else in the world can do what she can. That’s why when the group’s last job winds up with their mark dead in a way only a PK could have done it, all fingers point to Teagan.

She has less than 24 hours to prove her innocence, and she’s not the only one whose life is on the line, her entire team faces extermination. Figuring out why the PK is targeting certain people will lead the group on a mad dash around LA, but they had better hurry. The clock is ticking.

If you want to get my attention, put an asterisk on your cover. Anywhere. It’s like that little star just draws my eyes and from there I’m pulled into finding out what the story is about.

Once you’re pulled into The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind, you find you’re in a fast-paced high stakes read about an X-Men-like heroine battling the person she could have become if just one thing about her circumstances had been different.

Teagan is really the focal point of the entire story, and the other PK, the “evil” PK Jake more represents that other side. Where Teagan could go with her powers if she chose to. Yes, Jake’s side of the story is more a tragic sense of him trying to find out why he is the way he is, and being caught up in believing he’s doing good by eliminating people who have done bad things. Yes, Teagan is more or less in a government-sanctioned job doing almost the exact same thing, but Jackson Ford does a great job of really showing where their characters differ. What makes Teagan “good” and Jake “evil” while also, invariably making them human.

I loved the way Teagan’s past is kind of parsed out throughout the story. With little mentions or asides at first before we get the entirety of what she went through with her family. I especially like how it all comes full circle by the end with Teagan confronting Jake in a way she couldn’t do to with her family.

The best part for me, however, was seeing the group of other indentured agents that Tegan has been working with for two years finally becoming a team and not just working together because they’re being forced or manipulated. I think this will, eventually, go a long way in helping them undermine those keeping them constrained, but mainly it gives Teagan a family-type unit. People who care about her for her regardless of her PK. If nothing else, this book shows the importance of having people that you can count on no matter what.

It’s clear that this story is only the beginning. With the ending (and seriously that teased ending!), it’s such a great setup for things to come. I know I can’t wait.