Jessie Drummond

"Um, I'm sorry Mr. Shakespeare, er, Sherman, I was taking notes and guess I missed your question."

"You'd think she'd bother to pay attention on her first day of class. She must think she's too good for us," Kelli said in a stage whisper designed to reach everyone within four seats in any direction. I guess our bonding over shoes didn't last that long.

Everybody started laughing. It was just like my most hideous dream come to life; the one where I'm only wearing my underwear, and I wake up in a class taking a test I haven't studied for, and everybody's laughing at me. Except I had clothes on in the actual English class, but you know what I mean.

"I was asking if you'd like to stand up and tell the class all about yourself, Jessie." Mr. Sherman seemed pretty patient for an old guy. He has to be at least thirty.

"Um, not really."

"Excuse me?" Suddenly he didn't look all that patient.

"Um, I wouldn't really like to stand up and talk about myself. I'm fairly boring, actually." I could feel my face getting redder and redder, but what could I say?

Sure, class, my mom and dad were super heroes in the League of Liberty, and they spent all their free time fighting evil villains and keeping the world safe for democracy, when they weren't grocery shopping or mowing the lawn. But two years ago the villains killed my dad, and my mom quit caring about much of anything, so now we ended up here in this stupid town just so my obnoxious seven-year old sister can take her precociously telekinetic super-powered butt to a special school, while I - the only lame-o in seven generations of my family to not get any super powers - have to go to school here with you Normals.

Yeah, that would have gone over really well.

Copyright 2004, Jax Abbott

Here's the back cover copy:

The Top Five Ways NOT To Start Your First Day at a New High School:

1. Tell the hottest guy in school that he reminds you of an elf.
2. Get enormongo cramps.
3. Annoy one of the Populars.
4. Make even the geeks pity you.
5. Finally get the super powers you thought you'd never have and explode all the windows in English class.

Jessie was so not wearing tights and a cape!

My lovely and talented editor at Dorchester, Kate Seaver, asked me to write young adult novels for her new Smooch line. My first response was 'Um, no.' I haven't been 16 for a while and didn't think I could pull it off.

But I asked her to give me some time to think about it, and I went into heavy research mode. I read YA books and went to movies (yes, I was the only grownup in the entire theater for WIN A DATE WITH TAD HAMILTON) and read tons of magazines. Guess what I discovered?

It's all the same. Yep. The music groups are different (although I listen to most of them, anyway) and the technology is different (although I'm a gadget freak, so I have most of that, too), but the really important issues are all the same. Girls today worry about boys and school and boys and parents and boys and annoying siblings and makeup and boys and clothes and college and, oh, did I mention boys?

So I thought - I can do this! This might be really fun. Kate mentioned that she'd always wanted a super hero book, and the idea of Jessie popped, fully formed, into my mind. A teen who is the daughter of generations of super heroes, but who never got her own powers. (Of course, her annoying little sister has hers.)

But I didn't want the focus of the books to be the super powers, as odd as that sounds. I wanted to write about the real issues that teens go through. The super powers are the magnifying glass that lets me look in detail at some of the most common issues and illuminate them in new and different ways.

Having trouble fitting in at a new school? Try being the kid who explodes the windows when she gets bad cramps.

Having trouble getting along with your teacher? Try having your x-ray vision kick in just in time to see his red boxer shorts through his pants!

Can we say EEEUUUWWW??

I love writing Jessie. It lets me visit a place where proms and algebra are way more important that mortgages and taxes. Plus, I get to be sixteen again, but without any of the stress. How totally cool is that??

Take this angst-ridden teen, mix in some hilarious situations, frost with touching scenes and heartfelt moments and you have SUPER WHAT? - A quirky fun-filled adventure into the lives of teens and, yes, even superheroes.
-- Romantic Times BOOKClub

Jessie is an exciting, wise-cracking character . . . [T]his will be snatched up by fans of teen fiction.
-- Erika Sorocco, teen correspondent for the Community Bugle

Speaking as one who whirled herself dizzy wanting to turn into Wonder Girl but never considered the drawbacks to getting the wish, this is a laugh-out-loud fun read for all ages.
-- Huntress Reviews

[A] delightfully funny story that will keep you wanting to turn the pages faster to see what will happen to Jessie next.
-- Writers Unlimited

Hilarious is the only word to describe this book. . . . Jax Abbott knows how to mix superhero trauma with teen angst to make an unbeatable combination! The characters are very well developed and as you read, the pages become a portal into an incredibly realistic world where anything is possible. This is a great book for reading on a rainy afternoon, as it is sure to make the sun come out, even if only in your mind.
-- Amanda Roberts, Romance Reviews Today

SUPER WHAT? has really good life lessons to be learned. Jessie was a cool character who brought lots of laughs to the story. She was also someone I wouldn't mind meeting in real life. . . . I truly enjoyed reading Ms. Abbott's book, and I think young adults and 'old' adults everywhere will, too.
-- Young Adult Reviewer, Jasmine, Age 13, Romance Junkies

A fun read with an engaging protagonist.
-- Diana Ketterer, All About Romance

Cute and sassy . . . [a] must read for anyone who likes Buffy and has a secret crush on Orlando Bloom.
-- Romance Reader at Heart