Patterson starts his third series for teens with a new team-up ... this time he is writing with Gabrielle Charbonnet with whom he wrote Sundays at Tiffany's.

Wisteria and Whitney Allgood are siblings living in a world where the New Order has taken over. As a result, the world is being ruled like a police state that doesn't allow anyone to be different. That could be a particular problem for Wist and Whit since they are just coming into their powers.

They are the daughter and son of a pair of Wiccans, and it quickly becomes clear that they are developing powers, ranging from creating fire to transfiguration to flight. They quickly come under the notice of the New Order, which goes by the less than creative acronym N.O., and find themselves prison with a sentence of death hanging over them for when they turn 18 years of age.

Fortunately with the help of Whit's girlfriend, who is going through her own sort of changes, they are able to escape and join the forces of rebellion against the New Order. Interestingly enough, these rebel forces are totally made of up children and adolescents, who know about a prophecy about the Allgoods. The prophecy indicates that they will lead the drive to overcome the New order and bring about freedom.

There is no question that this story is fast-paced, which is surprising because the book is over 300 pages and almost nothing actually happens. In a way, the book is filled with potential since the plotline is interesting and the characters are interesting. The problem is that the authors totally drop the ball with developing either.

For example, there is no explanation how the New Order has come to rule over everyone. The leadership council, which is made up people all called The One who (insert words like Judges, etc.), but they and their underlings are pretty flat archetypes that come across as being more cheesy than scary.

The secondary characters that are a support team for Wist and Whit are also fairly undeveloped. There is no explanation as to who they were before they banded together and how they all ended up living in their base, a former department store.

This book is basically the introductory chapter to a new series. I am hoping the later books will provide the further depth known as a third dimension to this story. I have to admit this one was really a disappointment.