I've wanted to read Control for so long after hearing it compared to X-Men and was so excited to finally start it. Lydia Kang is definitely a talented writer, but for the most part Control is a mixed bag and is extremely inconsistent in quality. Throughout the book I loved it, felt bored and thought was mediocre, liked it and that's just a small fraction of the emotions I felt. My opinions of this book changed radically based on the section I was reading and I didn't like how wishy-washy this book made me feel. Overall I did enjoy Control, but it was just so over all the place and could've been edited better. 
 Zelia lost her father to a car crash and to make things even worse, her sister is kidnapped by an evil organization. Now Zelia must work with a safe house full of kids with powers to rescue her sister and to survive in a world that hates people with genetic differences. Zelia gets to know Cy who's the tattooed, tortured bad boy who has a complicated past. Cy can help Zel save her sister, but at what cost? 
 Control has an excellent beginning that hooked me in almost immediately, but it quickly loses focus. While attempting to introduce and develop the characters at the safe house, the plot lost its footing. There has to have been a better way to develop the characters and story than having them merely sitting around and talking. Everything that made the novel engaging was lost in certain sections of the book and I didn't feel like I knew anyone besides Zelia and Cy. 
 Zelia is an incredibly interesting main character because of her bad-ass nature, interest in science and how she overcomes her disability. I loved how fiercely determined Zel was to find her sister and that she didn't care what it would take. Also I loved how she didn't have to use violence (ok maybe just a teensy bit) to solve her issues and how she instead used the power of science. 
 It's not often you see scientists being such prominent characters in YA fiction and certainly not female scientists, making her character refreshing. I had never heard of CCHS (a disorder that affects breathing) and was so happy that the author had decided to introduce it to readers through Zelia. The opening sections of this book handled the disorder well, but later on it almost seemed as if Kang neglected to incorporate it. What was the point in mentioning it if it was phased out so quickly? 
 Cy started off as merely a badboy archetype (sensitive, troubled family past, tats galore) but he quickly evolved into something so much more. I became a huge fan of Cy once readers were given an opportunity to see him as something more than just the surface revealed. It also can't hurt that the romance between him and Zel got a bit steamy more than once and who doesn't love a good romance? 
 I have the same issue I have with Control that I had with Shatter Me and a few other novels with super powered characters. If you have characters with superpowers, don't be afraid to let the characters actually use their powers more often! It seemed that the team weren't give enough pagetime to showcase their special abilities and I wanted more superpowers for sure. It just didn't feel right for their powers to be such a small portion of the novel. 
 Control is a bit messy but it does have a great romance, science fueled plot and a kick-ass heroine. I'll definitely read the sequel because I'm curious how Kang will wrap up this series and also because it has so much potential. I am excited to see more of Zel, Cy and their powers in the following novel and I hope I enjoy it more than I enjoyed Control.This review was originally posted on Bookish Antics