Written in the third person point of view, The Lost Causes tells the story of five teens who are just that: lost causes. Or so their parents, teachers, and counselors describe them as such. One is a rich depressive, another has OCD, one is a hypochondriac, another a drug abuser, and there is athlete with serious anger management issues. All are chosen for intensive group therapy because other options have been exhausted. The reader is surprised when they are tapped by the FBI to help with a murder investigation and help find the killer whose grisly crime has turned their small town upside down.

The teens think they are assigned to a therapy group, but in fact, the beverage the therapist (actually an FBI agent) gives them is a dangerous serum that erases their teen past problems and unlocks a psychic ability within each of them. Suddenly, Z can hear other people’s thoughts, Andrew becomes a genius, Justin can throw people off with his mind, Gabby can see people’s past by touch, and Sabrina can see dead people. Their new powers will help them uncover clues and follow leads that have eluded the authorities. Their outsider status gives them the perfect cover.

Their earlier problems have vanished, but their new freedom comes with a price, as the same traits that make them excellent investigators also make them vulnerable. As they close in on the murderer, they expose a larger conspiracy that puts them directly in harm’s way and makes them wonder if there is anyone at all that they can trust.

The Lost Causes is a page turner that mingles science fiction with mystery, and ends with a completely unexpected cliffhanger that will leave the reader longing for a sequel.