Follow TV Tropes

Following

History Literature / TrueTalents

Go To

OR

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9780765379153.jpg]]

Added: 545

Removed: 643

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* AdultFear: Trash has been [[spoiler: kidnapped and his parents are none the wiser, since they’re under the assumption that he ''died in a car accident''. Not to mention, the man who did it is trying to do the same to five other boys. Imagine you think your kid is dead, and it turns out he’s being held up in a lab being tortured.]]
** Martin’s situation is also this. [[spoiler: He basically runs away from home after an argument with his dad, and hitched a ride with two strangers, eventually ending up in Philadelphia. And his parents are either too cruel (his dad) or too cowed (his mom) to go look for him. He’s also fifteen years old.]]


Added DiffLines:

* InvasionOfTheBabySnatchers: Trash has been [[spoiler: kidnapped and his parents are none the wiser, since they’re under the assumption that he ''died in a car accident''. Not to mention, the man who did it is trying to do the same to five other boys.]]


Added DiffLines:

* TheRunaway: [[spoiler: Martin basically runs away from home after an argument with his dad, and hitched a ride with two strangers, eventually ending up in Philadelphia. And his parents are either too cruel (his dad) or too cowed (his mom) to go look for him. He’s also fifteen years old.]]

Added: 308

Changed: 5

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* AdultFear: Trash has been kidnapped and his parents are none the wiser, since they’re under the assumption that he ''died in a car accident''. Not to mention, the man who did it is trying to do the same to five other boys. Imagine you think your kid is dead, and it turns out he’s being held up in a lab being tortured.

to:

* AdultFear: Trash has been [[spoiler: kidnapped and his parents are none the wiser, since they’re under the assumption that he ''died in a car accident''. Not to mention, the man who did it is trying to do the same to five other boys. Imagine you think your kid is dead, and it turns out he’s being held up in a lab being tortured.]]
**Martin’s situation is also this. [[spoiler: He basically runs away from home after an argument with his dad, and hitched a ride with two strangers, eventually ending up in Philadelphia. And his parents are either too cruel (his dad) or too cowed (his mom) to go look for him. He’s also fifteen years old.]]

Added: 280

Changed: 393

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* ContrivedCoincidence: All of the boys are drawn to Philadelphia, for various different reasons, and all of them find each other remarkably easily for a city of its size. This is remarked upon when Flinch is sure that Torchie will be in Philly because Trash, Cheater and Martin already are.

to:

* ContrivedCoincidence: All of the boys are drawn to Philadelphia, for various different reasons, and all of them find each other remarkably easily for a city of its size. This is remarked upon when Flinch is sure that Torchie will be in Philly because Trash, Cheater and Martin already are. Interestingly, this could be justified by the fact that each one experiences a “voice” telling them to go there.



*DevilInPlainSight: Martin reads Bowdler’s soul and realizes that the guy with a bunch of smiley faces on his tie has actually taken part in a series of assasinations and other horrendous acts. Ironically, Bowdler warns Martin to [[{{Hypocrite}} steer clear of dangerous people.]]



** Flinch applies his precognitive abilities to stand-up comedy; by anticipating hecklers before they start, he has more time to come up with witty retorts.

to:

** Deconstructed with Flinch; He can’t really turn off his powers, and is forced to accommodate them to whatever hobby he does. This basically makes him feel bored about various sports since it makes them too easy to be fun. This is reconstructed when Flinch applies his precognitive abilities to stand-up comedy; by anticipating hecklers before they start, he has more time to come up with witty retorts.retorts, and he feels genuine happiness.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* AdultFear: Trash has been kidnapped and his parents are the none the wiser, since they’re under the assumption that he died in a car accident.

to:

* AdultFear: Trash has been kidnapped and his parents are the none the wiser, since they’re under the assumption that he died ''died in a car accident.accident''. Not to mention, the man who did it is trying to do the same to five other boys. Imagine you think your kid is dead, and it turns out he’s being held up in a lab being tortured.



* ContrivedCoincidence: All of the boys are drawn to Philadelphia, for various different reasons, and all of them find each other remarkably easily for a city of its size. This is remarked upon when Flinch is sure that Torchie will be Philly because Trash, Cheater and Martin already are.

to:

* ContrivedCoincidence: All of the boys are drawn to Philadelphia, for various different reasons, and all of them find each other remarkably easily for a city of its size. This is remarked upon when Flinch is sure that Torchie will be in Philly because Trash, Cheater and Martin already are.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

*AdultFear: Trash has been kidnapped and his parents are the none the wiser, since they’re under the assumption that he died in a car accident.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* ContrastingSequelProtagonist: Trash’s prose is more analytical and less witty than Martin’s, fitting the tone of the story.

Added: 335

Changed: 178

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
moved from Hidden Talents YMMV


* MundaneUtility: Martin uses his skills as TheEmpath to get a ride from strangers, and tries to use them to impress Cheater's cousin Livvy. It doesn't work, but she gives him her number anyway.

to:

* MundaneUtility: MundaneUtility:
**
Martin uses his skills as TheEmpath to get a ride from strangers, and tries to use them to impress Cheater's cousin Livvy. It doesn't work, but she gives him her number anyway.


Added DiffLines:

** Flinch applies his precognitive abilities to stand-up comedy; by anticipating hecklers before they start, he has more time to come up with witty retorts.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


Added: 4

Changed: 4

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None



to:

----



* TrueCompanions: All of the boys, who rally to save first Trash, then Lucky.

to:

* TrueCompanions: All of the boys, who rally to save first Trash, then Lucky.Lucky.
----
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


!!Tropes present in ''TrueTalents'' include:

to:

!!Tropes present in ''TrueTalents'' ''True Talents'' include:

Added: 599

Changed: 1008

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* AppliedPhlebotium

to:

* AppliedPhlebotiumAppliedPhlebotinum: [[BigBad Bowdler]] uses a device called a "disruptor" to block Trash's powers. [[spoiler:Later on, he realizes that Lucky can use the disruptor to permanently silence the voices in his head]].



* TheDeterminator
* MundaneUtility
* PlayingWithSyringes
* TrueCompanions: All of the boys

to:

* TheDeterminator
TheDeterminator: Bowdler. He resorts to kidnapping and murder to get Trash back, and threatens his entire family.
* MundaneUtility
FakingTheDead: Bowdler does this to Trash, making it look like he died after crashing a stolen car. Since he'd had a history of vandalism already, the police don't investigate any further. His parents don't want to believe it, but still accept that it would be in-character of the person they thought their son was.
** [[spoiler:The man Trash thought he'd killed when Bowdler first attacked him, Thurston does this twice. Turns out he's got a hidden talent too. He can heal from almost anything]].
* PlayingWithSyringes
HealingFactor: [[spoiler:Thurston's a tough old coot. Not many people could survive having all of their ribs snapped and sent through their lungs and heart, or survive two bullets to the chest and still have time to kill their killer]].
* MundaneUtility: Martin uses his skills as TheEmpath to get a ride from strangers, and tries to use them to impress Cheater's cousin Livvy. It doesn't work, but she gives him her number anyway.
** Trash, meanwhile, uses his telekinesis to make Martin look clumsy by constantly tripping him and making him drop food in his lap.
** Cheater lives up to his namesake and attempts to cheat at poker. As in ''Literature/HiddenTalents'', he's pretty terrible at it.
* PlayingWithSyringes: What happened to Trash while held captive.
* TrueCompanions: All of the boysboys, who rally to save first Trash, then Lucky.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

''True Talents'' is the 2007 sequel to Creator/DavidLubar's 1998 YA novel, ''Literature/HiddenTalents''.

A year and a half after the events of the first book, Eddie "Trash" Thalmeyer wakes up from a drugged stupor in a cell, having lost his memories of the past six months. After escaping, he finds himself lost in Philadelphia, and learns that the people who abducted him to study his telekinetic abilities also faked his death. Now he must find his friends, find a way home, and find a way to stop the man chasing him from bringing all of the Psychic Six under his thumb.

!!Tropes present in ''TrueTalents'' include:

* AppliedPhlebotium
* ContrivedCoincidence: All of the boys are drawn to Philadelphia, for various different reasons, and all of them find each other remarkably easily for a city of its size. This is remarked upon when Flinch is sure that Torchie will be Philly because Trash, Cheater and Martin already are.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Much, ''much'' so. ''Literature/HiddenTalents'' dealt with school bullying and learning how to live with bad teachers, and the boys' biggest problem was figuring out how to prevent Bloodbath from intentionally getting Edgeview shut down. Now Trash has been kidnapped, Lucky's been institutionalized, and Martin's home life has deteriorated to the point that he runs away.
* TheDeterminator
* MundaneUtility
* PlayingWithSyringes
* TrueCompanions: All of the boys

Top