Jeremy Scott (1)

I have not heard of the author prior to requesting this book, so did not realize he had a large online following for his youtube channel. The book premise sounded interesting. I love superhero stories and I love when stories make a point of adding diversity to the cast.

Pros:
The plot moved along quickly, and all the characters were likeable. It was a coming-of-age story for superheroes. I liked that in the end, (view spoiler)

Cons:
This book needed a round of editing with an eye solely for continuity. There were several points during the narrative where it was apparent the author forgot that his characters were disabled in some fashion. Many many times, Philip would turn his head to look at somebody or watch something (even before Henry let him borrow his sight). One of the pivotal scenes required a one-armed character to have two hands. Little things that threw me completely out of the story.

This book failed the Bechdel test and it really shouldn't have. There were girls in the Ables' class who could have played a role in the plot. The teacher could have played a larger role. One of the Ables could have been a girl instead of a boy. Etc. For all that this book was about representation, it sucked a lot at female representation. (Also, ethnic diversity. Henry was the only non-white character, and the fact that Philip made a big deal about that implied that all the other characters defaulted to white.)

Also, the plotting could have used a little work. I understand this was a middle-grade or young adult book, but all the plot twists were readily apparent for a reader who was paying attention. I figured out fairly early on who Finch was, who Elben was, and even who the traitor was in the Ables.

There was a lot of potential here. It just never came together for me.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley… (mais)

What a great listen. The author reads his own work which is great because who else would know the character better? There's a good mix of humor and heartrending parts evenly distributed throughout the story, but above all everyone from Phillip, the protagonist, to his best friends, to the villain of the piece is an interesting character who help keep the plot moving and fun. The best part is how a group of young people who are at a disadvantage in some way (Phillip is blind, his friend Henry is in a wheelchair, etc.) not only overcome those things but figure out to work together and use their abilities in ways that complement each other.

I hope Mr. Scott is planning another book soon. I'd like to read more of his work!

… (mais)