(August 2014) Topic of the Month: Superheroes!

SUPERHEROES

August's Topic of the Month is officially Superheroes! So to kick it off, we have decided to list a few superhero novels that may interest you! Throughout the month we will be reviewing and posting little blurbs about our favorite superhero-filled novels. Hope you enjoy!!!

Here are a few that we have already read, or will be reading in the future, to start you off:


Read by: B

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book: Fourteen-year-old Zach Harriman can feel the changes. The sharpening of his senses. This incredible stregnth. The speed, as though he can text message himself across miles. The confidence and the strange need to patrol Central Park at night. His dad had been a hero, a savior to America and a confidante of the president. Then he died, and the changes began in Zach. What Zach never knew was that his father was no ordinary man-he was a superhero, battling the world's evil. This is a battle that has been waged for generations and that knows no boundaries.

Read by: C

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book: Four thousand years ago the world's first super human walked the earth. Possessing the strength of one hundred men, skin impervious to attack, and the ability to read minds, this immortal being used his power to conquer and enslave nations. Now plans are in motion that will transport this super human to the present, where he'll usher in a new age of tyranny unlike anything the world has ever seen.
Determined to stand against them, using power they have only just begun to master, is a ragtag group of young heroes. For them this first test may be their greatest...and last. (Cue dramatic music!!!)

Read by B and C:

Here is a part of the GoodReads summary of the book: What do you do if you can deadlift a car, and you spend your night flying to get away from it all? If you're fifteen-year-old Avery Pirzwick, you keep that information to yourself. When you're a former jock turned freak, can you afford to let the secret slip? But then Avery makes some friends who are as extraordinary as he is. He realizes they are more than just freaks together, maybe they have a chance to be heroes. First, though, they have to decide whether to trust the mysterious Cherchette, a powerful would-be mentor whose remarkable generosity may come at a terrible price. 

Our thoughts on the book: Dull Boy is one of those great books that was never truly discovered and given proper credit. It was definitely an awesome story with amazing characters that were just ordinary, everyday people that were finally allowed to become something greater than themselves. Everyone has to read this book!

Here is a part of the GoodReads summary of the book: Andrew Bean might be a part of H.E.R.O., a secret organization for the training of superhero sidekicks, but that doesn't mean that life is all leaping tall buildings in single bounds. First, there's Drew's power: Possessed of super senses - his hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell are the most powerful on the planet - he's literally the most sensitive kid in school. There's his superhero mentor, a former legend who now spends more time straddling bar stools than he does fighting crime. And then there's his best friend, Jenna - their friendship would be complicated enough if she weren't able to throw a Volkswagen the length of a city block. Add in trying to keep his sidekick life a secret from everyone, including his parents, and the truth is clear: Middle school is a drag even with powers.

Read by: B and C
Here is a link to B's review.

Here is a part of the GoodReads summary of the book: Ever since becoming an IWP-Individual with Powers-Marvin Maywood has dreamed of joining the Core, a group of gifted heroes who save lives and stop crimes. But because he's a homeless teenager who is forbidden to use his amazing powers, wanting and achieving that dream are two very separate things.

But when Marvin saves a family from some dangerous hoodlums with his enhanced strength and speed, his chance to try out for the Core comes at last. The opportunity seems like a dream come true-until he realizes that the idyllic hero life he imagined is just a mask for the corrupt reality. And when a beloved hero is murdered, Marvin is suspected of being the villain behind the crime.

Read by: B
Links to B's review.

Here is a part of the GoodReads summary of the book: Nerds features a group of unpopular students who run a spy network from inside their school. With the help of cutting-edge science, their nerdy qualities are enhanced and transformed into incredible abilities! They battle the Hyena, a former junior beauty pageant contestant turned assassin, and an array of James Bond-style villains, each with an evil plan more diabolical and more ridiculous than the last.

Read by: C

Here is a part of the GoodReads summary of the book: Book #1 in a series about teenagers that were tampered with as babies - injected with a combination of drugs that were designed to leave them with super abilities. Over time the teens start to find each other, form a team, and search for answers and the man who did this to them. 

My thoughts on the book: Overall, I thought it was a decent superhero novel. I believe Kim Jewell is one of those authors that was never truly discovered. So many people have never heard of this novel and I definitely recommend it. Plus, don't let the cover fool you! The book may be about a few years old and it was an enjoyable read! The second book is also out and I believe the third book is still in the works.

                                       Book #2:                                       

 

Read by: C

Here is a part of the GoodReads summary of the book: Brad Baron is used to looking lame compared to his older brother, Blake. Though Brad's basically a genius, Blake is a superhero in the elite Justice Force. And Brad doesn't measure up at his high school, either, where powers like super-strength and flying are the norm. So when Brad makes friends who are more into political action than weight lifting, he's happy to join a new crew-especially since it means spending more time with Layla, a girl who may or may not have a totally illegal, totally secret super-power. And with her help, Brad begins to hone a dangerous new power of his own.

My thoughts on the book: Even though this book focuses on the villain aspect of the superhero world, I loved that the universe was one that showed the corruption within the heroic society and how the villains were just trying to set things right. The book also dealt with the constant clash of what we as humans consider to be good and evil. Definitely read this book!!!