Darius Brasher

The beginning of this novel wasn't very promising. Standard teenage angst stuff, combined with a standard manifestation of new superpowers: protagonist is a wimp, has no girlfriend, gets tormented by bullies. And – shocker! – his powers kick in at the exact moment he needs them to counter a drubbing from these bullies.

Much of Theo's “origin story,” as it were, has tropes that will be familiar to longtime comic book readers. I would've liked to have seen more innovation here, but I also understand sticking to the tried-and-true formula.

From there, though, the novel picks up. I'm a sucker for training sequences, and much of this story features Theo's evolution from scrawny milquetoast to confident proto-hero. The training he goes through is detailed, logical, and just plain fun – for the reader, that is. Theo grumbles throughout his training, even though he knows it's molding him into something better.

Theo's friends and mentors are well-drawn. Brasher doesn't overload us with a supporting cast of dozens; it's easy to keep everyone straight. Amazing Man was probably my favorite character. Tough and driven, but also very human. In other words, a good surrogate father for Theo.

The climax, like the beginning of the book, isn't mind-blowing, but it's fitting and sets up things for book two.

The prose was engaging for the most part. I didn't think the battle scenes flowed very well, however, and Brasher's seeming aversion to contractions makes the writing unnatural in some spots. But the wit of the characters and the pacing is generally good. This novel neither moves too fast nor too slow.

It's good enough that I'll try book two to see what sort of trouble Theo gets into next.… (meer)