โ Scribed by David J. Schwartz
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Madison, Wisconsin: In the summer of 2001, five college juniors wake up with . . . not just a hangover, but superpowers. . . .
Jack Robinson: Grew up on a farm, works in a chem lab, and brews his own beer. Age: 19. Superpower: SPEED.
Caroline Bloom: Has a flair for fashion design and a mother whos completely out of touch. Works as a waitress for a lunatic boss.
Age: 20. Superpower: FLIGHT.
Harriet Bishop: Studied violin, guitar, and piano . . . and was terrible at them all. Now writes about music for the campus paper.
Age: 20. Superpower: INVISIBILITY.
Mary Beth Layton: Is managing a 3.8, but feels like shes working three times as hard as the people around her.
Age: 20. Superpower: STRENGTH.
Charlie Frost: Has an anxious way about him, and always looks like hes on day 101 of his most recent haircut.
Age: 20. Superpower: TELEPATHY.
But how do you adjust to an extraordinary ability when youre an ordinary person? What if youre not ready for the responsibility that comes with great power? And how do you keep your head in a world thats going mad?
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Schwartz borrows heavily from classic comic books in this eager-to-please but unsatisfying debut. After five college friends wake up after a night of partying to discover they have superpowers, they band together as the All Stars, supernatural crime fighters straight out of Madison, Wis. From there, the plot packs few surprises: the teamCharlie, Jack, Harriet, Mary Beth and Carolineembark on dozens of good Samaritan adventures. While it's entertaining enough (in a pulpy way) for a while, characters remain mostly static, and the narrative never attains any sort of urgency, so that by the time 9/11 comes into playand, regrettably, it doesthe text reads like an ill-considered parody. (June)
Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Adult/High SchoolFive college students in Madison, WI, drink some home brew together one May evening in 2001 and the next morning they each have a new power. One can fly, one is superstrong, one can run faster than the eye can see, one can become invisible, and one can read minds. They spend some time learning about the limits of their superpowers, but, eventually, they decide to use their newfound abilities to do what they can to help societystopping crimes, solving crimes, rescuing those in danger, and so on. The premise of this first novel sounds lighthearted, and there certainly are funny moments. But Schwartz seems more interested in the confusing and difficult aspects of having such talents. He doesn't worry about how the powers came to be, or why each person got his or her particular one. Instead, he asks: Whom do you tell? How do you conduct an ordinary life? What is the difference between being a crime fighter and being a vigilante? What are these new powers doing to one's physical and psychological well-being? This is a thoughtful but entertaining novel, with interesting characters. It is respectful of the genre of the superhero comic book, while taking the concept in a different direction.Sarah Flowers, Santa Clara County Library, CA
Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
A Novel
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