The Accidental Hero (Jack Blank Adventure) [Paperback]

Matt Myklusch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 26, 2011 | Age Level: 8 and up | Series: Jack Blank Adventure (Book 1)

All Jack Blank knows is his bleak, dreary life at St. Barnaby’s Home for the Hopeless, Abandoned, Forgotten, and Lost, an orphanage that sinks more and more into the swampland of New Jersey with each passing year. His aptitude tests project him as spending a long, unhappy career as a toilet brush cleaner. His only chance at escape comes through the comic books donated years ago to the orphanage that he secretly reads in the dark corners of the library. Everything changes one icy gray morning when Jack receives two visitors that alter his life forever. The first is a deadly robot straight out of one of his comic books that tries its best to blow him up. The second is an emissary from a secret country called the Imagine Nation, an astonishing place where all the fantastic and unbelievable things in our world originate - including Jack. Jack soon discovers that he has an amazing ability--one that could make him the savior of the Imagine Nation and the world beyond, or the biggest threat they've ever faced.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-8–Jack Blank's dull life as a 12-year-old orphan ends when he is attacked by a mechanical monster, then whisked off to the Imagine Nation, a floating island populated by superheroes. The boy makes a few friends and several enemies, explores the parameters of his own newfound superpowers, and tries to uncover the mystery of his origin. The backstory of the Imagine Nation takes a while to develop but ultimately pays off in a richly imagined world with strong appeal to fans of comics. The island is populated by a fun cast of heroes and villains, many of whom Jack already knows about from the comic books he loves to read. Brisk narration captures the superhero world with a mixture of fast-paced action, wry humor, and occasional heartfelt speeches about courage and friendship. Jack's destined role in a looming alien invasion is revealed gradually and quite effectively, and he becomes a more interesting protagonist as he learns more about himself. Several surprising plot twists toward the end lead to some serious moral struggles, along with just the right amount of plasma blasts, fusion cannons, and major explosions that make up the engaging scenes of super-battles. Most of the supporting characters are largely defined by their hero personae, but these are varied enough to make all of them interesting. The fairly ubiquitous premise of an ordinary boy with hidden powers is used here with originality and purpose, with especially careful plotting that leads to an exciting and thought-provoking conclusion.Steven Engelfried, Wilsonville Public Library, OR
© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Twelve-year-old Jack Blank’s life is just that—blank. An orphan at St. Barnaby’s Home for the Hopeless, Abandoned, Forgotten, and Lost, Jack has no memory of his past or his real name. After destroying a zombie robot in a freak accident, Jack is rescued from the orphanage by an android emissary from the Imagine Nation, Jack’s native homeland, where superheroes, aliens, and ninjas all live together. Unfortunately, Jack’s homecoming is short-lived, as he is discovered to be infected with a deadly robot virus. Yet Jack isn’t sick, and he soon learns that his inexplicable immunity to the virus is only a part of his superpowers. While Jack learns to control his powers, he also learns that the zombie robots that invaded Imagine Nation years ago never left the island and are looking for him. Myklusch’s debut novel—a fun mix of adventure, fantasy, and science fiction—is an imaginative read and will easily attract young male readers longing to be from another world. Grades 4-7. --Kimberly Garnick --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin; Reprint edition (April 26, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416995625
• ISBN-13: 978-1416995623
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #162,229 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Matt Myklusch is the marketing director for MTVu, the popular network's college channel. He lives in New Jersey, and JACK BLACK is his first novel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Hero for a New Generation, August 3, 2010

By 

S. Hutchinson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation (Jack Blank Adventure) (Hardcover)

JACK BLANK AND THE IMAGINE NATION is a pretty thick book but I gobbled it up in just two nights. Most of that has to do with the exceptionally vivid world. The Imagine Nation is filled with colorful characters, politics, schools, and ideas. It's a fully realized country where super powered people live and breathe. Much like the wizarding world of Harry Potter, the Imagine Nation is so detailed that I could easily imagine it existing right off my own coast. It's a remarkable feat.

But beyond that, Matt Myklusch creates a character in Jack that I rooted for all the way through. His story is a pretty neat version of a hero's journey, but with a twist that keeps the story fresh. It's never clear whether Jack is going to swoop in and save the day, or inadvertently destroy his new home. Either way, Jack is relatable, fun, and pretty darn awesome.

The pacing is swift and never dull, the writing is detailed and sharp without ever bogging down in unnecessary description, and the conclusion was satisfying but with just enough threads left over for the other two books in the trilogy.

Mixing superheroes and aliens and ninjas and robots, JACK BLANK AND THE IMAGINE NATION is a great read for kids and adults alike. It'll leaving you checking the horizon, looking to find your own Imagine Nation.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, November 5, 2010

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation (Jack Blank Adventure) (Hardcover)

Gold Star Award Winner!

Jack doesn't know who he is or where he comes from. All he knows is the life he's had at St. Barnaby's Home for the Hopeless, Abandoned, Forgotten, and Lost, and his love of creating comic books.

One day he gets two visitors. The first is a deadly robot from one of his comics. The second is the fast-talking Jazen Knight, who says he's come to rescue Jack and take him back to his homeland, Imagine Nation, which turns out to be a hidden island where all of the fantastic and unbelievable things in the human world originate.

When Jack is discovered to be carrying a deadly robot virus, he soon realizes that he has superhuman powers, one of which is an immunity to the virus. When Revile, a deadly alien, attacks the city and Jack becomes the only one who can stop him, he must discover his origins and learn to control his powers in order to save his newfound home.

Can Jack master himself before it's too late?

JACK BLANK AND THE IMAGINE NATION is a great, action-packed fantasy adventure from start to finish. The characters are well-developed; the plot moves along quickly and keeps the reader's attention. Those who like fantasy, adventure, science fiction, robots, and/or superheroes will really enjoy reading this book - and the planned sequels.

Reviewed by: Kira M

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing, Action Packed Read, October 5, 2010

By 

Mundie Moms/Mundie Kids "Katieb" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation (Jack Blank Adventure) (Hardcover)

Jack Blank is such a brilliantly written book, with an amazing setting, wonderful characters and a lot of powerful messages written within it's pages. It's a place where all the super heros & real life heros I grew up with and even never before heard of heros, live. It makes the extraordinary seem ordinary.

Twelve year old Jack Blank has been living in a horrible orphanage, where he's constantly picked up on the bully Rex, and finds excitement in reading his comic books. Jack Blank has no idea where he came from, where his family is, and what his real last name is. On the morning a killer robot from one of Jack's comics becomes a reality and tries to kill him, Jazen Knight, an emissary from a secret country called Imagine Nation, has come for Jack. Jack soon finds himself in a place that is right out of his imagination. The way to get there is by believing.

Imagination Nation is in constant motion and travels between the countries of our world, though the members from this nation are from all over the world, make believe, real and from out of this world. I was really surprised that I loved Imagine Nation as much as I did. One of my favorite places in Imagine Nation is in Cognito. A city where people can go to, to "disappear", not even the streets have names. Imagine Nation is made of all sorts of living creatures from normal people to ninjas, kung fu masters, aliens, sorcerers, androids, regular people and more. It almost felt like it has a more updated Star Wars feel to it, complete with it's own Yoda in the form of one of my favorite characters, Stendeval, who's wisdom and encouragement help Jack find out who he is.

I really admired Jack's character. His life hasn't been easy and it gets tougher as soon as he arrives to Imagine Nation. He's been infected by a virus from a feared enemy, the Rustov, as known as Robie-Zombies, who all but destroyed many lives 12 years ago, in an invasion. Jack has few people who believe he's not a threat, Jenzen Knight and the wisest leader on Imagine Nation, Stendeval are two of them. I loved their characters. They convey such powerful messages not only to Jack, but to the reader.

Here's some of my favorite messages:

* "Be the change you want to see in the world" (pg 169)
* "Change begins with the individual" (pg 179)
* "... always remember that the path you choose to follow is your own." (pg 181)
* "Knowledge is power." (pg 209)
* "...we always have a choice. It's only the brave who choose not to surrend where there's no reason left to hope." (pg. 297)
* "The best way to predict your future is to create it." (pg 318)
* "Never underestimate the power you have over what happens today. Never forget the power today has over tomorrow." (pg 467)

Jack Blank is out to prove he's not a threat, and it will take Jenzen, Blue, Stendeval, and Jack's new friends to help him in his quest. Jack alone must believe in who he is and what his powers can do. Jack has a power that has not only kept his infection at bay, but it can destroy the Rustov. When the evil Rustov robot comes back to kill Jack and reveals who he is, Jack will be faced with a decision that can ultimately change his future forever.

I know this book is written for grade and middle school aged kids, but I really enjoyed Jack Blank and The Imagine Nation. I was reminded of how much fun it is to imagine. I can't wait for son my to read this when he's a little older. Matt Myklusch writing it truly what kept me glued to the book. Jack Blank and The Imagine Nation is an awesome, action packed, must have book, with some great plot twists. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.