Customer Reviews

Archvillain #1

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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I will start off by stating I was excited to read this. I made my pledge to not read any more books from the library(see post from yesterday), but this one came in and I had to read it. Why? Because I enjoy the writing of this author. However, this one did not really do it for me. This is no Fanboy or Boy Toy in my mind. Maybe if I had not been reading middle grade sci-fi nonstop for the last month I would have liked it better, but compared to some other novels it just did not rise to the occasion.

I did not like the main character. Kyle just irritated me from the start. His boldness about how cool he was due to his pranks bothered me. There was nothing about him I liked. If there was someone like that in my school I would be very surprised to see him/her with many friends.

Mighty Mike arrives and I did not care for him either. He is so perfect in a superhero-esqe way. He was too perfect and too nice and at the same time completely stupid not being able to speak correctly and being oblivious to all aspects of Earth.

The story ends with it being wide open with no real closure just Kyle preparing for his next prank. This too bothered me as I understand that series make more money, but this one does not need to continue. If it does(maybe I am alone on my thoughts), then at least provide some type of closure as I felt like I was missing some final pages.

I hate to be negative of any book because I know that not everyone thinks like me. Don't deter your thoughts about reading this book because of my views. This is a superb author who I enjoy reading, but this one just did not grab me. However, maybe it will grab you. I always state that I will be honest and I did just that even though I feel bad for doing so.

These days superheroes are popping out everywhere in our media. We've got television shows like No Ordinary Family and the upcoming The Cape series, and 2011 will be a bumper crop of superheroes flying to the big screen.

Personally, I can't wait.

So my Spidey senses have been more alert than usual, seeking out the superheroic reads. However, I missed a perfect little gem that popped out onto the shelves in October. Thankfully I've since rectified that mistake and am now taking steps to make sure you don't make the same mistake.

Barry Lyga's Archvillain is just wonderful storytelling. The thing that makes this book remarkable is how deftly Lyga takes his readers into the viewpoint of the bad guy in the story. Let me correct that. Kyle Camden doesn't actually set out to be the villain. It just kind of happens to him. The way bad things will to any kid his age who's trying to find his way in the world.

Kyle's whole mission in life is to try to get people to stop taking themselves so seriously. Unfortunately, he doesn't know when to back off his mission and stay in safe territory. He's been in hot water off and on throughout his entire life.

The night he got a bath in some strange kind of plasma that may be from another planet just made things worse. Now Kyle is super smart, invulnerable to almost everything, and can fly. No one can stop him from doing what he wants to.

Except his own innate ability to screw things up. I laughed out loud at some of the things Kyle set his sights on (Pants Laser? To blast the pants off his nemesis, Mighty Mike? C'mon, that there's funny!)

The night he got his bath, another boy showed up with superpowers as well. No one knows where Mighty Mike came from, and he's got amnesia (so he says) and can't remember anything of his past. Kyle suspects Mighty Mike is an alien from another planet who's bent on controlling the earth if he can. The problem is that as smart as Kyle is, that's about as dumb as Mighty Mike is. Mighty Mike has no real intellect to speak of, yet he always gets acknowledged for being a hero - even when some of the things he's being given credit for were done by the Azure Avenger (Kyle). His bad luck shows up again when no one remembers his cool name and instead start calling him the Blue Freak.

But Kyle devotes his energies to debunking the hero worship the community turns on Mighty Mike, and there are huge laughs along the way. Even as smart as he is, Kyle can't think of everything. He alters his parents' brain, creates a smart-alecky sidekick, and even cobbles together a few other devices (like Mimi).

The book really struck a chord with me regarding Superman's relationship with Lex Luthor. Kyle almost sounds a lot like Luthor, jealous, wary, paranoid, and egotistical, but somehow Lyga pulls all that together and makes Kyle loveable. I loved the familiar ring the story had too, though, and thought the author had set everything up wonderfully.

I read the book in a couple sittings. My 13 year old, on my recommendation, read the book yesterday. Couldn't put it down. This is one of those books you give to reluctant readers (especially boys) and watch them crawl into a fun world that they'll want more of.

Thankfully, this is the first book of a series. Lyga promises more volumes to come. And he's hooked me because I really want to know who the villain truly is and where Mighty Mike came from.

One night, while playing a prank on the town's high school, Kyle Camden is exposed to plasma. From the plasma, he obtains superpowers.

Awesome, right?

Except for the fact that from the plasma appears a clumsy, really-bad-at-saving-the-world alien named Mighty Mike.

Determined to prove who Mike really is, Kyle turns into a supervillain to show everyone the truth. When the world turns against him and the radiation from the alien puts his friend's life in danger, however, Kyle will have more to deal with than he ever imagined.

Can Kyle save his best friend? Can he prove Mighty Mike is not who he says he is?

A quick read for superhero fans, the characters are entertaining and memorable. The plot is simple, but fun to read. Those who like adventure, action, superheroes, and fantasy will enjoy reading ARCHVILLAIN.

Reviewed by: Kira M

Don't you just love when an encounter with a mysterious "space plasma" leaves you with cosmic intellect, super-strength, and the ability to fly? Well, that hasn't happened to me, but it has happened to Kyle, the main character in Barry Lyga's "Archvillain." Although Kyle loves these new powers, he decides it's best not to share them with everyone. I mean, really, how would he explain it?

The weird plasma has also brought Mighty Mike to earth, who Kyle is sure is an alien. Mike has superpowers, too, but isn't shy about sharing them, especially in public. He becomes a hit with the adults and the kids in town, even though his good deeds sometimes turn into mishaps. When everyone thinks Mike is kidding because he doesn't quite pick up on things, he pulls it off with energy and enthusiasm, but Kyle knows the truth. He assesses Mike as an alien punk who is brain-dead.

The truth be told, Kyle resents Mike taking over his status as top dude and sure he is up to something. What is on that alien's agenda? Using the Prankster Manifesto, Kyle begins to plot a way to expose Mike's schemes, but things do get a bit out of hand. It starts to make the reader question what is really going on. Is Kyle as up-front as we think when we started the book? Is he not showing off his powers so he can manipulate others? What is going on here? Is the Prankster Manifesto for good old-fashioned fun or is it hurting and humiliating people? Is Mighty Mike as sweet as he seems?

Lyga does a great job fleshing out the characters and making the reader question behavior. What seems like good, humble behavior in the beginning makes a reader question what the hidden agenda is all about. Why hide the super powers if you could help people? Kyle is worried about scientists poking and prodding him, but is that the truth?

Who is the archvillain? Is it the alien who has arrived to eat everyone's brains, as Kyle thinks? Or is it the one who has been moved to second place with the new kid in town taking first?

Pick up a copy of Barry Lyga's "Archvillain" today to find out.

Kyle Camden is the king of Bouring Middle School. He has 'pranked' everyone from the principal to the Sheriff. His pranks are legendary and he is the center of attention at school and maybe the smartest person there. But then one night while he is preparing for his next great prank, he is bathed in unearthly energies, and now he has new powers. But there is also a second kid at school with powers, a boy with amnesia who was found in the sports field with no memory - Mighty Mike. Soon Kyle is playing second fiddle to Mike in every way. In order to regain his supremacy at school and in the town, he tries to take down Mike, but in doing so he turns into a super villain.

This new series by acclaimed author Barry Lyga is geared for a younger audience than his other works. It is an addictive story and well-written. You find yourself torn between cheering for Kyle and hoping he gets caught. Children will love reading this book and I am sure it will spark great debate about doing the right things for the wrong reasons, and having a good goal but achieving it in a wrong way and so on. This would be a great book for a young reader book club or classroom discussion. I look forward to the next book in the series.