It's About: Forced into a school for delinquents after an incident involving a jewelry store and the frosty, mysterious Cherchette, Avery finds it hard to settle into a dull boy routine- and soon he discovers he's not the only teen in town who's hiding special abilities. The only problem is, the mysterious Cherchette keeps turning up with promises to make these superpowered teens' lives better- and yet, every time she appears, she manages to leave the place in shambles.
This charming origins story captures the dynamic motion of graphic novels with a witty, conversational prose that often left me laughing or nodding along in rueful recognition. Cross has a gift for combining the right amounts of absurdity and realism, creating a world where detention and mecha battles are equally at home.
With great power comes great responsibility, and with a deft and talented hand, Sarah Cross pulls her cast of young super heroes out of the realm of comics and into the world of YA novels. As a long time comic geek, I also enjoyed the little sparkles of fan service in a book that is still utterly accessible superhero first-timers. I really enjoyed this, and I hope it becomes the first of many.
Would I Give This Book to a Kid: Yes, yes, yes. Absolutely great for teens who already love comics, and it's probably also the finest introduction to the superhero genre since Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonen's superb Secret Identity.
Would I Give This Book to an Adult: Definitely to adult comic readers. I'm going to try slipping this into my mom's to-read pile, just to see what happens, though. I did manage to get her hooked on World of Warcraft, after all!
