Dull Boy (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

How do you hide super strength and the ability to fly? Fifteen-year-old Avery suddenly finds himself endowed with these amazing powers, but he can’t figure out how to control them or keep himself out of trouble. When Avery befriends other kids who are also superbly gifted, the small group bands together to try to use their powers for good. But who is the mysterious Cherchette, and why does she want Avery and (only) some of his friends to move in with her? This is a wild ride, and readers will find themselves immersed in the challenges faced by Avery and company. Despite an implausible conclusion that comes out of nowhere and does not live up to the buildup, the book’s ending does set up well for a sequel. With definite appeal to superhero-comics devotees ready for prose novels, this should also attract fans of rousing adventure stories. Grades 7-10. --Melanie Koss

Review

"Avery's narration is hip, witty, funny and sarcastic." --School Library Journal

"[A] highly effective, grippingly paced blend of superhero adventure and sci-fi thriller." --Bulletin of the Center of Children's Books

Like the best superhero stories, Cross's novel has crisp action sequences and a good sense of humor, but also gets deep into the fears and struggles of teenagers who simply don't fit in. ---Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 308 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1 edition (May 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525421335
• ISBN-13: 978-0525421337
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #209,707 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, Hilarious, and Geektastic!, May 17, 2009

By	Mint910 (USA) - See all my reviews

Dull Boy was awesome, hilarious and pretty geektastic! I really liked the main character Avery, I usually prefer books in a female voice just because it's easier for me to relate to, but Avery was just a cool guy with a good heart. I really liked him, and he was pretty funny! I really liked the abbreviated swear words he used or thought, stuff like "What the F". That kind of stuff is just perfect to me!

And of course Avery isn't the only character. I loved all his new friends from Darla the super brain that has all sorts of crazy gadgets and a giant robot(!) to Nicholas the tortured boy with a power he can't control to Sophie who always seemed to be in a good mood and Catherine who is also hiding a secret... they all had something to offer to the story!

I never decided in my mind if Cherchette (crazy awesome name) the mysterious lady with powers of her own would end up to be good or bad and just let the story unfold in front of me. I really liked what I learned about her and from her, she informs us of about some background of where the kids got their powers that some authors might leave out but I'm so glad that Cross included, I'm all about the details!

Another thing I really liked was that throughout the book there are case files about each of the kids and their powers. I liked having that to refer to instead of just knowing what the story told us. All in all a fun and action packed book that seems to definitely set itself up for a sequel, can't wait to see what happens next!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic romp, August 23, 2009

By	Gregory R. Chadbourne (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a wonderful, modern superhero tale where the hero searches for how he and his cherished superpowers will fit into the world. I really enjoyed reading such an honest approach rather than the typical bemoaning of "woe is me, I have awesome powers, whatever will I do" that so often occurs in coming of age fantasy and magical realism protagonists. Sarah very naturally works in a lot of pop culture, internet, and comic book references so that whether or not you're aware of the original, you'll enjoy the story. The supporting cast, especially the girl genius, are excellent in their own right. As for the ending, I think it was not so much to setup a sequel as one reviewer suggested (you can do a sequel/prequel with anything these days) but instead was an invitation for the reader to make their own decision about what will happen. That she dared to break from neatly wrapping the story up with her authorial voice is one of the bold moves that make this novel compelling on many levels, ranging from thoughtful introspection about one's place in the world to LOL heroic romp.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, August 10, 2009

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

Avery lives for the darkness. Not for any deviant reason, but because he is less likely to be seen when he is flying around town. You see, Avery isn't like other kids. He has super-strength and can fly.

Since these powers developed, his life has totally changed. His normal friends are pulling further and further away because he is spending less time with them. They're upset that he quit the wrestling team, but he really didn't have a choice. His strength was too hard to control during practices and matches.

By trying to be a nice guy and save the day by using his powers for good, Avery sends his parents over the edge. They are already forking over a lot of money for his other unintentional damages and feel he is out of control. So his parents decide to send him to a special school for troubled kids.

On his first day at the new school, Avery meets a strange girl. She ends up shedding a lot of light on the world for him. He discovers that he isn't the only one with special abilities and finds himself becoming part of another "family." One that understands him and his desire to help the world and not just waste his powers on frivolous thrills and ways to get into the spotlight.

But, in any superhero story, there has to be an evil mastermind. In DULL BOY that evil mastermind is Cherchette, and she wants to gather all the kids with super-powers together. Why, you might ask? You'll have to read the book to find out.

DULL BOY has it all - humor, friendship, family issues, a little romance, super-powers. What more could you ask for? As a reader, I completely fell in love with Avery. Sarah Cross leaves the reader completely satisfied, even though it is clear there will be a sequel.

Reviewed by: Karin Librarian