Hidden Talents [Hardcover]

David Lubar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1999

So I wasn't in cuffs--but it felt like going to prison. It was the sort of place where people kept broken machines, old tires, and other stuff they didn't need. Yeah, this was the place for things nobody wanted. End of the trip. End of the line.
--Martin Anderson, 13

Welcome to Edgeview Alternative School.

For Martin Anderson, it's the end of the road. Literally. He's already been kicked out of every school he's ever attended. Edgeview is the last one that will take him. His teachers have given up on him. So have his parents. Everyone has given up on Martin Anderson. Even Martin.

Why Edgeview?

Martin has a bit of a problem respecting authority. He can't help it. It's like insulting adults is his special talent. And since Edgeview is a warehouse for the system's freaks and rejects, Martin fits right in. That is, until he falls in with a group of five misfits who are so messed up they make the other Edgeview delinquents seem like choirboys. Even the freaks call them freaks.

Unknown to the five, however, each possesses a hidden talent. A remarkable, powerful talent.

Martin discovers the key that will unlock the secret of their hidden talents. And in the process he will battle his own worst enemy: himself.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After being expelled from any number of schools, 13-year-old Martin winds up at Edgeview, a publicly funded boarding school and a last-chance alternative. Martin, who narrates, doesn't seem like a delinquent, but he just can't stop himself from taunting his teachers. By the end of his first day he has infuriated the whole staff. Of the kids, Bloodbath is a terror, as are his cronies, but Martin's roommate, "Torchie," is nice enough, although he constantly denies starting the fires that flare up wherever he goes. The other boys Martin gets to know similarly refuse to own up to the particular behavior that landed them at Edgeview. Readers expecting a typical resolution, wherein the boys accept responsibility for their misdeeds, are in for a surprise. Martin's buddies aren't liars and troublemakers at all; unbeknownst even to themselves, they're endowed with paranormal powers: Cheater is telepathic, Trash is telekinetic, Flinch is clairvoyant, etc. Led by Martin, who finally discovers his own hidden talent, the six use their abilities to save Edgeview from Bloodbath and his gang's attempts to sabotage a state inspection. The stakes are a little suspect (would these boys really develop such passionate school spirit?), but on the whole Lubar (Kidzilla) serves up great fun, along with an insight or two for those whose powers are only too human. Ages 12-up. (June)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Grade 6-8-Edgeview Alternative School represents the end of the line for Martin Anderson. At 13, he's been kicked out of every school in his district, and feels more than a little skeptical about making a new start in this lonely, gray place. Still, he begins to establish tentative friendships with his pyromaniac roommate, Torchie, and a few of the other kids. They band together to form some small wall of protection against the school's most disturbed bully, Lester Bloodbath. Soon, Martin suspects that his friends are far more than ordinary misfits, and he confronts them with his theories about their psychic powers. His excitement in his discovery turns to disappointment when they turn against him out of fear of being labeled freaks. Fortunately, a class science experiment finally gives Martin the evidence he needs to persuade his friends of their talents. He coaches them as they learn to control their powers and leads them as they face their greatest challenge: a battle with Bloodbath that will decide the fate of the school. This plot is the stuff of most teenagers dreams-the discovery that you and your friends have superpowers. Unfortunately, the story suffers from a frustratingly slow pace and an awkward writing style that alternates between Martin's first-person narrative and letters, memos, and brief boxes of dialogue. Also, the characters lack detail and definition. Stephanie Tolan's Welcome to the Ark (Morrow, 1996) is a darker, but more satisfying tale of extrasensory abilities.
Kelly P. Kingrey, Sabine Parish Library, Many, LA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 213 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312866461
• ISBN-13: 978-0312866464
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,808,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Lubar is a genuinely funny guy who spent several years programming computer games. He has published several novels for young readers, including Flip, Wizards of the Game and Hidden Talents. Born in New Jersey, David now lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, his daughter, and three cats.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Holes by Sachar Meets X-Files, November 8, 2000

By 

Seth Vaught (Brownsburg, Indiana USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hidden Talents (Mass Market Paperback)

David Lubar presents a bleak situation for one young Martin Anderson. Martin has been to many schools, all of which he has been kicked out of for smarting off. He is sent to his last chance for an education, Edgeview Alternative School. He tries his best not to irritate his new teachers, but finds that he cannot help himself. Soon, he finds others who cannot help themselves either.

This book is a great story for kids who are struggling with authority, difficulty making friends, dealing with angry parents, or who are looking for a sequel to "Holes" by Louis Sachar. I found it entertaining, and interesting.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars David Lubar is a talent on the rise., October 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hidden Talents (Hardcover)

For years, I've watched David Lubar fine tune his writer's craft. He's moved from his "Kidzilla" series for TOR to his "Monster" series for Scholastic to this distinctive YA novel, "Hidden Talents." With each step he takes along the writers road, Lubar gets a little better...a little stronger...a little closer to the mark.

I loved the character's David created for "Hidden Talents." I love the way his quirky kids interacted. And I love the way they joined together to prove at least two things --- that kids are not without power, and that David Lubar has his finger on the pulse of just what those powers might be.

Well done, David. I can't wait to read "Monster Road."

Kelly Milner Halls, Freelance Writer/Reviewer

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine misadventures of youth, February 18, 2003

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hidden Talents (Mass Market Paperback)

When it comes to adult authority. junior high school student Martin Anderson cannot keep his mouth shut as he rejects the constant advice with smart answers and insults. He has been expelled from six schools, the boy scouts, and the little league. He rides the bus to his final destination the prison-like Edgeview Alternative School, an institution used to lock up the violent and other losers (where is Pink Floyd when you need them?)

Martin realizes he must be on the cutting edge to survive the ready fists of bully Bloodbath and the shock therapy of Warden, (make that Principal) Davis. On the plus side Martin meets four fellow weirdoes with special psychic powers. Torchy lights fires without matches or lighters; Cheater copies test answers from anyone sitting anywhere; Lucky steals anything; and Trash trashes stuff. Martin believes his only power is what adults label acerbic while he would say satirical tongue. The five losers band together as Martin discovers his HIDDEN TALENTS and try to stop a plot to shut the school of last resort down.

Though the climax seems out of character for the magnificent five, the Harry Potter crowd will enjoy their misadventures. The quintet is at their diabolical best when they interrelate with one another. Although much of the key secondary cast seems stereotypical, readers will enjoy sharing a pizza with Martin's beleaguered parents as they and the young audience will wonder what will he do or say next.

Harriet Klausner