Customer Reviews

Powerless

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Have you ever played a game where you choose which super power you'd like to possess? Have you ever imagined what it might be like to fly at the speed of sound, walk through walls, lift up cars, or create electricity with your bare hands? What would you do if you woke up one morning and were actually able to do one or more of those things? And what would you do if you had always had those powers and woke up one morning without them?

That's kind of what happens to the kids of Noble's Green, Pennsylvania, the self-proclaimed "Safest Town on Earth." Part of why Noble's Green is so famously safe is that all of its residents under the age of 13 have one or more super powers. Some are terrifically strong or fast, several can fly, others can disappear, and still others have superhuman senses. When a house starts on fire or a car drives off a bridge, the kids are on the scene, ready to save the day however they can.

Having super powers is a blast: flying is a total thrill, and the games of hide-and-seek are taken to a whole new level. So it's especially sad that, on the night of each young superhero's 13th birthday, his or her powers --- and memories of ever having them --- are sucked away forever. Why do the kids of Noble's Green have these powers? And why do they disappear faster than a speeding bullet? These are mysteries that are beyond even the powers of the super kids.

Help comes from the unexpected source of decidedly un-super Daniel Corrigan. Daniel and his family move to Noble's Green to be with his grandmother while she's dying from cancer. It takes Daniel a few days to realize that there's something a bit odd about his new classmates and neighbors, but when he learns their secret and hears about the mysterious disappearance of their special skills, he thinks that he might be able to help. A whole bunch of children, including superhero extraordinaire and leader of the pack Eric, are about to turn 13, leaving the town open not only to the tyranny of super-powered bullies but also to a host of natural and man-made disasters.

Since his father is a fan of Sherlock Holmes, Daniel knows how to use his powers of deduction and observation to solve problems. Combined with his super friends' unique powers, can Daniel uncover the mystery of the menacing Shroud who sucks away super powers?

This is Matthew Cody's first novel, and it marks the debut of an appealing new talent. With its fast-paced action, rapidly shifting plot, and focus on superheroes and detectives, the book will appeal to both girls and boys, and is a great choice for comic book fans who claim they don't like novels. Although there are moments of humor and plenty of suspense throughout, POWERLESS --- like many of the best comic books themselves --- also contains dark undertones that might get children thinking about making friends, growing up and taking responsibility. But most of all, it is a rollicking adventure yarn that will have kids longing for super powers of their own.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

Daniel can't help noticing some of the kids in his new town are a little... unusual. The girl across the street sometimes moves faster than he can see. The school bully can throw kids twelve feet in the air. And his classmate, Eric, always seems to know where there's trouble.

After a near fatal fall, Daniel's friends let him in on their secret - they have superpowers. It's been happening in the town for generations, a fact carefully kept secret thanks to a series of rules, including the one that none of them likes to think about: it ends at thirteen. When the superkids reach their thirteenth birthdays, the next morning they have lost their powers, and forgotten they ever had them.

Daniel can't help but feel something isn't right about this. But his investigations into the mystery of the superpowers will put both him and his friends in danger, and uncover a history he never could have imagined.

POWERLESS is a fun, fast-paced read, with a courageous and likable main character in Daniel. It's refreshing to read a story in which the protagonist isn't the super-special one, and Daniel proves that you don't need superpowers to be a hero. The supporting characters are quirky, but have depth as well, and the villain is effectively creepy. The twists along the way will keep readers guessing right up until the end. The end itself is satisfying, but leaves a few questions unanswered.

This reviewer hopes there is a sequel in Daniel's future! Highly recommended.

Reviewed by: Lynn Crow

I picked up this book because I had seen some raves about it on [...]. So my expectations were high. Did "Powerless" let me down? NOT AT ALL. So much fun, so clever. And I am not a comic book person but this book was so truly entertaining, it didn't matter. I am planning to read it a second time this weekend--something I almost never do.

I hope this author keeps churning them out. Can't wait for his next book.

The following is a review from my son who is 10.

Never thought I'd see a chapter book inspired with the concept of superheroes. Superheroes, for gosh sakes! I don't usually find a superhero chapter book in a store that often. Anyways, this book exceeded my expectations by 110%. Mr. Cody has included great characters in this book, great plot, great storyline, great everything! I've never actually read a book like this (I.E. one that involves superheroes as children), but basically, this book impressed me. Definitely sequel-worthy in my book. Recommendations are for ages 8 and up.

I am writing this review for my 11 year old nephew who loved this book. He loved the book because it made him feel like he was and could be one of the characters. Mr. Cody writes in a very vivid and engaging style. My nephew told me numerous times that he feels strongly that the book should be made into a movie! Obviously, he LOOOOVEEED this book!

This book is amazing. It had our entire family excited to read and see what happen's next. My husband and I would take turns reading to our girl (6) and boy (9). The kids fell in love and my husband and I would update the other each night. I am hoping the author has more books. I give it my best marks!

Matthew Cody has crafted a world that will appeal to young and old readers alike. As I was reading it (I enjoyed it so much I finished the book in one night)I was reminded of how the first Harry Potter book really hooked me by drawing me back to the bygone days of my youth. Who wouldn't have enjoyed growing up in magical world of wizards, witches, and monsters, or in Cody's equally interesting world of mysterious glowing meteorites, multiple secret generations of kid superheroes, and a diabolical supervillain?If you or your children enjoyed the Harry Potter books, I highly recommend Powerless. Powerless is a great stand alone story but Cody leaves ample hooks that could be developed into a very engaging series of stories over time. If you are younger and enjoy superheroes (or even older but still look back fondly on the days of running around the backyard with a towel cape tied to your neck)give this book a read. I doubt you will be disappointed.

I rate this book 5 stars. It gets a perfect score because of the way the writer explained the actions of the characters and made the story very real, and described what happened so well.

My favorite part of the story was how they had a war in the end with "the shroud". I also really liked how they didn't include any parents, and how kids were just the ones who saved the day.

The story takes place in the little town of Noble's Green. A boy named Daniel moves to this town and hangs out with friends who happen to be superheroes, and who all have different powers. At first they don't tell Daniel they are superheroes, but when they do they also tell him that something named "the shroud" takes their powers away when they turn 13. So, Daniel tries to stop "the shroud" taking their powers.

My opinion of this book is that it is one of the best books I have ever read. I had a lot of action and adventure and included different genre types within it like mystery, fantasy and science fiction and those are all my favorite type of books.

One connection I made to this book was that it was sort of like Harry Potter and was written in a way that reminded me of J.K. Rowling's writing, but other than that I think Powerless is a unique book. I think you should just read it!

Superhero chapter books for kids. They're out there. Sure they are. Still, I kind of feel like the wizarding trend Harry Potter started sort of took the steam out of any superhero tales we might have been privy to. Generally speaking, if a kid has magical powers in a book then there's a lot of mysticism or magic surrounding the discovery. The plain old I-woke-up-and-could-lift-a-bus method of everyday powers is more popular in comics, but not so hot in written literature for young `uns. I do wonder why this is. Maybe it's a residual distaste some people still retain for the superhero comic book genre. Maybe it's the silly tights. Whatever the case, I feel like there's a lot of room out there for good middle grade chapter books about kids with super duper abilities. "Powerless" by Matthew Cody definitely fills that void, and ends up being a fun and original story about a kid who has to keep others from ending up like himself. You know. Normal.

In the little town of Noble's Green there is a peculiar situation. On occasion kids in the town will develop abilities far beyond those of normal kids. Maybe it'll be super speed, or strength, or flying, or whatever. The point is, these kids have their own rules in place to understand who they are. And one of those rules is, "It Ends at Thirteen". Daniel has just moved to Noble's Green, and though he has no super abilities of his own he befriends the super kids and determines to find out why it is that they all lose their superpowers on the night of their thirteenth birthdays. What he discovers in the course of his explorations is a situation that has existed for decades, and a villain of such sheer cunning, Daniel won't know who to believe or trust next.

Fair play to Cody, because this book has a killer opening. Heck, it booktalks itself! Listen to this: Michael wakes up and it's his thirteenth birthday. And he's excited but it feels like he's forgotten something. Something important. Anyway, he wakes up, opens his eyes, and then he sees them. Pictures. Pictures all over the room. Pictures of him flying. It wouldn't be so creepy of course, if it weren't for the fact that they're drawings he must have made and he can't remember drawing them. See? The booktalk practically writes itself. There are few things creepier than children's drawings when used in the right context. The only problem with the opening of the book is that there's a little tidbit of Michael flying before this wake up sequence. It would have been much cooler if the Prologue started as Michael wakes up, sees the pictures, has a mild freak out, and gets on with his life.

Part of what I like about the book is how backwards the concept is. Children's fantasies abound with stories of kids coming into their power or magical skills when they hit puberty. It's a big old metaphor, of course, but one that kids dig. Puberty = scary / awesome newness. So what are we to make a book where kids turn thirteen and suddenly their amazing abilities go away? Well, it's sort of the Peter Pan syndrome, yes? The idea that with adulthood you abandon the fun and imagination of your own youth. Cody's even playing with this idea with the initial Michael sequence. "... thirteen was the age when you started taking care of yourself, when you started figuring things out ..." Later when Michael and Daniel talk, he says that he had to distance himself from his old super friends because they were still into kid stuff. It works, if you see it in that light.

A good bad guy is hard to find, and even when you do find one you need to make sure he or she has just a glint of something human in them. Otherwise they're just threatening your hero's body, not their soul. In superhero literature, the best villains are the ones you can sort of understand. Magneto. Dr. Doom. Mxyzptlk (well... maybe not Mxyzptlk). And the villain in this book (not to give anything away) is just right. You completely understand where they're coming from. Heck, you might even find yourself agreeing with them. The danger Cody runs with creating such a sympathetic baddie is that the audience might be even more swayed by their reasonings than the hero. I think Cody walks the line pretty well on this one, but there will definitely be a couple kids reading the story that think to themselves, "Huh! You know . . . they have a point there."

The internal logic works really well, to my relief. A fellow librarian of mine complained that there's no explanation of how the kids got their powers, but actually Cody covers that ground pretty well. There was only one dropped plot point that nagged at me (i.e. why does Eric have the Shroud comics hidden in his room?). Still, I'm sure there's an explanation somewhere. Additionally, I don't think I'm giving too much away here when I say how relieved I was when the book ended and Daniel didn't suddenly find himself with his own superpowers. Cody certainly could have "rewarded" his hero with that kind of a topper. But since the whole point of the book is to show how important a single normal everyday kid is in the face of extraordinary powers, it would have been pretty two-faced to end the story with him magically getting a couple of his own. Cody already has a pretty good surprise ending in place anyway. The book is a good little stand alone title but should he wish to create a couple sequels, there's plenty to work with. Believe me.

The best thing about the book is that it doesn't settle on being one kind of story. Sure, it's about superheroes, but it's also a mystery. Daniel's hero isn't the mysterious Johnny Noble who started all this superheroism, but Sherlock Holmes. So kids with a thing for flying and invisibility will like the book, and so will kids who just want a good whodunit. "Powerless" ends up being one of those unassuming little chapter books that may find itself getting a strong fanbase all thanks to having something for everyone. A hoot.

Ages 9-12.

Matthew Cody's POWERLESS tells of Daniel's move to a new town, the new friends who are nice but odd, and his discovery that each have a superpower. His new friends are watching over the town - but when they turn thirteen their magical abilities vanish along with their memories. Who is stealing their powers? It's up to Daniel to find out.