Review Detail

The story:

Hot on the heels of the event of Super Humans (Book One), we get inside the heads and lives of two more characters – Beck, the tall, athletic jock, and Wren, the bookish cousin of Miranda, all of whom were also introduced in the first book. Both find themselves involved with a growing team of young superheroes who have been brought together to fight a growing darkness, a demonic bringer of chaos known only as “It”.

What I loved:

I find myself really enjoying the format of this series – we get one character’s perspective, then half a book later, we switch to someone else’s. This gives us time to get to know each and every member of the team as they assemble, train, and grow into their new roles. The discovery of an ancient journal, which neatly ties past events to present, gave the book a sense of continuity. The characters are well-written and relatable, especially Beck, whose story goes much deeper than just the driven athletic star.


What I didn’t love:

I get the sense that there is a battle royale coming, and while there was plenty of mid-range drama, I can’t help but wonder how many more books it will take before we’re out of the “setting up” phase. The menace of It is definitely growing, but there’s not been that much ink devoted to exactly what It is and how our young heroes plan to deal with it.


My Final Verdict:

Super Powers effectively builds on the world and plot lines that began in Super Humans. The characters’ personal and collective stories are enjoyable and fast-paced, and with the tension building, there’s more than enough reason to continue the series.