Review Detail

What worked:
The story is set in a world with superheroes and supervillains. It explains where they come from, their place in history, and how comic books help with covering the truth. They come with a variety of powers, although something is different about a newly discovered villain. The plot includes many action scenes, as good and evil characters clash. Logan isn’t a superhero, but he’s in the process of possibly becoming adopted by two of them. He doesn’t have a superpower unless you consider having an eidetic memory and being on the autistic spectrum superpowers. He has a photographic memory and can remember every detail of everything he’s seen, read, or heard, but he tends to speak his mind without considering how others feel.
Logan narrates the story but speaks directly to readers in some chapters. The opening chapter draws readers in, as Logan explains that he’s your big brother, even though you don’t remember him. This simple strategy immediately makes a subtle connection with readers to help them become emotionally involved in what happens. Very clever!
Logan’s potential adoption by Gil and Margie is the thread running through the plot. Being the son of superheroes presents problems for the child and the parents, as their lives will always be in danger. It also puts the heroes’ secret identities at risk of being discovered and is frowned upon by MASC, the international organization formed to monitor people with superpowers. Of course, some of these people don’t want to be monitored and that results in supervillains.
What didn’t work as well:
There are many situations throughout the book where the narrator, Logan, identifies speakers after they’ve spoken. For example, a bit of dialogue might be followed with “That was Margie” instead of simply using “said Margie” as we might expect. I’m not sure why the author uses this technique, but it’s not a big issue. It just strikes me as sounding strange.
The Final Verdict:
Fighting for family. Logan’s eidetic memory and social awkwardness make him an unlikely endearing main character. His awareness of his weaknesses and his struggles with getting adopted will elicit empathy from readers. Combining this with action-packed battles between superheroes makes this book a must-read. I highly recommend you give it a shot.