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[image error]Jeff Mean would rather set fires than follow rules or observe curfew. He wears his bad boy image like a favorite old hoodie; that is until he learns he has superpowers and is recruited by Super Villain Academy – where you learn to be good at being bad. In a school where one kid can evaporate all the water from your body and the girl you hang around with can perform psychic sex in your head, bad takes on a whole new meaning. Jeff wonders if he’s bad enough for SVA.

He may never find out. Classmates vilify him when he develops good manners. Then he’s kidnapped by those closest to him and left to wonder who is good and who is bad. His rescue is the climactic episode that balances good and evil in the super world. The catalyst – the girl he’s crushing on. A girlfriend and balancing the Supers is good, right? Or is it … bad?

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I was hooked by the premise of this book: people with supernatural abilities that develop in their teens, X-Men style, are either born as superheroes, or super villains. Jeff, a juvenile delinquent, discovers his superpowers, and is recruited into the Super Villain Academy, where kids are trained to harness their abilities, and taught how to be good at being bad. But when Jeff starts developing good manners, he wonders if he’s bad enough to be a super villain … or if the line between superhero and super villain is really that clear after all.

I found a likable protagonist in Jeff, the bad boy with a streak of good and lots of charm. The supporting characters in the book, namely Source, Oceanus, and Jeff’s dad, are all interesting and also likable in their own ways.

Strand created a fantastical yet feasible world where young people with extraordinary abilities are recruited into secret training academies to train the world’s next generation of superheroes or super villains. The descriptions of the different classes students have to take at the academy kinda reminds me of a Despicable Me/Hogwarts hybrid school. It was great fun to read!

Having said that, after the fun and surprises of the story, I found the ending a bit of an abrupt anti-climax. Without revealing spoilers, let’s just say that everything was tied up too neatly in a convenient little bow. Considering this is supposed to be the first book in a series, there are no juicy unresolved issues that would compel me to pick up book 2.

Additionally, although I felt the premise, setting, and writing style of the book was targeted at the Middle Grade, there are some rather steamy and suggestive scenes that seem inappropriate for readers of that age. As such, I’m more inclined to class this as Young Adult, which is a shame, because I really think that Middle Grade readers would love the superhero/super villain world created by the author.

In summary, despite the disappointing ending, King of Bad is a fun read, and could have been a great Middle Grade book, but for some (in my opinion) inappropriate scenes.

4 stars!

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Source: J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer