The Prisoner of Cell 25

Michael Vey #1

by Richard Paul Evans

My name is Michael Vey, and the story I’m about to tell you is strange. Very strange. It’s my story.

To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is an ordinary fourteen-year-old. In fact, the only thing that seems to set him apart is the fact that he has Tourette’s syndrome. But Michael is anything but ordinary. Michael has special powers. Electric powers.

Michael thinks he's unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor also has special powers. With the help of Michael’s friend, Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up this way, but their investigation brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric children – and through them the world. Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers, and friends if he’s to survive.

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, Middle Grade, Teen

336 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

When Richard Paul Evans wrote the #1 best-seller, The Christmas Box, he never intended on becoming an internationally known author. His quiet story of parental love and the true meaning of Christmas made history when it became simultaneously the #1 hardcover and paperback book in the nation. Since then, more than eight million copies of The Christmas Box have been printed. He has since written eleven consecutive New York Times bestsellers. He is one the few authors in history to have hit both the fiction and non-fiction bestseller lists. He has won several awards for his books including the 1998 American Mothers Book Award, two first place Storytelling World Awards, and the 2005 Romantic Times Best Women Novel of the Year Award. His books have been translated into more than 22 languages and several have been international best sellers.

Reviews

[Kat (Lost in Neverland) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, why why why why why why why why WHY did I read this horrible, cliche-ridden book? So I can give a bad review of it, that's why!




So, in brief, this book is about Michael Vey, a teenager that has electrical powers. Here's the cliche part: Michael Vey is a scrawny teen that's constantly bullied, his best friend's a nerdy loser, and the main girl in the story is the most popular and prettiest girl in school. Oh, she's also a cheerleader.

Michael soon finds out that Taylor, aka 'most popular and prettiest cheerleader in school', also has electrical powers like he does. What a co-wink-e-dink! <--how the hell do you spell that? Right after they find out that they both have powers, Taylor says; "We should start a club!"
I highly doubt a fifteen year old girl (cheerleader!) would say something like that. I swear, these kids act like they're in elementary school instead of high school.

Shortly after they (meaning Michael, Taylor, and his best friend Ostin) form the club, they find out that Taylor and Michael's power isn't as coincidental as they thought. Someone is looking for them, and that someone kidnaps Michael's mother and Taylor on his birthday. He sets out to find them.

The biggest issue I have on this 'book' is the horrid writing. We are talking about an adult, correct? A twelve year old could write this book better.
Example:

Taylor looked around. She caught Zeus staring at her. He looked away. She thought he was cute.

It was full of 'I said, she said, he said, I asked, I said, he said etc...' Put some depth behind your characters, for cheese sakes! The characters had no depth whatsoever, I felt the author didn't even try with this book.

And what's with the name? 'The Prisoner of Cell 25'? Cell 25 only comes in once in the book, and not for very long, so I don't get why they'd name the book after such a small part in the book.

Five pages into the book, I was already insulted.

Unlike you, I live in Idaho. Don't ask me what state Idaho is in -news flash- Idaho IS a state.

The writing talks down to its reader, like the reader was stupid. This line is insulting because a lot of people live in Idaho, or have lived in Idaho (I grew up in Idaho!), plus, everyone above second grade knows Idaho is indeed a state. I realize the author was doing this to be funny, but to me, it just immediately made the main character sound like a little shit.
The very next line in the book is also insulting;

For one, I have Tourette's syndrome. You probably know less about Tourette's syndrome than you do Idaho.




Both my brother and my sister have been diagnosed with Autism and Asberger's for as long as I've known, so yes, I know many forms of mental illnesses. And again, this sentence talked down to its reader, even worse than the Idaho one.

It's also ridden with pathetic attempts at humor (Ostin imagining himself being rich and famous one day surrounded by hot 'chicks' who worship him wasn't funny, it was angering).
In one particularly irritating sentence, Michael asked his mother what he should get Taylor for her birthday and asked her what girls liked. She replied; "Trust me, we're all the same. We like clothes and jewelry. And flowers."





"We're all the same"?!?!?!


I never had a more powerful urge to throw the book across the room at that point.

Here's a list of a few things I like:
Books
Animals
Reading
Music
Manga/Anime
Video Games
Geeky TV shows from the 60's and 70's

Do you see clothes on this list? Or jewelry? Or flowers? I don't think so! If he got that from his wife then she hasn't been out much; if he came up with that himself, he's a sexist bastard. Not every woman likes clothes and flowers and jewelry. That's just stereotypical bullshit.

The only thing I liked about this book is that their powers weren't 'magical' but scientific. They were slightly realistic and I could imagine them happening. In a Marvel comic

So as you can see, I really hated this book. It got kind of interesting towards the end, but I still despised it, and will NEVER EVER READ AGAIN. I urge you, do not read this book if you care about your intelligence!

Thanks for reading.

[Chris Horsefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Vey, The Prisoner of Cell 25, by Richard Paul Evans, is a fun fantasy with lots of funny and yes, stupid humor too. It is not like the Alex Rider or Jason Steed series and maybe not quite as good. The story lacks the emotion from the Jason Steed novels and the skill of Anthony Horowitz on the Alex Rider series. It is about Michael and his best friend Ostin. Ostin has his name because his mother mistakenly misspelled Austin, as in the Texas city Austin.
Michael was born with powers that are due to an experiment gone horribly wrong at hospital he was born in. Most of the babies born during a relatively short period of time died at or soon after their birth. For those that survived, they all have some powers that seem to be related to electricity. Michael’s power is that he is like an electric eel and can shock people. One thing that happened early on in the book is that his mother’s car’s battery was dead and he gave her car a jump start. Ostin is the only one that knows about Michael’s power other than his mother.
Life at school is hard for Michael as he has to keep his power secret so he gets picked on and can’t defend himself. One day Michael is pushed too far and jolts a group pretty badly leaving them flopping on the ground and whimpering pretty sorrowfully. Now Michael is afraid that not only do they know but so does this girl he has a crush on, a cheerleader named Taylor, who witnessed the whole incident. Things could get worse but Michael and Ostin discover that there are other electrics out there and also, the bullies leave them alone because of fear.
There are many laugh out loud moments and I did laugh a lot. I also thought that the plot line was kept pretty on track and was filled with fun action. I am not really sure why it was called The Prisoner of Cell 25? Hardly a mention in the novel about this.

[Tina➹ lives in Fandoms · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Silver Stars
with Golden Sparks


✓ Again, another series with Hero's name as the title!
✓ realistic characters
✓ awesome thrilling plot in our world
✓ with enough amount of fun
-------
✓ added to my favourite series

I totally enjoyed it.
I might not love short stories, because they are shorts! (& I felt it's bungled up, rushed & messily), but I love it when I can read a novel in one day! cause it meant it's so captivating that can hold you in place to finish it.

YA with occasional Middle Grade vibes
-
Written style: ★★★★/5
it was mostly in first person view, but yaaaay! I loved it! He was one funny, sarcastic & cute narrator! which reminded me of Percy Jackson!

"Mr. Vey, you cannot be stuffed into a locker without your consent." Dallstrom said, which may be the dumbest thing ever said in a school.
-
plot: ★★★★/5
except a few chapters was in 3rd person & I was willing to read fast just to reach Michael again. (tho I ended up pause them in the middle because life had been calling...)
but in general, it was funny, exciting & action. I couldn't put the book down!
especially those chapters related to the title... oh boiiii...
-
Characters: ★★★★/5
also I could relate to Michael. (in some personal matters)
& other characters were good & realistic. (at least in this book, they were good)
-
World building: ★★★★/5
I felt a bit of Alex Rider or sometimes Artemis Fowl vibes on this & I don't know why, they are completely different.
-
General idea: ★★★★★/5
& finally a GREAT book about a person with electric superpower!
I loved it!
the question is , why didn't I read this sooner!?

[Christina (Ensconced in Lit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was asked by Left Bank Books to check out this book. Man, I'm glad they pointed it out to me. Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 was an unexpectedly good read for me. I actually didn't read too much about the book, so all I knew going in was that it vaguely had to do with super powers.

Michael Vey seems to be an ordinary 14 year old, but we find out in the first chapter that he has a hidden power. To make matters worse, he has Tourette's, which makes him have the unfortunate habit of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, and getting himself into trouble because of it. His powers are a secret, however, so he is forced to suffer in silence. When the prettiest girl in school approaches him, Michael realizes that maybe it's not so bad being him after all. The two of them and Michael's best friend Ostin (yes, his mother mispelled the name of the Texas capital) band together to try to figure out the mysterious origin of their powers. They discover deeply buried and explosive secrets (pun completely intended), and Michael has to decide between what is right and what is easy.

Okay, so I totally ripped off a promo for a movie or something. Not sure which one that phrase came from, but just let it suffice to say that I totally didn't make that up by myself. Anyway, what makes this book is the characters. We've all read books about kids with secret powers-- it's been overdone. How many books similar to the X-men have we all read? But Michael is hysterically funny, and has a unique voice, which completely makes this book succeed. Add a feisty, cute love interest and a hilarious sidekick best friend who is smarter than everyone else combined (including the adults), and you get a terrific, fast paced read.

This book doesn't reinvent the wheel, and I'd like to see more growth in the main character, which is why it didn't get a perfect score, but this is only the first book, and it sets up the next two in style.

Overall, a terrific and fun read, and I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

More reviews at Rondo of a Possible World: YA Book Reviews

Oh man! Everything, just everything about this has me tingling up and down from excitement. The Michael Vey series is one of my favorite summer reads and I'm so upset that I have to wait for the sequel. But hey, the wait is worth it!

I know people are saying that this book could be the next "Harry Potter" but I think it shouldn't be compared to Harry Potter, not dissing Michael Vey but this story and Harry Potter are great in their own way, why compare it with Harry Potter when it can just be Michael Vey, simple as that.

I just finished this so I'm jumping up and down with so many emotions. So many questions. You just can't even understand. Well, reading is one of my favorite ways of getting out of my AP summer assignments and Michael Vey definitely kept me preoccupied for two sittings. Characters = funny, quirky, and they grow on you. Villians = wanna shove my feet up their asses and all the way to next Tuesday. Anticipation = ALL THE TIME DURING THIS NOVEL. I just couldn't put it down and when I did I had to restrict myself from jumping back on my bed to read more.

So the moral of this review is: GO BUY IT ALREADY! BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ELECTROCLAN! A cult just for you :3

[Collin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started off so well. Cliché, yes; too much like Percy Jackson, yes. But it had potential.

Too bad the characters couldn't pull it off.

YA romance is filled with female MCs who have little to no personality - a vessel into which girls and women can project themselves for a vicarious romantic fling. Though for some reason it's never been quite as annoying, I've noticed that many male MCs are beginning to have this characteristic, as well, as a vessel for a vicarious adventurous fling. The only really interesting, defining thing about the character of Michael Vey himself is that he has Tourette's Syndrome. Other than that... I really don't know who he is except that he loves his mom (Percy, anyone?) and that he has the power of electricity.

Ostin (like the Texas city, except that his mother can't spell) is the requisite fat, nerdy, girl-crazy best friend with no real rapport with Michael that I could see. And Taylor is your omnipresent gorgeous cheerleader love (un)interest. You have to applaud a girl who is controlling, rude, and manipulative in the best of times and a complete wimp in the worst of times, who still manages to get everyone to worship at her feet. Oh, that's right. She's beautiful. Silly me.

The latter third of the book devolved into both near impossibility and annoying cliché. Everything from the villain's 'face twisted in hatred' to Taylor's and Michael's inevitable pairing at the end was almost embarrassing to read.

I gave the book three stars because it really did have an interesting, absorbing beginning, and because it's the author's first foray into YA literature. But just because it's YA doesn't mean that it can get away with a lower level of quality. Harry Potter, Michael Vey is not.

[Becca · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was amazed at how awful this book was. If you're reading this, I'll assume that you know the plot, either from the handy synopsis up top or from reading the book yourself, so I'll just go on.
Evans took a pretty cool idea- kids with electricity-related powers- and ruined it via poor writing and flat characterization. No matter what Vey was doing, the writing did not change. Kissing his longtime crush? Being tortured? Fighting to the death? This is what he sounded like. It was the written equivalent of a monotone.
The most interesting character in this book was the one who was hardly characterized at all: the main villain, Hatch. Everyone else was one-sided or just plain boring. Seriously- the bullies all had horrible family lives, so Vey immediately forgives them? Wow. That kind of characterization is more suited to an elementary-school-level book. I found this in the "teen" section.
All in all, the only people I can think of that might enjoy this are those too young to appreciate the merits of good writing.

[Erin O'Connor {If The Review Fits} · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good, just a bit childish. I should have read it when I was younger and would have liked it better. It really reminded me of Percy Jackson

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story Description:

“My name is Michael Vey and there’s something you don’t know about me, something that scares people more than you would believe. It’s my secret – and it’s part of the story I’m about to tell you.”

To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is just your average, ordinary fourteen-year-old. But Michael is anything but ordinary – in fact, he is electric.

When Michael’s best friends, Ostin Liss and cheerleader Taylor Ridley, make an accidental discovery, the three of them learn that there are other kids with similar powers – and that someone, or something, is hunting them.

After Michael’s mother is kidnapped, Michael will have to rely on his wits, his unique power, and his friends to combat the hunters, free his mother, and save the others.

My Review:

This was Paul Evans’ first stab at a young adult novel and he didn’t disappoint!! The story of Michael Vey is filled with action from the get-go and doesn’t let up until the end. You’ll literally be glued to the book until the last page is turned. I can’t wait for the second instalment in the Michael Vey series!! Highly, highly recommended.

[Evan Snyder · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me as something fun to read. I thought it was horrible.

The story included just about every stereotypical bad high school story plot point *spoilers below* - Michael gets stuffed in lockers by big bad mean bullies and the principal won't help him; he had a big crush on the prettiest cheerleader, who, voila, happens to also have special electric powers; his best friend/sidekick is a fat and socially inept genius kid; in the course of the adventure, he ends up befriending the bullies who were before stuffing him in lockers - they are only bullies because they had horrible childhoods, but are really not such bad guys deep down; cheerleader has a long lost twin; Michael ends up dating the cheerleader. Bet NO ONE could have seen that coming.

Some of these story points or variations have been used by other authors many times before - it is possible to incorporate them tactfully, but it appears that Richard Paul Evans is not capable of applying such literary grace. You can see "plot twists" coming from a mile away. The prose in general was just not good, with especially atrocious dialogue. The plot moving devices implemented here reminded me of stories written by second graders - completely devoid of subtlety, tact, or any cleverness to speak of.

To those comparing this to Harry Potter, I must point out that this book isn't at all about magic for one, and, more importantly, JK Rowling's story-telling abilities are light years beyond this book.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am clearly not the target audience for this (since I'm not a middle/high-grades boy), yet I still found it sufficiently compelling. If I had a middle/high-grades son, this would top the list of books I'd want him to read.

The MC is of lower socio-economic status and has a mental disorder (Tourette's) that is not brushed aside as a cute quirk. Well done, author!
There are multiple secondary (eh, maybe tertiary) characters of color, which is a step in the right direction, although some of the naming of them is questionable... people of Asian descent are described explicitly as "Chinese" nearly every time....
There are bullies but they receive some redemptive treatment in the end.
The overriding theme of the story is pro-equality; the book lays out a nifty little X-men style "mutant" gang whose tolerance and acceptance runs directly counter to broader (and more adult) social narratives of [white] supremacy and eugenics.

It's no Harry Potter, but it's a boy's dream: A twerpy little nobody who turns out to be a superhero (and might even get a hot girlfriend trying!)

[Amy S · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Michael Vey books have been hailed as the next Harry Potter or Hunger Games series. Let me spare you the suspense: they're not. But that doesn't mean that it wasn't good. I think if I were a middle schooler, especially a boy, I would eat these up. They are quick, unique, vampire and werewolf-free, and completely clean. But for me as an adult, I wouldn't say I felt like I HAD to get back and finish it.

I feel like he has a unique and fresh take on a suspenseful YA novel, fun characters, and great ideas. I just personally think his writing is incredibly basic and non-descriptive. I wanted to pull out my 6th grader's writing handbook and mail it to him so he could include some "juicy words," or descriptive terms on the next go-round. The paragraphs go something like this: Michael walked up the street. He looked for the house. He opened the door. You get the picture. There's no setting up of suspense. The chapters are often two-pages long and annoyingly choppy.

Am I being too picky? Yes. Go grab the book for your YA and they will love it.

[lorien ‧͙⁺˚*･༓ଳ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!!!!! Shall I continue? This book is absolutely, positively. . . marvelous!



Haha! Yes, that gif needs to be here too. But seriously, the story, the characters, the writing style. . . it's just all so amazing and brilliant!

Michael
You know, since I kind of hate books with a first person writing to it, I tend to stay away simply because my experience with first person main characters has not been well. They're too cocky and seem to know better than everyone else. But nope. Not Mister Michael here. He's charming with ELECTRIC POWERS!!!! How awesome is that? And Michael actually needs his buddies in order to get through the story. Rather than the other characters being mentioned in the story and not having any involvement whatsoever. Aaaaand there's also the fact that the girl Michael is interested in, also has super electric powers too!

Ostin
My Little man. Actually, no, he's Michael's best buddy and right-hand man. Their relationship was so hilarious and I enjoyed every minute of it. Of course, they do talk about some things that really didn't have a thing to do with the story, but you can't help liking them in the end. Ostin is basically a super brilliant fifteen year old but unfortunately, he gets made fun of because of it. Which I think is quite sad for our little man here. Yes, he does stay with Michael until the end of the book and no, Ostin does not have electric powers. But hey! He has BRAIN POWER!!! Cheesy? Yeah, I thought so too. Anyway. . . *cough*

Taylor
Former cheerleader at Meridian High School but has the power to "reboot" people's brains so they kind of forget what they were about to do. Pretty cool if you ask me. Taylor is such a good female character! You really don't see that many like her and she isn't overly sweet nor is she overly furious and angry all the time like you see so many female characters acting in many young adult books. That being said, I'm not sure if this (better run now if you hate 'em) would be considered a spoiler but Taylor. . . has a twin sister, Tara. Ironic, right? I found Tara to be annoying and can totally see why Taylor didn't care for her either. But really, Taylor was kidnapped by the Elgen Academy crew so who can she really trust in that awful place? Pretty much no one until Michael rescues her and a few more electric children, yes, these kids have a name, and flee the facility.

The Story Overall
This book hooked me right away on the first page and you know what? I may soon become a fan if the Michael Vey series if the rest of the books are just as good. *fist pump* So yeah. If you really love somewhat creepy doctors who want to experiment on kids, this book will be perfect for you! If you also love cool powers with awesome characters, this book is definitely for you.

Final Thoughts
Can I mention how awesome this book is? Yes, yes I can because this is my review and you all shall torture because of often I will say a job well done on this book. Oh, oh, and guess what? THE BOOK STARTS IN IDAHO?!?! I thought that was amazing because not too many books are sort-of set in Idaho and I loved this book even more because of it! And you can even look up the school too and see pictures of where our dashing hero, Michael, attended.
So now that the first book has ended, that can only mean one thing. . . I NEED TO GET BOOK TWO!!!

[Kadi P · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic concept that was well-executed from start to finish. It was surprisingly unexpected at every twist and turn with a stellar electric ending (oh come on, you know I had to get at least one electricity pun in here).

The protagonist was something of an underdog whose traits were a fantastic way to represent Tourette’s syndrome and show some great character diversity. In fact, all the characters were impressively diverse and often there were more to them than met the eye, requiring you to disregard stereotypes in a way more books should embrace.

So, all in all, this was an amazing start to what promises to be a very good middle grade series. After that exhilarating ending all the cards have been reshuffled so it’ll be interesting to see how book 2 handles that...

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had both adults and teens recommend this book to me, so I ordered a copy for the library. I really want to give this book 5 stars, but I just can't. Where, oh where, was your editor Mr. Evans? He/She should have really caught some of the flat dialogue in the first part of the book.

You see, I have this thing that I dislike with some books. If the writing seems to stop a smooth flow, my brain gives a little "hitch" (for lack of a better word). In other words, my brain jerks a little bit, and I lose my connection with the story. As an example, on page 44 there is about a half page of one-liners. I realize that this is simple back and forth dialogue, but it's really too simplistic....very elementary. I remember thinking as I was reading, "Ugh...this is like a 9-year-old's writing." Then I had to try to refocus my mind back into the story. Throw in some visuals for me. Did he cock his head at her? Did she raise an eyebrow? Did he stutter when he talked because he was nervous? It's not necessary for every comment, but you need a bit more.

Thankfully, I didn't see this problem as much in the second half of the book. Now, by all means, this was not a deal breaker. I will anxiously await the second installment in the series. But please, Mr. Evans, don't make my brain "hitch" again or I'll think you are pulling a Taylor and trying to reboot me.

[Emily Coleman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that your reaction to the summary of this book will be the best judge of whether or not you are going to like this novel. As I was first reading it, phrases like "It's my story," "but Michael is anything but ordinary," and "Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers and friends if he's to survive," stuck out at me. Not in a good way. In fact the whole summary screamed, "I'm an ordinary book." And it was.

Richard Paul Evans has written many best-selling novels for adults, and this is his first foray into the world of young adult fiction. And it seems to me that he's got a lot to learn. One of the major problems with this novel is that the characters do not act their age. Case in point (from my uncorrected proof):

My birthday was the one time of the year that my mother said nothing when I filled my plate with more whipped cream than crepe.

She made herself a simple crepe with butter and powdered sugar then sat down next to me. "I'm sorry I have to work today. Are you sure you're okay with celebrating after school on Monday?"

"I don't care what day we celebrate," I said with my mouth full.

"And we'll have cake and ice cream tonight. Do you and Ostin still want to go to the new aquarium on Monday?"

"Yeah. And can we go to PizzaMax for dinner?"

"Whatever you want. It's your day." She smiled at me and her eyes got all sparkly. "I can't believe you're fifteen. Another yaer and you'll be driving. You've grown into such a fine young man. I am so proud of you."

I've never been a fifteen year-old boy, but I've observed them plenty. I think it's more likely that a 12 year-old boy would ask to go to the new aquarium with his friend and then to PizzaMax with his mother. A fifteen year-old boy would be more likely to tell his mom to shove it and go see an action movie with his friends, or not do anything at all. Birthdays just aren't a big deal to older teenage boys.

Not that I don't appreciate Michael's relationship with his mother. I think, however, that in this case, it was way too over the top.

However, there is the addition of Tourette's syndrome to Michael's character. I think that a lot of teens that struggle with this disorder will really connect to this story because of that element. Like Percy Jackson's dyslexia, it's a way to make something that can be really awkward and embarrassing for a teen into something that can be cool and explainable. And for that, I applaud Evans.

However, as a generally whole, the book was far too cliche and unremarkable for me. From Michael's overweight, nerdy friend Ostin, to the beautiful, popular, but all-inclusive cheerleader Taylor, this book is a cookie-cutter model of a adult writer goes young adult. I suspect, however, that in spite of its lack-luster performance for me, this novel will still be another New York Times bestseller for Evans

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard Paul Evans ruined Christmas for me one year. I sat in the corner of the living room, reading The Christmas Box and cried. In fact, I was in a rather obsessive mood and considered how it would look if I disappeared for a couple of hours and drove to the cemetery to see if the grave marker really existed. How much of this story was true? Then I calmed down enough to just be ticked off at him for making me cry. I hate contrived tragedies which is why I never watch Little House on the Prairie, anymore. By the end of it, Pa is always crying. Still, others have found his books endearing and he spends an inordinate amount of time on the New York Times Best Sellers. Fortunately, this book did not leave me in tears nor did it leave me with an uncontrollable urge to drive to Meridian, Idaho (it's a real place) or Pasadena, California. Not only that, Evans is a brilliant story teller.

I loved that Michael Vey, the protagonist has a neurological disorder. Michael has Tourette's. The kind that has him blinking and gulping in tics. I am of the mind this may come into play as to why Michael is so special but until then, Michael is an excellent example of a boy with a socially unacceptable disorder yet he does not allow it to paralyze him.

Character development for the main characters and many of the minor characters is well played. The humor, particularly in the dialogue, is unexpected under the dire conditions. Ostin, Michael's sidekick is like a astronomically smart, myopic, and slightly overweight Sam Wise. Everybody should have a friend as devoted as Ostin.

The antagonists are truly spiteful. Motivation is introduced but not clarified but there are other antagonists from other parts of the world we have not yet met. This is the first book of a series. What the antagonists are willing to do to gain control of the electric children is chilling and psychopathic. Although I will admit the psychological brilliance of it.

I completely loved it. It completely cleared the Mom-o-Meter.

Swearing - none.
Sex - none.
Drug use - some underage drinking met with surprise.
Violence - abundant.
Blood and gore - minimal, if any.

As long as we don't make this reader cry and take an unplanned trip to a cemetery, I will continue with this series.

Get this one. Really.

[Ethan the Bibliophile · Rating 2 out of 5]

A solid 2.5

But not necessarily in a bad way... in like a "ok?" way, you know?

Maybe it's an autobook thing, or maybe it's just that I like genuinely suck at life, but the audio books I've been reading haven't been hitting the spot. (Maybe it's a sign that I should grow the frick up and stop reading unsatisfying middle grade books, but hey I'm still a child at heart, so I'm not ready to leave behind these middle grade books...)

The book follows a young boy with extraordinary powers, his dad's not in the picture (he died), he loves his mom tons, he's got a funny, witty best friend, and together with a blond chick (spoiler alert, even though it's dreadfully obvious: they begin to date at the end) who also has powers (the funny friend has none of these powers) they go to a place where the extraordinary people live together, but also the main character is trying to find his mom whose been kidnapped.

Sound familiar? It's Percy Jackson... literally.

The writing is also just like that of Rick Riordan's: poopy stinky dumb 😎😎😎

The beginning is filled with so many cliches that I felt the author was going for a Disney and/or Nickelodeon TV show.

Don't get me wrong, there was an originality to the book, which I appreciated greatly. For starters, Michael (the protagonist) has tourette (I probably spelt that wrong... I'm so illiterate) syndrome. For secondsies, the powers (magic system) in this book was actually well-created, well-established, and believable. Also, it didn't feel odd or wrong that our main group is all the same age. That was nice. The villain also felt nice and new.

But even for some of the other cliches, like the bullying stuff and the hot-girl-cheerleader stuff gave the book a little more of a superhero feeling. That's appreciated.

HERE'S MY REVIEW IN SHORT:

Me = trash for superhero fiction.
Book was good, filled w/ cliches
Had some originality
Good for superhero fiction
Decent for middle grade fiction
Book = Percy Jackson, but not as good

K bye

-Me✌🏼

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh, got to about the last 75 pages and just didn't really care. So much the all action, no depth of and the just-one-damn-thing after another of and just a comic book mentality of evil empires.

Okay, so it's not subtle. I'm usually pretty good at "boy books"--even liked but not . Like in this one: it just seemed so much for the game-obsessed and short-attention span, I-want-to-read-a-movie, not-think set of 12-15 year olds that I just couldn't find my inner tween-teen boy, even though I live with one. (Don't worry: it's my son.)

Enough comparisons. So this electro-boy has been trying to hide his powers for years, but the evil corporation whose new tech machine installed in the hospital at the time of their birth caused a couple of hundred babies to die mysteriously OR to develop bizarre skills, like read minds or send healing waves or blast people with a strike of electricity is now after Michael. They've been collecting them and brainwashing them with luxuries and emotional blackmail for years. That's right: as part of their evil plan to rule the world with stunts like demanding billions or bringing down airline planes. Because, like I said, they're EVIL.

[Luke Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of my all-time favorite books I have ever read. On a scale from one to ten I would rate it a nine. One of the things I loved about the book was how descriptive Richard Paul Evans was. Every scene I could paint a picture in my head with every movement of the characters to the setting behind them. My favorite part was when they over-ran the Elgen Academy and let the prisoners go. With Richard Paul Evens descriptive words I could see the whole thing happen in my head. Another thing I liked about this book is the fact that It was a Modern day thing and not some crazy space expedition or something crazy like that. It happened on Earth, in Idaho, and California. The only thing that was not modern was the machine that made the electric children electric. The machine was a little hard to understand. It was supposed to give doctors a better x-ray of people. I think it gave the doctors a picture of your bones as well as your organs. Some things that I didn't like like was how harsh Hatch was to the people who disobeyed him and the one who stepped out of line. That was the only thing the I didn't like about the book. Back on the positive side, this book made my top five books. I think it would have been my third favorite. This is one of my favorite books and I thank Richard Paul Evans for making this book and I have really enjoyed reading it.

[Jocelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book EVER! It is by far the best book I have ever read. It is very entertaining but can be very suspenseful at times. I was never really into science fiction books until I found this series. It also is really funny. I finished this book in two days because I couldn't stop reading. Please read this AMAZING book!

[Winter Sophia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting, Addictive, Funny & Exciting! An Excellent Read! I Loved It!

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique, gripping superhero story! I loved the characters and their dialogue. Will definitely be getting the second book!

[EdIsInHell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally I'm not a fan of YA books but The Prisoner of Cell 25 was pretty good. Looking forward to book two in the series.

[Teri · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book. Glenn Beck hyped this up as "the next Harry Potter and Twilight." I also had high expectations from Beck's new publishing label Mercury Ink (of which Michael Vey is its first offering), which Beck described as providing "educational" and "values-promoting" books to the youth. I'm very glad I read this book before giving it to my kids. This book is very dark and inappropriate for kids. It has kidnapping, brainwashing, and torture as prominent parts of the plot. Bullying is the predominating theme (first from classmates, and then from the antagonist). I don't see how this book promotes values-- it spends more time showing evil than anything else. There is a moment in the book where the protagonist is given a choice by the antagonist to either murder another boy or watch his own mother be electrocuted and most likely killed. He chooses neither and is sent off to cell 25 to be tortured horribly for his choice. I guess this is considered the "values-promoting" part?? True, the protagonist does not give into an evil, impossible choice-- but how far down into darkness must a story go before one fragment of a decent principle is shown? Surely we can do better than this.

The writing in this story is also very thin and has logic flaws. I'm disturbed that this book was sent out free to some schools, with a curriculum. This is definitely a book parents will want to read themselves, first, before just handing it over to their kids. I'm sorry for the lost time spent in reading it. I won't be reading the rest of the series.

[Gina G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grade/interest level: Middle School
Reading level: 550L
Genre: Fiction Mystery/Adventure
Main Characters: Michael, Taylor, Ostin, Dr.Hatch
Setting: Elgen Academy in Pasadena California & Idaho
POV: 1st person



Michael Vey is a different kid from any other kid. He has electric powers, that only is mom and best friend, Ostin, knows about. He acts like an ordinary kid. One day during science class, his teacher gets mad at him. The most popular girl in the school, Taylor Ridley, reboots the science teacher. Michael notices that she did something, but doesn't know what. They meet up after school one day, and share each others secret about them selves.

In the next week a man comes, and accepts both of them to Elgen Academy. Once Michael tells his mom, she knows that they have been found, and are in horrible trouble. The man in the sunglasses, Dr. Hatch, and some other kids with him, kidnap Michaels mom. Later on, once Michael understands how his mom got kidnapped, he realizes that Taylor has been kidnapped to. He knows that he needs to to the Elgen Academy to get his mom and Taylor. With his best friend Ostin, they head off to fight Dr. Hatch and his army.

[John Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I held off writing a review of this book because, well, if you can't say anything good, don't say anything at all, right? Well, bullshit. I very much wanted to like this book, and the fact that I wanted to like it made me give it 3 stars when I might have given 2. My problem wasn't so much the main character, who is a guy we've all seen before but whose lack of originality I can get over. My problem is the villains. The head bad guy comes straight from Austin Powers' Dr. Evil, but he's not funny. He is really, really evil, heartless, megalomaniacal, etc. which makes him a character not even his mother, wife or children could love (always a huge weakness in a villain), but to make matters worse, he never even discloses his motive! How can anybody be EVIL and at the same time not have a goal? Really! Well, I guess this guy has a goal, but it is so totally muddy and vague that it's left up to the reader to interpret what it must be . . . and which is clearly a set up for the sequels for those readers whose patience far exceeds my own.

[Colleen Houck]

What an awful, horrible villain! Love the whole idea of electric powers and the wide variety of abilities the kids display. Really cool stuff. Really like Michael as the hero. He's relate-able. I could easily imagine him as my brother. His best friend is awesome too.

[Kacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My little brothers and their friend are reading this series so I decided to join the party!! Woohoo!! I read this years ago and never planned on reading it again but it was my only audiobook and i didn't want to die of boredom at work. So Michael Vey it is! It's actually a pretty fun book.
I was getting some slight maze runner vibes...i don't know why. Maybe cuz I just finished maze runner. They're not even that similar. But big corporations trying to "improve" the human race but are actually kinda bad? Or may I say a lot bad??
Anywho I had fun listening to this today and look forward to listening to the second book next week

[De'Siree Fairley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! What a good start to a series, I haven't read a sci-fi book in SO.LONG! And I'm glad I read this one! The best part about this story has to be that all the kids' powers are unique but related specifically to electricity. I picked up this series because the synopsis reminded me loosely of the Gone series, but even in the Gone series the children had a variety of powers. I think having it focused on electricity made it even more unique in a way.
I absolutely adored the clumsy side romance between Michael and Taylor. It was cute, it wasn't over done, and it kinda just warmed my heart by the end. I want to buy this series so I can continue on reading, I have no idea how this will stretch 7 books but I'm willing to read them all eventually