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Superman's Cape
A Parent's Worst Nightmare!
This is a story for mothers, fathers and anyone who likes a fast-paced thriller, full of emotion and heart-stopping drama, woven with a thread of the supernatural.
When Sara Connely is asked what life is like today, she answers with the simple words, ‘life goes on.’ The life she and her boys enjoyed the last dozen years is gone. Sara struggles to cope with the death of her husband and doing so with two young boys, and no money, is almost too much to ask.
Life does go on, but when Sara’s oldest boy becomes lost in Croatan National Forest, life comes to a stop.
Twelve-year-old Kyle Connely doesn’t know the woods. He doesn’t know the wildlife. He doesn’t know how to get home. Lost in the wilderness, he faces dangers the likes of which he has never seen. Kyle’s time is running out. A hurricane is looming, and in its path is the coastal forest he is trying to survive.
Jacob Hanson has a gift. An intuition. An insightfulness. And it has helped him find success. But his gift turns into a curse as he becomes an unwilling participant in Kyle's plight.
What Jacob Hanson doesn't know is he also holds the key to Sara’s past and the lifetime she lost with her husband.
This is a story for mothers, fathers and anyone who likes a fast-paced thriller, full of emotion and heart-stopping drama, woven with a thread of the supernatural.
When Sara Connely is asked what life is like today, she answers with the simple words, ‘life goes on.’ The life she and her boys enjoyed the last dozen years is gone. Sara struggles to cope with the death of her husband and doing so with two young boys, and no money, is almost too much to ask.
Life does go on, but when Sara’s oldest boy becomes lost in Croatan National Forest, life comes to a stop.
Twelve-year-old Kyle Connely doesn’t know the woods. He doesn’t know the wildlife. He doesn’t know how to get home. Lost in the wilderness, he faces dangers the likes of which he has never seen. Kyle’s time is running out. A hurricane is looming, and in its path is the coastal forest he is trying to survive.
Jacob Hanson has a gift. An intuition. An insightfulness. And it has helped him find success. But his gift turns into a curse as he becomes an unwilling participant in Kyle's plight.
What Jacob Hanson doesn't know is he also holds the key to Sara’s past and the lifetime she lost with her husband.
338 pages, ebook
First published February 1, 2012
55 people are currently reading
542 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
April 15, 2016
This is one of the most touching stories I've read in a really long time. Maybe it's my hormones ... maybe it's because this book is so well-written that I completely identified with the characters. This was a 'half a box of tissues' book.
Kyle is 12-years-old and having to deal with his father's death. His father was shot during a hold-up at the local Dairy Queen. He died protecting Kyle and his younger son, Jonnie. There's a lot of anger and guilt and love and hate.
Mom is Sara who is just trying to survive. Her grief is almost overwhelming, but she hangs on for the sake of her children.
During a moment of anger, Kyle hits out as his mom, and then the unthinkable happens ... he runs into the forest where he gets hopelessly lost.
Meanwhile, Jacon Hanson is a reporter assigned to cover the story of a missing child. He has a secret ... he has a 'gift'. He has another secret ... he has a brain tumor.
He knows that he must be there .. he knows he can find the boy .. he knows he can give this family some closure.
The story bounces back and forth .. from home where police and reporters are looking for Kyle... to the awful things that are happening to Kyle. He falls, he's injured, he's talking to the critters along the forest floor.
If that is not enough tension, through in a hurricane that's bearing down on them all.
And Superman's Cape plays a big part of the story.
Very well written ... guaranteed to tug at your heart strings. There are times when you have to suspend belief ... but stranger things have happened.
I gave it 5 stars because I was absolutely riveted.
Kyle is 12-years-old and having to deal with his father's death. His father was shot during a hold-up at the local Dairy Queen. He died protecting Kyle and his younger son, Jonnie. There's a lot of anger and guilt and love and hate.
Mom is Sara who is just trying to survive. Her grief is almost overwhelming, but she hangs on for the sake of her children.
During a moment of anger, Kyle hits out as his mom, and then the unthinkable happens ... he runs into the forest where he gets hopelessly lost.
Meanwhile, Jacon Hanson is a reporter assigned to cover the story of a missing child. He has a secret ... he has a 'gift'. He has another secret ... he has a brain tumor.
He knows that he must be there .. he knows he can find the boy .. he knows he can give this family some closure.
The story bounces back and forth .. from home where police and reporters are looking for Kyle... to the awful things that are happening to Kyle. He falls, he's injured, he's talking to the critters along the forest floor.
If that is not enough tension, through in a hurricane that's bearing down on them all.
And Superman's Cape plays a big part of the story.
Very well written ... guaranteed to tug at your heart strings. There are times when you have to suspend belief ... but stranger things have happened.
I gave it 5 stars because I was absolutely riveted.
March 10, 2012
Update: Brian has recently sent me an updated copy of his novel. And I'm now giving it the 4 stars it rightfully deserves - all editing errors have vanished! I will leave the original review below as it shows the progression of an e-novel. Two thumbs up, Brian! I truly love the commitment to the art of writing and to your novel.
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This was a really good concept for a story and I found it was delivered relatively well. But there were a few glaring issues that stopped me from giving it a 4 star rating. One issue was the editing for some of the quotations. It wasn't horrible especially compared to some e-novels I've read. However, I found in the beginning there were a lot of capitalization errors. If the author started a conversation in the middle of a paragraph there were no capitals. Maybe a small detail to some, but it drove me bonkers and tended to throw me off a bit. The second issue was how quickly the save happened at the end. Spangler went into great (and often gruesome) detail of everything poor lost Kyle was going through. But when he was saved it was wrapped up in less than a page or two. I felt it was rushed and was missing details.
I found myself grimacing over poor Kyle. And I mean that in a good way. The infinite details on his "meals" and injuries made me cringe. So much so that I had to read some of them to my fiancé as he was wondering why I was making funny faces and noises. I also really felt deeply for the issues Sara was going through. First the loss of her husband, then her house and then one of her sons. How much can one poor woman take? I would read more by Spangler given the chance, however I hope the capitalization is reviewed for the next one.
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This was a really good concept for a story and I found it was delivered relatively well. But there were a few glaring issues that stopped me from giving it a 4 star rating. One issue was the editing for some of the quotations. It wasn't horrible especially compared to some e-novels I've read. However, I found in the beginning there were a lot of capitalization errors. If the author started a conversation in the middle of a paragraph there were no capitals. Maybe a small detail to some, but it drove me bonkers and tended to throw me off a bit. The second issue was how quickly the save happened at the end. Spangler went into great (and often gruesome) detail of everything poor lost Kyle was going through. But when he was saved it was wrapped up in less than a page or two. I felt it was rushed and was missing details.
I found myself grimacing over poor Kyle. And I mean that in a good way. The infinite details on his "meals" and injuries made me cringe. So much so that I had to read some of them to my fiancé as he was wondering why I was making funny faces and noises. I also really felt deeply for the issues Sara was going through. First the loss of her husband, then her house and then one of her sons. How much can one poor woman take? I would read more by Spangler given the chance, however I hope the capitalization is reviewed for the next one.
February 8, 2012
Superman's Cape by Brian Spangler is the tragic story of the Connely Family, Sara, the mother is dealing with the death of her husband who was shot. The two sons both witnessed his death and are struggling with it as well. Kyle, the oldest of the sons gets in a fight with his mother and storms out of the family home and ends up lost in the woods. Sara, with some help from a unique man, Jacob, goes looking for Kyle in the woods but will they find him in time?
Meanwhile, Kyle is of course, lost in the woods is going through his own unique experiences. You follow his story of trying to survive while angry, scared and lost in the woods.
It was a truly great story. I laughed, I cried, I felt things that so many books have trouble making you feel. I felt truly connected to the characters and I will definitely read this book again and again.
Meanwhile, Kyle is of course, lost in the woods is going through his own unique experiences. You follow his story of trying to survive while angry, scared and lost in the woods.
It was a truly great story. I laughed, I cried, I felt things that so many books have trouble making you feel. I felt truly connected to the characters and I will definitely read this book again and again.
March 7, 2012
I cannot recommend this book enough. I usually shy away from books where children are in danger, but 12-year old Kyle Connely is exceptional. He is brave and imaginative. He is able to face danger and not be frightened by it, but realize it is his own fault he is in this situation. His strength may be from witnessing the violent death of his father Chris. Kyle's younger brother Jonnie reacts by withdrawing from the world because he could not save his father with his magical Superman's Cape.
The only hope for Kyle's safe return is a TV weatherman with a psychic gift. The great thing about fiction is that you can create a situation and populate it with characters like this and it works! I found it hard to stop reading. I am looking forward to more from Brian Spangler.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.
The only hope for Kyle's safe return is a TV weatherman with a psychic gift. The great thing about fiction is that you can create a situation and populate it with characters like this and it works! I found it hard to stop reading. I am looking forward to more from Brian Spangler.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.
June 30, 2020
Brian Spangler's "Superman's Cape" is a gripping story about two brothers who lose their father in a robbery. Their heroic dad tried to calm the robber down so that he wouldn't shoot the cashier, but then catches the bullet himself. The boys witness this violent incident, and the youngest becomes traumatized. Their mother does her best to further raise the boys.
It is a nice story, but unfortunately of lesser quality in writing style. Spangler writes his dialogues based on hearing. For example, he always emphasizes words that are spoken in a louder tone in his head. Italicizing is still possible for me, but adding some words with an extra capital letter is going too far.
The dialogue tags are also a problem. Spangler likes to use adjectives to indicate the way of talking. Sometimes he even puts them in the middle as well as at the end of a spoken sentence. This could still have been cleaned up.
But these points aside it is an intriguing story where you can empathize with the characters. As a reader you feel the death of the father and the grieving process right down to your toes. Attention to nature is something many (amateur) writers can learn from.
The lesser part in the beginning of the book was the storyline about Jacob the weatherman, and his colleagues / friends. The storylines will of course come together later, but those characters are less sympathetic and pushed me away from the story as a reader. But soon another drama comes up that draws us back fully into the book. Kyle, the oldest son, gets lost in the woods. And more than his memories of a baseball game are reminiscent of Stephen King's "The Girl That Loved Tom Gordon", while Jacob's story is somewhat like "The Dead Zone" and "Dreamcatcher". Unfortunately, this book is a B-version.
What Spangler is good at is making his readers shudder. Lost Kyle suffers injuries and tests out exotic food, and these scenes are geniusly described. You feel the chills, the aversion, the pain and even the flavors. Spangler can tell a good story, but he should learn to write a little better. But people learn by doing, and his next story is probably much improved.
It is a nice story, but unfortunately of lesser quality in writing style. Spangler writes his dialogues based on hearing. For example, he always emphasizes words that are spoken in a louder tone in his head. Italicizing is still possible for me, but adding some words with an extra capital letter is going too far.
The dialogue tags are also a problem. Spangler likes to use adjectives to indicate the way of talking. Sometimes he even puts them in the middle as well as at the end of a spoken sentence. This could still have been cleaned up.
But these points aside it is an intriguing story where you can empathize with the characters. As a reader you feel the death of the father and the grieving process right down to your toes. Attention to nature is something many (amateur) writers can learn from.
The lesser part in the beginning of the book was the storyline about Jacob the weatherman, and his colleagues / friends. The storylines will of course come together later, but those characters are less sympathetic and pushed me away from the story as a reader. But soon another drama comes up that draws us back fully into the book. Kyle, the oldest son, gets lost in the woods. And more than his memories of a baseball game are reminiscent of Stephen King's "The Girl That Loved Tom Gordon", while Jacob's story is somewhat like "The Dead Zone" and "Dreamcatcher". Unfortunately, this book is a B-version.
What Spangler is good at is making his readers shudder. Lost Kyle suffers injuries and tests out exotic food, and these scenes are geniusly described. You feel the chills, the aversion, the pain and even the flavors. Spangler can tell a good story, but he should learn to write a little better. But people learn by doing, and his next story is probably much improved.
July 15, 2024
Not sure how to rate this book, very different to previous books by Brian Spangler. I did finish reading but it really did not do it for me.
February 14, 2012
Superman's Cape by Brian Spangler is the story of Sara Connely as she struggles just to make it through another day with her boys, Kyle and Jonnie, as they deal with the loss of their father and her husband 6 months ago. Everything from their previous life was violently ripped away from them when a gunman decides to pull the trigger during an armed robbery. Gone is their house, their car, and all that is familiar and right to them.
Through her grief Sara has to cope with the impact this event has had on her and her boys. Her youngest, Jonnie, won't speak and her oldest, Kyle, is just plain angry. After a particular nasty fit, Kyle storms off to the woods better known as the Croatan National Forest. To make matters worse, there is a hurricane looming off the coast.
Jacob is a weatherman who has a secret that could possibly help find Jonnie. So many variables could affect his success. Is he willing to risk himself to save a boy he doesn't know? Will Sara even believe him about his ability? Will his gift work for a search and rescue?
Spangler slowly and methodically builds his foundation of characters and their history as we move into the main story line. His due diligence pays off in the form of characters that create a feeling of connection for the reader.
Kyle's experiences while lost in the woods are another credit to Spangler. They are at times frantic and at other times slower and detailed, but they always vividly paint the picture of a boy who is desperately trying to survive and get home. Kyle's almost instinctual use of coping mechanisms to keep his grip on his sanity is excellently illustrated.
Unfortunately there were a couple few points of contention that kept Superman's Cape from being a 5 out of 5. While there were moments that were completely credible to Kyle's predicament, there were others that just came across as unnecessary fillers of space. They just didn't feel as if they were imperative to the story line nor the building of a character's personality or history.
On the technical side of things, at the time of this review, there were some typos and editing guffaws. The version I received did contain some formatting errors, which does account for the worst of the lot. However, there were still areas of concern outside of the formatting issue. ***2/14/12 Update: I have been told by the author that the book has undergone a couple of rounds of editing, and these issues should be addressed now. I say that's a dedicated author!***
Unfortunately Sara's ending to the story was, in this day and age, highly implausible. It was just too neat of a bow and ending up feeling contrived. As this is ultimately one of the last two pieces of the story, the reader ends up walking away from the book with a sour note in their mind.
Overall, Superman's Cape is a 3 out of 5. However, with some editing and some polishing, it could easily achieve 4 out of 5. For the story content alone, it is a recommended read.
*Disclosure: I received this book for free in exchange for a review.
Through her grief Sara has to cope with the impact this event has had on her and her boys. Her youngest, Jonnie, won't speak and her oldest, Kyle, is just plain angry. After a particular nasty fit, Kyle storms off to the woods better known as the Croatan National Forest. To make matters worse, there is a hurricane looming off the coast.
Jacob is a weatherman who has a secret that could possibly help find Jonnie. So many variables could affect his success. Is he willing to risk himself to save a boy he doesn't know? Will Sara even believe him about his ability? Will his gift work for a search and rescue?
Spangler slowly and methodically builds his foundation of characters and their history as we move into the main story line. His due diligence pays off in the form of characters that create a feeling of connection for the reader.
Kyle's experiences while lost in the woods are another credit to Spangler. They are at times frantic and at other times slower and detailed, but they always vividly paint the picture of a boy who is desperately trying to survive and get home. Kyle's almost instinctual use of coping mechanisms to keep his grip on his sanity is excellently illustrated.
Unfortunately there were a couple few points of contention that kept Superman's Cape from being a 5 out of 5. While there were moments that were completely credible to Kyle's predicament, there were others that just came across as unnecessary fillers of space. They just didn't feel as if they were imperative to the story line nor the building of a character's personality or history.
On the technical side of things, at the time of this review, there were some typos and editing guffaws. The version I received did contain some formatting errors, which does account for the worst of the lot. However, there were still areas of concern outside of the formatting issue. ***2/14/12 Update: I have been told by the author that the book has undergone a couple of rounds of editing, and these issues should be addressed now. I say that's a dedicated author!***
Unfortunately Sara's ending to the story was, in this day and age, highly implausible. It was just too neat of a bow and ending up feeling contrived. As this is ultimately one of the last two pieces of the story, the reader ends up walking away from the book with a sour note in their mind.
Overall, Superman's Cape is a 3 out of 5. However, with some editing and some polishing, it could easily achieve 4 out of 5. For the story content alone, it is a recommended read.
*Disclosure: I received this book for free in exchange for a review.
March 30, 2012
Superman’s Cape draws you in straight from the beginning with the sad tale of how a mother (Sara) and her two boys lost their father. Immediately, especially as a mother, I was sympathetic and attached to this story. Once hooked, it took no effort to rope me into this book – a family going through tragedy, finding more along the way, a man with a special gift; how their lives are colliding.
Since the book was told from a variety of perspectives, you were able to see the story from multiple points of view, which was very effective in this case. I found it especially interesting in the case of Jacobs half of the book, seeing him from different angles as his gift took form and interrupted his life, it painted a picture that was a bit painful yet at the same time interesting to watch. Jacob is a mystery bigger than Kyle being lost in the woods. What is going on seems to shift and take different forms until you find the unexpected answer at the end.
For Sara and Kyle’s half of the book, I was filled with so much compassion and hurt for that family. I cannot imagine cooping with such tragic loss only to be thrown into the mix of another devastating event. Their story was so nicely told all the way up until the end, where things started to wrap up a little too quickly for me. Being so intimate with Kyle in the woods, I would have liked to have known the point of being carried out of the woods to his recovery. Not in so much detail mind you, but there seems to be a gap; seeing as how everyone was trapped in the trailer, huge storm coming, and Kyle being so close to death…. (I apologize if that seemed spoiler-y in anyway, but I’m thinking most of the information given here was in the synopsis as well..)
I will say that while the story wrapped you in from the beginning and kept you reading until you found out what’s going to happen, many, many times I found the writing to be extremely graphic. Reading mostly Young Adult and Drama/Romance novels, this is something I’m not used to. Even some of the crime and mystery books I’ve read, the attention to the gory details was never all that intense. I do think that the details did add to the experience of the book some, but it walked the fine line of overkill in my opinion. Another small annoyance - and I don’t know why this bothered me so much, but to use the word “giggled” for a man seems wrong, it seems teenagy and girly to me. The word was also used semi-frequently. Synonyms go a long way! “Chuckled” seems more adequate for a man.
Since the book was told from a variety of perspectives, you were able to see the story from multiple points of view, which was very effective in this case. I found it especially interesting in the case of Jacobs half of the book, seeing him from different angles as his gift took form and interrupted his life, it painted a picture that was a bit painful yet at the same time interesting to watch. Jacob is a mystery bigger than Kyle being lost in the woods. What is going on seems to shift and take different forms until you find the unexpected answer at the end.
For Sara and Kyle’s half of the book, I was filled with so much compassion and hurt for that family. I cannot imagine cooping with such tragic loss only to be thrown into the mix of another devastating event. Their story was so nicely told all the way up until the end, where things started to wrap up a little too quickly for me. Being so intimate with Kyle in the woods, I would have liked to have known the point of being carried out of the woods to his recovery. Not in so much detail mind you, but there seems to be a gap; seeing as how everyone was trapped in the trailer, huge storm coming, and Kyle being so close to death…. (I apologize if that seemed spoiler-y in anyway, but I’m thinking most of the information given here was in the synopsis as well..)
I will say that while the story wrapped you in from the beginning and kept you reading until you found out what’s going to happen, many, many times I found the writing to be extremely graphic. Reading mostly Young Adult and Drama/Romance novels, this is something I’m not used to. Even some of the crime and mystery books I’ve read, the attention to the gory details was never all that intense. I do think that the details did add to the experience of the book some, but it walked the fine line of overkill in my opinion. Another small annoyance - and I don’t know why this bothered me so much, but to use the word “giggled” for a man seems wrong, it seems teenagy and girly to me. The word was also used semi-frequently. Synonyms go a long way! “Chuckled” seems more adequate for a man.
April 2, 2012
This book touched me emotionally on many levels. Sara, a widow, is struggling to cope with her husband's unexpected death. It's bad enough that she has to face such a painful loss. But the fact that her husband was murdered in a robbery that was witnessed by her two young sons was, at times, too much for me to take.
I'm a mom and happily married. I can't image how hard it would be to move on with my life if something happened to my husband. Multiply that fear a thousand times and imagine my children watching him die? I could hardly let myself go there. But the book was so good, I couldn't put it down.
Sadly for Sara, life marches on. She is dealing with this deep loss, going broke and in a panic trying to figure out how to help her young son, Jonnie, who tried to save his dying father with his 'Superman's Cape'.
Overwhelmed with worry over Jonnie regression, Sara's older son, twelve year old Kyle, has a breakdown. Crying over the loss of their former life he runs out of their home and ends up getting lost in the Croatan National Forest, located behind their home. Kyle isn't familiar with the woods or any of the wildlife that it sustains. Wearing my 'mom hat' for nearly 18 years now this subject matter scared the daylights out of me! And to add to this horror a hurricane is fast approaching.
Meanwhile, a local TV station reports on this tragic story and chooses to send out two novice field reporters. It just so happens one of these reporters, weatherman Jacob Hanson, has a 'gift' and can see things before they happen. He reluctantly gets involved in the family's search for Kyle.
This story kept me on my toes from beginning to end. As I said, being a wife and mother put a perspective on the story that was heartbreaking, but the author has a way of keeping your interest. No matter how sad or scary it was I couldn't put the book down. I simply 'had' to find out what the outcome was for this grief-stricken family!
If you are like me and enjoy stories that feature a touch of the paranormal then I highly recommend this book. It was a page-turner and a quick read.
I'm a mom and happily married. I can't image how hard it would be to move on with my life if something happened to my husband. Multiply that fear a thousand times and imagine my children watching him die? I could hardly let myself go there. But the book was so good, I couldn't put it down.
Sadly for Sara, life marches on. She is dealing with this deep loss, going broke and in a panic trying to figure out how to help her young son, Jonnie, who tried to save his dying father with his 'Superman's Cape'.
Overwhelmed with worry over Jonnie regression, Sara's older son, twelve year old Kyle, has a breakdown. Crying over the loss of their former life he runs out of their home and ends up getting lost in the Croatan National Forest, located behind their home. Kyle isn't familiar with the woods or any of the wildlife that it sustains. Wearing my 'mom hat' for nearly 18 years now this subject matter scared the daylights out of me! And to add to this horror a hurricane is fast approaching.
Meanwhile, a local TV station reports on this tragic story and chooses to send out two novice field reporters. It just so happens one of these reporters, weatherman Jacob Hanson, has a 'gift' and can see things before they happen. He reluctantly gets involved in the family's search for Kyle.
This story kept me on my toes from beginning to end. As I said, being a wife and mother put a perspective on the story that was heartbreaking, but the author has a way of keeping your interest. No matter how sad or scary it was I couldn't put the book down. I simply 'had' to find out what the outcome was for this grief-stricken family!
If you are like me and enjoy stories that feature a touch of the paranormal then I highly recommend this book. It was a page-turner and a quick read.
March 3, 2012
Superman’s Cape is a touching book, with a supernatural twist about family (and personal) survival after dealing with the tragic death of a husband and father, then the disappearance of a son. Sara is the mother of two young boys and after her husband is shot and killed during a robbery at the Dairy Queen, she struggles to deal with raising them on her own. Hit hard by the death of their father, each boy reacts differently, becoming angry, sullen and completely quiet.
As if the death of her husband is not enough, her oldest son Kyle is overcome with anger and storms off into the Croatan National Forest, becoming lost and counting on himself for survival in the wilderness. Enter a local weatherman, Jacob Hansen, who has a special gift for seeing events before they happen. His gift is sometimes a curse and although he really does not want to help the family initially, he feels compelled to do so. As the events unfold, Jacob finds that his gift is actually a blessing in disguise, as he helps Sara come to terms with her past and heal deep wounds.
The book centers quite a bit on Kyles struggle to survive in the wilderness and takes you through not only his physical changes due to lack of food and water, but also delves into his mind and how it starts to deteriorate. Some of the descriptions of what is going on with Kyle can be a bit difficult to read, especially if you have children.
One of the things I really loved about this book is the meaning of the title, Superman’s Cape. Basically, the cape changes colors as the family grows and heals. Great metaphor!
While the book did keep my attention, it was hard to follow at times and some of the story-line did not flow well. However, this would not keep me from recommending the book to others because it is an interesting story and I see this as a great starting point for the author. Hoping for a sequel that centers around Jacob and his gifts!
As if the death of her husband is not enough, her oldest son Kyle is overcome with anger and storms off into the Croatan National Forest, becoming lost and counting on himself for survival in the wilderness. Enter a local weatherman, Jacob Hansen, who has a special gift for seeing events before they happen. His gift is sometimes a curse and although he really does not want to help the family initially, he feels compelled to do so. As the events unfold, Jacob finds that his gift is actually a blessing in disguise, as he helps Sara come to terms with her past and heal deep wounds.
The book centers quite a bit on Kyles struggle to survive in the wilderness and takes you through not only his physical changes due to lack of food and water, but also delves into his mind and how it starts to deteriorate. Some of the descriptions of what is going on with Kyle can be a bit difficult to read, especially if you have children.
One of the things I really loved about this book is the meaning of the title, Superman’s Cape. Basically, the cape changes colors as the family grows and heals. Great metaphor!
While the book did keep my attention, it was hard to follow at times and some of the story-line did not flow well. However, this would not keep me from recommending the book to others because it is an interesting story and I see this as a great starting point for the author. Hoping for a sequel that centers around Jacob and his gifts!
January 6, 2013
In Superman’s cape author Brian Spangler portrays life of Sara Connely and her children. How Sara’s moral, emotional and financial support Chris dies tragically in armed robbery, in front of his both children. Now Sara is trying her best to keep her world together, but watching their father die in front of their eyes leaves her oldest son Kyle with anger which he readily display on any one who comes in his way and youngest son Jonnie with survivor's guilt because of which he won’t talk to anyone. Sara is now left with no money and two young children to take care of, and add to this she is emotionally broken on the inside.
One day Kyle gets into an argument with his mother, and storms out of the trailer into the unknown lengths of forest, but later when his anger subsides he tries to find his way back home but he couldn't and to make the matters even worse there is a storm building which would soon turn into a hurricane and would hit the cost. Amidst all this chaos a ray of hope to save Kyle appears in form of a new character, Jacob Hansen. Jacob is gifted as he has the ability to sense things before they happen.
Kyle is struggling for his life in unknown forest as killer winds of hurricane continue to blow. Jacob has a very special gift but will it be enough to save Kyle? Or he will get some help from someone least expected?
Superman’s cape is a book which touches various aspects of life. Brian Spangler did a great job with his words. His words create a virtual world with all the emotions and characters and give them life. I really enjoyed this tragic story of normal family in not so normal circumstances, and I think you as fellow reader will enjoy this too.
Thus with Solid foundation and great character building, Superman’s cape scores 4.5 stars out of 5. A must read.
One day Kyle gets into an argument with his mother, and storms out of the trailer into the unknown lengths of forest, but later when his anger subsides he tries to find his way back home but he couldn't and to make the matters even worse there is a storm building which would soon turn into a hurricane and would hit the cost. Amidst all this chaos a ray of hope to save Kyle appears in form of a new character, Jacob Hansen. Jacob is gifted as he has the ability to sense things before they happen.
Kyle is struggling for his life in unknown forest as killer winds of hurricane continue to blow. Jacob has a very special gift but will it be enough to save Kyle? Or he will get some help from someone least expected?
Superman’s cape is a book which touches various aspects of life. Brian Spangler did a great job with his words. His words create a virtual world with all the emotions and characters and give them life. I really enjoyed this tragic story of normal family in not so normal circumstances, and I think you as fellow reader will enjoy this too.
Thus with Solid foundation and great character building, Superman’s cape scores 4.5 stars out of 5. A must read.
March 26, 2012
Superman’s Cape by Brian Spangler is a story of a widow and her two young children who have lost their whole lives with the death of their father. As their lives seem to be hitting rock bottom the older brother walks into the woods and is quickly lost, with a storm on the way. Across town there is a weatherman with an eerie ability to see the weather before it happens, and he is drawn to use this ability to try to save the family before it is too late. The story takes three plot lines until they all come together towards the end, that of Sara and Jonnie looking for Kyle with the police, Jacob the weatherman being drawn to them, and Kyle lost in the woods and trying to get home.
This novel is not for the faint of heart. The author’s descriptive writing style really pulls the reader in until they are able to see and feel what the character is feeling. Although this author’s incredible ability really made me feel for the characters, and get very emotionally invested in the children especially, it also means that when something happens that would be stomach turning at best in real life, you may find yourself unable to eat your next meal. In several parts of the book I was hurrying through because the description was very vivid but I couldn’t put it down because I really cared what happened to the characters and wanted to hurry back to the other two plot lines.
It was a decent quick read, and the author left a lot open for the character of Jacob the weatherman, I would be interested to see if he writes any more.
This novel is not for the faint of heart. The author’s descriptive writing style really pulls the reader in until they are able to see and feel what the character is feeling. Although this author’s incredible ability really made me feel for the characters, and get very emotionally invested in the children especially, it also means that when something happens that would be stomach turning at best in real life, you may find yourself unable to eat your next meal. In several parts of the book I was hurrying through because the description was very vivid but I couldn’t put it down because I really cared what happened to the characters and wanted to hurry back to the other two plot lines.
It was a decent quick read, and the author left a lot open for the character of Jacob the weatherman, I would be interested to see if he writes any more.
April 5, 2012
Superman's Cape is a emotional novel, with some paranormal elements.
Sara lost her husband six months ago and was coping with her two small boys, Kyle and Jonnie. Life was difficult for her and her boys, filled with poverty and sadness. Although Sara tries to get on with life, the behaviour of Kyle, after seeing his father's murder, is bothering her. Kyle gets mad at her for small things, unable to cope with the trauma. One day, after such similar incident, he walks off into the forest and soon loses his way.
Jacob, a television weather reporter, can predict weather accurately, based on his instincts, independent of technology. His abilities to predict doesn't stop there..he can read thoughts, predict game winners, etc. But, now he gets flashes of something else, and he feels like he should be the one to cover Kyle's incident for his TV.
There are many surprises that are in store for Jacob and Sara, when he reaches there.
First thought, after finishing this book, was, this book is similar to Nicholas Sparks' "The Rescue" to some level. But, the plight of the family on losing their dad, explained with amazing clarity was what will make this book a success.
The characters are well formed. Emotions were running high. The little boy's sufferings to survive in the lost woods for days was just enough to make me sad for a day or two (saying myself, "Get a grip! Its a fictional novel!").
The view of the incidents in the book changes between the characters to explain it better - and it really worked great!
Great emotional read!
Sara lost her husband six months ago and was coping with her two small boys, Kyle and Jonnie. Life was difficult for her and her boys, filled with poverty and sadness. Although Sara tries to get on with life, the behaviour of Kyle, after seeing his father's murder, is bothering her. Kyle gets mad at her for small things, unable to cope with the trauma. One day, after such similar incident, he walks off into the forest and soon loses his way.
Jacob, a television weather reporter, can predict weather accurately, based on his instincts, independent of technology. His abilities to predict doesn't stop there..he can read thoughts, predict game winners, etc. But, now he gets flashes of something else, and he feels like he should be the one to cover Kyle's incident for his TV.
There are many surprises that are in store for Jacob and Sara, when he reaches there.
First thought, after finishing this book, was, this book is similar to Nicholas Sparks' "The Rescue" to some level. But, the plight of the family on losing their dad, explained with amazing clarity was what will make this book a success.
The characters are well formed. Emotions were running high. The little boy's sufferings to survive in the lost woods for days was just enough to make me sad for a day or two (saying myself, "Get a grip! Its a fictional novel!").
The view of the incidents in the book changes between the characters to explain it better - and it really worked great!
Great emotional read!
February 11, 2012
Tragedy and loss wear many faces, and Sara Connely can attest to that. Life has thrown so much at her that many times she doesn't think she can make it. Her husband was murdered in front of her sons, she loses her home and car, money is very tight, and life has totally shifted. How will she and the boys make it? Will it ever get better? While these thoughts run through her mind, Sara knows she has to go on because of the boys. Then, fate throws her another cruel twist when she finds that her twelve year old son, Kyle, is lost in the forest and a hurricane is approaching. As she races to find and protect her son from the many dangers and experiences neither of them are accustomed to, Jacob Hanson enters the picture. Can he help? How are their lives intertwined? This story is filled with situations that will keep you reading and wanting to know more.
Wow! This well-written book took me on a roller coaster ride of emotion. There were times I had to put the book down because of the tears in my eyes. From the scene of the murder, through life in the trailer, and the search in Croatan National Forest, I was tied to this family. When Kyle felt anger, I understood; when Sara battled depression, it was palpable. I highly recommend this book to readers who love connecting with the characters and storyline. It would also make a wonderful selection for book club discussion.Congratulations to Brian Spangler!
Wow! This well-written book took me on a roller coaster ride of emotion. There were times I had to put the book down because of the tears in my eyes. From the scene of the murder, through life in the trailer, and the search in Croatan National Forest, I was tied to this family. When Kyle felt anger, I understood; when Sara battled depression, it was palpable. I highly recommend this book to readers who love connecting with the characters and storyline. It would also make a wonderful selection for book club discussion.Congratulations to Brian Spangler!
February 28, 2012
Superman's Cape by Brian Spangler is three different stories that come together in the end. The main story revolves around Sara Connely, the mother of two young boys who is struggling to make it both emotionally and financially. Hers is a heart wrenching story that parents will likely identify with as it addresses the fears of living alone while raising children and having a missing child. A secondary story is that of Kyle, Sara's twelve year old son who ends up missing after a family argument. The third story involves Jacob, television weather man who has the gift of seeing things before they happen. Their stories are all intertwined and the author jumps from one to another for each chapter.
I found this book to be entertaining and I was eager to see what happened next. Mr. Spangler paints a clear picture of the setting as well as the feelings of the characters. He uses a lot of similes and metaphors to convey his ideas. Overall, I enjoyed this book, however, I found myself skimming some of the chapters that involved Kyle being lost in the woods. Those chapters didn't seem to move quickly for me. I found them to be repetitive and the voice of Kyle did not seem to be authentic. Some of his thoughts and words seemed to be too mature for a 12 year old. Despite these concerns, I would recommend this book. I would love for Mr. Spangler to continue the story of Jacob.
I found this book to be entertaining and I was eager to see what happened next. Mr. Spangler paints a clear picture of the setting as well as the feelings of the characters. He uses a lot of similes and metaphors to convey his ideas. Overall, I enjoyed this book, however, I found myself skimming some of the chapters that involved Kyle being lost in the woods. Those chapters didn't seem to move quickly for me. I found them to be repetitive and the voice of Kyle did not seem to be authentic. Some of his thoughts and words seemed to be too mature for a 12 year old. Despite these concerns, I would recommend this book. I would love for Mr. Spangler to continue the story of Jacob.
December 1, 2012
An emotional story about a young boy lost in the woods and a father who will do anything, including coming back from the dead, to protect his family. Overall, the story was wonderfully told with just a hint of supernatural. Although there were several spelling and grammar errors, I was able to easily look over these.
I did, however, have a few issues with the characters. Mainly, the young boy, Kyle, who gets lost in the woods. When referring to the families past, when his brother Jonnie is only a baby, I got the impression that the brother's were much closer in age than they truly are. I felt like he was portrayed as being at a toddler's age instead of his true age of 7 or so. Also, at the time that the story is taking place, he was portrayed as being older than his true age. At times he does things or says things that are not true to a 12 year old. At times his vocabulary and descriptive abilities for his environment and predicament are that of a college student. With some adjustments to this character, I think this book could have possibly gotten 5 stars.
I did, however, have a few issues with the characters. Mainly, the young boy, Kyle, who gets lost in the woods. When referring to the families past, when his brother Jonnie is only a baby, I got the impression that the brother's were much closer in age than they truly are. I felt like he was portrayed as being at a toddler's age instead of his true age of 7 or so. Also, at the time that the story is taking place, he was portrayed as being older than his true age. At times he does things or says things that are not true to a 12 year old. At times his vocabulary and descriptive abilities for his environment and predicament are that of a college student. With some adjustments to this character, I think this book could have possibly gotten 5 stars.
February 9, 2012
A few seconds in time... changes a family forever!
Superman's Cape,
author, Brian Spangler
A few seconds in time... just long enough for a bullet fired at close range to find a fatal target in an innocent bystander...changes a family forever!
The combined elements of a family in trouble, an unknown weatherman with a physic gift, a severely injured lost boy in the Croatan National Forest, and oncoming Hurricane Dani culminate to bring together scenes of danger, suspense, mystery, and the paranormal.
I enjoyed reading this book from the very beginning. The story grabbed my heart, and lead me along until the end. The plot of the book brings emotions to the surface for each character. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy a different view of the possibilities of an unfinished life and how the spirit of a loving father may be captured within the body of another in order to save the life of a beloved son.
Enjoy!
Superman's Cape,
author, Brian Spangler
A few seconds in time... just long enough for a bullet fired at close range to find a fatal target in an innocent bystander...changes a family forever!
The combined elements of a family in trouble, an unknown weatherman with a physic gift, a severely injured lost boy in the Croatan National Forest, and oncoming Hurricane Dani culminate to bring together scenes of danger, suspense, mystery, and the paranormal.
I enjoyed reading this book from the very beginning. The story grabbed my heart, and lead me along until the end. The plot of the book brings emotions to the surface for each character. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy a different view of the possibilities of an unfinished life and how the spirit of a loving father may be captured within the body of another in order to save the life of a beloved son.
Enjoy!
August 31, 2016
Sara Connely and her children are forced to deal with the death of her husband, their father. The boys watched as their father was gunned down at an ice cream store while waiting in line together. This left the family, grieving, with no money and struggling.
Soon the older son goes missing in the woods. The weather is turning bad and he is running out of time. His little brother can help due to his "special" abilities.
It is about this point in the book that the paranormal aspects of the book are trying to be shown and come through a little strained and forced instead of fluently and subtly.
The story is extremely emotional and for me this is hard. The book was a great story and while at times seemed a bit hard to read and stick through, it was a good book and I would recommend it to others. This is Brian Spangler's first novel and I see a lot of potential in this author. I look forward to reading more of his books in the future.
Soon the older son goes missing in the woods. The weather is turning bad and he is running out of time. His little brother can help due to his "special" abilities.
It is about this point in the book that the paranormal aspects of the book are trying to be shown and come through a little strained and forced instead of fluently and subtly.
The story is extremely emotional and for me this is hard. The book was a great story and while at times seemed a bit hard to read and stick through, it was a good book and I would recommend it to others. This is Brian Spangler's first novel and I see a lot of potential in this author. I look forward to reading more of his books in the future.
March 29, 2012
Don't let the title fool you. This story is a very heartbreaking, moving story that will touch any parent. My entire outlook on life has changed since the birth of my son and as he get's older I cannot even fathom the idea of raising him alone without my husband. The strength that Brian gives Sara is true of any mom who is put in this horrible situation but all I kept thinking as I was reading this story was how would I handle it? This story had me in tears so many times because I just kept picturing myself in these roles. Brian has a great gift of being able to put into words emotions that any parent would be going through during not only the loss of a spouse but then during the anticipation of where your son is and is he alive! I am a big fan of fiction and this story was a great read, I just wish it hadn't hit too close to home and had me in tears for most of it!
February 13, 2012
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
I really liked this book. It is very well written and you can feel the emotions of the characters and see what they see. I could really immerse myself into this story.
The mother, Sara, tries to keep what is left of her family together after her husband dies. Her sons were witnesses to his murder, one becomes withdrawn the other acts out. When Kyle takes off running after getting upset with his mom, he ends up lost in the woods. Help arrives from an unlikely source.
This story is very well written, maybe too well written. Some of Kyle’s experiences in the woods are not for those with a weak stomach and vivid imagination. The author is very good about painting pictures with words.
Review:
I really liked this book. It is very well written and you can feel the emotions of the characters and see what they see. I could really immerse myself into this story.
The mother, Sara, tries to keep what is left of her family together after her husband dies. Her sons were witnesses to his murder, one becomes withdrawn the other acts out. When Kyle takes off running after getting upset with his mom, he ends up lost in the woods. Help arrives from an unlikely source.
This story is very well written, maybe too well written. Some of Kyle’s experiences in the woods are not for those with a weak stomach and vivid imagination. The author is very good about painting pictures with words.
March 18, 2012
This is a good book that I'd recommend to people that like emotional reads. I've never cried so much in any book ever. I think my problem is that I have 2 young boys and a husband that I quickly put in the scenario of the book and I couldn't move past that. The descriptions were so graphic and the pain was so real [for me] that I couldn't 'relax and enjoy it'. I just kept waiting for the happy stuff to start...and it didn't. The ending was good and I felt satisfied but it was a very emotional read for me. I would have given it 3 stars because I cried so damn much but I don't want to give people the idea that it's not a good book. It is good so I went with 4 despite my personal reaction to it. ;-)
April 6, 2012
Superman's Cape was an emotional roller coaster of a read. It's the story of survival of Sara and her two kids after the death of their father, as well as the story of Jacob, a weather reporter, who is struggling with his gift of a sixth sense. Kyle, Sara's oldest son, gets mad at the injustice of the aftermath of his father's death, decides to take a walk in the forest behind their house, only to get lost trying to find his way home. As he's battling the wilderness of the forest, Sara is battling the search team trying to find her son, and Jacob is battling his "gift" as it seems to disappear from his grasp. I couldn't put this book down and the ending was beyond anything I could have imagined. A fantastic read from an author I'll be keeping my eyes on for future works.
October 2, 2012
I almost stopped reading this book after the first few chapters. It was more than sad and my heart was breaking for this widow and her two young boys. The younger boy was in the processs of withdrawing from life altogether and they were nearly destitute. I was a little confused and impatient when the news-station storyline was introduced (because I just wanted to focus on the family), but the author caught my interest quickly and kept me interested in all the story lines. It was choppy in places, but not so much so that I couldn't follow it, and certainly not enough to cause me to lose interest. I received a free copy for review and I'll be looking for author Brian Spangler's next release, too.
May 9, 2013
It was ok. The story seemed really disjointed and nothing really seemed to go together. Then there was all this stuff happening at the end and everything was just kind of wrapped up. Not sure why I had to read 500 pages to get to that ending. The story was weird and it felt like the author was trying too hard at times. I think I read this so quickly because I had to skim over some really graphic descriptions of injuries etc.
It was just a really weird story and then the ending was rushed and weird.
It was just a really weird story and then the ending was rushed and weird.
November 12, 2014
This is a really good book. I was really on edge when Kyle was lost in the woods. I cringed when I learned about Jacob's gift and I thought it was going to be another typical storyline about intuition and psychics but I was wrong. The supernatural element in this book reminded me of something out of a Stephen King book and I was pleasantly surprised as many of my favorite books are by Stephen King.
March 19, 2012
An interesting piece of fantasy. Heroes aren't always the people we expect. Really they are right in front of us with fractured lives and maybe even a little funny looking in their fractured photos. Sometimes it hurts to help others, and seems impossible to conceive, yet there they are, helping. This is a cool idea.
June 13, 2012
I enjoyed this book and recommend it. The descriptions of the father protecting his young son's, their response to the tragedy that befalls them, the mother's feelings and responses to the loss and challenges with which she finds herself dealing are excellent. I especially liked the portrayal of the thoughts, feelings and and actions of the older son while he was lost in a hostile wilderness.
December 5, 2012
I liked the book, don't get me wrong. But it was a little hard to read some things about the gross details of the boy in the forrest (and I don't really have a weak stomach). It was a little too drawn out for me at different points in the book. But I liked the characters and the story. It wasn't terrible yet not my favorite book.
January 19, 2013
Once again Brian Spangler pulls you in and keeps you going from the first page. Superman's cape although graphic in places and sometime downright gross it is a definite must read.
Sarah has lost her husband her boys have lost their father all struggle to make it in the world. When Kyle gets lost in the forest Sarah must believe in things she never thought she would have to believe in.
Sarah has lost her husband her boys have lost their father all struggle to make it in the world. When Kyle gets lost in the forest Sarah must believe in things she never thought she would have to believe in.
March 7, 2012
This book was free and the description sounded interesting. Unfortunately, the description did not include the paranormal aspect OR the extremely disgusting nature of the lost-in-the-forest story line. I ended up skimming and would not recommend this one.
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