The Cloak Society

The Cloak Society #1

by Jeramey Kraatz

The first in a thrilling, action-packed middle grade trilogy, which School Library Journal declared "will likely find the same wide appeal as Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books. The Cloak An elite organization of supervillains graced with extraordinary powers. Ten years ago the Cloak Society was defeated by Sterling City's superheroes, the Rangers of Justice, and vanished without a trace. But the villains have been waiting for the perfect moment to resurface. . . . Twelve-year-old Alex Knight is a dedicated junior member of Cloak who has spent years mastering his telekinetic superpowers and preparing for the day when Cloak will rise to power again. Cloak is everything he believes in. But during his debut mission, Alex does the He saves the life of a Junior Ranger of Justice. Even worse . . . she becomes his friend. And the more time he spends with her, the more Alex wonders what, exactly, he's been fighting for.

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

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2012

About the author

Hi! I’m Jeramey Kraatz. That’s like “cats” with an “R” in it, by the way. I wrote THE CLOAK SOCIETY and SPACE RUNNERS series from Harper.

I grew up in Odessa, Texas, studied advertising and English at TCU, and graduated from the MFA program at Columbia University where I studied nonfiction writing. In the past, I’ve worked as a snow-cone maker, barista, mannequin dresser, and intern in the X-Men Editorial Department at Marvel Comics. When I’m not working on books, I write English dub scripts for various anime series, like Seraph of the End and My Hero Academia. You never have to grow up, kids.

I like bad horror movies, comic books, queso, and music that sounds like laser pistols. I live and work in Texas with, predictably, my cat: Loki.

Reviews

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. The characters are believable and well written. The story progressed quickly and held my attention. It was a great YA story and I'm really looking forward to reading more of the series.

[JeanBookNerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeramey Kraatz’s The Cloak Society takes an interesting look through the eyes of villain. Twelve-year-old Alex Knight is a member of a villainous group called The Cloak Society who happens to have super abilities. He has been training his whole life to follow the footsteps of his parents to become one of the great villains in the world. On his first mission, instead of following it, he saves a girl named Kirbie who happens to be a Ranger. The Rangers of Justice were responsible for the Cloak Society’s defeat ten years ago and led them to hide from the world. Kirbie quickly becomes his friend and they form a unique bond and friendship. The more Alex spends with her, the more he wonders about his and the Cloak’s true purpose and the kind of life outside of the Cloak Society.

Having a point of view of the villain is a nice shift from the crowded galore of books that mainly focus on the heroes. I like how author Jeramy meticulously develops Alex from a boy who sees things one sided, into a boy who thought and decided for himself. Although Kirbie is able to show Alex the world through her eyes, readers do not get an exact indication if Alex would join the Rangers or continue on with his mission. Jeramy’s writing style is able to precisely capture Alex’s thoughts and moods towards a world that is new to him. The characters’ development and progression all worked well with one another and helped moved the story along quite well with exciting battles. The Cloak Society is a well-written story with plenty of fast-paced action. One may expect a story such as this to be hurried or all over the place but it is brilliantly spaced throughout and readers are able to receive the full impact of the story. It has the superhero/villain element with tremendous action sequence and excellent dialogue that it will satisfy any reader.

[Patricia - Lady with Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised when I started seeing themes of brainwashing and manipulation and the morality of killing your opponent in a middle grade superhero novel. The adults of The Cloak Society are out for revenge and domination and have turned their own children into weapons and sacrificial lambs. The children are brainwash into following Cloak’s agenda. Those who are not powered are treated like second class citizens and basically slaves. The prejudice and elitism is discomforting to read. Alex, our protagonist, struggles with his own morality and the concept of the innocent bystander and collateral damage and what it really means to be a hero or a villain. He has his eyes very forcible opened to exactly what his parents are prepared to do to take over Sterling City. I was very surprised to see such serious themes and I’m not sure if Kraatz meant to sneak those in there or if I’m just thinking about it too hard.

That being said, I loved the book. I enjoyed the unique perspective of reading a story told from the villain’s point of view. Alex is an excellent protagonist and his struggles are believable. He doesn’t suddenly turn good overnight, or because of a pretty girl (gag), but he goes through an evolution where he is exposed to other points of view and comes to his own conclusions. The bank robbery is Alex’s first foray into the real world outside of the Cloak headquarters and now he sees beyond the doctrine his parents have been feeding him all his life. Titan and Julie are a bit lackluster, being just the stereotypical bullies. Mallory is a nice, complicated character and Kirbie isn’t too annoying with her bubbly, self-righteous attitude. Altogether, a nice cast of characters.

[Rashika (is tired) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this but there were a couple of issues that I had that make it hard for me to give this cute little book a higher rating.

[InLoveWithWords · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun middle grade read

[Joseph Leskey · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Update as of Saturday, January, the seven and twentieth day, in the year of our Lord, two thousand and eighteen, the same update pertaining to my reading of my book on the previous day and indeed into this one.
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Now I remember that obscure reasoning I used to decide that I enjoyed this book. I don't know exactly what is was, just like I don't know exactly what prune jelly would taste like. Really, it's a brilliant book. For a tiny little while (as in, for a time not very lengthy), the language seemed a bit not so very complicated, but that was to be expected as I had just fled The Count of Monte Cristo, which I am still reading (please note that if you read this review in the distant future, this may be an abominable lie, in which case I've just told you that it was so, which nullifies the malignant intention, which renders the lie not a lie, but rather a falsehood that was once true…
Anyway, a exhibition of the essence of my previous reasoning is below in my first review of this fine work, which is glorious, I'm sure—that is, my review is glorious; the book is too, but one has to clear up any misconceptions of one's grammar that can be wielding viciously in verbal opponents. Fare well!

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Original Review
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I enjoyed this book so much that everybody in the world ought to enjoy it or else… nothing. Why? I have no clue; I'll have to figure that out before the end of this review.

Number one, this is urban fantasy. Fantasy that takes place in a modern environment even. There is no genre that compares to urban fantasy. THIS MODERN WORLD WITH FANTASTICAL ELEMENTS.

Number two. This book includes questions of loyalty. Questions of loyalty might be even better than urban fantasy. And this was an especially wondrous example of questions of loyalty. I'd better stop repeating myself or soon I'll be fit to go into politics. The only problem with questions of loyal—you know what—is that it always makes me want the character to stay true to the original side, which can cause difficulty. And if they do, that might upset my mental balance for an hour. But I may be saying that which is irrelevant. I must be descended from some great politician. To get back to the review, the whole wavering fidelity is so excellently handled that it left me pacing after I finished the book. Or maybe that was the superpower fights… I dunno (some contractions…).

Oooooooooo! The superpowers !!!!!!! The author picked very good ones and also created quite enjoyable scenes wherein they are being used. By the way, the way the book starts is the epitome of grandeur. It was most amusing to see how the different powers reacted against each other.

As for the writing, it was very nice and fast paced, excellently dealing with perspective. It constantly kept me in the mood for more and was one of the most attention-stealing books I've ever read.

The plot was singularly entertaining and is definitely not just internal conflict. But, I really enjoy internal conflict, so it wouldn't bother me anyway. (Wonderful. Now I'm even more politically-suited.)

Vile and treacherous content? Oh, aye. That would be in the form of the word "c"*"ap." And it should be obvious what I mean. Okay. That wasn't all that vile and treacherous, but still… it… counts.

And, now, allow me to finish my review by saying that there were also some interesting concepts, power-wise, in this book, which I rather enjoyed. Hm… I've gotten myself into the mood for superheros. I. NEED. TO. READ. A. BOOK. ABOUT. SUPERHEROS. RIGHT. NOW. That sort of thing. Ah, well.

Adios, vale, goodbye. All that good junk. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!! I've forgotten how to say goodbye in Gaelic. Of all things… and Greek. I don't make a very good linguist.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot/Execution/Characters: This isn't the most original idea, but it's interesting to read nonetheless. You've got your superheroes and your villains, battling it out. But wait! There's a twist: The Gloom. A mysterious place where those unmarked cannot return unaided, and can be banished forever.

It's short and to the point, without much confusion. It's also simple and easy to read. A bit geared toward kids, but not oppressively so.

Nice dramatic ending! Wills and won'ts are good for tying up a book.

Worth my time?: Sure, if you need something to read

[Hazel West · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughts on the Overall Book: I'm not the biggest fan of superhero stories, but well, when it comes to the villains, everyone loves a good villain and I really liked the premise of the story featuring a young supervillain in training who has some moral issues with the people he's siding with.

Cover--Yea or Nay: The cover is cool-looking and will likely catch kids, especially young boys' attention (it caught my younger brother's) but I don't care for how Alex is portrayed. The title emblem is my favorite part of it.

Characters: Alex was a likable protagonist, his struggle was understandable, having to choose between what he felt was the right thing to do, and going against his family and friends. I liked how he also didn't decide right away either, he actually thought about it, and you kind of get both sides of the story, seeing why the villains did what they did and why they want revenge on the superheroes. We didn't get to know a lot of his friends as much as I wanted to. I think I would have really liked Mallory if I had gotten to know her better. Same with Gage. I did really like Misty, but her character was more defined. I really liked Kerbie though, she actually reminded me a lot of Annabeth from the Percy Jackson series, and I liked that she was sensible, was willing to give Alex the benefit of a doubt and yet wasn't entirely willing to trust him at first. As for Alex's parents, while we don't get to know his dad a lot, his mom, Shade, was actually kind of scary. She seemed just really power-hungry, bent on revenge, and what made her even more frightening was that she wasn't entirely against getting Alex hurt for the sake of their cause. Pretty much your typical supervillain.

The Romance: There isn't any.

Writing Style: Third person, past tense. For the most part it was okay, but there were a few wonky POV shifts on occasion that kind of stopped me for a moment with the flow. Apart from that, it's not horrible, and though not the best writing ever (more action-movie style, which is fine and pretty much expected with this kind of story) it wasn't bad to read and perfectly okay for a middle-grade book. I liked the premise of the story, and for a debut novel I think it wasn't bad. Could have used a little more characterization here and there with some of the minor characters (another thing that made it read more like a movie) but apart from that, I think it leaves room for improvement.

Accuracy/ Believability: Not really applicable. But I think the story behind everything, and everyone's motives made sense, so that's all that really matters in books like this.

Problems/What bothered me: The only thing that really bothered me was that I was a little confused about the Gloom. I would have liked to know more about that and where it came from. But maybe we'll get to learn that in the next book.

Conclusion: 3 stars. I enjoyed, it's a quick and entertaining read. Maybe not quite as entertaining as I had hoped, but I did like it. It ended on a rather abrupt cliff-hanger, but I can't really take off marks for that either.

Recommended Audience: Guy read, 10 and up, I'd say readers of Percy Jackson would probably enjoy this.

[Gypsy Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex is the son on supervillains who have gone underground and are preparing for the comeback of their supervillain organization The Cloak Society. The children of the supervillains are all trained together and referred to as the Beta team. He has rivalries and friendships with his fellow Betas, and pressure mounted on him by his megalomaniac mother to improve his power and make him into something she can be proud of. On a mission he sees one of the opposing Junior Justice Rangers about to get killed by one of his teammates, and he rescues her, leaving him to question everything that he has ever known. As he meets with her secretly, he starts to question whether he really wants to be a villain, or do the right thing with revenge for the fall of the Cloak Society no longer feeling like the right thing any more.

In the blurb this is likened to the Percy Jackson series. And while it’s a fantasy book that stars a young boy of similar age (Alex is 12 in this), so it’s trying to appeal to the same Middle-Grade demographic, it doesn’t have the same breadth of detail, imagination, or character depth that the Percy Jackson books had. As one of the previous reviewers commented, if you took each character at face value, and wrote up a character profile about each one, that is what you get. There is no hidden depth, larger personality, or even hidden motives to add any plot twists. In other words, there are no characters walking that fine grey line making you wonder just what side they are on. There are only villains, heroes, and innocent kids who have found they’re on the wrong side. Titan is a typical bully and Julie likes inflicting pain with her claws and neither one grows any further from that character type. Mallory never seems fully fleshed out. I did like Misty and Alex’s friendship with her. And though I was hoping for some hidden motives from his mother (I thought there might be something between her and Lone Star), she proved to be just the usual megalomaniac power-hungry dominating villain, while his father was barely a cameo cardboard prop. In the age of Marvel and DC movies crowding the screen, I am hungry for superhero books (and this does have set limited superpowers, rather than magic fantasy characters that can do everything under the sun), but as a reader, I want dimension in the characters I read about. I did like Alex’s dilemma of trying to live up to his parents’ expectations, but realizing he really wanted to be a good person, and that being a villain meant he would have to kill people. I love the idea of a villain re-examining his values (though technically Alex was never really a villain, just a kid with parents on the villain team). The pacing on this is also slow. Not much actually happened during it. There was the heist in the beginning, then a whole lot of training and a couple of vacation fieldtrips into the city (there’s a bit more action toward the end). This ends on a great cliffhanger set up for the next book, but I’m not planning to go any further with the series, since we pretty much know how all the characters are going to act.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

For his twelve birthday, Alex gets to go on a bank robbery.

Raised from birth in the Cloak Society -- on its fourth generation from the first scientists to gain power, bent on world-domination to "right a world that's wrong" -- this is his first chance to show his skills. He fails to get them into the vault with his telekinetic powers; two other young teammates (the Beta Team) do it. And worse, in the following fight, he reflexively saves the life of one of the superheroes. His mother does not approve. They are readying their attack on the Rangers since the time, ten years ago, when they had nearly brought down the Rangers of Justice, and the surviving Ranger had launched a fierce attack that had slaughtered most of the Society.

That does not, in fact, settle the matter for Alex. His problems intertwine with the details of what happened on that day, ten years ago; his fondness for origami and a younger girl who really likes them; a friend of his whose father wanted to be treated as part of the society on his mechanical genius; meeting someone on the sly; seeing everything in blue; getting ice cream; the Beta Team's morning jogs; and more.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting story, and I was plesently surprised that it was told from the perspective of the super villian instead of the super hero perspective. Alex is a typical pre-teen with friend problems and parent problems. Once he starts to have a conciounce and question how he was raised because the actions that his parents and peers are taking just does not sit well with him. I like the fact that this story has Alex think for himself, he doesn't just react. I think that for pre-teens that this is a great story showing how you can forge your own path when you know that the one you are on is wrong. Even going against your peers and adults when you know that they are making the wrong choices. I also liked how Alex handled the adults and his turning away from their teaching, once he was sure it was wrong. He searched for friends and people to help him, and he made a stand for what was right even when it wasn't easy.

This book was provided to me by the publisher via Edelweiss. The rating, review, and all opinions are my own

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won an ARC copy of this book on Goodreads.

Alex is training to be a member of the Cloak Society and follow in his parents footsteps. The Cloak Society are enemies with the Rangers of Justice and want to seek Revenge on them. While Alex is on his first mission , he saves the life of Kirby a member of the Young Rangers. After saving Kirby's life and discovering the true intentions of the Cloak Society's plans, Alex begins to question where his loyalty lies.

Filled with action packed battles, and many different superpowers ranging from telekinesis to shape shifting, the Cloak Society is a fun take on the Superhero plot lines. I enjoyed the friendship that builds between Alex and Kirby. I would recommend this book for fans of The Lightning Thief and the Artemis Fowl books.

[Phil · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a story about a team of supervillains as protagonist, I was expecting a much bolder, darker tale. The back cover says ages 8-11, so maybe this 38 year old is just too jaded and asymmetrical for this one. It was enjoyable and it would be a great fit for young readers. I, personally, like my fantasy fiction like I like my coffee: DARK and BITTER and LASTS ALL DAY!

[Abigail H. Leskey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content: c**p twice, some violence.

[Daniel Parkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was full of sinister plots, victories, and twists. I liked it because it was about superheros fighting super villains. Anyone who likes superheros needs to read this.

[Kino · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were so many ways in which this book could have failed. Instead, it soared over cliches and expectations like Superman on meth!

Starting this adventure, I thought it would be another cliche, by the numbers book. Or a tastefully done anti-hero-hero sort of thing. But instead it walks a tightrope of excellent writing and pacing that the story of a young man finding himself is retold in an engaging way, and even maybe, through fresh eyes. It is committed in the world that it builds and the characters that it portrays.

If you like this genre and then you'll love this book, and even if you don't - it was so well written that I'm sure you'll enjoy it anyway.

Worth buying and saving money for if you have no cash. Worth making time for.

[Samantha Carter]

VERY tempted to re-read this trilogy after I finished the masterpiece that was the Renegades trilogy. This is basically that, but middle grade (and a lot less devastating haha)

[Lucy Olsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun twist on a superhero story. A clever, fun read!

[Brandon Park yaechaanan C1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book fuels the part of your mind that loves completely out of the world fantasy, even though it is almost relatable. A group of superpowered people, the Cloak Society, battle their rival group called the Rangers. Even though it is something the real world has never experienced, the characters are normal. They still have powers, but they still think like us, have the same problems, etc. The story is a little cliche for my taste, but I still think it is an entertaining book.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the popularity of X-Men, Marvel comics and the like, this book will be just the thing for 4th through 6th grade readers, and maybe a bit older. Alex is a budding super villain who is struggling to find his niche within his family and their organization, The Cloak Society. "Cloak" has been trying to best the Rangers of Justice, their super hero counterparts, for years and think that with modifications to a particularly powerful gun and the skills of the younger super villains in training, this time they will take control of Sterling City. But Alex is not so sure about his role in this take over and is beginning to doubt the motives of Cloak and of his parents. Readers will be swept into the action as the opposing groups of heroes and villains collide and will wonder, right up until the end, what Alex will do and if he will be the weapon that his parents think he is destined to be. For parents, this is not a book of bloody violence that might raise alarm bells. There is action, there are weapons, and there are intense encounters between the opposing super powers, but Kraatz has a creative way for the vanquished to be dispatched instead of simply killing them! And there are positive messages of friendship and making the right choice despite pressure from those closest to you. All in all, a solid choice for my library patrons and I will be purchasing all three installments. I gave book one 4 stars because there were a few times that the story slowed down as Alex mulled over his choices and only 3 or 4 of the characters seemed truly fleshed out. I am hopeful that others will become more clearly developed in books 2 and 3.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I got this arc from the Goodreads giveaways and finally had the time to now read it. I have to say I normally am not for the superhero genres, but I actually liked this a lot. I enjoyed seeing Alex (our hero? antihero? villain?) question his identity and whether he is doing the right thing. And by right thing I mean not just for himself, but also for others. He comes to question if The Cloak Society is doing their nefarious deeds to conquer and better the world; or if they are just doing it simply with revenge and glory on their minds. Also just as a heads-up to the author and editors the arc had a few grammar moments. "Alex" needed to be capitalized on the first pages of chapters 5, 10, and 11. Page 111 had an odd sentence structure where Titan was talking. And on page 214 I believe "Aunt Phantom" should be capitalized. Grammar note: If the family title forms a unit when used together with a first name, capitalize these titles, even when preceded by a possessive.
Still, the arc kept me enthralled and I wonder if a sequel is in the works to show more on this book's aftermath? I would love to see how the new team decide to go about their next moves.

[Shanshad Whelan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad. I've read a few villain-perspective fiction stories that really fall apart or just tend to clunk along. This one manages to entertain, even if it does suffer from some painful plot cliches. I just wish the beginning chapter didn't feel so all-fired out of place. The intro narrates things from the perspective of an outside viewpoint, and slightly tongue in cheek . . . until we finally zero in on Alex (our protagonist).

The resulting story isn't all that surprising, but it is entertaining to a degree, and will probably be a hit with middle grade readers who haven't had the storyline done to death for them. My biggest complaint, is the huge spoiler right in the inside copy. C'mon, the stuff the copy talks about doesn't really build up in the plot until about a third of the way in, and it would have been nice not to already know that Alex was going to save, and then later befriend one of the heroes.

I think there's more than likely another book planned in this world--things are not settled and there are plenty of loose ends that could use looking into. I'll probably be looking for the book when it comes out!

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y'ALL SLEEPING ON THIS SERIES IT'S AMAZING

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that requires you to look into the plans you have for the coming couple of days because once you start, you won't be able to stop until you run out of pages. This is a great story. It asks you to look into the meaning of good and evil. Alex Knight is the villain that can't really reconsile himself with his evil ways. As part of a society of villains, he is forced to grapple with the fact that a part of him doesn't believe in the life he was born into no matter how well he can perform the actions of an evildoer. As a reader, you have to look closely at the stance of both sides and realize that both the villain and the hero think that they're in the right. Really great action and the characters are so compelling. I truly loved this book for making every decision so wrenching for Alex, and for the fact that he always went the way that seemed most realistic for someone in his shoes.

[Tate P · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cloak Society by Jeremy kraatz is very good book about a boy named Alex who wants to join the high council of the cloak society when he grows up. Alex has the ability of telekinesis, the ability to manipulate things with your mind. This power serves him well. The protecters of the city they live in The Rangers Of Justice are their enemies, they plan to destroy the Rangers once and for all with an attack on justice tower. The attack is only a couple weeks away when they commit a huge heist. It is successful but in the process he notices a junior ranger named Kirbie and what she thinks of Cloak. He starts to question if what he is doing is right. This book is one of those that you can not put down it was very exciting. Fans of Harry Potter will like this book. Alex starts thinking about his super villain team and if they are doing the right thing. Will he quit cloak? Find out in this first novel in the trilogy!

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Middle grade fun for all ages. I really enjoyed this book, the superpowered teens was an interesting aspect.

I'm a comic book fan and so I'm always interested in books, especially middle grade level, for my kids. This is one that I'll definately add to their shelf.

I grew up in a small town in West Texas and so I've been to Sterling City lots of times. It really put a smile on my face as I was reading this book whenever it mentioned Sterling City. Fun fun!!

If you read 'Vindico' this summer be sure to keep an eye out for this one!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit, I've always wanted super powers...but since I've never had a transformative encounter with a super charged spider, toxic waste, or extra-terrestrial matter I will settle for reading about super heroes and villains. I really enjoyed this book. It is a fun adventure with characters that you care about and kids learning who they are rather than who their parents want them to be. I am looking forward to the next book in this series or the aforementioned transformative experience.

[Janna Thalman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really did enjoy this book. Just thought it a bit simple but since it is written for younger kids that makes sense. We actually gave it to Josh for his Christmas book but he wasn't too interested in it so I ended up reading it instead. It's about a boy who's born a Supervillain but starts questioning after he meets a Hero. The only thing I didn't like was that he questions his parents and their teachings at a very young age. Which I can't decide how I feel about actually. Since he was actually right and they are wrong. I probably will read the other book though.

[Laura Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprising twist on the good vs. evil theme. Alex is being initiated into the Cloak Society, a superviillain group fighting to defeat the Rangers of Justice. To his (and everyone elses) shock, though, in a crucial moment in a battle, he saves the life of a young Ranger. This action leads him to question what the Cloak Society is fighting for and his moral dilemma is palpable. Strong characters, fast pace, interesting themes and a great cover will definitely appeal to readers!