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Sidekick: The Misadventures of the New Scarlet Knight
Bobby Baines is in high school, which is bad enough. When his hero, Scarlet Knight, dies, Bobby is forced to take up his mantel. Only Scarlet Knight never had to deal with eking out a passing grade in math, keeping his fellow sidekicks in check, or stopping a giant squid from bearing down on his school and crushing everyone inside. After all, Bobby Baines is no super hero, he’s a Sidekick!
225 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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103 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 22, 2021
Way out of my normal genres. An entertaining Young Adult fantasy about superheroes and their young proteges. Bobby is a senior in high school when his guardian and mentor dies suddenly and he's suddenly thrust into adulthood to replace his superhero guardian. Having only been a sidekick he's not convinced that he's up to the responsibility, especially since he's been taking a break from the whole superhero gig to concentrate on his studies. Everything seems to be going wrong on so many fronts that it's hard to deal with everything especially when it seems someone is out to kill the other superheroes. Certainly an interesting read with some very poignant references to some very unpleasant realities. Sometimes you really don't know someone until you can truly see behind the mask figuratively and literally.
August 4, 2014
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Sidekick: The Misadventures of the New Scarlet Knight by Pab Sungenis
Publisher: Month9Books
Publication Date: March 12, 2013
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC provided by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
Bobby Baines is in high school, which is bad enough. When his hero, Scarlet Knight, dies, Bobby is forced to take up his mantel. Only Scarlet Knight never had to deal with eking out a passing grade in math, keeping his fellow sidekicks in check, or stopping a giant squid from bearing down on his school and crushing everyone inside. After all, Bobby Baines is no super hero, he’s a Sidekick!
What I Liked:
When I finished this book, I could only think of how extraordinarily fun and action-packed this book was! I really liked the balance of lighthearted humor and scene-to-scene action. The cast of characters is diverse and numerous, but I found that all of the characters had a good amount of depth.
Bobby is our protagonist, and what an interesting protagonist he is! After the tragic death of his "Uncle" or foster father, the former Scarlet Knight, Bobby finds himself stepping back into the world of superheroes, and into his foster father's old shoes. It's not easy, going from sidekick to hero, especially when Bobby stopped being a sidekick for quite some time to focus on his schoolwork.
Nevertheless, I found that Bobby did an excellent job becoming the new Scarlet Knight. He made mistakes - several of them - but he handled himself well in most situations. His thinking was clear and easy to follow, and it was always fun to see what he would do in the next adventurous outing.
Speaking of adventure - there was plenty of it! I loved the amount of action there was in this book. It felt like every time a new scene opened, someone was going to die, or Bobby would be chasing after someone. I loved this! Nonstop action for the win!
The rest of the characters were extremely likable, and added to the dimensions of the plot. When I say this, I mean that each character had a specific role to play in this book, and I feel like each character played their role well. It was easy to tell who meant the most to Bobby, who was kind of sketchy, and oddly enough, who the real villain was. I knew almost from the start. This isn't a bad thing, but, well, I knew.
No love triangle! Woohoo! And, I can happily say that in terms of the romance, all's well that ends well. Sort of. The overall ending? Well, you'll just have to read this book to know. *winks*
What I Did Not Like:
There wasn't much that I didn't like about this book, but I think that some of the "telling" scenes, in which the reader gets a ton of information dumped on him/her, could have broken up into shorter sections, and the information could have been introduced at other times. Because sometimes, I was either a little overwhelmed by those scenes, or a little bored. Or a little of both.
Would I Recommend It:
YES! What a fun book. Anyone can read this book and probably enjoy it. Don't let the cover fool you - this is a very quick, fun, and enjoyable read.
Rating:
4 stars. I know my dislikes section didn't seem very large, but to me, this book felt like a 4-star book. It didn't completely wow me, but I really enjoyed it.
Sidekick: The Misadventures of the New Scarlet Knight by Pab Sungenis
Publisher: Month9Books
Publication Date: March 12, 2013
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC provided by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
Bobby Baines is in high school, which is bad enough. When his hero, Scarlet Knight, dies, Bobby is forced to take up his mantel. Only Scarlet Knight never had to deal with eking out a passing grade in math, keeping his fellow sidekicks in check, or stopping a giant squid from bearing down on his school and crushing everyone inside. After all, Bobby Baines is no super hero, he’s a Sidekick!
What I Liked:
When I finished this book, I could only think of how extraordinarily fun and action-packed this book was! I really liked the balance of lighthearted humor and scene-to-scene action. The cast of characters is diverse and numerous, but I found that all of the characters had a good amount of depth.
Bobby is our protagonist, and what an interesting protagonist he is! After the tragic death of his "Uncle" or foster father, the former Scarlet Knight, Bobby finds himself stepping back into the world of superheroes, and into his foster father's old shoes. It's not easy, going from sidekick to hero, especially when Bobby stopped being a sidekick for quite some time to focus on his schoolwork.
Nevertheless, I found that Bobby did an excellent job becoming the new Scarlet Knight. He made mistakes - several of them - but he handled himself well in most situations. His thinking was clear and easy to follow, and it was always fun to see what he would do in the next adventurous outing.
Speaking of adventure - there was plenty of it! I loved the amount of action there was in this book. It felt like every time a new scene opened, someone was going to die, or Bobby would be chasing after someone. I loved this! Nonstop action for the win!
The rest of the characters were extremely likable, and added to the dimensions of the plot. When I say this, I mean that each character had a specific role to play in this book, and I feel like each character played their role well. It was easy to tell who meant the most to Bobby, who was kind of sketchy, and oddly enough, who the real villain was. I knew almost from the start. This isn't a bad thing, but, well, I knew.
No love triangle! Woohoo! And, I can happily say that in terms of the romance, all's well that ends well. Sort of. The overall ending? Well, you'll just have to read this book to know. *winks*
What I Did Not Like:
There wasn't much that I didn't like about this book, but I think that some of the "telling" scenes, in which the reader gets a ton of information dumped on him/her, could have broken up into shorter sections, and the information could have been introduced at other times. Because sometimes, I was either a little overwhelmed by those scenes, or a little bored. Or a little of both.
Would I Recommend It:
YES! What a fun book. Anyone can read this book and probably enjoy it. Don't let the cover fool you - this is a very quick, fun, and enjoyable read.
Rating:
4 stars. I know my dislikes section didn't seem very large, but to me, this book felt like a 4-star book. It didn't completely wow me, but I really enjoyed it.
March 27, 2013
Sidekick is a fun, humor-filled read about the ups and downs of life as a superhero and the growth of one teen as he struggles to fulfill the legacy left by his predecessor. I can't remember the last time I read a superhero book, but this is what I look for in a modern superhero book (at least, it's one of the types): it makes fun of cheesy old superheros and introduces modern innovations, it's fun, and there is a wide cast of lovable characters.
Bobby is your typical American teenage boy, and he knows it. He talks in a matter-of-fact way about his two lives and doesn't make a big deal of things, unless he's trying to make a point, which he often makes aside to readers. I enjoyed getting to know him as he searches for his identity--is he Bobby the teenage boy, or is he the new Scarlet Knight? Many superhero books are about the adventure, but this one focuses primarily on the human factor and how being a superhero impacts Bobby, morally and as an individual trying to get through high school and college apps at the same time. The only thing I felt was missing was more on Bobby's life at school, outside of superhero work, though given his situation at the beginning of the novel I can understand why so much of this is missing.
What I do wish is that the other characters were developed just as well as Bobby. There are so many interesting characters surrounding Bobby. I would have liked to see more of them, especially the superheros and how they work together. It would also have been nice to see more mystery and tension surrounding the circumstances of the intrigue surrounding the new supervillain in town. At the same time, I feel that the lightness of this novel fits the novel overall. This is a read that didn't have me hiding under the covers at night; rather, it made me laugh and relax. I recommend this for middle-grade readers, but this is still a fun read that readers of all ages can enjoy.
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.
Bobby is your typical American teenage boy, and he knows it. He talks in a matter-of-fact way about his two lives and doesn't make a big deal of things, unless he's trying to make a point, which he often makes aside to readers. I enjoyed getting to know him as he searches for his identity--is he Bobby the teenage boy, or is he the new Scarlet Knight? Many superhero books are about the adventure, but this one focuses primarily on the human factor and how being a superhero impacts Bobby, morally and as an individual trying to get through high school and college apps at the same time. The only thing I felt was missing was more on Bobby's life at school, outside of superhero work, though given his situation at the beginning of the novel I can understand why so much of this is missing.
What I do wish is that the other characters were developed just as well as Bobby. There are so many interesting characters surrounding Bobby. I would have liked to see more of them, especially the superheros and how they work together. It would also have been nice to see more mystery and tension surrounding the circumstances of the intrigue surrounding the new supervillain in town. At the same time, I feel that the lightness of this novel fits the novel overall. This is a read that didn't have me hiding under the covers at night; rather, it made me laugh and relax. I recommend this for middle-grade readers, but this is still a fun read that readers of all ages can enjoy.
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.
August 18, 2013
What does a superhero's sidekick do in his spare time? Would he even HAVE spare time? And what if he's still in high school when his rich superhero uncle bites the dust? Does a loyal sidekick quit the biz so he can concentrate on his homework and prep for college, or does he don the way-cool high-tech armor and helmet of his genius benefactor, the Scarlet Knight, and take on Harbor City's villains, like the giant telepathic squid who's set on swallowing the school whole? Or the mysterious villain who comes and goes in a puff of smoke and is somehow in possession of one of the Scarlet Knight's most treasured weapons? Hint: go with the extracurricular stuff. Any self-respecting sidekick isn't going to let the killer of the man -- who took him under his wing when he needed it most -- get away with it.
Marred only by a slow start, the story picks up the pace as soon as the giant squid rises from the ocean, going from a 4-star to 5-star read with superhero speed. It would work well as a graphic novel and I look forward to the sequel hinted at in the book. Fans of King Dork should pick this one up because it's written just as cleverly.
Marred only by a slow start, the story picks up the pace as soon as the giant squid rises from the ocean, going from a 4-star to 5-star read with superhero speed. It would work well as a graphic novel and I look forward to the sequel hinted at in the book. Fans of King Dork should pick this one up because it's written just as cleverly.
May 2, 2013
As much as I wanted to hate this book (because MY book with a superhero named the Scarlet Knight was released last October) I really couldn't. I didn't really love it either. It's a fairly bland superhero story, sort of like Watchmen with the violence toned down. The biggest flaw is with the voice. The narrator is supposed to be 17 and yet he uses expressions like "woolgathering" which no American kid has probably ever used in the last 80 years or so. The title is misleading too because there are no real "misadventures" as Bobby is already pretty adept at the superhero game and experiences few real challenges as far as that goes.
Oh and for the record, my Scarlet Knight would mop the floor with this one. I'm just saying.
Oh and for the record, my Scarlet Knight would mop the floor with this one. I'm just saying.
March 14, 2013
Quite an enjoyable read.
Bobby is a sidekick until Scarlet Knight passes away and he is made to take his place.
Bobby has to balance school along with being a hero and saving the day.
No-one must know the real identities of heroes and sidekicks, so remaining in secret is hard.
However, someone is killing off heroes and knows about them. Who is it? Who can you trust?
This story is really spunky. If you like stories about superheroes, then definitely give it a go =)
Full review to come...
Will also be hosting a blog tour on this book on the 20th March =)
Bobby is a sidekick until Scarlet Knight passes away and he is made to take his place.
Bobby has to balance school along with being a hero and saving the day.
No-one must know the real identities of heroes and sidekicks, so remaining in secret is hard.
However, someone is killing off heroes and knows about them. Who is it? Who can you trust?
This story is really spunky. If you like stories about superheroes, then definitely give it a go =)
Full review to come...
Will also be hosting a blog tour on this book on the 20th March =)
October 16, 2013
This book is a lot of fun. Sungenis has written a comic book in a novel format. There are superheroes, villains, love, and death. SIDEKICK: THE MISADVENTURES OF THE NEW SCARLET KNIGHT has something for everyone. Check it out if you like clever humor and comic books.
September 19, 2013
I never pass up the opportunity to try and solve a superhero murder mystery. Additionally, I am always thrilled to find a hero book where the main character already knows how to use their powers.
April 3, 2013
Review up!
I've always loved superheroes! Loved sidekick :)
http://www.rachelsbookreviews.com/q-z...
I've always loved superheroes! Loved sidekick :)
http://www.rachelsbookreviews.com/q-z...
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews