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Super Villain Academy #3
Super Bad
The world is in chaos. Violence and thievery reign. And with the supers still balanced, it’s only getting worse. Without good versus evil, the supers care less and less. In order to restore purpose, the world needs its super heroes and its super villains, but the one who balanced them in the first place is missing.
Sandra’s concern over finding her brother, Jeff, isn’t her only problem. Her pathetic excuse for super powers has left her needing a new ankle. And though she’s still very much committed to her boyfriend, Source, she’s growing unreasonably attracted to Set, the boy who double crossed Jeff by stealing his girlfriend.
When Sandra is taken and held as bait by some kids who want to unbalance the super world, it becomes the inciting event that changes things for supers everywhere and forces them to answer the question, “Hero or villain?”
Sandra’s concern over finding her brother, Jeff, isn’t her only problem. Her pathetic excuse for super powers has left her needing a new ankle. And though she’s still very much committed to her boyfriend, Source, she’s growing unreasonably attracted to Set, the boy who double crossed Jeff by stealing his girlfriend.
When Sandra is taken and held as bait by some kids who want to unbalance the super world, it becomes the inciting event that changes things for supers everywhere and forces them to answer the question, “Hero or villain?”
252 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2015
2 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
About the author
Kai Strand
32 books114 followersThanks for your interest in my books and me. I love talking books with readers and hope you’ll share your thoughts on my books by leaving a review and/or dropping me an email. It’s easiest to get a hold of me through my website (kaistrand.com). Perhaps you clicked on my bio to find out things about me, such as I hate to handle raw meat, I’m a wife and mother of four, a compulsive walker, and a Mozart fangirl. But since you stopped by, what I really want you to know is that I love that you read. Readers are smart, quick-witted, and usually good conversationalists—even if it’s only in their head. Introverts unite!
I write middle grade fiction because those are the most formative years of our lives. It’s when we are trying to claim our freedom, while still being restricted by rules. The things we learn in books can give us the skills to navigate that maze. I write young adult fiction because there are no limits to what message I share or how I share it. Plus young adult readers are some of the most passionate readers out there. I heart YA readers.
If you’d like an image of me as a writer, go ahead and picture me with my laptop in a quaint bookshop café, fingers flying over the keys while the words pour out of my fingertips. It’s much better than the real image of me in my pajamas with coffee breath, sinking into the me-sized crater in the couch, grumbling at my laptop when the words don’t come.
Read an interview with Kai here on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
I write middle grade fiction because those are the most formative years of our lives. It’s when we are trying to claim our freedom, while still being restricted by rules. The things we learn in books can give us the skills to navigate that maze. I write young adult fiction because there are no limits to what message I share or how I share it. Plus young adult readers are some of the most passionate readers out there. I heart YA readers.
If you’d like an image of me as a writer, go ahead and picture me with my laptop in a quaint bookshop café, fingers flying over the keys while the words pour out of my fingertips. It’s much better than the real image of me in my pajamas with coffee breath, sinking into the me-sized crater in the couch, grumbling at my laptop when the words don’t come.
Read an interview with Kai here on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 6, 2015
Have you ever dreamed of being a superhero? Of saving lives or of doing good in the world? Maybe being a supervillain and causing trouble is more to your taste. What if you could be a little of both? Fun, huh?
SUPER BAD (SUPER VILLAIN ACADEMY BOOK 3) by Author Kai Strand has both superheroes and supervillains. After the supers were balanced there were no heroes or villains. This should have been great, right? Well, it didn’t work out quite the way they’d expected. The world is out of control, and the only way to solve the problem is to unbalance the supers. If they only knew how. Polar (Jeff) and Mystic are causing trouble of their own. Jeff’s sister, Sandra, and her boyfriend, Source, are searching for the answer and not having much luck finding it.
SUPER BAD is loaded with action, humor, and romance, the superhero kind, which is a bit different because of the powers the characters have. You’ll see what I mean when you read the novel. Ms. Strand makes her characters come to life. They’re never dull and often do the unexpected. Sometimes they act like normal teens, if you overlook the flying and fire and other powers that normal teens do not have.
Although this novel can stand alone, you might want to read the first two books in the series to make yourself familiar with the characters and what’s happened before. Either way, you’re in for an exciting ride with Jeff and the other superheroes. Told from different point of view characters you get to see inside the heads of the major players. Sometimes that’s a bit scary.
So pick up a copy of SUPER BAD and see what teens with super powers are like.
The author provided me with an ARC of the novel for my honest review.
SUPER BAD (SUPER VILLAIN ACADEMY BOOK 3) by Author Kai Strand has both superheroes and supervillains. After the supers were balanced there were no heroes or villains. This should have been great, right? Well, it didn’t work out quite the way they’d expected. The world is out of control, and the only way to solve the problem is to unbalance the supers. If they only knew how. Polar (Jeff) and Mystic are causing trouble of their own. Jeff’s sister, Sandra, and her boyfriend, Source, are searching for the answer and not having much luck finding it.
SUPER BAD is loaded with action, humor, and romance, the superhero kind, which is a bit different because of the powers the characters have. You’ll see what I mean when you read the novel. Ms. Strand makes her characters come to life. They’re never dull and often do the unexpected. Sometimes they act like normal teens, if you overlook the flying and fire and other powers that normal teens do not have.
Although this novel can stand alone, you might want to read the first two books in the series to make yourself familiar with the characters and what’s happened before. Either way, you’re in for an exciting ride with Jeff and the other superheroes. Told from different point of view characters you get to see inside the heads of the major players. Sometimes that’s a bit scary.
So pick up a copy of SUPER BAD and see what teens with super powers are like.
The author provided me with an ARC of the novel for my honest review.
May 4, 2020
I think the theme is just because you have badness doesn´t mean you have to use it.
August 10, 2015
From the beginning of this series Kai Strand has kept us guessing just where the Supers, especially Jeff, was going to end up. Super Bad is no exception. The third book of this series is just as much of a page turner as the first two books. Jeff is REALLY good at being bad! Which made me want to reach into the book and shake him most of the book. Then the end...well, I'll let you read it and find out for yourself!
May 18, 2015
I have enjoyed every minute I've spent with the characters of the Super Villain Academy world, but I have to say that this is my favorite book of the series. There's action, romance, and a show down I didn't see coming. While I'm sad to see the series end, I have a feeling we may see more from this world in the future.
October 9, 2021
Having read through the first 2 books in the series you are always hopeful that the ending will not leave you feeling cold and I am delighted to say that this story manages to deliver a good ending to the series. This is a good story that delivers enough action, twists and turns to leave the reader feeling that the outcome was truly worked towards and delivered in a great way.
If you haven't checked out the Super Villain Academy series then I highly recommend them as your ending won't disappoint.
If you haven't checked out the Super Villain Academy series then I highly recommend them as your ending won't disappoint.
May 25, 2025
This series was such an enjoyable read with all the action mixed in with the funny parts. The variety of characters and watching them grow was one of my favorite things I liked about this book. Fun and action-packed sums up the whole Super Villain Academy series!
April 2, 2016
Super Bad by Kai Strand
Book #3: Super Villain Academy Series
My Rating: 4½/5 stars
My Review:
**REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!!**
Well, crap!! Super Bad opens weeks after the end of book two, Polar Opposites and the scene isn’t pretty. Jeff has been missing since the explosion, his sister is still recuperating at an exceptionally slow rate, and the crime rate around the world is on the rise. The situation is beyond bleak and none of the supers seem to care one way or another. In fact, it’s not even the villains (if they were still villains) committing the crimes but normals who aren’t being contained by the police. The police aren’t able to contain the growing crime rate because the white hats (if they were still white hats) can’t seem to muster the will to jump in and help. Yeah, the world is kind of going to hell in a handbasket.
On the other side of the world, Mystic finally has what she wants, Jeff Mean (aka Polar) and he has no clue who he really is. Under Mystic’s influence, Polar begins committing crimes and finds he likes being bad but something inside him tells him not to trust Mystic. Another not-so-happy discovery is that Jeff’s powers still aren’t in control and they seem to be growing at an almost exponential rate. Though he isn’t sure, Jeff’s gut points him in the direction of home and so, with the evil as ever Mystic in tow, he returns to his hometown in the hopes of getting help.
In the meantime, Jeff’s sister, Sandra is facing her own issues. One the one hand, she made it through surgery with flying colors but on the other hand, her powers seem to be diminishing and there is no explanation as to why. As if the diminishing powers weren’t enough, Sandra also seems to have developed an unnatural attachment to Set. Yeah, I said Set. Interestingly, as the days go by Sandra’s attachment to Set becomes so strong that she has to maintain physical contact with him. To say this is troubling doesn’t even come close and if someone doesn’t find a solution quick, the world is going to be in even more trouble than it already is.
As Jeff, Sandra, their parents, Set, Source, and a few others work to solve a whole lot of problems all at once, the world is falling apart faster than they can solve problems. As if it couldn’t get worse, it does get worse when Sandra is taken. Her diminished powers and her separation from Set make her both particularly vulnerable and an excellent bargaining chip. The dumbasses who took her want the balancing reversed and since Jeff caused it, they are using Sandra to encourage him to reverse his work. Trouble is, Jeff has no idea how to undo the balancing but if he doesn’t figure it out quick the world may quite literally come to an end.
The Bottom Line: Well, who the hell saw this coming?? Kai Strand really did put together something kind of fantastic here. For almost the entirety of the book the drama continues to escalate until just before the end when it all comes to an end in a most astonishing way. Though I would have liked to see a few more characters get what they deserve, on both the good and bad sides, I was generally satisfied with the end of this book and series. The action throughout is fun, the drama is just right, the characters are interesting and engaging, and the romance is just right for a YA+ read.
Book #3: Super Villain Academy Series
My Rating: 4½/5 stars
My Review:
**REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!!**
Well, crap!! Super Bad opens weeks after the end of book two, Polar Opposites and the scene isn’t pretty. Jeff has been missing since the explosion, his sister is still recuperating at an exceptionally slow rate, and the crime rate around the world is on the rise. The situation is beyond bleak and none of the supers seem to care one way or another. In fact, it’s not even the villains (if they were still villains) committing the crimes but normals who aren’t being contained by the police. The police aren’t able to contain the growing crime rate because the white hats (if they were still white hats) can’t seem to muster the will to jump in and help. Yeah, the world is kind of going to hell in a handbasket.
On the other side of the world, Mystic finally has what she wants, Jeff Mean (aka Polar) and he has no clue who he really is. Under Mystic’s influence, Polar begins committing crimes and finds he likes being bad but something inside him tells him not to trust Mystic. Another not-so-happy discovery is that Jeff’s powers still aren’t in control and they seem to be growing at an almost exponential rate. Though he isn’t sure, Jeff’s gut points him in the direction of home and so, with the evil as ever Mystic in tow, he returns to his hometown in the hopes of getting help.
In the meantime, Jeff’s sister, Sandra is facing her own issues. One the one hand, she made it through surgery with flying colors but on the other hand, her powers seem to be diminishing and there is no explanation as to why. As if the diminishing powers weren’t enough, Sandra also seems to have developed an unnatural attachment to Set. Yeah, I said Set. Interestingly, as the days go by Sandra’s attachment to Set becomes so strong that she has to maintain physical contact with him. To say this is troubling doesn’t even come close and if someone doesn’t find a solution quick, the world is going to be in even more trouble than it already is.
As Jeff, Sandra, their parents, Set, Source, and a few others work to solve a whole lot of problems all at once, the world is falling apart faster than they can solve problems. As if it couldn’t get worse, it does get worse when Sandra is taken. Her diminished powers and her separation from Set make her both particularly vulnerable and an excellent bargaining chip. The dumbasses who took her want the balancing reversed and since Jeff caused it, they are using Sandra to encourage him to reverse his work. Trouble is, Jeff has no idea how to undo the balancing but if he doesn’t figure it out quick the world may quite literally come to an end.
The Bottom Line: Well, who the hell saw this coming?? Kai Strand really did put together something kind of fantastic here. For almost the entirety of the book the drama continues to escalate until just before the end when it all comes to an end in a most astonishing way. Though I would have liked to see a few more characters get what they deserve, on both the good and bad sides, I was generally satisfied with the end of this book and series. The action throughout is fun, the drama is just right, the characters are interesting and engaging, and the romance is just right for a YA+ read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews