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The First Superhero #1
The Second Super
Kane Andrews is just another one of the billions of people on Earth who watch as Richter, the world's first superhuman, goes on a rampage. All the worlds military cannot stop him, no matter what they throw his way.
Until, with the whole world watching, Kane surprises himself by flying up to catch someone the supervillain has thrown off a building.
The second superhuman is born.
With no idea of the extent or magnitude of his powers, Kane has a long way to go before becoming the first superhero. He must stay one step ahead of both Richter and the rest of the world while he figures out how to take down his nemesis. Time is running out though, and Richter will do whatever it takes to make sure he's Earth's only superhuman.
Until, with the whole world watching, Kane surprises himself by flying up to catch someone the supervillain has thrown off a building.
The second superhuman is born.
With no idea of the extent or magnitude of his powers, Kane has a long way to go before becoming the first superhero. He must stay one step ahead of both Richter and the rest of the world while he figures out how to take down his nemesis. Time is running out though, and Richter will do whatever it takes to make sure he's Earth's only superhuman.
156 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
October 6, 2016
The beginning of a new super "hero" series (and the word hero may mislead a bit here as a whole lot of these are NOT heroes.
So what happens when Supers start to show up? How does "racism" fit into that scenario? What do nonsuper people do when a practically unstoppable super starts to smash the world?
So what happens when Supers start to show up? How does "racism" fit into that scenario? What do nonsuper people do when a practically unstoppable super starts to smash the world?
February 7, 2017
This book was written by every little boy ever (probably every little girl too, but I've never been one of those). It's juvenile world-saving fantasy that splashes a bitter teenage super villain against our strapping high school farm boy (who gains super powers, out of the blue). This is a short read with predictable heroic resolutions, but if you grew up on comics like I did, once you realize what this book is about, it just feels like an old comfortable chair you don't want to get out of. It's 156 pages, rated 3.71/5.0 on Goodreads, and I rated it 4.0.
June 21, 2015
Can't wait for the next one. Wonder what's in store for Leopold.
September 28, 2018
Everything is mediocre except a overpowered villain.
February 9, 2016
This review was originally posted on audiobookreviewer.com
Light and quick read about superheroes much like The Flash but not taking into any aspects other than defeating the bad guy by any and all means.
Kane Andrews, one fine day realizes that he has the same superpower as the bad guy already terrorizing the world. He also happens to decide that he has to save the world without any sort of training or the Physics part running so fast that you’d appear a blur to the naked eye.
Not that this makes the book uninteresting but just not for people who would like to read it for the depth or the making of a superhero. Its very cursory, yet for such a short book it does have action, adventure and a little interesting twist at the very end. Kane Andrews is a teenager, so not to mention it has certain amount of romance but again no rhyme or reason, there is no waiting, there is no story behind the romance, no shying, nothing crazy. Sometimes it felt that there are certain things in the book just for the sake of it, because he is a teenager, there needs to be a girlfriend, friends, parties and alcohol. The only thing that keeps you attached to the book would be what would Kane do next, with the US government and Department of Homeland Security involved, you’d expect something interesting. The first chapter will help you get into the story very easily and the last chapter would make you want to read the next book.
Overall, since its brief, it wouldn’t feel like wasting time, the end is quite action packed but not as reasonable as should, rather could have been. Also the bad guy is not too bad, he doesn’t seem to have any tricks and he is not smart enough, you may as well laugh on his smartest move.
The narration and the production was pretty good without any problems.
Thanks to audiobookreviewer.com for providing a free copy for review.
Light and quick read about superheroes much like The Flash but not taking into any aspects other than defeating the bad guy by any and all means.
Kane Andrews, one fine day realizes that he has the same superpower as the bad guy already terrorizing the world. He also happens to decide that he has to save the world without any sort of training or the Physics part running so fast that you’d appear a blur to the naked eye.
Not that this makes the book uninteresting but just not for people who would like to read it for the depth or the making of a superhero. Its very cursory, yet for such a short book it does have action, adventure and a little interesting twist at the very end. Kane Andrews is a teenager, so not to mention it has certain amount of romance but again no rhyme or reason, there is no waiting, there is no story behind the romance, no shying, nothing crazy. Sometimes it felt that there are certain things in the book just for the sake of it, because he is a teenager, there needs to be a girlfriend, friends, parties and alcohol. The only thing that keeps you attached to the book would be what would Kane do next, with the US government and Department of Homeland Security involved, you’d expect something interesting. The first chapter will help you get into the story very easily and the last chapter would make you want to read the next book.
Overall, since its brief, it wouldn’t feel like wasting time, the end is quite action packed but not as reasonable as should, rather could have been. Also the bad guy is not too bad, he doesn’t seem to have any tricks and he is not smart enough, you may as well laugh on his smartest move.
The narration and the production was pretty good without any problems.
Thanks to audiobookreviewer.com for providing a free copy for review.
September 11, 2019
With a 1 star review you may think the book was terribly written but it wasn't. This book has one unforgivable flaw- it has no conclusion. This book should have been the first 5 chapters of an actual novel with a beginning, middle AND END. I honestly don't see how I can spoil this book but, if you are concerned about spoilers stop now because I'm now going discuss the terrible non-ending to this book.
So good guy confronts bad guy and apparently beats him, but there is no confirmation so it is unclear whether the bad guy will be returning. Plus we are left hanging with the good guy. The book ends by telling us there are more supers than the two this book is about so maybe the good guy dies and the next book is about other supers???????? Finally the book ends by telling us that everything that happened is a plot by a time traveling organization- Doesn't tell us if it a good organization, what its goals are, why it is doing any of this. I can only imagine that the author pretty much hates his readers to end his book with a revelation that makes the whole book meaningless. Maybe by reading this review that isn't clear to you but I'm left with the question of why, as the reader, I should care about anything this book has told me and I don't have an answer because I don't know what the time travelers are up.
Bottom line: THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING BETTER FOR YOU READ. If you really want want a book with supers read "SuperGuy" by Kurt Clopton, the Super Powereds series by Drew Hayes or "So Not a Super Hero" (which is an adult book despite its lighthearted title).
So good guy confronts bad guy and apparently beats him, but there is no confirmation so it is unclear whether the bad guy will be returning. Plus we are left hanging with the good guy. The book ends by telling us there are more supers than the two this book is about so maybe the good guy dies and the next book is about other supers???????? Finally the book ends by telling us that everything that happened is a plot by a time traveling organization- Doesn't tell us if it a good organization, what its goals are, why it is doing any of this. I can only imagine that the author pretty much hates his readers to end his book with a revelation that makes the whole book meaningless. Maybe by reading this review that isn't clear to you but I'm left with the question of why, as the reader, I should care about anything this book has told me and I don't have an answer because I don't know what the time travelers are up.
Bottom line: THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING BETTER FOR YOU READ. If you really want want a book with supers read "SuperGuy" by Kurt Clopton, the Super Powereds series by Drew Hayes or "So Not a Super Hero" (which is an adult book despite its lighthearted title).
August 13, 2017
An entertaining story and I am intrigued enough to check out the second installment in the series.
April 24, 2016
The Second Super by Logan Rutherford Set in the smallish town of Eben, Indiana, Kane Andrews and his friends volunteer at the local high school in assisting with the refugees – fetching supplies, preparing large cafeteria-style meals, etc. Many large East Coast cities have been evacuated because the world’s first superhuman, Richter, runs amok, tearing down buildings and throwing cars around. But things are about to change for Kane and the small town of Eben.
This book was a mixed bag for me. It held to a pretty basic good versus chaotic evil + coming of age storyline. Kane will become the second superhuman and the only one capable of fighting Richter and ending his rampages. However, we have to go through the process with him and that was rather humdrum. Kane wants to keep his identity as a superhuman hush hush, which is smart of him, and yet his first appearance in public is at the high school without a costume of any kind. Granted, it was an emergency situation and there was no time to plan, but the author carries on as if no one had an inkling that Kane was the young man who saved Macy. So, that was a little hard to believe.
The entire story is told through Kane’s eyes, and he’s a teen just coming into adulthood. He needs time to hang out with his friends and drink beer and maybe go on a date. I was OK with all that, as a starting point. But Kane stays pretty simplistic throughout the tale and after a while, that felt rather strained, especially towards the end.
Then we have the ladies. The story opens up with Leopold wishing to interview old lady Mrs. Andrews in the year 2078 (I think I have that right) about young Kane and how he became the second super. She’s neither here nor there. Then back in the main timeline, we have Kane’s mom who is supportive but also turns into useless tears when crap starts flying. Then there’s Macy who faints! Argh! OK. I know humans faint. But can we please balance out the fainting love interest with some realist female characters? Or maybe a man who faints or needs a good therapist? We do get a hard-nosed female FBI Agent, but she has perhaps 10 lines in the book. Then there’s Macy’s sister (who has maybe 3 lines) and a mystery female towards the end of the book that we know next to nothing about by the end of the tale. So, yeah, we could have used some gender balance since this is set in modern days.
The first fight scene was pretty decent and poor Kane loses. That made sense and also meant that Kane had to use his brains more than his fists. The rest of the fight scenes were only OK because they felt rather repetitive. In between these fight scenes, we learn a little bit about Richter and what probably drove him a little mad. That was a good tidbit to have tossed into the story. Kane eventually gets a costume and the media dub him the Tempest. I tend to associate the word ‘tempest’ with water-based storms like hurricanes. But I don’t recall Kane doing any flashy waterworks in his fights with Richter. So the name didn’t feel like a good fit to me.
As a side note, the story refers to past nuclear testing that was done in Arizona. I did a quick Google search and then dug up an expert in radiation safety and between the two, couldn’t find any past nuclear testing in AZ. However, fall out from above ground testing in nearby Nevada did affect AZ. It’s a small incorrect point in the story but one that stood out to me, being a lifelong resident of the desert Southwest.
The ending was OK. We have a big glorious fight scene and then clean up. The final ending takes us back to where we started with Leopold conducting his interview. The author has definitely set things up for a sequel. There’s plenty of questions left about Kane and the mystery woman at the end of his section of the story. All told, this book was a bit meh for me.
I won a copy of this book from the Lazy Day Library Facebook group (via The Audio Book Reviewer) with no strings attached.
Narration: Kirby Heyborne was a good fit for Kane. He sounds like a polite young man in his late teens. The narrator is able to be a bit more serious and sound a little gruff when needed for other characters. His female voices are believable.
This book was a mixed bag for me. It held to a pretty basic good versus chaotic evil + coming of age storyline. Kane will become the second superhuman and the only one capable of fighting Richter and ending his rampages. However, we have to go through the process with him and that was rather humdrum. Kane wants to keep his identity as a superhuman hush hush, which is smart of him, and yet his first appearance in public is at the high school without a costume of any kind. Granted, it was an emergency situation and there was no time to plan, but the author carries on as if no one had an inkling that Kane was the young man who saved Macy. So, that was a little hard to believe.
The entire story is told through Kane’s eyes, and he’s a teen just coming into adulthood. He needs time to hang out with his friends and drink beer and maybe go on a date. I was OK with all that, as a starting point. But Kane stays pretty simplistic throughout the tale and after a while, that felt rather strained, especially towards the end.
Then we have the ladies. The story opens up with Leopold wishing to interview old lady Mrs. Andrews in the year 2078 (I think I have that right) about young Kane and how he became the second super. She’s neither here nor there. Then back in the main timeline, we have Kane’s mom who is supportive but also turns into useless tears when crap starts flying. Then there’s Macy who faints! Argh! OK. I know humans faint. But can we please balance out the fainting love interest with some realist female characters? Or maybe a man who faints or needs a good therapist? We do get a hard-nosed female FBI Agent, but she has perhaps 10 lines in the book. Then there’s Macy’s sister (who has maybe 3 lines) and a mystery female towards the end of the book that we know next to nothing about by the end of the tale. So, yeah, we could have used some gender balance since this is set in modern days.
The first fight scene was pretty decent and poor Kane loses. That made sense and also meant that Kane had to use his brains more than his fists. The rest of the fight scenes were only OK because they felt rather repetitive. In between these fight scenes, we learn a little bit about Richter and what probably drove him a little mad. That was a good tidbit to have tossed into the story. Kane eventually gets a costume and the media dub him the Tempest. I tend to associate the word ‘tempest’ with water-based storms like hurricanes. But I don’t recall Kane doing any flashy waterworks in his fights with Richter. So the name didn’t feel like a good fit to me.
As a side note, the story refers to past nuclear testing that was done in Arizona. I did a quick Google search and then dug up an expert in radiation safety and between the two, couldn’t find any past nuclear testing in AZ. However, fall out from above ground testing in nearby Nevada did affect AZ. It’s a small incorrect point in the story but one that stood out to me, being a lifelong resident of the desert Southwest.
The ending was OK. We have a big glorious fight scene and then clean up. The final ending takes us back to where we started with Leopold conducting his interview. The author has definitely set things up for a sequel. There’s plenty of questions left about Kane and the mystery woman at the end of his section of the story. All told, this book was a bit meh for me.
I won a copy of this book from the Lazy Day Library Facebook group (via The Audio Book Reviewer) with no strings attached.
Narration: Kirby Heyborne was a good fit for Kane. He sounds like a polite young man in his late teens. The narrator is able to be a bit more serious and sound a little gruff when needed for other characters. His female voices are believable.
October 15, 2016
This wasn't a horrible listen (i.e. audiobook), but I believe most people can do better than this series. I completed the book because 1) I'm very stubborn about finishing what I start 2) It wasn't very long and by the time I was bored with it I was by my standards nearly done.
There is a growing fantasy/science fiction sub-genre of super hero fiction. The box office, and television, growth in this area of the past few years probably has an effect on this much as Harry Potter did on YA fantasy.
But just as when any genre or sub-genre grows while there is some good work out there, much of it is mediocre. From a characterization angle The Second Super isn't much above much DC Silver Age work. And, that is not a compliment.
The basic premise is that the world is encountering its first supers. Richter, the first, is an insane super human destroying cities with a death toll in the thousands. With no knowledge why, when Richter shows up in Kane Andrews' home of Evans, Indiana, Kane develops super human powers and keeps Richter momentarily at bay.
From that point on, well everything that happens is pretty standard. Kane begins to explore his powers, he tries to stop Richter (again), the government fears them both and gets involved, etc.
I probably would have enjoyed going through these tropes if Kane was even mildly interesting. Frankly, Kane is boring. Richter is a more interesting character, in what little interaction there is with him. Perhaps, this book is aimed at the YA market. Having raised a daughter I feel safe in saying, and she liked super hero comics, she probably would have tossed this one aside (she was a little less tolerant of me when she felt a book wasted her time).
I think, from my most recent attempts to explore this sub-genre , I need to stay away form it. There is some good work out there. The George R.R. Martin edited Wild Cards has its flaws, the current trilogy is a bit slow moving, but overall is a good series that acknowledges some of the issues in continuing for a couple of decades. There are some good anthologies out there (currently buried in my garage and I'm too lazy right now to go down and pull them up here). If you go back a few years there is Superfolks and the series Weird Heroes (which is more pulp influenced than super hero).
There is a growing fantasy/science fiction sub-genre of super hero fiction. The box office, and television, growth in this area of the past few years probably has an effect on this much as Harry Potter did on YA fantasy.
But just as when any genre or sub-genre grows while there is some good work out there, much of it is mediocre. From a characterization angle The Second Super isn't much above much DC Silver Age work. And, that is not a compliment.
The basic premise is that the world is encountering its first supers. Richter, the first, is an insane super human destroying cities with a death toll in the thousands. With no knowledge why, when Richter shows up in Kane Andrews' home of Evans, Indiana, Kane develops super human powers and keeps Richter momentarily at bay.
From that point on, well everything that happens is pretty standard. Kane begins to explore his powers, he tries to stop Richter (again), the government fears them both and gets involved, etc.
I probably would have enjoyed going through these tropes if Kane was even mildly interesting. Frankly, Kane is boring. Richter is a more interesting character, in what little interaction there is with him. Perhaps, this book is aimed at the YA market. Having raised a daughter I feel safe in saying, and she liked super hero comics, she probably would have tossed this one aside (she was a little less tolerant of me when she felt a book wasted her time).
I think, from my most recent attempts to explore this sub-genre , I need to stay away form it. There is some good work out there. The George R.R. Martin edited Wild Cards has its flaws, the current trilogy is a bit slow moving, but overall is a good series that acknowledges some of the issues in continuing for a couple of decades. There are some good anthologies out there (currently buried in my garage and I'm too lazy right now to go down and pull them up here). If you go back a few years there is Superfolks and the series Weird Heroes (which is more pulp influenced than super hero).
November 17, 2015
Fast and shallow
This was a light read, fun, but not substantial. The characters are one-dimensional, and some things don't match up. Like, could they just chop of a super's head? They can be hurt, and losing a head would kill anyone, I think.
Why do Macy and Kane like each other? It's a romance with nothing in it. They aren't witty, they aren't particularly kind, we don't know if they have common interests! They help out at the shelter, which is neat, but they do nothing interesting with their group of friends. (And get drunk, which is a point against them.)
Richter wasn't that interesting of a bad guy, and he let days pass without doing anything. Why? You'd think he'd be faster. And, dud, why didn't he just stick around Ebon causing havoc until Kane was dead?
No typos. Fast action. Not a very elegant confrontation, though it was fitting. The government was overly dumb.
The powers were standard and unimaginative. The speed thing was inconsistent, which felt forced. Oh, let's make this harder by saying Kane has to concentrate to go fast, and he is losing his concentration!
Read this if you're in the mood for some action and nothing else.
This was a light read, fun, but not substantial. The characters are one-dimensional, and some things don't match up. Like, could they just chop of a super's head? They can be hurt, and losing a head would kill anyone, I think.
Why do Macy and Kane like each other? It's a romance with nothing in it. They aren't witty, they aren't particularly kind, we don't know if they have common interests! They help out at the shelter, which is neat, but they do nothing interesting with their group of friends. (And get drunk, which is a point against them.)
Richter wasn't that interesting of a bad guy, and he let days pass without doing anything. Why? You'd think he'd be faster. And, dud, why didn't he just stick around Ebon causing havoc until Kane was dead?
No typos. Fast action. Not a very elegant confrontation, though it was fitting. The government was overly dumb.
The powers were standard and unimaginative. The speed thing was inconsistent, which felt forced. Oh, let's make this harder by saying Kane has to concentrate to go fast, and he is losing his concentration!
Read this if you're in the mood for some action and nothing else.
March 3, 2016
In the book the second super it’s about a boy named Kane Andrews and he recently discovered that he is a super human besides Richter. The Richter is the first super human that appeared and has done nothing but use the cities as his own personal playground. With Kane's new abilities it is his intention to stop Richter no matter what. To start off I love superhero books but this wasn’t one of my favorite to say the least and I’m not all that picky when it comes to superhero books. However I will say that there have been worse books but this one just didn’t hit home with me, it seemed too amateur for me. Now I’ve never been one to call an author's writing amateur, but that’s just how I felt about this book. Also it was over the top cliche and I normally don’t mind cliche, but I just wasn’t feeling it with this book.
May 28, 2015
Has a Comic Book Feel to It
The book was pleasant to read and felt a like a novel rendition of all the events that would happen in a comic book, but from a first-person perspective. I really enjoyed being able to see how Kane felt as he came into his powers and figured out his role in the grand scheme of things. Definitely looking forward to the next book! :)
Would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about emerging (teenage) superheroes.
The book was pleasant to read and felt a like a novel rendition of all the events that would happen in a comic book, but from a first-person perspective. I really enjoyed being able to see how Kane felt as he came into his powers and figured out his role in the grand scheme of things. Definitely looking forward to the next book! :)
Would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about emerging (teenage) superheroes.
May 25, 2015
Great read
Logan did another good job with this one, I kept getting yelled at to cut the grass by my wife because it was so good I couldn't put it down . It's a real page turner and has twists and turns that will surprise you. Can't wait to read more of this one. Take my word for it and give it a try and you will love it. Great job Logan.
Logan did another good job with this one, I kept getting yelled at to cut the grass by my wife because it was so good I couldn't put it down . It's a real page turner and has twists and turns that will surprise you. Can't wait to read more of this one. Take my word for it and give it a try and you will love it. Great job Logan.
May 27, 2015
Fun and riveting
This was a fun and riveting book. I loved the overarching theme and the bookends of the first and last chapters which tells me that this is more than a superhero coming of age story. I'm looking forward to reading more chapters in the story. A winner!
This was a fun and riveting book. I loved the overarching theme and the bookends of the first and last chapters which tells me that this is more than a superhero coming of age story. I'm looking forward to reading more chapters in the story. A winner!
May 27, 2015
Book 2 can't get here soon enough.
May 29, 2015
Good book
This is so good, would recommend this book to all.........I can't wait until the second book comes out in August....
This is so good, would recommend this book to all.........I can't wait until the second book comes out in August....
December 13, 2016
This book puts the YOUNG in YA. A very pedestrian story. I wouldn't insult the intelligence of most teenagers I've met, by having them read this book. I would recommend for 8-9 year olds .. (maybe)
February 14, 2017
Ugh. 2.5 stars. Better than staring at a wall.
July 6, 2025
Evil villain (no know motivations from the start) vs is would-be hero (who has a motivation right off). Richter is the villain and one that’s of the cackling type. He kills just for the fun of it because he can and there was no one capable of stopping him. That is, until Kane comes along. Kane was a good kid and he had an immediate reason to challenge Richter. Despite his good work, the government declares him an enemy should he ever use his powers going forward.
It’s rough when a supervillain is out to get you, as is the government. Kane, who the US president dubs Tempest at a press conference, is the only hope of stopping Richter but they’d rather he didn’t. It’s somewhat understandable. They don’t know if he’d turn evil or even if his battles with Richter wouldn’t just devastate the surrounding areas. They are incredibly power and it’s frankly likely to be true. It just turns out there is no one else who can do the job.
There are some weak points. Government agents who spoke to Kane didn’t investigate him enough or his paper thin alibi. Later, it would have been dead obvious to that same agent who Tempest was. Further that same agent gave up to information he shouldn’t have. It was just bad and I’d imagine that agent would be without a job and probably incarcerated to keep him quiet about information they couldn’t afford for him to leak.
I had wanted to complain when he questioned certain things when action needed to take place. Then I remembered that he was a teenager and didn’t have the option of sitting back to leisurely consider things like the reader/listener does.
In the end Richter is seemingly defeated. Then there’s an epilogue. There appear to be sinister forces afoot but we don’t know what their goal is. It’s not enough of a cliffhanger where any reader should feel it’s necessary to go on to part 2. You could call this a complete story. I intend to continue onward.
The narrator was also great. I say this because I won’t bother with stories a) if I don’t like the style or voice of the narrator or b) it’s virtual voice (which isn’t very good at this point in time).
It’s rough when a supervillain is out to get you, as is the government. Kane, who the US president dubs Tempest at a press conference, is the only hope of stopping Richter but they’d rather he didn’t. It’s somewhat understandable. They don’t know if he’d turn evil or even if his battles with Richter wouldn’t just devastate the surrounding areas. They are incredibly power and it’s frankly likely to be true. It just turns out there is no one else who can do the job.
There are some weak points. Government agents who spoke to Kane didn’t investigate him enough or his paper thin alibi. Later, it would have been dead obvious to that same agent who Tempest was. Further that same agent gave up to information he shouldn’t have. It was just bad and I’d imagine that agent would be without a job and probably incarcerated to keep him quiet about information they couldn’t afford for him to leak.
I had wanted to complain when he questioned certain things when action needed to take place. Then I remembered that he was a teenager and didn’t have the option of sitting back to leisurely consider things like the reader/listener does.
In the end Richter is seemingly defeated. Then there’s an epilogue. There appear to be sinister forces afoot but we don’t know what their goal is. It’s not enough of a cliffhanger where any reader should feel it’s necessary to go on to part 2. You could call this a complete story. I intend to continue onward.
The narrator was also great. I say this because I won’t bother with stories a) if I don’t like the style or voice of the narrator or b) it’s virtual voice (which isn’t very good at this point in time).
September 7, 2020
2 *Stars*
I really didn't like the writing style or the main character, and the only relatively intriguing thing about this book came in the last chapter. Made for a really dry read.
The syntax was a bit odd and an editor to polish it off would have been helpful. The characters weren't very convincing and the main character especially seemed to live in an idealistic bubble. I guess it was kind of neat that for once his parents were supportive of his decision to pursue heroism but like Michael, one of his friends, said, [anyone] could have done a better job.
The story and writing overall really lacked maturity, which is why the story didn't pull me in. The events and people's reactions were not realistic - not in a sci-fi way, but rather that humans and society work differently.
The concept was intriguing but the execution was off. Also, despite the 'oooh' unexpected element at the very end of the novel, I'm not invested enough in the characters to want to continue reading.
I really didn't like the writing style or the main character, and the only relatively intriguing thing about this book came in the last chapter. Made for a really dry read.
The syntax was a bit odd and an editor to polish it off would have been helpful. The characters weren't very convincing and the main character especially seemed to live in an idealistic bubble. I guess it was kind of neat that for once his parents were supportive of his decision to pursue heroism but like Michael, one of his friends, said, [anyone] could have done a better job.
The story and writing overall really lacked maturity, which is why the story didn't pull me in. The events and people's reactions were not realistic - not in a sci-fi way, but rather that humans and society work differently.
The concept was intriguing but the execution was off. Also, despite the 'oooh' unexpected element at the very end of the novel, I'm not invested enough in the characters to want to continue reading.
January 23, 2019
The book was an interesting read, it introduces to the world where initially only one person has awakened his super power and goes on a rampage and how a second super come out to save the world and yeah they are all teenagers for some reason.
The plot slowly builds to indicate that there are more supers out there and how society as we know it falls. The author introduces a number of twists that are quite enjoyable. The flow and feel was good but it took me a while to get into it.
The concept of supers is pretty common these days be it movies, tv series, comics or novels. The idea that supers have come and gone and humanity is looking back at the era is a new perspective. The story is basically a flashback of sort.
The plot slowly builds to indicate that there are more supers out there and how society as we know it falls. The author introduces a number of twists that are quite enjoyable. The flow and feel was good but it took me a while to get into it.
The concept of supers is pretty common these days be it movies, tv series, comics or novels. The idea that supers have come and gone and humanity is looking back at the era is a new perspective. The story is basically a flashback of sort.
August 23, 2025
This is not world defining literature, but for fans of classic comic books of the “Golden Age,” there is a lot to love here. A heroic farm boy gets unexplained powers just in time to save someone and leads to battling the first “super” - ergo the title. Filled with the hallmarks of a lot of early comics, the concerned parents, the need for a secret identity to protect loved ones, and the balancing of identity and purpose are all themes seen in the comic books of the past and hit well refined notes here.
This was fun- it might not have invented the wheel, but it showed why it continues to roll and be of interest to many. A fun and quick read for those who grew up on four color heroes or might want to visit such a world anew.
This was fun- it might not have invented the wheel, but it showed why it continues to roll and be of interest to many. A fun and quick read for those who grew up on four color heroes or might want to visit such a world anew.
January 4, 2019
It was quite an enjoyable read overall. The author writes in simple and effective prose, even though, as he himself admits on his blog, it has traces of a very young writer still maturing. There are a few clichés here and there, but the author proves that what matters most isn't how original an idea is, but its execution. I'm not very keen on superhero stories, so I guess the fact that I read this one until the end and gave it four stars means something.
January 10, 2022
Something has changed a regular human into a Super but he turned bad starting to kill randomly. His named Richter and he is unstoppable. Now in a town in Indiana, Kane Andrews during a home invasion discovers he also has super powers. What to do? He decides to go after Richter.
It brings on lots of issues that we normally don't think about, we really only care about flying. Its fun read and now I'm intrigued about what follows.
It brings on lots of issues that we normally don't think about, we really only care about flying. Its fun read and now I'm intrigued about what follows.
January 23, 2024
I don't mind the occasional YA book with a young protagonist and all that angst and teen stuff. If done well it can be enjoyable.
But this feels like it was written by a teen. It reads like exaggerated shounun anime and I had to grit my teeth to get through it. It was very on the nose and riddled with cliche and bad prose. Throwing a mystery in at the end does not entice me to read further.
But this feels like it was written by a teen. It reads like exaggerated shounun anime and I had to grit my teeth to get through it. It was very on the nose and riddled with cliche and bad prose. Throwing a mystery in at the end does not entice me to read further.
May 9, 2017
Pure YA fiction at its best. The fight scenes are amazing and the setpiece abuse is pretty damn satisfying, but the character's motivations (outside those of the protagonist) get wonky toward the end, especially when it comes to the main antagonist.
Audiobook Worthy: You bet
Audiobook Worthy: You bet
November 3, 2017
I would give it 4 or maybe even five stars... but... to me its a YA store but peppered with MA language. When you have to resort to swearing as a way to try and make things more intense it weakens the story and the characters.
April 28, 2018
Not bad but it felt like I was reading the Meta series all over again with slight changes to the rules. Especially given the Beta and Charlie characters and the thing that happens at the very end of the book.
November 16, 2020
I've read this book a couple of years ago, and to this date, the scene I think of when I think of superhero books is Tempest/Kane's awakening as a super. The raw sense of emotion conveyed in that one scene is just superb.
May 30, 2017
Fun series. Great vacation read when you are looking for something not serious and fast.
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