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Epic Zero #1
Epic Zero: Tales of a Not-So-Super 6th Grader
Alternate Cover Edition ASIN: B013ZRNNE4
12-year-old Elliott Harkness wants nothing more than to join his family as part of the Freedom Force, the world's greatest superhero team. There's only one problem, he's a "Zero," that's super-speak for powerless. Frequently abandoned by his crime-fighting family, teased by his older super-sister, and picked on at school, Elliott is miserably ordinary in his heroically extraordinary family.
All of that changes when a mysterious new girl comes to town. She believes Elliott is far from ordinary. In fact, she thinks Elliott is the only one capable of capturing a powerful, other-worldly orb before it falls into the wrong hands. To succeed, Elliott will have to do more than just find the orb. He'll have to fend off menacing supervillains, face globe-conquering aliens, and figure out who's truly on his side. But when Elliott realizes he's the planet's last hope, will he find the power within himself to be the epic hero he's always wanted to be? Or, will he always be just an Epic Zero?
Join thousands who have leaped into action with Epic Zero: Tales of a Not-So-Super 6th Grader, the first book in a hilarious, action-packed superhero adventure series perfect for children aged 9-12, middle grade readers, and the young at heart. Epic Zero includes 16 illustrated character profiles and a full glossary of superpowers.
12-year-old Elliott Harkness wants nothing more than to join his family as part of the Freedom Force, the world's greatest superhero team. There's only one problem, he's a "Zero," that's super-speak for powerless. Frequently abandoned by his crime-fighting family, teased by his older super-sister, and picked on at school, Elliott is miserably ordinary in his heroically extraordinary family.
All of that changes when a mysterious new girl comes to town. She believes Elliott is far from ordinary. In fact, she thinks Elliott is the only one capable of capturing a powerful, other-worldly orb before it falls into the wrong hands. To succeed, Elliott will have to do more than just find the orb. He'll have to fend off menacing supervillains, face globe-conquering aliens, and figure out who's truly on his side. But when Elliott realizes he's the planet's last hope, will he find the power within himself to be the epic hero he's always wanted to be? Or, will he always be just an Epic Zero?
Join thousands who have leaped into action with Epic Zero: Tales of a Not-So-Super 6th Grader, the first book in a hilarious, action-packed superhero adventure series perfect for children aged 9-12, middle grade readers, and the young at heart. Epic Zero includes 16 illustrated character profiles and a full glossary of superpowers.
184 pages, ebook
First published August 15, 2015
669 people are currently reading
1170 people want to read
About the author
R.L. Ullman
38 books108 followersR.L. Ullman is the bestselling, award-winning author of books for young readers including the EPIC ZERO series, the new THE BOY WITH VIDEO GAME POWERS series, the UNLEGENDARY DRAGON series, the MONSTER PROBLEMS series, and the PETUNIA THE UNICORN series. His fun, action-packed stories get kids to put down their screens and pick up a book! R.L. lives in Connecticut with his wife, son, and two freeloading dogs with unusually strong editorial opinions. You can find out more about R.L. at rlullman.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
November 3, 2015
My Thoughts:
This put me in mind of The Incredibles. This story is mainly about a boy who is part of a family of superheroes, but he isn't displaying any of his own. Even their dog is super. And there was something about vegetables that made me laugh.
This is written in a way that makes you want to continue each chapter because just as something is happening, or you are about to get some tiny bit of answer, the author changes the topic and adds more excitement. I like this because it really held my child's attention.
There are these character profiles featuring a new subject that the author included. They sort of reminded me of baseball cards. These were really interesting and fun. I really think that this author did an amazing jon writing this, I am surprised by how much fun this book was to.share with my seven year old.
Recommendation:
This contains quite a bit of action. Some parts really excited my child. That being said, this may not be a great choice for a bedtime story. It would be good to read to a group. I am sure any child will enjoy sosomething about this book. Amazon recommends this to readers grade three to six. I think children younger than this may enjoy this also. My son is in first.
I won this book in a giveaway.
This put me in mind of The Incredibles. This story is mainly about a boy who is part of a family of superheroes, but he isn't displaying any of his own. Even their dog is super. And there was something about vegetables that made me laugh.
This is written in a way that makes you want to continue each chapter because just as something is happening, or you are about to get some tiny bit of answer, the author changes the topic and adds more excitement. I like this because it really held my child's attention.
There are these character profiles featuring a new subject that the author included. They sort of reminded me of baseball cards. These were really interesting and fun. I really think that this author did an amazing jon writing this, I am surprised by how much fun this book was to.share with my seven year old.
Recommendation:
This contains quite a bit of action. Some parts really excited my child. That being said, this may not be a great choice for a bedtime story. It would be good to read to a group. I am sure any child will enjoy sosomething about this book. Amazon recommends this to readers grade three to six. I think children younger than this may enjoy this also. My son is in first.
I won this book in a giveaway.
March 24, 2021
I picked this book up on a whim since it was on my kindle read-for-free list. I knew I'd be reading something meant for a younger audience but that did not necessarily mean that it would be bad. I've read plenty of children's books that have entertained a child at heart like me.
This was not one of those books.
First of all, I did not like the main character. Elliot is a selfish and reckless young man whose actions nearly lead to the death of his family. He never has to face up to these poor choices either. It is hard to feel bad for him as he deserves everything that comes down around his ears. He brings it upon himself in a big way.
That's not to say a protagonist cannot make poor choices. But, especially in a children's book, I'd like to see the hero learning from these mistakes. I never felt like Elliot learned from anything. Instead he just got everything he ever wanted, just having to weather through a little hardship to do so.
Eillot's sister learns the lesson that Elliot himself needed to. And her character improves but his never does. In fact, I feel like he's the worse for it.
The other major issue in this story is its bizaree tone. It shifts tonally from a Sky High like corniness to dire life or death Marvel-like situations without any warning. And Elliot never stops to take in this shift. He never really grieves "the loss" of his family because the story doesn't let him. He never takes a moment to process his guilt in their "deaths". Nor does he take a moment to process his sudden appearance of powers and what they mean.
Again, I know that this is meant to be a children's story- but the death in this story still happened whether or not Elliot reacted to it. Ignoring Elliot's feelings just makes the whole story feel jarring and disjointed.
Elliot's best and only friend is murdered in his arms. But by Elliot's reaction to the loss, you would think the girl meant absolutely nothing to him. I actually thought she wasn't actually dead because Elliot seemed completely uneffected. But no, she definitely died. And Elliot seems none the worse for wear.
Later on it is revealed that his family is alive, but the reunion is short. He is understandably overjoyed to see them all again- but now it is the family who have no time to process. Elliot immeidately starts dishing out orders and his superhero family don't even bat an eye. Even his sister doesn't think to question what is happening. They can't possibly know that Elliot has any powers beyond the telepathic ones he faked from before- which certainly wouldn't seem useful in a fight. The fact that they just go along with it all is just lazy writing to me.
But long story short, this book confused me with its bizarre tone shifts and I never liked the main character. The boy with no powers in a super hero family has been done many times and much better than this. My Hero Academia and Sky High are two that I can think of right off the top of my head.
I wanted to like this story. It had promise. If Elliot had been played as the fanboy in the monitor seat- desperate to get out in the field, who suddenly finds himself as the last man standing when all the heroes disappear, that could have been a really interesting story. Then Elliot could have been genuinely taken aback by an emergence of powers that he isn't so sure he wants anymore.
This book could have been written smarter. Middle school reader or not, this could have been so much better. And I'm just disappointed by the lack of vision.
This was not one of those books.
First of all, I did not like the main character. Elliot is a selfish and reckless young man whose actions nearly lead to the death of his family. He never has to face up to these poor choices either. It is hard to feel bad for him as he deserves everything that comes down around his ears. He brings it upon himself in a big way.
That's not to say a protagonist cannot make poor choices. But, especially in a children's book, I'd like to see the hero learning from these mistakes. I never felt like Elliot learned from anything. Instead he just got everything he ever wanted, just having to weather through a little hardship to do so.
Eillot's sister learns the lesson that Elliot himself needed to. And her character improves but his never does. In fact, I feel like he's the worse for it.
The other major issue in this story is its bizaree tone. It shifts tonally from a Sky High like corniness to dire life or death Marvel-like situations without any warning. And Elliot never stops to take in this shift. He never really grieves "the loss" of his family because the story doesn't let him. He never takes a moment to process his guilt in their "deaths". Nor does he take a moment to process his sudden appearance of powers and what they mean.
Again, I know that this is meant to be a children's story- but the death in this story still happened whether or not Elliot reacted to it. Ignoring Elliot's feelings just makes the whole story feel jarring and disjointed.
Elliot's best and only friend is murdered in his arms. But by Elliot's reaction to the loss, you would think the girl meant absolutely nothing to him. I actually thought she wasn't actually dead because Elliot seemed completely uneffected. But no, she definitely died. And Elliot seems none the worse for wear.
Later on it is revealed that his family is alive, but the reunion is short. He is understandably overjoyed to see them all again- but now it is the family who have no time to process. Elliot immeidately starts dishing out orders and his superhero family don't even bat an eye. Even his sister doesn't think to question what is happening. They can't possibly know that Elliot has any powers beyond the telepathic ones he faked from before- which certainly wouldn't seem useful in a fight. The fact that they just go along with it all is just lazy writing to me.
But long story short, this book confused me with its bizarre tone shifts and I never liked the main character. The boy with no powers in a super hero family has been done many times and much better than this. My Hero Academia and Sky High are two that I can think of right off the top of my head.
I wanted to like this story. It had promise. If Elliot had been played as the fanboy in the monitor seat- desperate to get out in the field, who suddenly finds himself as the last man standing when all the heroes disappear, that could have been a really interesting story. Then Elliot could have been genuinely taken aback by an emergence of powers that he isn't so sure he wants anymore.
This book could have been written smarter. Middle school reader or not, this could have been so much better. And I'm just disappointed by the lack of vision.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2015
I received a free review copy of this book, and I was impressed with this debut novel. It has everything a superhero fan of middle-grade age could want: action, suspense, and more than a little humor. Epic Zero is the story of a young man born into a family of powerful superheroes, but with no powers of his own. His situation is unqiue, but the feelings of not-quite-belonging and the struggle to find a sense of purpose and identity are things we all wrestled with at that age. Readers find a main character they can relate to, and will understand and go along when he makes questionable choices in his attempts to figure himself out and make his mark on the world. They'll be rooting for him from page one.
If the book has a flaw, it's that there is almost too much going on at times. In the interest of raising the stakes and ratcheting up the tension for the main character, a lot of villains are introduced, and more than a few heroes. On the one hand, this is a very good thing because they all seem to be interesting characters, with a variety of unique powers and weaknesses. Unfortunately, they are not all fully explored in any depth. This can easily expand into a series, with room to tell each hero and villain's tale more fully, so I'm looking forward to more from this author.
It is no spoiler to say that the main character, who begins the book getting less respect than he feels he deserves from his famous and powerful family, finds himself the center of attention and the center of the action, and by the end of the story he has his opportunity to prove himself, for better or worse. It's well worth your time to follow him through his journey, root for him, and learn whether or not he ultimately triumphs or ends up as the titular Epic Zero.
If the book has a flaw, it's that there is almost too much going on at times. In the interest of raising the stakes and ratcheting up the tension for the main character, a lot of villains are introduced, and more than a few heroes. On the one hand, this is a very good thing because they all seem to be interesting characters, with a variety of unique powers and weaknesses. Unfortunately, they are not all fully explored in any depth. This can easily expand into a series, with room to tell each hero and villain's tale more fully, so I'm looking forward to more from this author.
It is no spoiler to say that the main character, who begins the book getting less respect than he feels he deserves from his famous and powerful family, finds himself the center of attention and the center of the action, and by the end of the story he has his opportunity to prove himself, for better or worse. It's well worth your time to follow him through his journey, root for him, and learn whether or not he ultimately triumphs or ends up as the titular Epic Zero.
May 7, 2022
All Elliot wants for his twelfth birthday is to be a superhero like everyone else in his family (even the dog has super powers). But no such luck. Looks like he’s stuck being an ordinary kid struggling through middle school. Everything changes when he meets a girl who believes he is the key to finding a mysterious, powerful orb. Now the fate of the world is in his hands, and he has the chance to prove he is more than just a zero.
What I liked: fun characters! Elliot is a relatable kid, flaws and all, who really just wants to fit in. The plot is fun and there is lots of action to keep readers turning the pages.
What I didn’t like: not much. It was a tad slow at the beginning, but the action picked up very quickly.
Super fun read!
5 out of 5 stars
What I liked: fun characters! Elliot is a relatable kid, flaws and all, who really just wants to fit in. The plot is fun and there is lots of action to keep readers turning the pages.
What I didn’t like: not much. It was a tad slow at the beginning, but the action picked up very quickly.
Super fun read!
5 out of 5 stars
October 21, 2020
Another family book club read and I really enjoyed it. Great ideas and fun powers, I can see why my son enjoys the series so much.
April 25, 2016
This was a fun and quick read, I read it in one setting. My 10 year old liked it so much he asked to take the kindle to school so he could read it during breaks.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review via LibraryThing.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review via LibraryThing.
June 29, 2022
This is a fast-paced superhero tale with a strong worldbuilding and good plot. I enjoyed all the different superhero powers and the different levels or degrees of ability (limited, considerable and extreme), and I loved the character cards scattered throughout the book.
The story is marred for me by a lack of the protagonist's character arc, despite the perfect set-up for character growth. Elliot doesn't change, despite some terrible repercussions from his selfish actions. I also thought the resolution, although effective, was a little heartless. However I doubt kids would notice, and will instead revel in this fun super hero tale.
The story is marred for me by a lack of the protagonist's character arc, despite the perfect set-up for character growth. Elliot doesn't change, despite some terrible repercussions from his selfish actions. I also thought the resolution, although effective, was a little heartless. However I doubt kids would notice, and will instead revel in this fun super hero tale.
October 7, 2021
Hilarious! This middle-grade book is so much fun! The plot is smart, with a special high-five for the title itself: Epic Zero. I highly recommend this series for 8 to 14-year-olds who love superheroes and epic struggles between good and evil (along with regular chuckles). I'm surprised this isn't on Netflix yet.
October 12, 2024
This book was the best book I have ever read, it is a great book with a lot of action-packed adventures. It is alot of fun READING this book.
October 7, 2015
What a fun read! I just finished Epic Zero: A Superhero Story of Epic Proportions by author R.L. Ullman, and I have to say, I loved it! The story follows young Elliot Harkness, whose entire family belongs to the Freedom Force, the world’s greatest superhero team. His entire family, that is, except for him. Much to his chagrin, Elliot does not possess any of the eight Meta-powers: energy manipulation, super speed, super strength, magic, flight, super intelligence, morphing, or psychic abilities. In his community of superheroes, that makes him a Meta: 0, or powerless. To himself, that makes him an Epic Zero. But when the mysterious girl, K’ami Solarr, appears one day, and seems to believe that there’s more to Elliot than meets the eye, well, that’s when things start to change.
I knew this was a great children’s/young adult book when my 11-year-old son kept trying to read it over my shoulder. The writing is perfect for kids, the pace is brisk, and storyline is exciting. I immediately drew connections from this book to the wonderful movie, The Incredibles, as the idea of superhero-ing families is the basis of both stories. But Epic Zero: A Superhero Story of Epic Proportions is so much more. I loved Elliot, the main character, and his strong desire to be a hero. I loved the message of the book, that sometimes even those who don’t appear to be special on the surface may have deep talent that just needs to be discovered. I loved the illustrations that start each chapter; I just plain loved this book. This is a delightful read for children and tweens, even for children like my son who don’t always enjoy reading. I am so happy I got a chance to recommend R.L. Ullman’s newest work, and I look forward to reading more from him in the future!
August 13, 2015
Epic Zero by R.L. Ullman is a very entertaining book. Elliott Harkness is the only one in his family that does not have super powers. He is known as a “zero” and his only dream is to have super powers. When something unexpected happens to his superhero family, his new friend K’ami Sollar convinces him that only he can save the world.
With Epic Zero, Ullman reminds me of why I used to love superheroes. Each superhero in the book has a unique super power and costume. It is slightly similar to X-Men in that sense but a lot more innocent and funny. A lot of people can identify with the main character, Elliott, and the desire to fit in. The different names that Ullman gave his superheroes and villains were funny and unique. My favorite character was Dog-Gone. He reminds me of my own dog the way he steals food. I loved that at the end of each chapter there is a superhero card stating their stats and whether they are a hero or a villain. At the end of the book Ullman explains the eight different Meta powers and their classifications. This was a great help to me because I am a zero when it comes to superhero knowledge.
Epic Zero is the first book in a soon to be young adult series. If the other books are anything like this one then the whole series will be great. I can see my 4 year old daughter reading this in a few years. She is slightly obsessed with the show Super Why and I think that Epic Zero should be the next step into the superhero world. I recommend this book to any young adult who loves superheroes.
*I reviewed this book for Reader's Favorite
With Epic Zero, Ullman reminds me of why I used to love superheroes. Each superhero in the book has a unique super power and costume. It is slightly similar to X-Men in that sense but a lot more innocent and funny. A lot of people can identify with the main character, Elliott, and the desire to fit in. The different names that Ullman gave his superheroes and villains were funny and unique. My favorite character was Dog-Gone. He reminds me of my own dog the way he steals food. I loved that at the end of each chapter there is a superhero card stating their stats and whether they are a hero or a villain. At the end of the book Ullman explains the eight different Meta powers and their classifications. This was a great help to me because I am a zero when it comes to superhero knowledge.
Epic Zero is the first book in a soon to be young adult series. If the other books are anything like this one then the whole series will be great. I can see my 4 year old daughter reading this in a few years. She is slightly obsessed with the show Super Why and I think that Epic Zero should be the next step into the superhero world. I recommend this book to any young adult who loves superheroes.
*I reviewed this book for Reader's Favorite
March 8, 2016
What lengths would you go to to fit in? For Elliott Harkness this question needs to be answered on his twelfth birthday.
Epic Zero is the story of a boy in a family of superheroes, except he has no powers. This is what they term a "Zero", while someone with powers is known as a "Meta". The "Metas" are split into eight categories based on what type of power they have, such as super strength or flight. Elliott does what he can to contribute to his family's fight against crime, but is left behind when a crime occurs.
I liked the voice the author uses. Elliott's personality is displayed well, and he is a pretty likeable character. Since he has no powers and feels kind of like an outsider, it is easy for the reader to identify with him. He gains some confidence after making a new friend at school, and this ultimately leads him down a path of self-discovery.
Some of the characters here are borrowed from other sources, although given different names and changed slightly. The author actually brings this up at one point in the story, which made it less corny for me. The villains could have been fleshed out better to make them more engaging. The showdown at the end was pretty satisfying given how the story builds to it.
The book is definitely intended for younger readers, but the writing is good enough that even adults can enjoy it.
Epic Zero is the story of a boy in a family of superheroes, except he has no powers. This is what they term a "Zero", while someone with powers is known as a "Meta". The "Metas" are split into eight categories based on what type of power they have, such as super strength or flight. Elliott does what he can to contribute to his family's fight against crime, but is left behind when a crime occurs.
I liked the voice the author uses. Elliott's personality is displayed well, and he is a pretty likeable character. Since he has no powers and feels kind of like an outsider, it is easy for the reader to identify with him. He gains some confidence after making a new friend at school, and this ultimately leads him down a path of self-discovery.
Some of the characters here are borrowed from other sources, although given different names and changed slightly. The author actually brings this up at one point in the story, which made it less corny for me. The villains could have been fleshed out better to make them more engaging. The showdown at the end was pretty satisfying given how the story builds to it.
The book is definitely intended for younger readers, but the writing is good enough that even adults can enjoy it.
November 8, 2015
I received this book as the result of a First reads giveaway.
Holy moly Batman! Move over!!!
I honestly wasn't sure about this book when I entered the giveaway. Super hero books can be hard to like especially when written for a younger audience. I found I could not set this book down! From beginning to end it held my attention and had me guessing.
The main character is very easy to relate to. Especially as, most kids see themselves as nothing but a zero in a lot of situations. His sibling rivalry and parental conflicts are believable. I really liked that Ullman had a photo/synopsis of each superhero in the book that had a major role in the book at the end of each chapter.
The grammar, spelling and editing in this book warmed my heart and made reading it that much more enjoyable.
The plot and story line flow smoothly and realistically. The originality of the tale kept me reading and wondering what was next.
For me, having a young reader book doesn't normally make it to my favorites list easily and this book did it with ease. Witty, engaging and well thought out from beginning to end this book is a winner!
Holy moly Batman! Move over!!!
I honestly wasn't sure about this book when I entered the giveaway. Super hero books can be hard to like especially when written for a younger audience. I found I could not set this book down! From beginning to end it held my attention and had me guessing.
The main character is very easy to relate to. Especially as, most kids see themselves as nothing but a zero in a lot of situations. His sibling rivalry and parental conflicts are believable. I really liked that Ullman had a photo/synopsis of each superhero in the book that had a major role in the book at the end of each chapter.
The grammar, spelling and editing in this book warmed my heart and made reading it that much more enjoyable.
The plot and story line flow smoothly and realistically. The originality of the tale kept me reading and wondering what was next.
For me, having a young reader book doesn't normally make it to my favorites list easily and this book did it with ease. Witty, engaging and well thought out from beginning to end this book is a winner!
June 12, 2021
Vocab is not for kids. 1st 2 pages had many words way above a 6th grade level (in addition to specialized superhero vocab). Was looking for a book to entice reluctant readers or at grade level readers or below or something ESL good readers could understand without adult vocabulary (“coursing” really?). The writing tries too hard to bee good writing—it is cliche and not good; using big words just makes it worse. DNF. Returning book.
November 22, 2015
I was a lucky winner of Epic Zero through goodreads.com. My entire family enjoy super hero adventures, so when I saw this book as a giveaway, I knew I wanted to check it out. This is a great book for a fan of super heroes without too much violence for the younger crowd. My 11 year old daughter wants to read this next. I would recommend this book to kids of all ages.
February 17, 2016
Immediately made me think of The Incredibles.
I liked the trading card style information about main characters at the end of each chapter.
I really enjoyed this! Great characters and Elliott's character was very well developed. I will definitely read the other books in the series.
I liked the trading card style information about main characters at the end of each chapter.
I really enjoyed this! Great characters and Elliott's character was very well developed. I will definitely read the other books in the series.
April 30, 2020
I wasn,t reading tis book carefuly so I didn't understand it.
Name: Epic Zero
Role: Hero
Status: Active Race Human
Real Name: Elliot Harkness
Height: 4'8
Weight: 89 lbs
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
Name: Epic Zero
Role: Hero
Status: Active Race Human
Real Name: Elliot Harkness
Height: 4'8
Weight: 89 lbs
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
September 30, 2015
I won this book here and it was worth it and was very good!
March 2, 2016
I liked it. I really did not think i would, but it was a strong story with heroes and villains and sensible connecting action.
July 25, 2016
Recommended
for you if you like action packed books that have trouble at every turn.☺
for you if you like action packed books that have trouble at every turn.☺
October 29, 2016
This is a fun book for young people. It has fantasy and an adventure in it and makes for a fun read.
Read
January 21, 2017Love it
This book is the best book I have ever read. My favorite character was Elliot harkness, later known as epic zero. Great read for all ages.
This book is the best book I have ever read. My favorite character was Elliot harkness, later known as epic zero. Great read for all ages.
April 26, 2019
Meh. The premise had potential, but the story wasn't particularly great. I recommend something more like Story Thieves at a similar reading level.
May 29, 2024
I really enjoyed this book, I thought it would just be like a boring typical super hero book but it suprised me in a good way. LOVE dog-gone and techno-rat super cute,awwww.
February 23, 2024
My son received this as a gift and I read it to him as a bedtime story. I immediately realized it was self-published and hoped it would turn out to be as good a reading experience as any book published by a major publisher, but it wasn’t. This was disappointing not only because obviously one always prefers to have a great reading experience, but also because I always hope any self-published book will defy the expectation that any author who has to self-publish is second-rate.
Some things the author could do to seem more legitimate: 1) hire a copy editor. His writing skills are actually pretty decent, but he has a lot of glaring, recurring punctuation errors. Things like using a comma after “but.” And plenty of other misplaced commas. 2) stop advertising himself as an “award-winning” and “best-selling” author. The award in question is something called a “reader’s choice award.” I looked into this, and Reader’s Choice is basically a thing where you pay someone to read your book, write a 5-star review, and give it an “award.” I have no idea what “best-selling” refers to.
The story, meanwhile, is entertaining enough. The trading-card profiles of characters are really fun. But halfway through, there’s a glaring problem: The protagonist’s entire family is killed and he doesn’t show an ounce of grief or trauma, he just moves on with the story of fighting the bad guys and saving the world. He is a preteen kid and everyone he loves is dead and all he can say is “well, at least I didn’t have to watch them die.” If it would interfere with the plot to have this traumatic event happen to the protagonist, don’t have it happen! If you can’t deal with writing grief into an action-hero story, don’t kill his family! SO INEPT. Then at the very end it turns out his family isn’t dead after all, so never mind, it’s all good?
This strikes me as the very hallmark of a writer who lacks the skill/self-awareness to publish traditionally. I wish it weren’t so.
Some things the author could do to seem more legitimate: 1) hire a copy editor. His writing skills are actually pretty decent, but he has a lot of glaring, recurring punctuation errors. Things like using a comma after “but.” And plenty of other misplaced commas. 2) stop advertising himself as an “award-winning” and “best-selling” author. The award in question is something called a “reader’s choice award.” I looked into this, and Reader’s Choice is basically a thing where you pay someone to read your book, write a 5-star review, and give it an “award.” I have no idea what “best-selling” refers to.
The story, meanwhile, is entertaining enough. The trading-card profiles of characters are really fun. But halfway through, there’s a glaring problem: The protagonist’s entire family is killed and he doesn’t show an ounce of grief or trauma, he just moves on with the story of fighting the bad guys and saving the world. He is a preteen kid and everyone he loves is dead and all he can say is “well, at least I didn’t have to watch them die.” If it would interfere with the plot to have this traumatic event happen to the protagonist, don’t have it happen! If you can’t deal with writing grief into an action-hero story, don’t kill his family! SO INEPT. Then at the very end it turns out his family isn’t dead after all, so never mind, it’s all good?
This strikes me as the very hallmark of a writer who lacks the skill/self-awareness to publish traditionally. I wish it weren’t so.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2021
Wow! An amazing combo of Action, Aliens, Supers! I usually don’t like alien books but I didn’t know that when I started this.... I’ve had it laying around in my room for a handful of years and I made myself read it. And, wow! Am I ever happy I read it! Here’s my favorite parts without spoiling anything:
•The Meta profiles at the end of each chapter
•Sarcastic and funny chapter names
•Good Superhero/Super villain names!
•I understood what was happening, except when Elliot’s powers rolled around....
•Great story!
•Surprisingly good considering I couldn’t get past Chapter Four every other time I tried.
Elliot Harkness lives in space, a satellite specifically, and has a family of Supers. But, he’s what’s called a Zero, or a Meta 0 power level, or powerless. Nothing, nothing at all. But is that truth or only what it seems to be....
When the most super Super Villain, ever faced by his family, appears again, Elliot begins his journey of truth seeking, and if he’s truly going to be a Zero forever.
Sounds great, right? Well I loved it!
Highly recommended!
•The Meta profiles at the end of each chapter
•Sarcastic and funny chapter names
•Good Superhero/Super villain names!
•I understood what was happening, except when Elliot’s powers rolled around....
•Great story!
•Surprisingly good considering I couldn’t get past Chapter Four every other time I tried.
Elliot Harkness lives in space, a satellite specifically, and has a family of Supers. But, he’s what’s called a Zero, or a Meta 0 power level, or powerless. Nothing, nothing at all. But is that truth or only what it seems to be....
When the most super Super Villain, ever faced by his family, appears again, Elliot begins his journey of truth seeking, and if he’s truly going to be a Zero forever.
Sounds great, right? Well I loved it!
Highly recommended!
June 12, 2022
Elliott Harknesss wakes up to his birthday and tests whether or not he has super powers. He keeps hoping he might because he comes from a family of supers. He apparently has no greater talent than mischief. He finds himself getting in the way of a mission and gets a low level super villain’s phone. He tricks his parents into believing that he gets premonitions in his dreams based on the phone information. This drops him into a load of trouble and he has to confront A super villain, he seems to neutralize the power. (I thought it was going to be something about the super tried to mimic Elliott‘s powers and since he didn’t have any, the super lost his powers.)
Elliott teams up with a girl from another planet because there is a super orb that enhances powers. The worm, a low-level villain, has it and is trying to take over.
Elliott winds up having some more mental super power and is one of the few supers who can control the orb. He saves his family and mankind but was unable to save Kami, the girl from the other planet.
Pretty interesting for younger middle grade readers.
Elliott teams up with a girl from another planet because there is a super orb that enhances powers. The worm, a low-level villain, has it and is trying to take over.
Elliott winds up having some more mental super power and is one of the few supers who can control the orb. He saves his family and mankind but was unable to save Kami, the girl from the other planet.
Pretty interesting for younger middle grade readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2020
I won a copy of Epic Zero: Tales of a Not-So-Super 6th Grader from a Goodreads Giveaway. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.
Elliott Harkness wants is to be a superhero, especially because he comes from a family where each member has special gifts. When his birthday passes with no powers, will Elliott find a way to turn his zero into hero?
Epic Zero is targeted to young readers from 3rd to 6th grade, which shows in the writing style. There is a lot of exuberance, with exclamation points scattered throughout. The biggest problem that I had with the book has to do with its originality, as there are obvious similarities to the movie Sky High and to The Incredibles. Epic Zero will have the power to excite readers that may not be interested normally, so I would recommend it for that reason alone.
Elliott Harkness wants is to be a superhero, especially because he comes from a family where each member has special gifts. When his birthday passes with no powers, will Elliott find a way to turn his zero into hero?
Epic Zero is targeted to young readers from 3rd to 6th grade, which shows in the writing style. There is a lot of exuberance, with exclamation points scattered throughout. The biggest problem that I had with the book has to do with its originality, as there are obvious similarities to the movie Sky High and to The Incredibles. Epic Zero will have the power to excite readers that may not be interested normally, so I would recommend it for that reason alone.
January 24, 2020
Epic Zero:Tales of a Not so Super 6th grader
Epic Zero:Tales of a not so super 6th grader is a story about a boy named Elliot Harkness who wants to be like his family. His whole family has superpowers and they are superheroes, even his dog is a superhero! Elliot was known as a zero, super-speak for powerless. While his family is off somewhere else being superheros, he is in middle school. Elliot would sometimes go on the missions with his dad, mom, and sister without them knowing but he got caught once when the bad guy found him. There is an epic ending with story, which is why I like it so much. I would recommend this to teachers and 4-7th graders. This book has a lot of good parts and it will sometimes make you laugh or chuckle.
Epic Zero:Tales of a not so super 6th grader is a story about a boy named Elliot Harkness who wants to be like his family. His whole family has superpowers and they are superheroes, even his dog is a superhero! Elliot was known as a zero, super-speak for powerless. While his family is off somewhere else being superheros, he is in middle school. Elliot would sometimes go on the missions with his dad, mom, and sister without them knowing but he got caught once when the bad guy found him. There is an epic ending with story, which is why I like it so much. I would recommend this to teachers and 4-7th graders. This book has a lot of good parts and it will sometimes make you laugh or chuckle.
February 8, 2022
I think kids would really like the action in this but there was extreme trauma involved that the main character had little or no reaction to. His family all died (he thought) due to his actions. His first friend, a young girl and alien, gets horribly killed and the story just moved forward like “Oh well, that happened”. Then he blows up an entire warship of baddies with zero remorse. I don’t think for this type of children’s book you need a deeply reflective main character but if all the action is going to include multiple deaths you may want to make him at least a little empathetic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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