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Kid Sensation #5.5
Amped
Electra – the beautiful, unflappable girlfriend of teen super Kid Sensation – headlines her own adventure for the first time.A foundling adopted and raised by the Alpha League (the world’s greatest superhero team), Electra has exhibited super powers since infancy. However, her past has remained a mystery for the most part, with those few people with any knowledge of her background being reluctant to talk.Refusing to remain ignorant of her own origins, Electra embarks on a fact-finding mission intent on discovering who she really is. However, in addition to providing more questions than answers, her investigation causes her to cross paths with a powerful group of supervillains, who see in her a means of furthering their goal of world domination.Finding herself in the crosshairs, Electra must now find a way to stop those seeking to exploit her unique talents for their own nefarious purposes. Because if she can’t, the world will pay a heavy price.
216 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 20, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 31, 2019
Amped by Kevin Hardman and narrated by Elizabeth Klett is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary. This is about Kid Sensation's girlfriend while he is gone to a different planet and she is still on Earth. She decides to look for the truth behind her birth and her birth mother. What and how she uncovers is fascinating and full of unexpected turns. Great story!
Narration was awesome!
Narration was awesome!
June 4, 2020
The was a companion novel in Kevin Hardman's Kid Sensation series. Just like the books in the main series this was a fun YA superhero tale that did a good job of mixing drama, mystery, and a ton of superpowered action!
Electra was the POV character for this story. In terms of timeline the events of this book ran concurrent with the events of Coronation. With Jim absent from Earth we followed Electra as she decided to dig into the mystery of her origin. She stumbles across a group of evil supervillains while poking into her own past!
I felt like this was an enjoyable and worthwhile addition to the Kid Sensation series and was pretty much on par in terms of quality with the books in the main series. I was never a giant fan of Electra while reading about her from Jim's POV but I felt like this story really helped me warm to her as a character. She benefited a lot from the way this book fleshed out her character and gave her a lot more depth and personality than she has been able to shown while just being Jim's love interest in the main series. I enjoyed seeing some of the Alpha League members from her perspective and learning more about her own relationships with characters like Smokey, Esper, Alpha Prime, Li, and even Jim's mother! In the case of characters like Alpha Prime and Esper it was a good reminder to us that she grew up in the Alpha League and that duo were the two who put the most time into raising her so it was great to learn a little bit more about the relationship they shared.
The story itself was pretty enjoyable. It was a bit of a mystery tale to begin with as Electra and her friends, all familiar faces, had to try and track down the origins of how she ended up with the Alpha League and what happened to both of her parents. Smokey was there to help but Electra herself and Li were the stars of this part of the story as they tracked down the clues they needed. The later bit of the story was packed with twists and turns as they mysteries got revealed and the action picked up. It was actually a fun twist for the story that Electra had a more limited power set than Kid Sensation as it made the whole team feel more useful and necessary!
This tale did hint at Electra's powers not being fully developed just quite yet and that she might be able to do a lot more than she currently realizes. I felt like that was a good development as she does feel a little underpowered when compared to the Titans like Kid Sensation, Alpha Prime, and even Paramount.
If I was to single out some flaws it would be the focus Jim got in the early stages of the story. Electra thought of him often in the first half of the tale and he just got mentioned a lot in general despite the fact that he was on a completely different planet! It actually had me feeling a little bit sorry for Electra as she is clearly a lot more into Jim than he is into her as the guy barely thought of her at all while he was having his adventures on that alien planet and she only crossed his mind when he felt guilty about spending time with the hot alien princess he met while there. On the plus side Electra was a lot more tolerable from her own POV and came across as less bitchy and childish even when she was acting jealous! . Once the story kicked onto into the second half Electra got caught up in her own stuff so thought about Jim a lot less and I felt that benefited the story as it made her seem like she had a life outside of just being Jim's love interest.
All in all I really enjoyed this one and feel like it has helped me warm to Electra as a character. I'd be happy to read more spin-off books from her POV in the future for sure! On the whole this story just proved that Hardman has created a fun superhero world with plenty of fun characters and stories worth telling.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: We actually got a new narrator for this Electra spin-off story. I'm a fan of Mikael Naramore and do really enjoy his performance of the main Kid Sensation books but I definitely think Electra benefited from a new voice. On the whole I felt like Elizabeth Klett did a really good job with the narration. Naramore can tend to voice Electra as a little shrill but Klett gave her a more engaging voice and I definitely think that helped with her likeability factor!
Electra was the POV character for this story. In terms of timeline the events of this book ran concurrent with the events of Coronation. With Jim absent from Earth we followed Electra as she decided to dig into the mystery of her origin. She stumbles across a group of evil supervillains while poking into her own past!
I felt like this was an enjoyable and worthwhile addition to the Kid Sensation series and was pretty much on par in terms of quality with the books in the main series. I was never a giant fan of Electra while reading about her from Jim's POV but I felt like this story really helped me warm to her as a character. She benefited a lot from the way this book fleshed out her character and gave her a lot more depth and personality than she has been able to shown while just being Jim's love interest in the main series. I enjoyed seeing some of the Alpha League members from her perspective and learning more about her own relationships with characters like Smokey, Esper, Alpha Prime, Li, and even Jim's mother! In the case of characters like Alpha Prime and Esper it was a good reminder to us that she grew up in the Alpha League and that duo were the two who put the most time into raising her so it was great to learn a little bit more about the relationship they shared.
The story itself was pretty enjoyable. It was a bit of a mystery tale to begin with as Electra and her friends, all familiar faces, had to try and track down the origins of how she ended up with the Alpha League and what happened to both of her parents. Smokey was there to help but Electra herself and Li were the stars of this part of the story as they tracked down the clues they needed. The later bit of the story was packed with twists and turns as they mysteries got revealed and the action picked up. It was actually a fun twist for the story that Electra had a more limited power set than Kid Sensation as it made the whole team feel more useful and necessary!
This tale did hint at Electra's powers not being fully developed just quite yet and that she might be able to do a lot more than she currently realizes. I felt like that was a good development as she does feel a little underpowered when compared to the Titans like Kid Sensation, Alpha Prime, and even Paramount.
If I was to single out some flaws it would be the focus Jim got in the early stages of the story. Electra thought of him often in the first half of the tale and he just got mentioned a lot in general despite the fact that he was on a completely different planet! It actually had me feeling a little bit sorry for Electra as she is clearly a lot more into Jim than he is into her as the guy barely thought of her at all while he was having his adventures on that alien planet and she only crossed his mind when he felt guilty about spending time with the hot alien princess he met while there. On the plus side Electra was a lot more tolerable from her own POV and came across as less bitchy and childish even when she was acting jealous! . Once the story kicked onto into the second half Electra got caught up in her own stuff so thought about Jim a lot less and I felt that benefited the story as it made her seem like she had a life outside of just being Jim's love interest.
All in all I really enjoyed this one and feel like it has helped me warm to Electra as a character. I'd be happy to read more spin-off books from her POV in the future for sure! On the whole this story just proved that Hardman has created a fun superhero world with plenty of fun characters and stories worth telling.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: We actually got a new narrator for this Electra spin-off story. I'm a fan of Mikael Naramore and do really enjoy his performance of the main Kid Sensation books but I definitely think Electra benefited from a new voice. On the whole I felt like Elizabeth Klett did a really good job with the narration. Naramore can tend to voice Electra as a little shrill but Klett gave her a more engaging voice and I definitely think that helped with her likeability factor!
June 28, 2021
Awesomeness
This is an awesome companion novel. I can t wait that till the next one. The next one is about our favorite Mouse. I hope we get to see how he joins the alpha league.
This is an awesome companion novel. I can t wait that till the next one. The next one is about our favorite Mouse. I hope we get to see how he joins the alpha league.
April 13, 2019
If you have read or listened to any book in the Kid Sensation series by Kevin (which are all brilliant) then you will know that Electra is the main hero's girlfriend but in this book she gets her own story and what a great story it is .
With Kid Sensation off planet, his girlfriend Electra finds herself with time on her hands and instead of using it to hang out with friends or do homework she decides to look into her past, with deadly consequences. Following up on the little information she has been told about her birth mother, she ropes in her friends to help her find out where she came from and it is not long before things get serious as some secrets are ment to stay buried for a reason.
I really enjoyed this book. I love the Kid Sensation series but it was nice to have a different teen super hero as the main character but it didn't lack any of the punch you would expect from the seriesand made a nice companion book. It is also a great book if you are new to the series as there was lots of action, adventure and mystery.
The author went for a female narrator with this book and even though I am use to the voice of Mikael Naramofe and really like his style for the characters, I understand why he went for a female this time round and think it was a good choice as even though she wasn't the right person she did a good job.
With Kid Sensation off planet, his girlfriend Electra finds herself with time on her hands and instead of using it to hang out with friends or do homework she decides to look into her past, with deadly consequences. Following up on the little information she has been told about her birth mother, she ropes in her friends to help her find out where she came from and it is not long before things get serious as some secrets are ment to stay buried for a reason.
I really enjoyed this book. I love the Kid Sensation series but it was nice to have a different teen super hero as the main character but it didn't lack any of the punch you would expect from the seriesand made a nice companion book. It is also a great book if you are new to the series as there was lots of action, adventure and mystery.
The author went for a female narrator with this book and even though I am use to the voice of Mikael Naramofe and really like his style for the characters, I understand why he went for a female this time round and think it was a good choice as even though she wasn't the right person she did a good job.
March 3, 2019
Kevin Hardman writes another entraining super tale. Amped captures the essence of what life is like for a teenaged superhero as he brings Electra into the spotlight. Hardman knows how to tell a superhero story, as well as how to make heroes seem real and relatable. If you like superhero comics, this story is worth a read. While, I could easily compare this story to that of Mouse, another character spin-off in the Kid Sensation series, and say that Mouse is simply a more interesting character, it would not do justice to this story and what it does for the series as a whole. In Amped, Hardman is able to reveal more about Electra and the challenges that a teen hero might face, while giving greater depth to a loved character. This book is well written and highly entertaining; this is what a superhero novel should be.
September 16, 2022
Electra is Kid Sensation's girlfriend and while is he across the Universe on an assignment from the Alpha League, she decides to find out more about her origins. Since she was found and adopted by the League shortly after birth, she knows little about her birth parents. This book follows her quest to finally remedy that.
If you have read other books in this series, you will recognize many of the characters. This story is entertaining, full of adventure and secrets, and loads of superhero antics. If you enjoy this type of book or love comic books superheroes and want to read "real" books that are very similar, this is a well-written, well-developed and entertaining book/series.
The narrator does a good job and her performance and pacing added a lot to my listening enjoyment.
I was given the chance to listen to this audiobook through Story Origins and chose to review it.
If you have read other books in this series, you will recognize many of the characters. This story is entertaining, full of adventure and secrets, and loads of superhero antics. If you enjoy this type of book or love comic books superheroes and want to read "real" books that are very similar, this is a well-written, well-developed and entertaining book/series.
The narrator does a good job and her performance and pacing added a lot to my listening enjoyment.
I was given the chance to listen to this audiobook through Story Origins and chose to review it.
September 24, 2019
Well I found that this book just wasn't anywhere as appealing as the other Kid Sensation stories have been... what a disappointment! This book follows Electra (Kid Sensation's girlfriend) as she looks into her family history, and ends up finding some startling 'revelations', while Jim (aka Kid) is away on his grandmother's home world... I think that Kevin Hardman just couldn't quite nail a young woman's POV, because I found her to be kinda stiff and wooden at times, or it could have been because of the narrator, Elizabeth Klett. She's also pretty stiff and wooden... never quite syncing with Electra's character, or catching the moods of this story.
September 26, 2019
While Kid Sensation is off on his Grandmother's world getting to know the rest of the family and dealing with the political intrigues of being royalty, his girlfriend is back on earth and trying to figure out her own ancestry in this Kid Sensation companion novel packed full of lies, subterfuge, mysteries, nefarious plots and even a few earth shattering explosions.
I loved following the trail and unraveling the mystery of AMP's parentage and really enjoyed watching the development of the character as she discovers the ugly truth.
If you're a fan of the superhero genre or have read any of the other Kid Sensation novels you'll want to read this action packed puzzler.
I loved following the trail and unraveling the mystery of AMP's parentage and really enjoyed watching the development of the character as she discovers the ugly truth.
If you're a fan of the superhero genre or have read any of the other Kid Sensation novels you'll want to read this action packed puzzler.
May 29, 2019
My eighth read from author Kevin Hardman. Well-written super-hero sci-fic/suspense, with well-developed characters. With each book Hardman writes the story-line gets more enticing, drawing the reader deeper & deeper. Again narrator Elizabeth Klett’s talented narration adds greatly to the book’s enjoyment & having a female narrator was a perfect choice for this book. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. I’ll be reading more in this series. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
August 31, 2019
I have submitted this review after listening to the audiobook of this title.
Yes, this is about Electra, Jim's girlfriend and the situation she finds herself in, whilst Jim is away, visiting his Alien Grandmother.
We learn a lot about the Electric Girl, and find out, in a very dramatic manner, why no one had told her more about her parentage.
Trust a teen girl to go looking for answers for herself.
This, like all episodes from this author, are well thought out, and the narrator of the audiobooks add that extra wham to a great story.
Yes, this is about Electra, Jim's girlfriend and the situation she finds herself in, whilst Jim is away, visiting his Alien Grandmother.
We learn a lot about the Electric Girl, and find out, in a very dramatic manner, why no one had told her more about her parentage.
Trust a teen girl to go looking for answers for herself.
This, like all episodes from this author, are well thought out, and the narrator of the audiobooks add that extra wham to a great story.
December 21, 2019
Full disclosure: I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Amped was an excellent book. If you’ve read any of Hardman’s other Kid Sensation books written for Middle Graders, you will likely enjoy this one. If you have not, I recommend the series as a whole. If you like superhero novels definitely try this series out.
This book is narrated by Elizabeth Klett, she does a great job giving a voice to Electra and I was always able to distinguish who was speaking.
Amped was an excellent book. If you’ve read any of Hardman’s other Kid Sensation books written for Middle Graders, you will likely enjoy this one. If you have not, I recommend the series as a whole. If you like superhero novels definitely try this series out.
This book is narrated by Elizabeth Klett, she does a great job giving a voice to Electra and I was always able to distinguish who was speaking.
December 30, 2019
A great follow up to the Kid Sensation Novel. You will definitely need to read or listen to “Kid Sensation # 1” at the least. There are some events referenced from book # 2 “Mutation” but these are explained again by the author so reading “Mutation” isn’t required.
This story follows Electra, Jim’s girlfriend, and her quest for answers about her childhood. The author does a good job showing he can write from the point of view of a butt-kicking super powered girl.
Wise choice picking a female narrator for the audible version.
This story follows Electra, Jim’s girlfriend, and her quest for answers about her childhood. The author does a good job showing he can write from the point of view of a butt-kicking super powered girl.
Wise choice picking a female narrator for the audible version.
February 26, 2020
I enjoyed 'Sensation', so I expected to enjoy 'Amped' too, but unfortunately I didn't. I'm not sure if the way the narrator speaks makes it worse or not, but the language is too stilted and she uses too many big or formal words. It doesn't suit a teenager at all. I couldn't get into the story because I kept thinking, "Who speaks like that?" And stuff like instead of just saying "Jim" (After letting us know the first time Jim is her boyfriend), she says "my boyfriend, Jim" again and again. It's a pity because, as I said, I enjoyed the first book.
December 23, 2022
Sooooo without Jim they are just wimpy little kids, who are severely underpowered?
Either this wasn't written by the same author or these Supers have regressed. They went from kicking ass and taking names, to barely surviving encounters with mediocre supers.
I don't understand this stupid urge of adopted kids who want to connect with their biological parents who gave them up. Adopted parents raised them and loved them unconditionally, yet like idiots they want to connect with those who rejected them?
Either this wasn't written by the same author or these Supers have regressed. They went from kicking ass and taking names, to barely surviving encounters with mediocre supers.
I don't understand this stupid urge of adopted kids who want to connect with their biological parents who gave them up. Adopted parents raised them and loved them unconditionally, yet like idiots they want to connect with those who rejected them?
May 24, 2024
It seems like this entry into the series was not written with the same care and effort as the others. The writing was really simple and boring. (She did this. Then she did that. And then this happened.) Plus, the plot had obvious holes from the beginning. Several times major characters monologued their entire plan to the main character (good guys and bad guys). The way the whole thing wrapped up was cheesy...all of which is especially sad because the revelations about the character's backstory were huge. It was just all very rushed feeling.
October 2, 2019
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, and found it very entertaining. Electra is trying to learn about her parents that were killed when she was a baby. Of course, she gets her friends to help her break some laws, but nothing to serious. Of course she finds herself in way to deep as she learns the truth. Very enjoyable, with lots of fun characters and lots of action. A good listen for a short commute.
January 4, 2020
I loved the humor and flippant attitude. Very entertaining story told from the point of view of Electra, a superhero in training with the ability to harness electricity in various ways. Very exciting story that kept me engaged throughout. Many original concepts, and interesting characters. Elizabeth Klett, the narrator, was one of the best I have ever listened to. I listened to this 3 or 4 times, and each listening was new.
February 27, 2019
Amped is a cool superhero story that is a spin off of the Kid Sensation series. While it helps to have the background, this story is entertaining and should work fine as a stand alone. This book is appropriate for all ages except perhaps little kids who may find some parts too scary.
The narrator has a pleasant voice and does a good job bringing the story to life.
The narrator has a pleasant voice and does a good job bringing the story to life.
October 26, 2019
Another ripping yarn by Kevin Hartman. Super-powered teen, Electra, digs into her past, trying to find out who her parents are. This puts everyone around her in danger. An engrossing story. The audiobook narration felt a little stilted at times.
November 20, 2020
Every child needs to grow-up
The story was very boring 2/3 of the time that just schemed parts to get threw a page. The only chacther I like was Esper because a forbidden romance was interesting to read about her past.
The story was very boring 2/3 of the time that just schemed parts to get threw a page. The only chacther I like was Esper because a forbidden romance was interesting to read about her past.
March 30, 2019
This is Electra's story and set a bit further down the time line than I have read so far but it's not too spoilery.
June 15, 2019
Electra-fying story
Electra digs into her background and finds out some things that she did not expect. Her backstory is quite interesting and this was a good story.
Electra digs into her background and finds out some things that she did not expect. Her backstory is quite interesting and this was a good story.
August 29, 2019
I loved this book. It is great as a stand alone book but it also is a great addition to the original story line. I like the fact that it centered on one of the other main characters.
January 15, 2020
It was fun. I did have a little trouble getting into it. The first hour or so is Electra exchanging catty insults with another beautiful young lady who has designs on Electra's boyfriend. That was tiring and could have been summed up in 5 minutes. I wanted to get to the action.
Once the story does get to the action, it is pretty darn good. Electra has lots of questions about her parents as she was an orphan. She keeps digging despite everyone warning her off. She does get two friends to help her out (after they warn her she might not like what she finds). Now these three are all good guys and they do have some heart burn over temporarily stealing some hospital records (cute, huh?), but once they pull one thread, more appear. I was kept in delightful suspense while Electra found out about her parents. The truth wasn't what she expected at all! Nice!
OK, so once Electra has dug deep into her past, some nefarious baddies become interested in her. Yay! More action! Fiends! They must be stopped! Very exciting stuff. So while the story started off slow and silly, it ends strong and gripping. 4/5 stars.
The Narration: Elizabeth Klett gave a great performance. I loved her voice for Electra. Klett had distinct voices for all the characters and her male character voices were masculine. I especially enjoyed her evil fiend voices for several of the baddies. They were snide, wicked, gritty, polite with evil intent. Yep, all that captured in a character voice. There were no technical issues with the recording. 5/5 stars.
Once the story does get to the action, it is pretty darn good. Electra has lots of questions about her parents as she was an orphan. She keeps digging despite everyone warning her off. She does get two friends to help her out (after they warn her she might not like what she finds). Now these three are all good guys and they do have some heart burn over temporarily stealing some hospital records (cute, huh?), but once they pull one thread, more appear. I was kept in delightful suspense while Electra found out about her parents. The truth wasn't what she expected at all! Nice!
OK, so once Electra has dug deep into her past, some nefarious baddies become interested in her. Yay! More action! Fiends! They must be stopped! Very exciting stuff. So while the story started off slow and silly, it ends strong and gripping. 4/5 stars.
The Narration: Elizabeth Klett gave a great performance. I loved her voice for Electra. Klett had distinct voices for all the characters and her male character voices were masculine. I especially enjoyed her evil fiend voices for several of the baddies. They were snide, wicked, gritty, polite with evil intent. Yep, all that captured in a character voice. There were no technical issues with the recording. 5/5 stars.
Read
January 11, 2020it was good. Kind of confusing sometimes but anybody that really likes science fiction and fantasy will enjoy it. The narration was good.
October 19, 2020
Not poorly written or anything. Just really not a fan of the MC.
August 4, 2016
Is good Electra novel
I like it because is good. Explore the world of kid sensation in good way. It make sense Electra have is own book so you no need this story en mean Books.
I like it because is good. Explore the world of kid sensation in good way. It make sense Electra have is own book so you no need this story en mean Books.
July 26, 2016
Best book yet
Loved the book and couldn't put it down. Finished it in one day. Now I have to wait to find out more about Smokey's background.
Loved the book and couldn't put it down. Finished it in one day. Now I have to wait to find out more about Smokey's background.
April 18, 2017
It was OK book that fleshed the character -- so the book really defends its place in the series even though I was somewhat doubtful at the beginning. However, as the series is now well over five books long, I'd want the series to start treading some new ground instead of treating each book like an episode from a TV-series from 1980s. Basically a feeling that these books are going somewhere instead of just treating bushfires one after another.
Of course, it may be that I'm too old for the target group of the books :)
Of course, it may be that I'm too old for the target group of the books :)
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews