In a world where superheroes are a business, sixteen-year-old Alex Fry gets the dream job of teenagers everywhere when he is hired by the famous superhero Rubberman as his sidekick. As Rubberman's sidekick, Alex hopes to not only learn how to use his powers, but also save up enough money to buy his first car before he heads off to college. But Alex gets more than he bargains for when a powerful supervillain with mysterious connections to Rubberman's past appears in his city with a dangerous agenda. Now Alex must master his powers in time to help Rubberman defeat this supervillain before he succeeds in his vile plans. Yet when Alex learns about the darker side of the superhero industry, he finds himself unsure whether to keep working for Rubberman or to stand against him for the greater good. If Alex makes the wrong choice, it will change his life—and the fate of his hometown—forever.
I probably would've given this book 3 stars if it wasn't for the author repeating everything. Here's an example
"It was hard to believe that it had been only a week since Rubberman and I defeated Fro-Zen on top of Harold Golden High; it seemed like a lifetime ago now, even though it had only been a week ago."
This superhero origen story is well planned but lacks charisma. Suspect parents and brother may also have powers. Mentor lies and kid knows when, is that an extra power?
"First Job" is the first book in a series about Alex who works as a sidekick for a superhero named Rubberman. Sidekicks are paid minimum wage, work part-time, and must keep their identity secret or lose their license. This story is unique. Superheroes are an industry where the hero owns his own business, charges fees for fighting crime, and makes licensing deals. The concept of a monetized industry of superheroes has so many options, and this book explores the idea that they're corrupt. I really enjoyed that aspect, and I liked seeing Alex grapple with that. I want to continue the series (especially after that cliffhanger ending), and I'm ready to meet more heroes and sidekicks!
The idea isn’t bad, but the execution was childish. The characters are simple and one dimensional. The dialogue is appropriate for elementary kids, but it’s teenagers and grownups talking. But there’s still older themes and some cussing. So the books falls into not good for little kids or older folks.
I’ve read several other books by Lucas Flint & enjoyed them. This one read like it was his first novel. Plotting was good but the writing was often quite bad. Repetitive and clumsy. He has done much better.