What do you think?
Rate this book
Shazam!: The Junior Novel
Shazam! is coming to theaters in Spring 2019 from Warner Bros. Pictures, starring Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Grazer, and more.
Shazam: The Junior Novel is based on the upcoming New Line Cinema major motion picture. This edition contains exclusive scenes and a section of full-color images.
We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out…
By shouting just one word—SHAZAM!—Billy Batson, the street-wise fourteen-year-old foster kid from Philadelphia, can magically transform into the adult super hero Shazam, courtesy of an ancient wizard.
Will Billy and his new foster brother, Freddy, learn to harness Billy’s newfound superpowers like flight and bullet immunity in time to fight the dangerous forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana?
Shazam: The Junior Novel is based on the upcoming New Line Cinema major motion picture. This edition contains exclusive scenes and a section of full-color images.
We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out…
By shouting just one word—SHAZAM!—Billy Batson, the street-wise fourteen-year-old foster kid from Philadelphia, can magically transform into the adult super hero Shazam, courtesy of an ancient wizard.
Will Billy and his new foster brother, Freddy, learn to harness Billy’s newfound superpowers like flight and bullet immunity in time to fight the dangerous forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana?
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
160 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 26, 2019
21 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 20, 2023
Shazam: the Junior Novel By Calliope Glass, is junior novelization based on the (2019) DCEU Film “Shazam.”
I bought this junior novelization because there was no adult novelisation of the film and I couldn't wait until seeing the sequel Shazam 2: Fury of the Gods. It is well written and gives a lot of depth to the characters, and makes the movie that much more enjoyable.
I thought the book was very good, a quick read and lots of fun. The book added onto the movie going into more details and into the character heads mainly of those of Billy/Shazam and the main villain Doctor Sivana.
I used to read many movie novelizations, mainly since I love films as well as books, but as we all know novelizations are sometimes boring, sometimes simply bad and mostly never bring anything new to the reader. For me, the Shazam junior novelization helped enhance the movie and some of the aspects which I was unclear about, and giving a easy recap of the movie before seeing Shazam 2.
While author Calliope Glass does a good job of adapting the Shazam movie into a junior novel prose format. The biggest drawback of this novelization is that the last 40 pages totally gloss over major parts of the second half and third acts of the film. For example Billy doesn’t reunite with his birth mother and theirs no Superman cameo. The other major problem is that this novelization truly isn’t finished! This novel doesn’t have the film’s true ending as it just abruptly ends just right before the fight between Shazam and Sivana at the carnival towards the end of the film.
Overall, Despite the problems I have with this junior novelization of the Shazam film. The novel follows the movie somewhat closely, is fast paced and easy to read. If you’re looking for a fun and entertaining book, not too serious and enjoyable pick up this book.
I bought this junior novelization because there was no adult novelisation of the film and I couldn't wait until seeing the sequel Shazam 2: Fury of the Gods. It is well written and gives a lot of depth to the characters, and makes the movie that much more enjoyable.
I thought the book was very good, a quick read and lots of fun. The book added onto the movie going into more details and into the character heads mainly of those of Billy/Shazam and the main villain Doctor Sivana.
I used to read many movie novelizations, mainly since I love films as well as books, but as we all know novelizations are sometimes boring, sometimes simply bad and mostly never bring anything new to the reader. For me, the Shazam junior novelization helped enhance the movie and some of the aspects which I was unclear about, and giving a easy recap of the movie before seeing Shazam 2.
While author Calliope Glass does a good job of adapting the Shazam movie into a junior novel prose format. The biggest drawback of this novelization is that the last 40 pages totally gloss over major parts of the second half and third acts of the film. For example Billy doesn’t reunite with his birth mother and theirs no Superman cameo. The other major problem is that this novelization truly isn’t finished! This novel doesn’t have the film’s true ending as it just abruptly ends just right before the fight between Shazam and Sivana at the carnival towards the end of the film.
Overall, Despite the problems I have with this junior novelization of the Shazam film. The novel follows the movie somewhat closely, is fast paced and easy to read. If you’re looking for a fun and entertaining book, not too serious and enjoyable pick up this book.
March 16, 2019
OI have a fan of Captain Marvel (Shazam) since the 1970s, when I discovered him on the live action Saturday morning television show. I was in elementary school at the time. D.C. published a tabloid size comic with his adventures from the 1940s. I was a fan and have been ever since.
The trailers for the upcoming film have me worried. I'm not a huge fan of the New 52 origin, which what the movie is using as a starting point.
But I decided to read this junior novel based on the screenplay just the same.
One thing I dislike about Super Hero films is the first film/the origin story....
It takes so much time from us seeing the actual hero in action.
This story is indeed an origin story.
Billy Batson got separated from his mom at the age of 4 and has spent his young life trying to find her, while running thru foster homes.
Now he may have found a foster family he can truly be a part of...
Meanwhile, a wizard, the last of his kind is looking for someone who is pure of heart, to pass his powers on to....he tries and tries but can't find the right person...
One person who the wizard rejected as a candidate, Thad Sivana, has spent his whole life trying to find the wizard again. Though he wants the powers of the 7 Seven Deadly Sins which the wizard decreased and now holds as captives.
Sivana is successful and becomes powerful with magic and the freed 7 Deadly Sins.
Mortally wounded, the wizard searches qsickly and desperately for a person to pass his powers to.
Billy Batson is that person. By saying the wizard's name, Shazam, Billy is transformed into a Super Powered adult. Though he still has his 14 year old mind.
But the wizard dies without explaining his powers at all.
It's up to Billy and his foster brother Freddy(Who loves all things Super Heroes) to figure it out. All the while not knowing Silvana is looking for him to take his powers away.
It really is the movie Big, with super powers thrown in. There is much humor with Billy enjoying his super powered adult body.
I am not sure how it will play on the big screen.
I'm not happy with many of the changes in the story, but it does tend to work.
ALSO:
The novel ends in somewhat of a cliff hanger. I feel the ending of the film may have a Big Reveal that fans of the comics would be familiar with.
The trailers for the upcoming film have me worried. I'm not a huge fan of the New 52 origin, which what the movie is using as a starting point.
But I decided to read this junior novel based on the screenplay just the same.
One thing I dislike about Super Hero films is the first film/the origin story....
It takes so much time from us seeing the actual hero in action.
This story is indeed an origin story.
Billy Batson got separated from his mom at the age of 4 and has spent his young life trying to find her, while running thru foster homes.
Now he may have found a foster family he can truly be a part of...
Meanwhile, a wizard, the last of his kind is looking for someone who is pure of heart, to pass his powers on to....he tries and tries but can't find the right person...
One person who the wizard rejected as a candidate, Thad Sivana, has spent his whole life trying to find the wizard again. Though he wants the powers of the 7 Seven Deadly Sins which the wizard decreased and now holds as captives.
Sivana is successful and becomes powerful with magic and the freed 7 Deadly Sins.
Mortally wounded, the wizard searches qsickly and desperately for a person to pass his powers to.
Billy Batson is that person. By saying the wizard's name, Shazam, Billy is transformed into a Super Powered adult. Though he still has his 14 year old mind.
But the wizard dies without explaining his powers at all.
It's up to Billy and his foster brother Freddy(Who loves all things Super Heroes) to figure it out. All the while not knowing Silvana is looking for him to take his powers away.
It really is the movie Big, with super powers thrown in. There is much humor with Billy enjoying his super powered adult body.
I am not sure how it will play on the big screen.
I'm not happy with many of the changes in the story, but it does tend to work.
ALSO:
The novel ends in somewhat of a cliff hanger. I feel the ending of the film may have a Big Reveal that fans of the comics would be familiar with.
January 7, 2022
The word Shazam is one of the all-time greatest single statements in the history of pop culture. Spoken with emphasis, it can serve many purposes, from astonishment to wonder to joy. In the context of being uttered by young Billy Batson, it will transform him to and from the superhero known as Shazam. The character was originally known as Captain Marvel, and this is a novelization of the film reboot/modification of that character.
The story moves swiftly from Billy’s history of being in foster care and essentially a waif of the streets. When he is selected to be the hero by an aged wizard, his life changes dramatically. The main villain was selected before Billy, but while that person received powers, they proved unworthy of taking on the role of the hero.
What is different about this story is that Billy is in a foster home with many other children and while at first he is skeptical of them, they quickly become his family and together they face the villain. Even though his foster siblings have no powers. That makes it an excellent story as they help Shazam learn about and cope with his newfound powers and how to control them in order to do good.
The story moves swiftly from Billy’s history of being in foster care and essentially a waif of the streets. When he is selected to be the hero by an aged wizard, his life changes dramatically. The main villain was selected before Billy, but while that person received powers, they proved unworthy of taking on the role of the hero.
What is different about this story is that Billy is in a foster home with many other children and while at first he is skeptical of them, they quickly become his family and together they face the villain. Even though his foster siblings have no powers. That makes it an excellent story as they help Shazam learn about and cope with his newfound powers and how to control them in order to do good.
October 20, 2019
3.5 stars
Very, very different from the film. From the opening sequence which takes place at the Sivana's mansion and in which Theodore's father is never injured to a multitude of alternate scenes, it was more inspired by the film? Or they had an earlier script they were working of off? Unclear, but some of the changes worked really well - like Mary stopping him from leaving that first night and pickpocketing his wallet. And showing Billy sharing his pilfered steak sandwich with a lady on the subway.
Enjoyed it, but I wish that they had kept the extra scenes but brought the rest in line with the film's events.
Very, very different from the film. From the opening sequence which takes place at the Sivana's mansion and in which Theodore's father is never injured to a multitude of alternate scenes, it was more inspired by the film? Or they had an earlier script they were working of off? Unclear, but some of the changes worked really well - like Mary stopping him from leaving that first night and pickpocketing his wallet. And showing Billy sharing his pilfered steak sandwich with a lady on the subway.
Enjoyed it, but I wish that they had kept the extra scenes but brought the rest in line with the film's events.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2019
Enjoyable novelization of this awesome movie!
May 20, 2019
B-. childrens' fiction, grade 3, fantasy, superhero, previewed, Nolan?
September 12, 2020
There are lots of scenes that I like better in the book than in the movie. I also got to know Billy better and I understand him better.
August 24, 2021
203 - 2021
July 5, 2022
Was a really good read. A bit different than the movie but that was okay. I liked it this way.
October 13, 2025
Cute read, wish it actually had an ending though lol
May 20, 2023
shocked and delighted by how good this was. how is a novel meant for twelve year olds serving as much cunt as the movie if not more at points!! perfectly captured the heart and humor of the movie and outdid zachary levi's acting many a time. slammed me in the face at points with emotion, with billy's yearning to belong, with all the little things like how bad he feels about leading darla on and letting freddy down. i like this version of the superman bullet scenario WAY better than how the movie did it. completely bonkers book. i took notes. will be rereading.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews