What do you think?
Rate this book
Iris Incredible
Vicar—Vic—Farbstein, seventeen, resident of Eugene, Oregon, an average high school student in every way, happens upon an alien who has come to Earth in search of warriors to defend her world. With a long, unpronounceable name, he calls her Iris, with her blessing. Iris has abilities—flight and strength—and soon, the NSA discovers what she can do. Led by Agent Randolph Haynes, he urges her to keep a low profile and blend in. Blending in, though, isn’t something Iris can so readily do, as the destroyer of her world, Kherter, a fearsome giant of a man, sends his forces to Earth to destroy her as well as enslave mankind. Iris manages—barely—to beat them back the first time, and in doing so, reveals herself to the world. Vic accepts her as a friend, and so do many others at first. The press dubs her Iris Incredible, and she’s hailed as a savior, a mantle she is unwilling to assume. Her only goal is to find someone who can help her in her own cause. When Kherter and his forces return to ravage downtown Eugene and subsequently threaten the world, human nature takes over. Trust turns to mistrust and fear, and Iris becomes a pariah, as does Vic. Soon, social order breaks down as the worst of human nature comes to the fore. In spite of the public’s antipathy, Vic and Iris take on Kherter’s forces in one, final, all-out assault. Iris knows what she has to do, as does Vic, and they engage in a battle that will determine the future of mankind.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 8, 2021
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
J.S. Frankel
95 books236 followersJ.S. Frankel was born in Toronto, Canada, many moons ago and managed to scrape through high school and university, earning a BA in English Literature and leaving no book unopened during his time at the University of Toronto. Shortly after graduation, he moved to Japan in order to teach English to the hapless residents of whichever city he happened to be living at the time.
In 1997, he married the charming Akiko Koike and their union produced two rather interesting children. Frankel and his family make their home in Osaka where he teaches during the day and attempts to write YA fiction at night.
In 1997, he married the charming Akiko Koike and their union produced two rather interesting children. Frankel and his family make their home in Osaka where he teaches during the day and attempts to write YA fiction at night.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 26, 2021
Such a fun read and well-written. This is the story of a teenage boy who early on is bullied and is a bit of a nerd in my opinion, and then he meets a beautiful girl from an alien planet and then the story really begins. The M/C, Vic, is so funny to me - quick witted, sarcastic and honest & genuine - and Iris was a strong female character that I really liked. The plot is fun and exciting, and I think this is a really good YA book if you're looking for something well written with a good plot and fun to read. I hope that we have more books about Vic and Iris as both were memorable characters.
February 25, 2021
This book started out with a typical Frankel MC, a decent guy who has absolutely shit luck in life. He’s lost his parents at an early age and lives in foster care with a woman he’s never actually acknowledged as a parent. He has to deal with bullies and a world that is basically stacked against him. Then everything changes and epic stuff goes down.
Iris is a girl from another world who never wanted to be a hero but finds herself forced into being one. The horrible tyrant who slaughters her parents and decimated the population of dozens of planets has come to earth and it’s up to her and Vic (short for Vicar) to save everyone.
I really liked how Frankel portrayed Vic as physically (and sometimes mentally) inferior to Iris and totally cool with that. He finds his own strengths and wholeheartedly appreciates Iris and is sympathetic to the role she has to play. Iris isn’t perfect either. She is incredibly intelligent in some ways, but very naive in others. The supporting characters are also nuanced.
Every Frankel book has some of my old favorite tropes, good guys trying their best, villains we want to see get kicked to the curb (but not too easily), and some really cute and heartwarming scenes between the non-stop action and superb world building. This one adds a lot, understated but incredibly well-written rebuttals to racism and anti-semitism along with generous nods to sexual/gender equality.
But most of all, this is a crazy, fun, and action-packed story with tons of hidden meaning that adults can enjoy even though this is technically young-adult oriented. I was surprised by how hard the ending hit me emotionally.
Well done! Another fantastic and entertaining read!
Highly recommended.
My rating: five stars
Iris is a girl from another world who never wanted to be a hero but finds herself forced into being one. The horrible tyrant who slaughters her parents and decimated the population of dozens of planets has come to earth and it’s up to her and Vic (short for Vicar) to save everyone.
I really liked how Frankel portrayed Vic as physically (and sometimes mentally) inferior to Iris and totally cool with that. He finds his own strengths and wholeheartedly appreciates Iris and is sympathetic to the role she has to play. Iris isn’t perfect either. She is incredibly intelligent in some ways, but very naive in others. The supporting characters are also nuanced.
Every Frankel book has some of my old favorite tropes, good guys trying their best, villains we want to see get kicked to the curb (but not too easily), and some really cute and heartwarming scenes between the non-stop action and superb world building. This one adds a lot, understated but incredibly well-written rebuttals to racism and anti-semitism along with generous nods to sexual/gender equality.
But most of all, this is a crazy, fun, and action-packed story with tons of hidden meaning that adults can enjoy even though this is technically young-adult oriented. I was surprised by how hard the ending hit me emotionally.
Well done! Another fantastic and entertaining read!
Highly recommended.
My rating: five stars
October 23, 2021
I love Mr. Frankel’s stories. This is another book that my grandma gave me. I am a fan and think everyone should be reading his stories!
January 18, 2021
Title: Iris Incredible
Author: J. S. Frankel
Publisher: Devine Destinies
ISBN: B08RY9GG8F
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Iris-Incredibl...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
Having special abilities doesn’t make someone a hero. Using those abilities for the right cause does. The world wasn’t ready for Iris Incredible before. It is now.
Vicar—Vic—Farbstein, seventeen, resident of Eugene, Oregon, an average high school student in every way, happens upon an alien who has come to Earth in search of warriors to defend her world. With a long, unpronounceable name, he calls her Iris, with her blessing.
Iris has abilities—flight and strength—and soon, the NSA discovers what she can do. Led by Agent Randolph Haynes, he urges her to keep a low profile and blend in.
Blending in, though, isn’t something Iris can so readily do, as the destroyer of her world, Kherter, a fearsome giant of a man, sends his forces to Earth to destroy her as well as enslave mankind. Iris manages—barely—to beat them back the first time, and in doing so, reveals herself to the world.
Vic accepts her as a friend, and so do many others at first. The press dubs her Iris Incredible, and she’s hailed as a savior, a mantle she is unwilling to assume. Her only goal is to find someone who can help her in her own cause.
When Kherter and his forces return to ravage downtown Eugene and subsequently threaten the world, human nature takes over. Trust turns to mistrust and fear, and Iris becomes a pariah, as does Vic. Soon, social order breaks down as the worst of human nature comes to the fore.
In spite of the public’s antipathy, Vic and Iris take on Kherter’s forces in one, final, all-out assault. Iris knows what she has to do, as does Vic, and they engage in a battle that will determine the future of mankind.
Total Score: 5/5
Summary:
Vic lives in a small town where he isn’t quite the high school paria, but his living with a foster mom since he was little makes him difference and the butt of the school bullies. After standing up for himself he found himself suspended with time on his hands. While out walking, Vic runs into a literal alien, whom he names Iris, who was looking for help in a fight against an overwhelming force. Soon the NSA becomes involved as things spiral out of control. Iris’s special abilities lead her to being named Iris Incredible even though she says everyone on her planet could do what she could (Fly and super strength) so she was nothing special. As you can figure people look at her as a superhero while she just wants to be left alone to find the help she needs. Enter Kherter the evil villain who destroyed not only Iris’s world and countless others over what he considered a personal slight. Unable to leave because of malfunctioning transporter, Iris is tasked to find a way to protect humanity from death or enslavement form Kherter. Vic vows to stand by Iris, but what can one young man due against overwhelming odds?
This was a fantastic story incorporating alien cultures into modern society and what could be one reaction. Vic’s ability to accept Iris as a unique individual and protect her from others who could dislike her for being different. Iris’s desire to help others put her in difficult positions as some people labeled her as a hero. There are many different definitions about what a hero is. The decision to stand for a cause in spite of the danger is one that Vic will show everyone around him.
It was fascinating how the army may have been put in control, but if it wasn’t for Vic and Iris things may have turned out differently. It is my hope that Vic and Iris’s story has just begun.
Author: J. S. Frankel
Publisher: Devine Destinies
ISBN: B08RY9GG8F
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Iris-Incredibl...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
Having special abilities doesn’t make someone a hero. Using those abilities for the right cause does. The world wasn’t ready for Iris Incredible before. It is now.
Vicar—Vic—Farbstein, seventeen, resident of Eugene, Oregon, an average high school student in every way, happens upon an alien who has come to Earth in search of warriors to defend her world. With a long, unpronounceable name, he calls her Iris, with her blessing.
Iris has abilities—flight and strength—and soon, the NSA discovers what she can do. Led by Agent Randolph Haynes, he urges her to keep a low profile and blend in.
Blending in, though, isn’t something Iris can so readily do, as the destroyer of her world, Kherter, a fearsome giant of a man, sends his forces to Earth to destroy her as well as enslave mankind. Iris manages—barely—to beat them back the first time, and in doing so, reveals herself to the world.
Vic accepts her as a friend, and so do many others at first. The press dubs her Iris Incredible, and she’s hailed as a savior, a mantle she is unwilling to assume. Her only goal is to find someone who can help her in her own cause.
When Kherter and his forces return to ravage downtown Eugene and subsequently threaten the world, human nature takes over. Trust turns to mistrust and fear, and Iris becomes a pariah, as does Vic. Soon, social order breaks down as the worst of human nature comes to the fore.
In spite of the public’s antipathy, Vic and Iris take on Kherter’s forces in one, final, all-out assault. Iris knows what she has to do, as does Vic, and they engage in a battle that will determine the future of mankind.
Total Score: 5/5
Summary:
Vic lives in a small town where he isn’t quite the high school paria, but his living with a foster mom since he was little makes him difference and the butt of the school bullies. After standing up for himself he found himself suspended with time on his hands. While out walking, Vic runs into a literal alien, whom he names Iris, who was looking for help in a fight against an overwhelming force. Soon the NSA becomes involved as things spiral out of control. Iris’s special abilities lead her to being named Iris Incredible even though she says everyone on her planet could do what she could (Fly and super strength) so she was nothing special. As you can figure people look at her as a superhero while she just wants to be left alone to find the help she needs. Enter Kherter the evil villain who destroyed not only Iris’s world and countless others over what he considered a personal slight. Unable to leave because of malfunctioning transporter, Iris is tasked to find a way to protect humanity from death or enslavement form Kherter. Vic vows to stand by Iris, but what can one young man due against overwhelming odds?
This was a fantastic story incorporating alien cultures into modern society and what could be one reaction. Vic’s ability to accept Iris as a unique individual and protect her from others who could dislike her for being different. Iris’s desire to help others put her in difficult positions as some people labeled her as a hero. There are many different definitions about what a hero is. The decision to stand for a cause in spite of the danger is one that Vic will show everyone around him.
It was fascinating how the army may have been put in control, but if it wasn’t for Vic and Iris things may have turned out differently. It is my hope that Vic and Iris’s story has just begun.
August 26, 2021
Once upon a time little girls didn't get many heroes of their own.
But times have changed, and that's a good thing. It's a lot more fun. You know what's also fun? The way J.S. Frankel pitches his seemingly normal characters right into the center of a supernatural (or super-powered) maelstrom. It makes for some seriously enjoyable reading
Vic is a High School student, kind of an outsider, who would like to avoid trouble; Irsheenuasa Mataruuyanaskanma Iztyoonmiya (a.k.a. Iris) is a young alien woman running from a tyrant.
And that tyrant is close behind.
But...compared to a human being, she is super-powered. I try to avoid spoilers--but here you will find moments both tense and humorous. It's a good story, and I got very lost in it.
What I want to tell you is, if there had been an Iris Incredible cartoon out when I was a young girl, I would never have missed an episode. So, yes...I think you'll enjoy it, too. :)
But times have changed, and that's a good thing. It's a lot more fun. You know what's also fun? The way J.S. Frankel pitches his seemingly normal characters right into the center of a supernatural (or super-powered) maelstrom. It makes for some seriously enjoyable reading
Vic is a High School student, kind of an outsider, who would like to avoid trouble; Irsheenuasa Mataruuyanaskanma Iztyoonmiya (a.k.a. Iris) is a young alien woman running from a tyrant.
And that tyrant is close behind.
But...compared to a human being, she is super-powered. I try to avoid spoilers--but here you will find moments both tense and humorous. It's a good story, and I got very lost in it.
What I want to tell you is, if there had been an Iris Incredible cartoon out when I was a young girl, I would never have missed an episode. So, yes...I think you'll enjoy it, too. :)
February 25, 2021
What is a hero? Vic and Iris are the story. These two, one from earth and one from space, show us all what heroes are. J.S. Frankel has written a story that is fun but also challenged us to look inside ourselves for our courage. The story is fast-paced and contains battles for earth. I hope to see more of Iris and Vic. It would be interesting to see how they grow.
March 12, 2021
Pretty neat!!
This author spun a tale that was easy to read and packed with fight scenes and aliens! Well written with characters that will charm you. Good job!
This author spun a tale that was easy to read and packed with fight scenes and aliens! Well written with characters that will charm you. Good job!
April 1, 2026
IRIS INCREDIBLE BY J.S. FRANKEL
A Book Review by Zea Perez
March 2026
JS Frankel's narratives are inherently entertaining and amusing!
A science fiction book highlighting a lady alien- named Iris, she comes from another interstellar world deemed to be both a savior and a destroyer as seen from the lens of human authority, bureaucracy and the public crowd of planet Earth.
However, Vic - the main character, a young adult with an average standing of attributes except that he excels in English! But odd of all odds, happens to be Iris's host and friend. For Vic, Iris is a girl whom he admires for being what she is, a kind soul. Not to mention her extraordinary abilities to fly and her superstrength! Iris arrives on Earth with her own purpose. Vic is at the phase of his life trying to establish his identity and to prove his strength against his regular bullies. Out of these oddities, a romantic love blossoms.
On the other hand there is Kherter- a giant villain from Iris's world, who followed her on planet Earth to enslave humanity and to kill Iris.
Iris, Vic and the planet Earth's authorities with a certain officer Haynes, the army and the people defenders of Earth, add up the character of Vic's loveable and amusing mother - feisty but has a nurturing soul, all of them will come together to defeat Kherter and forestall his evil agenda.
JS Frankel's narratives are naturally entertaining and amusing (especially about Kherter and Haynes aside from the feisty mother!). Hats off to you author Jesse! I am sure young adult readers will love this one. Highly recommended!
A Book Review by Zea Perez
March 2026
JS Frankel's narratives are inherently entertaining and amusing!
A science fiction book highlighting a lady alien- named Iris, she comes from another interstellar world deemed to be both a savior and a destroyer as seen from the lens of human authority, bureaucracy and the public crowd of planet Earth.
However, Vic - the main character, a young adult with an average standing of attributes except that he excels in English! But odd of all odds, happens to be Iris's host and friend. For Vic, Iris is a girl whom he admires for being what she is, a kind soul. Not to mention her extraordinary abilities to fly and her superstrength! Iris arrives on Earth with her own purpose. Vic is at the phase of his life trying to establish his identity and to prove his strength against his regular bullies. Out of these oddities, a romantic love blossoms.
On the other hand there is Kherter- a giant villain from Iris's world, who followed her on planet Earth to enslave humanity and to kill Iris.
Iris, Vic and the planet Earth's authorities with a certain officer Haynes, the army and the people defenders of Earth, add up the character of Vic's loveable and amusing mother - feisty but has a nurturing soul, all of them will come together to defeat Kherter and forestall his evil agenda.
JS Frankel's narratives are naturally entertaining and amusing (especially about Kherter and Haynes aside from the feisty mother!). Hats off to you author Jesse! I am sure young adult readers will love this one. Highly recommended!
May 9, 2021
That is now book 14, i have read by Jesse Frankel.
Somehow I have the feeling, i like that author and his style to write. Yes, i do, with his witty writing. And the last one I read, "Iris Incredible" it not differed.
Iris Incredible is really incredible with her abilities, we humans can only dream of. If they would like to have it. She can fly and is much stronger than the strongest man on Earth and heals very fast.
Running from a tyrant, Kherter, who had invaded her planet and killed, included her parents, or enslaved her people, she finally, after hopping from planet to planet to find refuge, she found Earth where Vic, a teenage-nerd, outsider and being bullied by his class mates, is taking her in. He is mesmerised with her and is doing all to help her. With the help of the police and military, they prepare that Kherter would find her here on Earth.
And true enough, he arrived with his followers and threaten the people of planet Earth to wipe them out.
Iris is doing all she can to help Mankind.
But Kherter is as strong as she is but he can't fly and he brings all his men with him, to kill Iris and destroy Earth.
Now I won't tell you the outcome, you have to read it to find out. And Love is in the air.
Somehow I have the feeling, i like that author and his style to write. Yes, i do, with his witty writing. And the last one I read, "Iris Incredible" it not differed.
Iris Incredible is really incredible with her abilities, we humans can only dream of. If they would like to have it. She can fly and is much stronger than the strongest man on Earth and heals very fast.
Running from a tyrant, Kherter, who had invaded her planet and killed, included her parents, or enslaved her people, she finally, after hopping from planet to planet to find refuge, she found Earth where Vic, a teenage-nerd, outsider and being bullied by his class mates, is taking her in. He is mesmerised with her and is doing all to help her. With the help of the police and military, they prepare that Kherter would find her here on Earth.
And true enough, he arrived with his followers and threaten the people of planet Earth to wipe them out.
Iris is doing all she can to help Mankind.
But Kherter is as strong as she is but he can't fly and he brings all his men with him, to kill Iris and destroy Earth.
Now I won't tell you the outcome, you have to read it to find out. And Love is in the air.
October 20, 2023
Iris truly is incredible. I love how she initially doesn't fit in. It takes time, but she eventually finds her feet in the community before all hell breaks loose. The story is well-written and sucks you in immediately to an intricate and fraught account that is well-paced to the final page. It keeps you engaged.
I highly recommend this novel.
I highly recommend this novel.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews