Saturday, August 6, 2011

Sidekicks by Jack Ferraiolo

Sidekicks by Jack Ferraiolo
Amulet Books
2011
309p.

"Batman has Robin, Wonder Woman has Wonder Girl, and Phantom Justice has Bright Boy, a.k.a. Scott Hutchinson, an ordinary dude by day and a superfast, superstrong sidekick by night, fighting loyally next to his hero...despite his doubts about the social benefits of wearing yellow tights. After an embarrassing incident involving said tights and the revelation that his lifelong nemesis, supervillain sidekick Monkeywrench, might be one of the most popular kids at his school, Scott begins to question his role. How long can he stay on the sidelines and still hope to have a life?"--Dust cover flap.

6 comments:

  1. This was amazing. Started out slow and I almost gave up on it after about 40 pages. But I didn't--and I'm glad. At least read to the 1st section of black-edged pages, and you'll see...

    Humor, intrigue, well-plotted, great characters...turns the typical superhero story on its ear. Enjoy!

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  2. I'm so happy to know I wasn't the only one to enjoy this book. It was surprisingly good!

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  3. Nina Lindsay (sp?) liked it too (Heavy Medal blog).

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  4. I enjoyed this book from start to finish. There were a few turns at the beginning that seem predictable to me, but Ferraiolo kept it interesting. I loved the characters, even the "evil" ones. Sidekicks is in our YA collection, and should probably stay there. I don't know if it will be considered for the Newbery, but I'd definitely recommend this book for teen reluctant readers. As a matter of fact, I already have!

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  5. Great original premise and a funny story. But it played out somewhat predictably and the dialogue lacked distinction. Thus I don't see it winning the Newbery, but I would definitely recommend it to older kids and teens who want a fun read and enjoy super hero tale.

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  6. The beginning felt so adolescent -- crude humor, stereotypical superhero confrontations, no clear point -- that I wouldn't have continued if my kids hadn't promised it would get better. And it certainly did -- at the first black section (great device for conveying a different viewpoint), it finally became much more nuanced and drew me in. The plot twists were creative and the characters engaging, but ultimately the plot felt too lightweight to be a Newbery contender.

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