School for Sidekicks

happypug12 - This book, all in all, was a nice book. I didn't find it super unique, but it delivered. My main problems for this book was, firstly, a huge lack of descriptions on characters, both main and unimportant ones. There wasn't ANY description whatsoever for our big man of the hour, Evan Quick, THE MAIN CHARACTER. Nothing. So I just have to use my imagination as to what Evan really looks like. Next, the plot DRAGS. Some of the material could use some chopping. This is a superhero book, yes, but I didn't expect the plot to be THAT predictable and corny. Half the book I couldn't wrap my mind around and wasn't described well enough, so I had no clue what was happening. I did find some parts interesting, but honestly, I don't think Mr. McCullough did a good job in making the unrealistic seem real. The book ended without me feeling satisfied, instead, I felt as if this needs a sequel to finish it off. All in all, it was alright, but I'm not really sure who I would recommend this to.

Starred review from May 18, 2015
Adult author McCullough (the Fallen Blade series) offers a rousing parody of superhero tales in his first book for children. Thirteen-year-old Evan Quick is obsessed with “Masks” (McCullough’s term for superheroes) and particularly loves the great Captain Commanding. After Evan witnesses the Captain’s defeat by
the supervillain Spartanicus, he
manages to turn the tables on the villain, discovering that he himself is a budding Mask. But the egocentric Captain takes credit for Spartanicus’s capture, portraying Evan as an abject wimp. When Evan enrolls in the Academy for Metahuman Operatives, aka the School for Sidekicks, he learns that Captain Commanding has had him blackballed—no adult Mask will work with him except for the disgraced Foxman, “a failure, and a drunk,” as Evan puts it. Evan’s smartass narration, dangerous run-ins with evil Hoods, tough moral quandaries, and a wild range of superpowered heroes and villains—including Blurshift, a genderfluid shapeshifer, and the Fluffinator, who commands an army of “plush collectibles” (don’t call them teddy bears)—make this an excellent choice for any reader awaiting the next Marvel film. Ages 10–14. Agent: Jack Byrne, Sternig & Byrne Literary Agency.

Starred review from April 15, 2015
Disquieting revelations await a fledgling teenager at superhero school. After Evan horns in on a super beat down between A-list archnemeses Capt. Commanding and Spartanicus shortly after his 13th birthday and against all odds survives, he wakes up enrolled in Hero High with-a dream come true-a set of variously useful new powers ranging from superhealing to supersnarky banter. Outfitted with a stylish costume and the moniker Meerkat, he delightedly joins a set of new roommates for classes like "Combat with Dinnerware" and "Bantering Basics." But the dream takes on a nightmarish cast when his intern assignment hooks him up with Foxman, once a respected hero but now a depressed recovering alcoholic. Moreover, he learns that the whole Masks vs. Hoods thing isn't an ongoing battle between heroes and villains at all but a secret government project with unusually vicious internal policy conflicts. Nor is there any clear distinction between good guys and bad. Still, Evan keeps his idealism intact and ultimately lands on his feet even as he works his way through thorny family and loyalty issues. Readers will savor his triumph as well as the melodramatic plot and the cast's rib-tickling array of "metahumans," including the unfortunately named Hotflash, HeartBurn, the dangerous Fromagier (Evan: "Sweet barking cheese, Foxman!"), and the shape- and gender-shifting Blur. Leaps the tottering stack of similar "sidekick" novels in a single bound. (Superhero fantasy. 11-13)

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March 1, 2015

Gr 4-6-Evan Quick is a self-proclaimed superhero geek in a world where superheroes (called Masks) and villains (Hoods) are real. Evan has never wanted anything more than to become a true superhero but, despite checking daily, has never shown any discernible supernatural abilities. So when Hoods attack a museum during his class field trip, and he somehow manages to save his idol Captain Commanding and survive an unsurvivable death ray, Evan is surprised to find himself in a secret Academy for Metahuman Operatives, aka the School for Sidekicks, where he discovers that the world of Masks and Hoods is not at all what he thought. The story's pacing is a bit uneven, and the multitude of character names, superhero aliases, and descriptions of cryptic superhero technology can get a bit muddled. Evan, however, is a likable protagonist, and the story is infused with equal measures of wit and action. VERDICT This will appeal to middle grade readers looking for slightly campy superhero stories.-Jessica Marie, Salem Public Library, OR

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2015
Grades 4-7 In 1988, the world changed when a radioactive bomb was set off in Evan's hometown, killing millions but bestowing superpowers upon a select group of the survivors. Captain Commanding is Evan's favorite superpowered hero, and he longs to have superpowers just like his. One day, after a visit to his favorite theme park, Camp Commanding, his wish is granted. With his newly acquired superpowers, Evan is taken off to Hero High, where he will learn how to use his powers to help fight crime. But Hero High isn't what Evan was expecting, and instead of being an intern for Captain Commanding, Evan is paired with the washed-up hero, Foxman. Soon, Evan is learning that there is much beneath the surface at Hero High and that his hero may not be what he always thought he was. The book is fast paced and fun, with just the right mix of action and character development. Readers who enjoy action with a touch of fantasy will gobble this book up.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)