School for Sidekicks by Kelly McCullough-OPTIONAL

McCullough, Kelly, School for Sidekicks. pgs.336. Macmillan Books, 2015. $16.99. Language: PG, Mature Content: PG, Violence: PG  Most kids get clothes, DVDs, or some other item for their birthday. Evan Quick, however, gets super powers. Long before he was born, a mysterious “Hero Bomb” went off and  endowed some people with superpowers. Some were superheroes known as Masks, like Evan’s idol Captain Commanding. Others were known as supervillains called Hoods. When a mysterious machine gives him a Mask costume, Evan’s elated to find it gives him superpowers as well. Nothing is like what he expected. Sent to train at the Academy for Metahuman Operatives, he is sad to learn that few newcomers ever advance beyond sidekick. To make matters worse, he must become sidekick to failed Mask and recovering alcoholic Foxman—who loathes Evan’s hero. As secrets get revealed and , Evan known there is something wrong.  What is really going on with the superhero regulatory agency OSIRIS? Why do Hoods always get out of jail, no matter how many they kill?

Despite what it appears, this book is more of a character or world-building type book. The story's pacing is a bit uneven, and the other characters are hard to keep straight, but Evan is a character readers can’t help but relate to. His quirky, funny personality adds depth and dimension to the plot while drawing the reader into the story. The author’s mix of mystery and wit works mostly well with the story and characters and keeps readers wanting to read more. People who enjoy humorous superhero stories where things are not so black and white will like reading this book.  EL. MS. OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.