Rating: 4/5
What lengths would you go to to fit in? For Elliott Harkness this question needs to be answered on his twelfth birthday.
Epic Zero is the story of a boy in a family of superheroes, except he has no powers. This is what they term a "Zero", while someone with powers is known as a "Meta". The "Metas" are split into eight categories based on what type of power they have, such as super strength or flight. Elliott does what he can to contribute to his family's fight against crime, but is left behind when a crime occurs.
I liked the voice the author uses. Elliott's personality is displayed well, and he is a pretty likeable character. Since he has no powers and feels kind of like an outsider, it is easy for the reader to identify with him. He gains some confidence after making a new friend at school, and this ultimately leads him down a path of self-discovery.
Some of the characters here are borrowed from other sources, although given different names and changed slightly. The author actually brings this up at one point in the story, which made it less corny for me. The villains could have been fleshed out better to make them more engaging. The showdown at the end was pretty satisfying given how the story builds to it.
The book is definitely intended for younger readers, but the writing is good enough that even adults can enjoy it.
No comments:
Post a Comment