Hiya, everyone! Noreen here with a book review on “Superhuman” by Michael Carroll.
!Warning! Spoilers Ahead
Everyone has wanted super powers at one point in their lives. Of course, there’s more to it than having amazingly cool abilities. “Superhuman” to me is pretty much a comic without pictures. Superheros and the police work together, supervillains are locked away in prison, things like that. But then you get a twist which makes the book much more than an overused plot.
A long time ago, in ancient Egypt, there was the worlds first Superhuman, Krodin, better known as The Fifth King. Krodin was revered as a God. Of course, he wasn’t a God, only Superhuman and a Superhumans can die. When he died, many were confused but this story means much more in the future.
An evil group is trying to bring Krodin into the present. To do this they need help. Of course, as villains they’ll be able to get it.
Who do we have fighting against this evil group? A group of Superheroes obviously. You have Abby, who has super strength but only with metal. Paragon, who has no superpowers but has armor, a grappling hook, a jetpack, and other things like that. Thunder, who can control sound waves. Roz, who has telekinesis. Max, who can control minds. Brawn, who has true super strength.
The cast of characters in “Superhuman” aren’t that unique, but they get the job done. There is one character, however, that is slightly more interesting than the rest. Lance, who is teenage con artist. Originally Lance is just a punk kid, an annoyance, but throughout the book his skills in swindling come in handy. Whether it’s talking his way out of captivity, making up reasons to get help from the enemy, or just getting something Lance is helpful. Getting on the team was pure luck as he has no real powers. Even so, Lance is an extreme help throughout the entire book.
A plague has been set across the whole world, giving all adults deadly flu viruses. This knocks out most of the superheros and entire human race. The only reason the teens and children were spared is that they are meant to serve The Fifth King. Obviously, that backfires concerning the fighting back and such.
Of course, like all teen fiction books, there is a pathetic attempt at a romantic sub-plot. Roz and the Supervillain, Pyrokine, met each other long ago and since Pyrokine can’t hold back his powers, Max, Roz’s brother, wipes their minds and frames Pyrokine and he gets locked up. Of course, love overcomes a mind wipe and they remember each other. The happy reunion doesn’t last long however because Pyrokine gives his life to kill The Fifth King.When you kill of a character I think I should feel some sadness, or anything for that matter. But no, not a single feeling. Want to know why? Because we didn’t get to know this character well enough. Pointless character death and pointless romance.
I have to say that overall, “Superhuman” is a wonderful book, but it’s really nothing too special. It has its moments but I can’t say that it’s something that surprises me. It was a nice touch having flashbacks to The Fifth Kings time and how he ruled. It works well for what it’s trying to do but in all honesty, just read a comic and you’ll get much better results.
If you’ve read the book or you just have something to say, comment it down below (just be sure to mark your spoilers). Thanks for reading!