By Richard Paul Evans

Overview: This series was actually pretty good! A lot of the characters were kind of two dimensional, but otherwise the plot was captivating and easy to follow. This fast paced series would be great for people grades six and up. There are some gross electrified rat scenes that might be off-putting, however.

What’s it about? Michael Vey is just a normal kid… except for his very abnormal powers. Michael has the ability to generate electricity- but he has no idea why. He keeps it a secret until he meets Taylor Ridley, a girl with powers like his. One day, Michael’s mom and Taylor get kidnapped by a corrupted company bent on world domination. Will he be able to stop them and save his family and friends?

My thoughts: The writing quality was good, if not a little simplistic. The theory of the book is good, but a lot of the events were sudden. Michael seems a little too courageous and amazing and humble, but the characters are generally relatable. Ish. My favorite character ended up being the villain, because he is so absolutely insane! I think the best part of this book is how well developed the villain and his villain squad was. The way he tortured his prisoners with the rats… ugh it was so sick but also grotesquely fascinating? It was gross and unnecessary, but very… imaginative, to say the least. The worldbuilding was okay, although a couple things were pretty surprising and unrealistic even for a science fiction novel like this. (I’d explain it better but then I’d be spoiling the whole story!) I felt it was a tiny bit sexist, too. All the boys had violent shocking powers and the girls could only take away pain and read minds and such. Plus, the girls paired off the the other boy electric kids almost immediately. It was slightly annoying. Otherwise, the book was amazing and I would highly recommend it.