Reviews

Hidden Talents by David Lubar

onceuponthesewords's review against another edition

3.0

As a kid, I read the next book not knowing that it was #2 in the series... so of course, as an adult, I had to revisit it and finally read the first book! And now that I have the backstory of the kids, I'm ready to reread and tackle book #2 again. Reading this brought back so much nostalgia, and I absolutely love it!

leilakrzyzewski's review against another edition

2.0

Losers always have undiscovered talents.

kristenremenar's review against another edition

4.0

Nice to see the misfits use their quirks to win the day.

cosmic_sans104's review against another edition

5.0

NOSTALGIC REREAD:
I am extremely biased by my own nostalgia, but Hidden Talents is still one of my favorite middle grade books. It is a short but impactful story of a group of kids improperly labeled by society; despite their personal struggles, Lubar paints them as well-rounded and believable students at an alternative high school. The theme of the story will resonate with middle grade readers, and the comebacks from the protagonist are hilarious at any age.
It has been nearly eleven years since I read this book the first time and it was still a treat.

yaislin's review against another edition

3.0

It was an okay book. It was a school book so I had to read it but otherwise i don't think i would have.

maguire_m03's review

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

blaarrosir's review against another edition

4.0

This book came as part of my January book subscription, The Book Drop. The premise sounded interesting so I started reading right away. I found the characters so interesting and unique. Martin wants to be liked but has a tendency to mouth off with the most scathing remarks before he can bite his tongue, Torchie is a lovable geek who gets in trouble for starting fires, Flinch is an anxious guy who no one really likes because he's so jumpy, Cheater is very animated and fast-moving and always in trouble for cheating, Lucky is lowkey and always finding things and being accused of stealing, while Trash is the silent broody type who throws things a lot. Each character has their own personalities and quirks, something not easy to do when there's so many main characters in one book. Each one was extremely different from the other in their mannerisms and speech, making them infinitely fun to read about. The path Martin takes in finding out about his friends is very intuitive, and the reaction of his friends genuine. I really liked the way they reacted - I won't go into it and spoil anything. All in all I immensely enjoyed this book and immediately went to request other David Lubar books from the library.

lazygal's review against another edition

4.0

While the plot seemed pretty contrived ("talents" aside), I think that my MS students, particularly the boys, will enjoy it. Because you don't need to have a talent to find that you don't fit in, and learning how to accept what makes you different is as important as anything else they'll learn in middle school.

meganhiggins's review

adventurous funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

There’s just something lackluster and confusing with their talents

timberwolf's review against another edition

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0