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sparksofember's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very unique book and felt very full. That’s the thing about action-packed books – the excitement never lets up! I thought the first chapter or two were a little slow but once we learn a secret about Failstate & Guantlet (another competitor on the reality show), my interest was peaked and it never waned. I liked so many of the characters, too – Failstate, of course, but also Lux and Veritas and Prairie Wind (was that her name?) all seemed interesting.
I especially liked watching Failstate learn more about his powers. I think that was my favorite part – his untapped potential and how he would call out to God and discover his inner strength. His faith was naturally part of the story – heavily Christian but it was part of who he was, not something beating the reader over the head.
There were a few questions unanswered that may come up in sequels but they were backstory type questions that aren’t important in the overall flow of things. I didn’t care for Failstate’s mother at all. I felt like her mistreatment of Failstate came from a dislike of his appearance and disabilities and was extremely unmotherlike. (One other small thing – there seemed to be a lot of editing typos – words missing or repeated twice. I was surprised considering it wasn’t self-published.)
The big question I had was in this world where super heroes and super villains are so commonplace, I couldn’t believe there weren’t systems in place to train and supervise those people better. They needed a school (like Super High) or something. Everyone expecting Failstate to not melt everything was unreasonable with no one ever taking time, aside from his father, to work with him so he could learn control.
I think these books would be awesome for both guys & girls who like superheroes and/or comic book-type stories. I definitely plan to read the rest. Oh - and it's usually free on Amazon.
I especially liked watching Failstate learn more about his powers. I think that was my favorite part – his untapped potential and how he would call out to God and discover his inner strength. His faith was naturally part of the story – heavily Christian but it was part of who he was, not something beating the reader over the head.
There were a few questions unanswered that may come up in sequels but they were backstory type questions that aren’t important in the overall flow of things. I didn’t care for Failstate’s mother at all. I felt like her mistreatment of Failstate came from a dislike of his appearance and disabilities and was extremely unmotherlike. (One other small thing – there seemed to be a lot of editing typos – words missing or repeated twice. I was surprised considering it wasn’t self-published.)
The big question I had was in this world where super heroes and super villains are so commonplace, I couldn’t believe there weren’t systems in place to train and supervise those people better. They needed a school (like Super High) or something. Everyone expecting Failstate to not melt everything was unreasonable with no one ever taking time, aside from his father, to work with him so he could learn control.
I think these books would be awesome for both guys & girls who like superheroes and/or comic book-type stories. I definitely plan to read the rest. Oh - and it's usually free on Amazon.
rgyger's review against another edition
4.0
I've had this on my to read list for a while and am glad I finally had time to read it. It is a really fun story, drawing on the cheesiness of comic books, with just a little more in depth plot line. I plan to share it with my brother and am sure he will love it.
sugarbloom's review against another edition
3.0
Good, but not great. The plot was the best part, with constant twists and turns, but the main characters were a little inconsistent and the side characters were flat. Also had several typos that could have been fixed by a quick read-through with a spell-checker.
juliebihn's review against another edition
I enjoyed it but, given the strong portrayals of women in Otte's Numb, I had higher expectations for the women here, and was disappointed. Review coming later.
rebelrider's review
4.0
Robin, secretly Failstate, lives in a world where superheroes not only exist, but have their own gameshow, America’s Next Superhero. When one of the contestants is murdered, Robin investigates and digs up more than he expected.
It’s currently free on Kindle!
Note on ratings:
* Horrible.
** Below average
*** Average. Not good or bad.
**** Above average
***** Above and beyond
Content: Some violence, but since it’s Christian, it is pretty clean.
Originality and world building: ***
The whole idea of a superhero TV show is interesting. However, I felt the world building was a bit underdone. Superheroes running loose in society seemed to have changed almost nothing, other than a few laws and the way superhero related activities are considered by law.
Characters and their Arcs: ***
Robin has some conflict with his brother, and there’s a bit of an arc there. The characters were interesting, but I never really had a solid attachment to them.
Writing style and Pacing: ****
I thought the story started off slow, but once I was a ways in, it got a lot better. There were a few things I felt should have been better explained.
It’s currently free on Kindle!
Note on ratings:
* Horrible.
** Below average
*** Average. Not good or bad.
**** Above average
***** Above and beyond
Content: Some violence, but since it’s Christian, it is pretty clean.
Originality and world building: ***
The whole idea of a superhero TV show is interesting. However, I felt the world building was a bit underdone. Superheroes running loose in society seemed to have changed almost nothing, other than a few laws and the way superhero related activities are considered by law.
Characters and their Arcs: ***
Robin has some conflict with his brother, and there’s a bit of an arc there. The characters were interesting, but I never really had a solid attachment to them.
Writing style and Pacing: ****
I thought the story started off slow, but once I was a ways in, it got a lot better. There were a few things I felt should have been better explained.
laird_br0wn3's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
adamdavidcollings's review against another edition
5.0
Failstate is just another teenage superhero competing for the prized vigilante license on a reality TV show. His power is the ability to break and destroy stuff. Not so glamerous. He’s a bit of an underdog, which I love, and his life is about to get a whole lot more interesting.
Failstate was great fun to read. It defies the cliches of both superhero fiction and young adult fiction. It took me places I really didn't expect it to. That is not to say it didn't keep it's narrative promises.
The characters were well-rounded and develloped. I alwys kmow an author has done a good job with their characters when I have strong emotional rections to these people who don't exist. This happened with Failstate. I identified closely with the main character. I felt like I was in his shoes, along for the ride.
I look forward to seeing where this series goes next.
Failstate was great fun to read. It defies the cliches of both superhero fiction and young adult fiction. It took me places I really didn't expect it to. That is not to say it didn't keep it's narrative promises.
The characters were well-rounded and develloped. I alwys kmow an author has done a good job with their characters when I have strong emotional rections to these people who don't exist. This happened with Failstate. I identified closely with the main character. I felt like I was in his shoes, along for the ride.
I look forward to seeing where this series goes next.
adamdavidcollings's review
5.0
Failstate is just another teenage superhero competing for the prized vigilante license on a reality TV show. His power is the ability to break and destroy stuff. Not so glamerous. He’s a bit of an underdog, which I love, and his life is about to get a whole lot more interesting.
Failstate was great fun to read. It defies the cliches of both superhero fiction and young adult fiction. It took me places I really didn't expect it to. That is not to say it didn't keep it's narrative promises.
The characters were well-rounded and develloped. I alwys kmow an author has done a good job with their characters when I have strong emotional rections to these people who don't exist. This happened with Failstate. I identified closely with the main character. I felt like I was in his shoes, along for the ride.
I look forward to seeing where this series goes next.
Failstate was great fun to read. It defies the cliches of both superhero fiction and young adult fiction. It took me places I really didn't expect it to. That is not to say it didn't keep it's narrative promises.
The characters were well-rounded and develloped. I alwys kmow an author has done a good job with their characters when I have strong emotional rections to these people who don't exist. This happened with Failstate. I identified closely with the main character. I felt like I was in his shoes, along for the ride.
I look forward to seeing where this series goes next.
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