Sidekicked Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveaway

Sidekicked by John David Anderson

If you want to read more about the author OR if you want to go ahead and move this one up on your TBR list visit Goodreads! You can also visit his FACEBOOK page.

Anderson, John. Sidekicked. Walden Pond Press (HarperCollinsChildren), 2013. 373p.

$16.99. 978-0-06-213316-8. 

I received an ARC of Sidekicked from Walden Pond Press in exchange for being a part of a fabulous blog tour that you can read all about HERE. You can also enter a Sidekicked Sweepstakes on their FACEBOOK page.

Goodreads Summary:

With not nearly enough power comes way too much responsibility. 

Andrew Bean might be a part of H.E.R.O., a secret organization for the training of superhero sidekicks, but that doesn’t mean that life is all leaping tall buildings in single bounds. First, there’s Drew’s power: Possessed of super senses – his hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell are the most powerful on the planet – he’s literally the most sensitive kid in school. There’s his superhero mentor, a former legend who now spends more time straddling barstools than he does fighting crime. And then there’s his best friend, Jenna – their friendship would be complicated enough if she weren’t able to throw a Volkswagen the length of a city block. Add in trying to keep his sidekick life a secret from everyone, including his parents, and the truth is clear: Middle school is a drag even with superpowers. 

But this was all before a supervillain long thought dead returned to Justicia, superheroes began disappearing at an alarming rate, and Drew’s two identities threatened to crash head-on into each other. Drew has always found it pretty easy to separate right from wrong, good from evil. It’s what a superhero does. But what happens when that line starts to break down?

My Thoughts:

An extraordinary story of good vs. evil with superheroes and villains and fantastic powers. 

I honestly didn’t know what my reaction to this one would be since I was never a fan of comics growing up and still have never seen Batman OR Spiderman. 🙂 So what a pleasant surprise to be drawn in with the quick witted humor tinged with sarcasm that Drew, or the “Sensationalist”, brought to the story.

I loved the mixture of superpowers and the real life of middle school.And the twists and turns kept me on my toes. Just when I thought I had it figured out-BOOM-it went in another direction. 

There was enough adventure and action to keep any of my 6th grade boys caught up in it-girls, too, but I think it’s an excellent one for the boys. As much as I liked it WITHOUT having the background knowledge of heroes and villains, I can only imagine how fascinated the kids will be when reading it!

I did wish one thing would have turned out differently, and I can’t say more without giving away too much, but it certainly didn’t take away from the story at all-just me hoping. 🙂

Sidekicked is a must read for kids in the upper grades. A comic adventure without the comics. Well, without the pictures because let me reassure you-there were lots of comical moments. I just loved Drew!

4 out of 5 stars

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