NOAH'S NOT SO SUPER SUMMER

A middle-grade SF novel features superheroes, mutant animals, and a boy whose summer plans fall spectacularly apart.

Twenty years after the “Super phenomenon,” when the antibiotics used to treat a lethal stomach parasite that infected much of the world’s population had unexpected DNA side effects, Lincoln City is filled with mutated animals and superhumans—some of them heroes and some of them villains. Twelve-year-old Noah Reagan, a regular human, has big plans for his summer break: avoid the school bullies and take part in the “Summer with Supers Youth Program.” Off to a bad start, with the bullies after him and the program postponed, he finds things getting even worse. He ends up having to work for his dad’s maintenance company after he disobeyed his father and skipped babysitting his younger sisters one day. But cleaning up after mutant beast attacks proves to be a better activity than he expected when he allies himself with his crush, Ruth Keller, a closeted Super. They start investigating the large number of mutant assaults in the city. As danger mounts, Noah needs to remain under the radar and avoid his dad; the police chief; the Supers; and an unknown enemy whose nefarious plans may already be underway. Hapless, ordinary Noah and empowered, smart Ruth lead the intriguing cast of characters in Tucker’s buoyant, fast-paced, slightly zany series opener. Noah’s earnestness to prove himself worthy comes with a dose of realism when addressing the different ways the new world order has negatively impacted his own family: “ ‘So, we just let this continue?’ Anger—it crawled slowly into my throat. ‘We just let my father continue to work for scraps, and my sisters live off TV dinners?’ ” This entertaining journey will particularly appeal to readers interested in comics and superheroes.

A fun, engaging adventure about a tween without powers in a world of superheroes.