Superpowers
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Product Description
Times
`witty and charming debut ... an adult novel but teenagers of 14+ will enjoy it'
Book Description
A brilliant, darkly funny debut what happens when a group of college kids wake to discover their ordinary lives have just taken an extraordinary turn...
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
'Superpowers' is a comic book but without any pictures, which frankly ought not to work but thanks to David J. Schwartz's fast moving prose, it does. Five college students wake up one morning and discover that they have acquired various (and typical for the genre) superpowers. Unlike many superhero tales 'Superpowers' does not rely on Good Vs Evil to drive its plot. Indeed, the novel's central message is that good and evil largely depends on perspective.
'Superpowers' explores the moral obligations of those imbued with supernatural ability in a far more effective way than having Tobey 'Spiderman' Macguire banging on about 'great power coming with great responsibility' every five seconds. The attempts of Schwartz's characters to come to terms with their powers and their responsibilities is very well actualised and extremely human.
Schwartz also tackles, with great sensitivity, humanity's failings and the feelings of inadequacy we all feel from time to time. By using, larger superpowered examples, he offers us a microscope with which to look at our own motives and ambitions. As the tension in the novel builds, real world events also impact on the group, distorting their world view even further. Their response, is an excellent (if thinly veiled) metaphor for the American led response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
All in all, I found 'Superpowers' to be a very satisfying read. The novel is well paced and manages to be describe the supernatural and yet remain believable. Excellent stuff.
'Superpowers' explores the moral obligations of those imbued with supernatural ability in a far more effective way than having Tobey 'Spiderman' Macguire banging on about 'great power coming with great responsibility' every five seconds. The attempts of Schwartz's characters to come to terms with their powers and their responsibilities is very well actualised and extremely human.
Schwartz also tackles, with great sensitivity, humanity's failings and the feelings of inadequacy we all feel from time to time. By using, larger superpowered examples, he offers us a microscope with which to look at our own motives and ambitions. As the tension in the novel builds, real world events also impact on the group, distorting their world view even further. Their response, is an excellent (if thinly veiled) metaphor for the American led response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
All in all, I found 'Superpowers' to be a very satisfying read. The novel is well paced and manages to be describe the supernatural and yet remain believable. Excellent stuff.
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was recommended this by someone on a forum when I was looking for a 'coming into powers' book that was aimed at older people. Often I've found them pitched at high-school aged teens - 14 to 16 years old - which has frustrated me as I've got older, since I enjoy that style of story a lot, but am now looking for something a bit meatier.
This was absolutely perfect. Whilst not strictly a fantasy, it deals with a group of University students who all find themselves with superpowers after a storm one night - flight, super speed, telepathy, invisibility and super strength.
There are no traditional villains, it's just a very human story with the powers used as a catalyst to explore the lives and developments of these characters, set against the backdrop of the run up to, and short time after, 9/11.
It's a wonderful and very compelling read, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it.
This was absolutely perfect. Whilst not strictly a fantasy, it deals with a group of University students who all find themselves with superpowers after a storm one night - flight, super speed, telepathy, invisibility and super strength.
There are no traditional villains, it's just a very human story with the powers used as a catalyst to explore the lives and developments of these characters, set against the backdrop of the run up to, and short time after, 9/11.
It's a wonderful and very compelling read, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it.
Format:Paperback
I like comic books and books, TV shows and movies about heroes, like most of my generation, I have grown up with super-heroes movies and I when I saw the book I was curious about how the author was going to develop the idea, that was both simple and attractive.
It is the usual beginning for a comic book, five college students, let's say, five friends, each one with their issues and background stories of sorrow and pain, get super powers and try to help a world that is amazed and fears them.
It has some very good points, showing us the human side of these heroes, how they get to terms with what they are living, the author doesn't make the mistake of going all the way with the comic book genre, and has some brilliant moments, like when they get together to decide whether they will be superheroes or not.
The book is told by a "journalist" that gives his point of view all the time and the chapters are short, easy to read and fast.
Even if you don't love comics or haven't read one in your life, the author explains everything in a simple way. It is not a challenging book but a fairly entertaining one.
It is the usual beginning for a comic book, five college students, let's say, five friends, each one with their issues and background stories of sorrow and pain, get super powers and try to help a world that is amazed and fears them.
It has some very good points, showing us the human side of these heroes, how they get to terms with what they are living, the author doesn't make the mistake of going all the way with the comic book genre, and has some brilliant moments, like when they get together to decide whether they will be superheroes or not.
The book is told by a "journalist" that gives his point of view all the time and the chapters are short, easy to read and fast.
Even if you don't love comics or haven't read one in your life, the author explains everything in a simple way. It is not a challenging book but a fairly entertaining one.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not for grownups
Contrary to what the Times review says, this is a teen novel that might appeal to some adults. It adds nothing at all to the debate - pretty much exhausted by the major comic... Read more
Published on 2 Oct 2008 by The Electric Ghost
Deeper than I expected, and better
We've probably all wondered what it would be like to have powers -- to fly to work when we can't be bothered with the traffic; to turn invisible in horrible situations; to run away... Read more
Published on 6 Sep 2008 by Christopher Halo
Not what I'd usually read and I was pleasantly surprised
'Superpowers' really isn't the sort of book I would usually read, I tend to give sci-fi and comic books a wide berth, but I was initially attracted to the cover of this book and... Read more
Published on 30 July 2008 by Sarah Durston
Not quite a supernovel
This book tells the story of five US college students who inexplicably acquire superpowers overnight, following a heavy session on the homebrew. Read more
Published on 12 July 2008 by Ichabod J
Good
This book was not exactly how I imagined it, for the better. I am a big fan (huge rather) of Soon I Will Be Invincible and although this was not as good as that, Superpowers was... Read more
Published on 19 Jun 2008 by L. Young
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