Sidekicked
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4.2 • 57 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
The Avengers meets Louis Sachar in this hilarious and action-packed tween novel by John David Anderson, which Publishers Weekly called a "superhero story that any comics fan will enjoy" in a starred review.
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. Then there's his superhero mentor, a former legend who now spends more time straddling barstools than fighting crime. 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 is all before a supervillain long thought dead returns to the city of Justicia, superheroes begin disappearing at an alarming rate, and Drew's two identities threaten 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 disappear?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this engaging middle-grade adventure, Anderson (Standard Hero Behavior) again examines the idea of heroism, this time through the lives of superpowered sidekicks. Thirteen-year-old Andrew "The Sensationalist" Bean is part of the H.E.R.O. program for aspiring sidekicks, but his mentor, the legendary Titan, is an alcoholic no-show, leaving Andrew to fend for himself against supervillains and their deathtraps. When the infamous Dealer returns from the dead and reunites his deadly henchmen, the entire city is put at risk. Adult heroes are vanishing, their sidekicks are under attack, and someone associated with H.E.R.O. may be a traitor. Amid the chaos and danger, Andrew tries to embrace his heroic potential. Anderson tackles some heady topics, including superhero morality, teenage confusion, and divided loyalties, playing with the usual comic book tropes without treading on overly familiar ground (even for fans of Jack Ferraiolo's similar 2011 novel, Sidekicks). There's a lot to enjoy, from memorable characters to a complex yet accessible plot, in this superhero story that any comics fan will enjoy. Ages 8 12.
Customer Reviews
Sidekicked
This book was great, but the ending was very sad for me and I encourage the author to make a second one of this book I loved it.
Enjoyable but not unique
Sidekicked had excellent suspense. Action scenes were truly thrilling. There were excellent twists.
However, the worldbuilding was unoriginal and bland. All the old superhero tropes were regurgitated into a dull world again. Nothing subverted, altered, or repurposed. Imagine the most stereotypical superhero world and you have the world of Sidekicked.
The cast diversity was also so-so. Basic 2:1 ratio of men to women and white people to people of color, with white people and men taking up most of the spotlight. It would be nice to see someone else as the hero. I did like the deaf friend, though, and the main character’s super senses sound a lot like autism or sensory processing disorder.
The subplots were frustrating. The trope “nerdy boy fights against jock boy for love of girl and wins” has been done to death and nothing is changed here. The “super keeps identity secret from loved ones” trope looked pretty promising here, but was never properly resolved. I enjoyed the subplot about the Titan, though.
To summarize, there was good suspense, bland and stereotypical worldbuilding, so-so diversity, and mediocre subplots. If you don’t like cliched stories, this is not the book for you.
Inspiration Strikes Here
I myself am a fantasy/fiction writer, mostly about extraordinary girls (some princesses included) who become heroes in some way. But this book brings the bar to a whole new level! I have to up my game! Bravo! Kudos to the writer!