Blog Tour: Review! The Super Life of Ben Braver by Marcus Emerson

The Super Life of Ben Braver by Marcus Emerson
Series: The Super Life of Ben Braver #1
Publisher: Roaring Book Press
Publication Date:  March 6, 2018

 

Format: Hardback

Source: From the Macmillan Children's Publishing in exchange for a honest review for blog tour. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Rating:

 



Goodreads Synopsis: 

Ben Braver is an ordinary kid. All he wants to do is finish his summer watching awesome TV shows and eating his favorite candy. But when some kid screams for help, Ben, like his favorite comic book heroes, tries to save the day. Let's just say it ends badly. But it does lead him to a secret school where kids with super abilities learn to control their powers. Ben's never had any powers—and never thought he could be special. So when he's offered a spot at the school, Ben realizes this is his chance to become the superhero he's always dreamed of. Packed with black-and-white art and comic strips throughout.

The Super Life of Ben Braver is about a boy who one day gets attacked by a kid with super powers. Later he is recruited to join a school for the kids with super powers. There they learn to control them and hide them from the world. Ben is brought in without knowing his power and he has to figure it out in order to stay at the school. 

This was a great middle grade read, Ben is a hilarious narrator of his own story and his thoughts are witty and truthful throughout the writing. He has fears and anxieties like normal kids do, just in a not-so-normal setting. He makes some great friends along the way and their relationships are out of necessity but also work really well in the story. 

The story overall was a lot of fun too, a school for super kids (with X-Men jokes included), a strange illness in the school, maybe even a super villain or two. It was action packed the whole way through, I think younger readers will really enjoy it. I did and found myself laughing out loud at Ben and his crazy thoughts about how to bring out his powers. 

It was a wild ride of a story and readers will have a blast with it.



About the Author:

Marcus Emerson is the author of the hit Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja series and the Secret Agent 6th Grader series. His career started in 2nd grade when he discovered Garfield. He grew up playing Super Mario Bros. 4, watching Thundercats, and reading comics like X-Men, Superman, and Wildcats. He lives in Eldridge, Iowa with his wife and children.