V Is For Villain by Peter Moore
The Blurb On The Back:
Brad Baron is used to looking a little lame when he’s compared to his older brother, Blake. Though Brad’s basically a genius, Blake is a superhero in the elite Justice Force. He makes fighting villains seem as easy as flexing his huge biceps. And Brad can’t compete with the other students at his high school - they can run faster, hit harder, and, yeah, some of them can fly.
So when Brad makes friends at school who are more into political action than weight lifting, he’s happy to join a new crew - especially since it means spending more time with Layla, a girl who may or may not have a totally illegal, totally secret superpower. And with her help Brad begins to hone a dangerous new power of his own.
As Brad and his friends start to investigate the history of the Justice Force and other heroes, they discover a horrifying truth about what it really means to be a hero - and what it means to be genuinely evil - that could definitely get them killed. Pulled into a web of nefarious criminals, high-stakes battles, and startling family secrets, Brad must choose which side he’s on. And once he does, there’s no turning back.
In an alternative universe where superheroes are real 16-year-old Brad Baron should be superhero royalty. His father (who died before he was born) was Artillery, the lynchpin of the Justice Force (a celebrated superhero team dedicated to stopping Phaetons - criminals with failed mutations who terrorise normal society). Brad’s elder brother, Blake, is the new Artillery and a superhero superstar. Unfortunately Brad’s only ability is his high intelligence and when a sports incident almost paralyses him, the Monroe Academy for Powered Teens moves him into the A-Program (a class for everyone with powers that aren’t super enough).
Life as an A-hole (as they are known) is made bearable by Layla (a girl who’s hiding an illegal ability and suspects that there’s more to Brad than even he knows). Layla’s part of a group keen to prove that the superhero groups aren’t a force for good and Brad wants to help them, knowing that his brother offers him a way to dig into the truth, but doing so means putting himself on the side of the villains and pitting himself against his own family. Brad must choose his side and take the consequences …
Peter Moore’s YA take on the superhero genre is an intelligent, subversive read that turns many of the normal elements of the genre on its head and satirises society’s obsession with physical ability and celebrity culture. Brad has a great voice - sardonic and smart with a good line in snarky humour - his discovery of his hidden abilities and the truths his family’s been hiding from him is believable, as is the sibling rivalry with Blake (which slowly and subtly becomes more sinister as the story progresses). Also well depicted is Brad’s flirtation with the side of villainy with Moore making the reader question what’s good and what’s evil and the importance of critical questioning of conventional wisdom. The growing romance between Brad and Layla is well drawn with Moore giving them enough page time and dialogue to justify the relationship. I also really enjoyed the world-building - especially the science that Moore uses to explain superpowers and Phaetons, the impact of corporatisation on superhero culture and the misinformation put out by those in power. This book works as a standalone but there’s also potential for a sequel, which unfortunately has not been commissioned. That’s a real shame as this is a great read and deserves a wide audience.
The Verdict:
Peter Moore’s YA take on the superhero genre is an intelligent, subversive read that turns many of the normal elements of the genre on its head and satirises society’s obsession with physical ability and celebrity culture. Brad has a great voice - sardonic and smart with a good line in snarky humour - his discovery of his hidden abilities and the truths his family’s been hiding from him is believable, as is the sibling rivalry with Blake (which slowly and subtly becomes more sinister as the story progresses). Also well depicted is Brad’s flirtation with the side of villainy with Moore making the reader question what’s good and what’s evil and the importance of critical questioning of conventional wisdom. The growing romance between Brad and Layla is well drawn with Moore giving them enough page time and dialogue to justify the relationship. I also really enjoyed the world-building - especially the science that Moore uses to explain superpowers and Phaetons, the impact of corporatisation on superhero culture and the misinformation put out by those in power. This book works as a standalone but there’s also potential for a sequel, which unfortunately has not been commissioned. That’s a real shame as this is a great read and deserves a wide audience.
Brad Baron is used to looking a little lame when he’s compared to his older brother, Blake. Though Brad’s basically a genius, Blake is a superhero in the elite Justice Force. He makes fighting villains seem as easy as flexing his huge biceps. And Brad can’t compete with the other students at his high school - they can run faster, hit harder, and, yeah, some of them can fly.
So when Brad makes friends at school who are more into political action than weight lifting, he’s happy to join a new crew - especially since it means spending more time with Layla, a girl who may or may not have a totally illegal, totally secret superpower. And with her help Brad begins to hone a dangerous new power of his own.
As Brad and his friends start to investigate the history of the Justice Force and other heroes, they discover a horrifying truth about what it really means to be a hero - and what it means to be genuinely evil - that could definitely get them killed. Pulled into a web of nefarious criminals, high-stakes battles, and startling family secrets, Brad must choose which side he’s on. And once he does, there’s no turning back.
In an alternative universe where superheroes are real 16-year-old Brad Baron should be superhero royalty. His father (who died before he was born) was Artillery, the lynchpin of the Justice Force (a celebrated superhero team dedicated to stopping Phaetons - criminals with failed mutations who terrorise normal society). Brad’s elder brother, Blake, is the new Artillery and a superhero superstar. Unfortunately Brad’s only ability is his high intelligence and when a sports incident almost paralyses him, the Monroe Academy for Powered Teens moves him into the A-Program (a class for everyone with powers that aren’t super enough).
Life as an A-hole (as they are known) is made bearable by Layla (a girl who’s hiding an illegal ability and suspects that there’s more to Brad than even he knows). Layla’s part of a group keen to prove that the superhero groups aren’t a force for good and Brad wants to help them, knowing that his brother offers him a way to dig into the truth, but doing so means putting himself on the side of the villains and pitting himself against his own family. Brad must choose his side and take the consequences …
Peter Moore’s YA take on the superhero genre is an intelligent, subversive read that turns many of the normal elements of the genre on its head and satirises society’s obsession with physical ability and celebrity culture. Brad has a great voice - sardonic and smart with a good line in snarky humour - his discovery of his hidden abilities and the truths his family’s been hiding from him is believable, as is the sibling rivalry with Blake (which slowly and subtly becomes more sinister as the story progresses). Also well depicted is Brad’s flirtation with the side of villainy with Moore making the reader question what’s good and what’s evil and the importance of critical questioning of conventional wisdom. The growing romance between Brad and Layla is well drawn with Moore giving them enough page time and dialogue to justify the relationship. I also really enjoyed the world-building - especially the science that Moore uses to explain superpowers and Phaetons, the impact of corporatisation on superhero culture and the misinformation put out by those in power. This book works as a standalone but there’s also potential for a sequel, which unfortunately has not been commissioned. That’s a real shame as this is a great read and deserves a wide audience.
The Verdict:
Peter Moore’s YA take on the superhero genre is an intelligent, subversive read that turns many of the normal elements of the genre on its head and satirises society’s obsession with physical ability and celebrity culture. Brad has a great voice - sardonic and smart with a good line in snarky humour - his discovery of his hidden abilities and the truths his family’s been hiding from him is believable, as is the sibling rivalry with Blake (which slowly and subtly becomes more sinister as the story progresses). Also well depicted is Brad’s flirtation with the side of villainy with Moore making the reader question what’s good and what’s evil and the importance of critical questioning of conventional wisdom. The growing romance between Brad and Layla is well drawn with Moore giving them enough page time and dialogue to justify the relationship. I also really enjoyed the world-building - especially the science that Moore uses to explain superpowers and Phaetons, the impact of corporatisation on superhero culture and the misinformation put out by those in power. This book works as a standalone but there’s also potential for a sequel, which unfortunately has not been commissioned. That’s a real shame as this is a great read and deserves a wide audience.