Student Book Review - Almost Super

Almost Super

By Marion Jenson

Have you ever wanted to become a superhero like the ones in your comics, books, and movies? Have you thought how your life would be if you were a super hero? Let me tell you, it’s not as easy as it sounds, but it does have its benefits. I loved this book because of how well written it was and because it had a very suspenseful and interesting plot. It also had a huge mystery that was brewing from the very start of the plot and narrative, and if you know me, you should know that I love mysteries. And I strongly feel, that this book was so amazing, that there are no words to describe the sensation I felt while reading this fantastic book.The story is about a 13 year-old boy named Rafter, whose family is above your average-type of family. To an average citizen, they would be just like other people, but really they are quite different. You see, Rafter is a Bailey, and Baileys are different, not just a little different, but a lot different. Baileys are supers. On February 29th, at 4:23 p.m., everyone in the Bailey family over the age of twelve gets a superpower. No one knows why, but no one questions it either. All the Baileys know is, that it's their duty to protect the world from the evil, super villainous Johnson family *shake fists*. And Rafter Bailey and his brother are about to get their superpowers on that day, and have been waiting for this day for a long time, expecting it to be the best day of their lives, when they would finally get to go on field work with their family to fight the evil Johnsons*. But it turns out to be the total opposite of what they imagined. When Rafter and his brother Benny get their superpowers, they're, well . . . super-lame. Rafter was hoping to get his grandpa’s super-strength so he could save the day just like him, and Benny wanted to be a speedy, but instead their super powers turned out to be total duds. Rafter can light matches on polyester, and Benny can turn his innie belly button into an outie. How is Rafter supposed to defeat his class nemesis, Juanita Johnson, now? And worse still, together Rafter and his brother, with the help of an unexpected friend, realize that maybe everything they knew about superheroes and supervillains is all a lie. And together, they find out about a new great force of evil working in the shadows, and that they are now rising. And it's up to the three of them to put aside their differences and work together to make things right. They may not have great powers, but together, they find out that they’re almost super.  My favorite part of the book is when the library incident happens in the school, because from there, I start getting a glimpse into Juanita’s life and I realize that maybe her family thinks about the Baileys in the same perspective the Baileys do about her family, and that’s basically where the whole plot starts to slowly unravel, and both Juanita and Rafter realize that something odd is going on. It’s basically the first turning point where they realize that there’s more to each other’s families than lies and mischief. What happens in the library is that all the shelves start toppling over, because Benny was spying on Juanita and her uncle, and so he tipped the shelves over by accident. I loved how that scene was full of suspense and in any moment Rafter and Benny would be caught by the new teacher. Then later, Benny almost got crushed by the moving shelves. I loved this part because it was full of action and this was all during their school time, and they never got caught! Overall, I would rate this book      5 stars  out of   5 stars. I loved this book because it was very well-written, the story and plot were unique, and the characters had interesting personalities, and the events flowed smoothly throughout the book and the characters’ responses throughout the situations were reasonable and understanding. I felt very much like I was in the book myself, and it made me think how I would’ve handled the situations and problems they were in myself, and I also got a chance to try to solve the mystery by myself by looking at all the clues. The author explained the events, and settings and overall, the whole narrative very well. It was literally one of the best books I ever read and I love how this book ends with a cliff hanger. I can’t wait to read the next book; Searching for Super. And I recommend you all to read Almost Super. It’s full of action and adventure and all kinds of heroics and mysteries. It also has a sense of humor☺
And I strongly feel, that this book was so amazing that there are no words to describe the wonderful sensation I felt while reading this fantastic book.