Meredith Davis

The elusive world of spies meets superhero adventure with excitement, heart, and the difficult question of who can really be trusted.

Noah's only had one amazing moment in his life; he survived falling sixteen stories and hitting the ground as a baby. Since then, his life has been more than average. His two best friends add the only excitement to his life, one being a talented trombone player and the other almost perfect in everything. When a usual vision test suddenly has him pulled into a secret room and told he has the power to manipulate gravity, everything changes. Not only is he sucked into the CIA group, Gravitas, for training, but he's immediately given a tiny mission. His great-uncle is a wanted fugitive with superpowers, too, and Noah needs to inform the CIA when his uncle reaches out to him. But things aren't that black and white, especially when Noah learns that his uncle is the only one who knows how powerful Noah really is and is the only one who can help him reach his full potential.

Noah is an easy character to connect with. He starts as an average kid with average problems, nothing over-the-top but normal, day-to-day issues middle graders often face. The relationship to his family is good but not perfect, and his friends have his back, although even that isn't without its ups and downs. When his superpowers hit, his attitude is understandable, for the most part, and makes him easy to root for. He might be over-powered, but this brings its own set of problems...many of which add humorous moments.

Action mixes with humor, while the hurdles offer depth and add heart. Noah has a lot to learn, especially in the superpower realm. This comes with errors and frustration, especially since it rubs against a bit of jealousy he's been harboring. The area of friend and family relations holds the center of the read as these are tested and prodded in unexpected ways. But then, saving the world, no matter how small the part in the mission might first seem, tends to be an adventurous undertaking with difficult and dangerous surprises.

It's an easy, quick read, which flows well. There are a few hiccups in the logic, but nothing which bothers the stories fun and messages. It's a fun adventure for superhero fans or those, who just enjoy an action-packed adventure. I received a DRC and enjoyed the adventure quite a bit.… (més)

Collaborative work, mostly written by host mother in Austin, but from Rebekah's point of view. That is a little weird/ disingenuous -- however, it was clearly produced with a lot of love and respect. This is a good story and a well-written book. Nice balance of text and photos, very engaging writing for kids or adults, and focuses on how people can help each other and strength through adversity. Extreme poverty and extreme wealth lurk in the background, but the beauty of the book is the emphasis on their love for one another, and there is no patronizing attitude towards either family. Sometimes it kind of feels like an advertisement for Africa New Life Ministries, but is extremely light-handed with the god-references, and I appreciate that.
… (més)