Superpowers

by David J. Schwartz

Book Overview

A party in a college flat in May 2001. A case of dodgy home-brewed beer. A violent storm. Next day: the mother of all hangovers. What would you do if you the morning after the night before brought a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307394409
• ISBN13: 9780307394408
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Broadway Books
• Length: 377 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Universal Human Story

An impressive debut. Author might want to consider refining his language a bit, but an overall excellent read. The characters simply come to life on the page. And, while the superpowers are extraordinary, the characters are relatable and the story is entirely believable. Can't wait for more from the author.

Entertaining, thoughtful, and moving

This is one of those books that makes me wish I could put in half-star ratings. I am not ready to go 5 stars (it was amazing!) with this book, but it's definitely superior to other books I'd consider four stars. I recently read and reviewed Soon I Will Be Invincible, another superhero novel. Superpowers is almost the conceptual inverse of that book. This novel dealt in a sober and realistic way with what would happen to a group of friends who suddenly developed superpowers. There are no supervillains, no secret pacts with the police commissioner, no mighty halls of justice. Just five friends, lost, confused, and trying to deal with something they don't understand. The group decides to do what they can to help their city, but they're just as human as the rest of us, and their actions end up with real consequences. The author doesn't reject comic book convention so much as he ignores it completely. Despite the fact that the world as described is clearly impacted by comics (Several well known DC and Marvel properties are mentioned in character discussions), I never felt like there was a list of comic book tropes to be trashed or followed. The story seemed like a logical progression of events as they would unfold. Assuming, of course, that they possessors of these powers decided to help people rather than rob banks or get rich on the talk show circuit. :) The book's climax was gripping, moving, upsetting, and wonderful.

a book for those that want to think

Superpowers is a different book about super powers. What do ordinary people do with superpowers? If you decide to use them for good, what if you fail? Are there consequences to gaining these new abilities? And what if you new superpowers don't help? The tone of the book is very real. These are 5 college students that wake up with superpowers. But their concerns ar those of everyother college student. Grades, money, relationships, the next party , family. Parts of the book are funny, parts of it are sweet. There are echoes and references to all the superhero journeys. And because it begins in May of 2001, there is a little dread. The best thing about this book is that it keeps me thinking. I read it about a week ago and the characters and events keep swimming around in my brain. Well worth a read, and a reread.

Super take on "everyday" superheros

These are not your average comic book super heroes. Superpowers is a novel describing what happens when five young people wake up one morning to discover they have superpowers. Charlie can read minds while Jack is super fast. Harriet can become invisible; Caroline flies, and Mary Beth is super strong. Life is far from simple for these newly minted superheroes. It takes them a while to learn to control their powers, and longer to decide whether they should be using their powers to make their community safer. Once they embark on their career as the All-Stars, Madison is polarized between the people who think the new vigilante group is great and those who want to track them down and stop them. The All-Stars also learn that life is far from simple even for super heroes. Their actions have unexpected consequences, and their powers exact a price. David Schwartz gives us a glimpse of what might happen if ordinary people suddenly gained extraordinary powers. The book is told by a narrator, who also appears as a minor character in the story. It is a device that works very well. Schwartz is able to hint at coming problems without being too heavy handed. The characters of the five heroes are well developed and their life situations are realistic. As in all the best stories, you will find both humor and tragedy in this novel. The ending shows that the powers of super heroes have limits, but that ordinary people may be able to move past those limits. David Schwartz has penned a fable for our time. Even the best of intentions may go awry, and nobody can control their own destiny completely. He shows both the fear and the strength of our society. Superpowers or not, he challenges us to take responsibility for our lives and our actions. I found Superpowers to be a fun and satisfying read. Armchair Interviews says: A most-interesting novel.

Superwriter!

If you're expecting comic book heroes in an out to save the world cardboard plot, you're in for a wonderful surprise. David Schwartz' characters are real people you've met before, at school, at work, in your own family. Despite their sudden superpowers, they have the same hopes and fears we all face growing up, the hope that they can do something to make a difference in the world, and the fear that they never will. Like a diamond, this novel may have a few uncut edges at first, but ultimately it has a heart with facets and insights that shine. I look forward to reading more of his work.