Archvillain by Barry Lyga

Mighty Mike isn't who everyone thinks he is. But Kyle Camden knows the truth. Kyle is a genius prankster who happened to be in the field the night Mighty Mike the Alien was created. To everyone else, he is a kid with amnesia who happened to get superpowers from the storm that really formed him.

Mike isn't the only one with superpowers though. Kyle also got powers, but decides to use them to save the world from Mighty Mike by exposing him for what he truly is. But, unless he wants to expose himself in the process, he must do his work under the alias, The Azure Avenger.

Archvillain was very interesting in terms of the superhero genre. It showed the opposite end of the story, but from this point of view, it doesn't seem as sinister because the villain thinks that he is the good guy saving everyone from the "hero."  This is the first book of the series in which there are three so far. I can't wait to read and write about the rest of the books.

Minion by John David Anderson

Michael Morn was an orphan for most of his life, until he is adopted by his new father. He isn't sure why but, while he was growing up, he discovered that he had a special ability. If he wanted to, he could convince someone to do or think anything he wanted. So when his adopted father wanted him to use his ability to commit some crimes, he didn't argue because he was so happy just to be wanted by someone.

It isn't just him though--his father makes little boxes that has technology capable of amazing feats. When Fat Tony, the local gang leader, finds out about Michael's power, he drags Michael unwillingly into a war with a super villain. Will Michael be able to stop the villain and what connection does his power have to his past?

This is a companion book to Sidekicked. This book shows how good people can do bad things just for approval. Michael had lots of power, but as he matured only, he only used it when necessary, yet when he was younger, he used it for approval from the other kids.

Throwback by Peter Lerangis

Corey Fletcher isn't a normal kid. He imagines things so bizarre that no one else even begins to understand. That's when he finds out that like his ancestors--he can travel through time if he has a piece of metal from the time period he wants to travel to.

When he accidentally changes the past, he turns into the world's first throwback, a time traveler with the ability to change the past. But, when he tries to go back and change a dreadful family horror, he accidentally travels even further back in time and gets stuck. Now he must make his way around and try to find his way back to his own time.

This is the first book of a new trilogy. I love how original the story was. The entire new twist on how time travel works was eye-opening. The different ways time periods interacted was amazing and the characters fit it perfectly.

Going Wild by Lisa McMann

Charlie Wilde was just a normal kid, until she moved to the boring state of Arizona and found a bracelet that grants her animal themed powers. At first, she thought it was just super cool and kind of scary, but then she finds out that, because of the bracelet, she is being hunted by a secret organization. Now with her new friends' help, she needs to figure out what the bracelet is and how to work it before getting taken out by this mysterious organization.

I originally read this book because I loved McMann's other series, The Unwanteds, and it was also really great. The fact that all of Charlie's powers are just abilities that animals use on a regular basis was a cool concept. I also enjoyed the story outside of when she was experimenting and saving people with her bracelet. I am so excited to see how the series is going to develop.

The Hadley Academy For The Improbably Gifted by Conor Grennan

I received The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted as a preview copy, all opinions are my own.

Jack Carlson's best friend, Freddy, is always coming up with new conspiracy theories, and today is no different. Freddy believes there is a secret school for training people with abnormal abilities. As per usual, no one including Jack believes him until later that day Jack gets kidnapped and taken to The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted, the same place Freddy had described earlier. Now a few people at the academy think Jack is the foretold chosen one and he is under immense pressure to save everyone from the old enemy who has reappeared and is wreaking havoc.

I really enjoyed this book because the story was so different from what I'm used to reading. The characters were very well designed. This is the first book, maybe a stand alone, but I could also see it becoming a series. The twists and turns in the story definitely kept me guessing.

Ben Braver and the Incredible Exploding Kid by Marcus Emerson

Ben Braver is back for his second year at super hero school. After recently defeating Abigail Cutters, the evil lady who tried to take over the world with clones of people made of dirt, everyone wants him to be the hero of the school. Ben doesn't want to be the hero because, besides the take down of Abigail which was a fluke, he also doesn't have a power. Now mysteries appear and new badges reveal themselves. Everyone looks to Ben to save them once again. Will Ben discover a hidden power   to help fight the brand new villains?

This was actually the second book in the series. I want to read the first one though. The plot though didn't really rely on the first book's plot. I thought all of the different powers were cool but the limitations were funny, like how Noah's fire power was crazy awesome, but it only worked when he ate beef jerky. I loved the classic theme but with a new spin.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Wade Watts is a teenage kid in the year of 2044. The whole earth is in chaos and people escape their lives via an online virtual reality experience called the OASIS. When the creator of the OASIS, James Halliday, passes away, his will puts out a challenge that whoever can find the OASIS's secret Easter egg will inherit his fortune. Wade decides to dedicate his whole life to finding the egg. Years pass, no one finds anything, and most people quit the hunt until one day Wade stumbles upon the first key. This causes all of the OASIS to erupt in chaos with Wade right in the middle. Now with the pressure on, Wade must join up with friends and fight with enemies to be the first to find the secret or the future of the OASIS will be doomed.

This booked surprised me with how original it was. Most books have at least a few traits like other books, but this story was something I had never seen before. The story was filled with action, comedy, and heart. There were some more serious moments, but it didn't prevent the story from progressing. This is one of my top five favorite books of all time.