Book Review: Dull Boy by Sarah Cross

Avery may appear normal on the surface, but he’s hiding a big secret – he is super-strong and he can fly. That’d be cool if he could actually use his powers openly, but he’s afraid of what that might mean (vivisection anyone?). When he meets other teens like himself and a mysterious woman who offers him the chance to take his powers to the next level, Avery has to figure out just who has his best interests at heart.

Although the overarching plot was pretty standard comic book origins/heroes vs villains fare, I had a constant smile on my face thanks to Avery’s good-natured sarcasm and all the hilarious situations he gets into with his new super friends. I especially adored the characterizations of Darla, a mad robotics genius and Catherine, a grumpy, tough-as-claws catwoman and their scenes at the coffee shop, in their reform school and on their (self-given) missions to take down a mugger and save missing boy scouts.

It was such a joy to read, I even took it to the beach with me on my Barcelona trip and read until it grew too dark to see. The ending is left open for a sequel, and although I was expecting a stand-alone book, I’d be thrilled to hang out with Avery and company if their adventures continue to be so inventive and fun. Find out more about the novel, which is available now in hardcover, at Sarah's website.

PS - I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah at BEA and even got a picture with her, which I promised to keep under wraps. But hey, at least you get the beach scene right?