Superpowers

April 21, 2008
Schwartz borrows heavily from classic comic books in this eager-to-please but unsatisfying debut. After five college friends wake up after a night of partying to discover they have superpowers, they band together as the All Stars, supernatural crime fighters straight out of Madison, Wis. From there, the plot packs few surprises: the team—Charlie, Jack, Harriet, Mary Beth and Caroline—embark on dozens of good Samaritan adventures. While it's entertaining enough (in a pulpy way) for a while, characters remain mostly static, and the narrative never attains any sort of urgency, so that by the time 9/11 comes into play—and, regrettably, it does—the text reads like an ill-considered parody.

July 1, 2008
Adult/High School-Five college students in Madison, WI, drink some home brew together one May evening in 2001 and the next morning they each have a new power. One can fly, one is superstrong, one can run faster than the eye can see, one can become invisible, and one can read minds. They spend some time learning about the limits of their superpowers, but, eventually, they decide to use their newfound abilities to do what they can to help societystopping crimes, solving crimes, rescuing those in danger, and so on. The premise of this first novel sounds lighthearted, and there certainly are funny moments. But Schwartz seems more interested in the confusing and difficult aspects of having such talents. He doesn't worry about how the powers came to be, or why each person got his or her particular one. Instead, he asks: Whom do you tell? How do you conduct an ordinary life? What is the difference between being a crime fighter and being a vigilante? What are these new powers doing to one's physical and psychological well-being? This is a thoughtful but entertaining novel, with interesting characters. It is respectful of the genre of the superhero comic book, while taking the concept in a different direction."Sarah Flowers, Santa Clara County Library, CA"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2008
In idle moments, perhaps everyone secretly yearns for godlike powers, but for the five students in Schwartzs first novel, that dream comes true and proves as much burden as blessing. One morning in May 2001, after a nighttime party imbibing home-brewed beer, a quintet of college housemates awakens to find they have developed superpowers. For Charlie, its telepathy; for his roommate, superspeed; while the three ladies who live downstairs add to the mix incredible strength, invisibility, and flying. Deciding to use their newfound abilities to help humanity, the team launches a crime-fighting spree that earns them the media moniker the All-Stars. Inevitably, complications develop as their vigilantism attracts the suspicion of authorities and as real-world concerns with school and relationships intervene. The worst is yet to come, though, after a parent of one of them takes a job in the World Trade Center, and the All-Stars meet their ultimate destiny on 9/11. Schwartz strikes the right balance between vicarious superhero adventure and thoughtful reflection on the hidden costs of being a Good Samaritan.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)