Action and Adventure - More Books than Time

As the title says, Mutation: A Kid Sensation Novel (Kid Sensation #2) is the second book after the initial Sensation: A Superhero Novel. Once more we join Jim, with his friends and fellow super hero trainees, but this time they are not saving the world. They are saving themselves.

In Mutation Jim is first recruited with an offer he can’t refuse from a murky government agency nicknamed MIB. Jim does refuse, which causes the agency, led by bad guy Mr. Gray, to target Jim and all the super heroes in training by way of a virus. The virus causes their special gifts to go haywire, either going into overdrive or essentially dying. And the kids are sick.

The threat from the MIB, the mercenaries they recruit and Mr. Gray’s determination to take Jim down are very real. Kevin Hardman does a good job setting up the situation and sketching the bad guys, with enough verisimilitude to make us feel Jim’s dilemma. How can he stop the MIB and their hench people, yet remain true to his ethical standards?

One of the opposition hench people is Estrella, whose super powers are star-like. Literally. Jim can barely keep ahead of her and realizes he needs to tap into her star nature to trigger her stellar evolution into a super nova. Mutation is full of these little gems, small snippets that move quickly yet let us feel the pressure and terror.

Mutation was enjoyable enough that I will look for the next one in the series, Infiltration. There were a few points that make me just a tiny bit concerned about the direction this series is taking.

Novel moved very quickly through multiple plot arcs and many characters. The speed was essential to make the point that this is how Jim perceives the world, but a galloping plot could leave behind the characters and humor that I loved in the first book.
Like a lot of second books, this one had a sense of setting up, that Hardman moved the plot and characters and setting around to position for a series. Nothing wrong with a series, but the books need to maintain the fun and character development, not deteriorate into a comic book.

As long as the author Kevin Hardman keeps the quality up the series will be a great deal of fun. I look forward to more books about Jim, the Kid Sensation.

You can read my review of the first novel, Sensation, here: So You Want to Be a Super Hero – Sensation by Kevin Hardman.

You see the title “Sensation: A Superhero Novel” and you think it’s another comic book, right? Actually no.

Sensation by Kevin Hardman is well done, readable, funny book about a kid born with a plethora of super powers in a world where super heroes are organized into teams, have an academy and training camp for young would-be heroes. I remember as a kid wanting to fly – and then wondering, what on earth would you wear to fly? Why pick a cape and tights? It’s cold way up there! I never did figure the whole costume thing out and never learned to fly either.

Sensation by Kevin Hardman actually covers this important point. Kid Sensation, aka Jim, mentions his special-made clothes. And covers the need to not go to super speed indoors (to avoid carpet damage) and points out that you really need telescopic vision if you’re going to have super speed (since otherwise you’ll run into things).

The whole book is like that. Funny, with an engaging character, classic villains, realistic (once you accept the notion of super heroes) dialogue and plot trails. Jim has a few moments of growing up, finding his place in the world, but this is not a classic coming of age novel, nor is it a sketchy comic. Jim’s super powers are on the fantastic side, but they work the way you would think they should, if you spend any time thinking vs. enjoying.

This is a complete novel that stands on its own. Of course it sets Jim up to have many further adventures and includes a wealth of other characters we can get to know, but it’s written to be a full story on its own, not just the first book of a trilogy (why do all fantasy authors write trilogies anyway?) nor the first in a series.

The book I read recently that comes the closest to this is The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey reviewed here. A big difference though is that Sensation is not a kids’ book or YA fiction either. The main character is a teenage boy, but it is aimed at a broad audience that enjoys fast action, plenty of fun, and interesting characters.

Sensation is a fast read. I think it took me under two hours to finish, but I was laughing and eagerly looking for the next page all the way.

I highly recommend this if you are in the mood for something completely un-serious and fun.