The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey, #1)

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The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey #1)

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 7,694 ratings · 1,752 reviews

My name is Michael Vey, and the story I’m about to tell you is strange. Very strange. It’s my story.
To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is an ordinary fourteen-year-old. In fact, the only thing that seems to set him apart is the fact that he has Tourette’s syndrome. But Michael is anything but ordinary. Michael has special powers. Electric powers.

Michael think...more

Hardcover, 326 pages

Published August 9th 2011 by Simon Pulse/Mercury Ink

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The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

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Feb 26, 2013 Kat (Le Pauvre Cœur) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: wtf, waste-of-paper, sucky-writing, boring-as-shit, le-sigh, not-worth-the-hype, watch-for-flying-tables-everybody

Oh, why why why why why why why why WHY did I read this horrible, cliche-ridden book? So I can give a bad review of it, that's why!

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So, in brief, this book is about Michael Vey, a teenager that has electrical powers. Here's the cliche part: Michael Vey is a scrawny teen that's constantly bullied, his best friend's a nerdy loser, and the main girl in the story is the most popular and prettiest girl in school. Oh, she's also a cheerleader.

Michael soon finds out that Taylor, aka 'most popular and...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Dee rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've had both adults and teens recommend this book to me, so I ordered a copy for the library. I really want to give this book 5 stars, but I just can't. Where, oh where, was your editor Mr. Evans? He/She should have really caught some of the flat dialogue in the first part of the book.

You see, I have this thing that I dislike with some books. If the writing seems to stop a smooth flow, my brain gives a little "hitch" (for lack of a better word). In other words, my brain jerks a little bit, and...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Collin rated it 2 of 5 stars

It started off so well. Cliché, yes; too much like Percy Jackson, yes. But it had potential.

Too bad the characters couldn't pull it off.

YA romance is filled with female MCs who have little to no personality - a vessel into which girls and women can project themselves for a vicarious romantic fling. Though for some reason it's never been quite as annoying, I've noticed that many male MCs are beginning to have this characteristic, as well, as a vessel for a vicarious adventurous fling. The only re...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Courtney rated it 5 of 5 stars

More reviews at Rondo of a Possible World: YA Book Reviews

Oh man! Everything, just everything about this has me tingling up and down from excitement. The Michael Vey series is one of my favorite summer reads and I'm so upset that I have to wait for the sequel. But hey, the wait is worth it!

I know people are saying that this book could be the next "Harry Potter" but I think it shouldn't be compared to Harry Potter, not dissing Michael Vey but this story and Harry Potter are great in their own w...more

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May 16, 2013 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: 2011, science-fiction

Richard Paul Evans is a fantastic author and I look forward to reading the second book in this series, Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen.

In this book, Evans switches from third person to first person very effectively and smoothly so much that you hardly notice that you're reading third person. All of the characters were different but cool. I'm not sure who I like best out of all the characters but they were all likeable, except for Nichelle and Dr. Hatch. I have to say, I tried to guess who's side...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Emily Ellsworth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: local-author, received-arc

I think that your reaction to the summary of this book will be the best judge of whether or not you are going to like this novel. As I was first reading it, phrases like "It's my story," "but Michael is anything but ordinary," and "Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers and friends if he's to survive," stuck out at me. Not in a good way. In fact the whole summary screamed, "I'm an ordinary book." And it was.

Richard Paul Evans has written many best-selling novels for adults, and this is hi...more I think that your reaction to the summary of this book will be the best judge of whether or not you are going to like this novel. As I was first reading it, phrases like "It's my story," "but Michael is anything but ordinary," and "Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers and friends if he's to survive," stuck out at me. Not in a good way. In fact the whole summary screamed, "I'm an ordinary book." And it was.

Richard Paul Evans has written many best-selling novels for adults, and this is his first foray into the world of young adult fiction. And it seems to me that he's got a lot to learn. One of the major problems with this novel is that the characters do not act their age. Case in point (from my uncorrected proof):

My birthday was the one time of the year that my mother said nothing when I filled my plate with more whipped cream than crepe.

She made herself a simple crepe with butter and powdered sugar then sat down next to me. "I'm sorry I have to work today. Are you sure you're okay with celebrating after school on Monday?"

"I don't care what day we celebrate," I said with my mouth full.

"And we'll have cake and ice cream tonight. Do you and Ostin still want to go to the new aquarium on Monday?"

"Yeah. And can we go to PizzaMax for dinner?"

"Whatever you want. It's your day." She smiled at me and her eyes got all sparkly. "I can't believe you're fifteen. Another yaer and you'll be driving. You've grown into such a fine young man. I am so proud of you."

I've never been a fifteen year-old boy, but I've observed them plenty. I think it's more likely that a 12 year-old boy would ask to go to the new aquarium with his friend and then to PizzaMax with his mother. A fifteen year-old boy would be more likely to tell his mom to shove it and go see an action movie with his friends, or not do anything at all. Birthdays just aren't a big deal to older teenage boys.

Not that I don't appreciate Michael's relationship with his mother. I think, however, that in this case, it was way too over the top.

However, there is the addition of Tourette's syndrome to Michael's character. I think that a lot of teens that struggle with this disorder will really connect to this story because of that element. Like Percy Jackson's dyslexia, it's a way to make something that can be really awkward and embarrassing for a teen into something that can be cool and explainable. And for that, I applaud Evans.

However, as a generally whole, the book was far too cliche and unremarkable for me. From Michael's overweight, nerdy friend Ostin, to the beautiful, popular, but all-inclusive cheerleader Taylor, this book is a cookie-cutter model of a adult writer goes young adult. I suspect, however, that in spite of its lack-luster performance for me, this novel will still be another New York Times bestseller for Evans(less)

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Sep 17, 2012 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am going to start to read this book. I've heard that it is really good!

I finished the book Michael Vey over the weekend, and I love it. I think that it is awesome, and would recommend everyone to read it. It can be funny, but it is also not too wacky. I couldn't put it down, and it Rocked!

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Dec 09, 2011 Louise rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-young-adult

Story Description:

“My name is Michael Vey and there’s something you don’t know about me, something that scares people more than you would believe. It’s my secret – and it’s part of the story I’m about to tell you.”

To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is just your average, ordinary fourteen-year-old. But Michael is anything but ordinary – in fact, he is electric.

When Michael’s best friends, Ostin Liss and cheerleader Taylor Ridley, make an accidental discovery, the three of them learn...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Danny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well I think the beginning was very unrealistic. First off, it says how the bullies tried to "take off his pants". If he's in high school the bullies would punch him or completely trash his clothes not just "take off his pants". Also, afterwards when his mom asked him why he had a black eye he just said "they tried to take off my pants". NO! He's in high school! That was immature for a HIGH school student to say. Then when he finds out Taylor had powers as well they automatically are friends. I...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Luke Hicks rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was one of my all-time favorite books I have ever read. On a scale from one to ten I would rate it a nine. One of the things I loved about the book was how descriptive Richard Paul Evans was. Every scene I could paint a picture in my head with every movement of the characters to the setting behind them. My favorite part was when they over-ran the Elgen Academy and let the prisoners go. With Richard Paul Evens descriptive words I could see the whole thing happen in my head. Another thin...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Catherine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adolescent-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I think this is a book that my students would really like. I liked how Evan's showed how someone who is kidnapped can become attached to their captor. I also thought it was realistic in some ways how Hatch manipulated the glow children, but for a smart man, he moved way too fast with his manipulation of the new children - so that wasn't realistic. For someone who is trying to protect his investment, he was very high strung - realistically, he would have taken more time to groom them if he wanted...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Butch D rated it 1 of 5 stars

Michael vey
Richard Paul Evans
The book was written by Richard Paul Evans and I think that this isn’t a book that I would recommend to other readers because I didn’t like it. The overall lessen is keep your secrets safe and don’t tell anyone.

The story begins with Michael. He is a normal teen except for his Tourette's syndrome and he can shock people by touching them. His hobbies are playing video games with his friend oustin. Oustin is an A student and Michael is a C student. One day after school...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Jenna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 13-25

Michael Vey has lots of pretty standard problems. He's socially awkward ance-fied teen who gets picked on, as all heroes should be, and he happens to have tourettes. Oh and he is a walking taser. He doesnt know how, but he somehow he got the ability to use electricity for his every whim. Well, the electrical whims at least. Michael meets a beautiful cheerleader and guess what? She just so happens to be blessed with similar conductive tendencies Which takes them on a journey to find out why they...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Anais Bruder added it

SUMMARY: Michael Vey has a special ability to transfer electric currents through his body and shock people with more volts than an electric eel. When he meets a girl who has a similar ability to him, he starts digging deeper into why they have the abilities they do and why they their birthdays are so near eachother. They soon discover some dark secrets that had been hidden from the world for years, and when Michael's mother is kiddnapped, Michael ends up traveling to California-- and into the ha...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Cherie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Think back to every time you have ever been angry, scared or upset. You couldn’t have caused much damage. Imagine that instead of adrenaline, your body produces electricity. This is life for Michael Vey. He can damage.

Michael has learned the importance of keeping a secret, after he and his mother had to uproot their lives and move to a new town where nobody had heard of him. They couldn’t stay when he had used in public his secret power of electricity, being able to give out voltage of up to 100...more Think back to every time you have ever been angry, scared or upset. You couldn’t have caused much damage. Imagine that instead of adrenaline, your body produces electricity. This is life for Michael Vey. He can damage.

Michael has learned the importance of keeping a secret, after he and his mother had to uproot their lives and move to a new town where nobody had heard of him. They couldn’t stay when he had used in public his secret power of electricity, being able to give out voltage of up to 1000 volts at a time. It had only been a matter of time before someone figured out the entirety of the truth.

The Prisoner of Cell 25 starts with Michael using his power in a fit of rage and consequently officially meeting Taylor, whom he has admired from afar for his three years in Idaho. Taylor is a cheerleader at his school who also has electrical powers, only hers are subtle powers over the brain’s electricity. Together, with Michael’s genius best friend Ostin, they try to track down the reasons behind their strange powers, and attempt to understand the coincidence that they were born two days apart in a hospital in Pasadena during the 11 days the birthing records were lost.

I liked the part that was set in Cell 25. I won’t elaborate any more about the background, as that would give too much away, but I think that it is great because of the way it is so gruesomely descriptive. It also shows the tremendous courage of … a character (No spoilers, I must remind myself).

Most of this book is in first person from the point of view of Michael. It should have been easy to connect with him, but sometimes I had difficulty understanding the causes of his actions. Some of the chapters were from Taylor’s perspective. Even though she was not the main character, she was the easiest to understand and my favourite person in this book. This was because she seemed to have really a strong will and sense of who she was and who she wanted to become.

I think that the author wants us to think about whom and what is important to us in life. A time when that was strongly shown was when Taylor gets abducted and taken to a first-class life where she can have anything she wants except the choice to see her family. Richard Paul Evans successfully explained her thoughts and warring emotions, so it was easy to connect with her.

The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, but I can’t think of a way the author could have made it not so and ended up with a reasonable-sized book.

I would recommend this book to girls and boys of all ages who have enjoyed reading the Lorien Legacy books by Pittacus Lore, as it seems to have the same sort of ideas regarding superpowers. This would be an especially good read for those people who lose interest in books easily, as it has short chapters to make it fast-paced and hard to put down.(less)

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Nov 08, 2012 Vanessa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Michael Vey is not your average teenager. Ever since he was a kid, he could produce an electric shock. Kind of like a walking Taser. Only with hormones and acne.

His mom is paranoid about what would happen if people found out about his abilities. She gave up a good job at a California law firm to move them both to Idaho in order to keep him safe from anyone who might notice. But in high school Michael is noticed for other reasons: he's kinda scrawny, his best friend is the brainiac nerd at school...more Michael Vey is not your average teenager. Ever since he was a kid, he could produce an electric shock. Kind of like a walking Taser. Only with hormones and acne.

His mom is paranoid about what would happen if people found out about his abilities. She gave up a good job at a California law firm to move them both to Idaho in order to keep him safe from anyone who might notice. But in high school Michael is noticed for other reasons: he's kinda scrawny, his best friend is the brainiac nerd at school, and he has Tourettes (the kind with tics when he's nervous, not the swearing kind). So of course the poor kid is bullied.

And this is where the story opens. The bullies have pushed Michael beyond his limit and he shocks them. The only problem is there's a witness: Taylor the cheerleader. After witnessing Michael using his talent, to his amazement she takes a sudden interest in him. When Ostin does some creative research about what happened when Michael was born, they suddenly discover that other, scarier people have an interest in him, as well.

Richard Paul Evans' writing is fairly straightforward and moves at a steady clip. MICHAEL VEY is definitely a departure from Evan's more sentimental stories (i.e., THE CHRISTMAS BOX), but like his other work the plot is predictable. The dialogue is frequently tedious (how many times do you have to include "Hello" and "Goodbye" and "How's it going?") and Evans tends toward the sappy/corny.

The villains--even the principal, who has some pretty odd dialogue--are stock characters without much meat to them beyond being an evil for Michael to overcome. Even the secondary child characters had more depth than the bad guys did. Michael himself is likable enough as the PoV character, with his goofy friend Ostin a convenient side-kick, and the beautiful Taylor as the potential romantic interest. Pretty standard fare.

Where the book redeems itself are the themes of friendship and doing what's right even when it's hard. The squeaky-clean style and the moral problems MICHAEL VEY addresses is what will appeal to parents; the kids will like seeing Michael save the day, not to mention the idea of kids with superpowers. My teenage daughter liked it and is eager to read the second, but I'm not a fan of Evans' writing style.

Recommended Age: 10+ (some scary scenes may bother more sensitive children)
Language: None
Violence: Kidnapping, torture, and even an on-scene murder (without detail)
Sex: None, it's mostly teenage crushes without being crass(less)

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Oct 26, 2012 Wilson Zhu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wilson Zhu 10/23/2012
Writing Arts 9 Unit: Book Review Mr. Nourok
Final Draft
The Prisoner of Cell 25 Glenn Beck Company, 2011, 326 pages, $17.99 (Hc)
Richard Paul Evans ISBN# 978-1-4516-5650-3

Shocking Story of Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25

Getting bullied is not a fun thing that can happen to you. The main character of this book Michael Vey, who is a 15 year old boy who attends Meridian High School, knows this. He transfers 3 times before coming to this school he is in now because of bullying...more Wilson Zhu 10/23/2012
Writing Arts 9 Unit: Book Review Mr. Nourok
Final Draft
The Prisoner of Cell 25 Glenn Beck Company, 2011, 326 pages, $17.99 (Hc)
Richard Paul Evans ISBN# 978-1-4516-5650-3

Shocking Story of Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25

Getting bullied is not a fun thing that can happen to you. The main character of this book Michael Vey, who is a 15 year old boy who attends Meridian High School, knows this. He transfers 3 times before coming to this school he is in now because of bullying. But unlike any kid being bullied, he can actually fight back. He usually does not fight back—but now he was forced to one day. Because he did this, his world changed forever.

This realistic science fiction book called The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans is first part of a really good series of books. One day after serving detention on the way home, Michael gets jumped by Jack’s posse (Jack, Wade and Mitchell). They beat him up until he got fed up with it. So, he shocks everyone with electricity, which is his power. Little did he know, Taylor, his crush, sees everything and they have to explain everything to each other. They then discover something strange about each other (To find out what this coincidence is, I encourage you to read the book). The coincidence leads them to search for answers on the internet and they do find answers. But, they didn’t know that Elgen Inc. (a group that performed the experiment on these kids 15 years ago which gave them these powers at Pasadena Hospital) set up an internet spider to track down anyone that goes on that website. After that day, Michael’s mom and Taylor gets kidnapped and Michael is on an adventure to rescue his mom and Taylor with the unusual assistance of Jack and Wade. Richard Paul Evans does try to do a good job on the plot and the internal conflicts of Michael. He accomplishes that goal well. He even said in his book that he is the most exciting character he has ever created.

I think this book is amazing and I would love to read the second book. The book is a real page turner and I just couldn’t stop reading it. I love books like these because of the immense amount of action and I just love books with super natural powers. I can really connect with the character and understands the struggles he was going through.

I think this book was really thrilling and exciting. I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest for action, superhero like powers, anyone who can relate to getting bullied or having loved ones taken away from you. If you do decide to read this book, you will be able to have an amazing journey along with Michael Vey through this book.
(less)

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Oct 22, 2012 07ZachJ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. I find the book The Prisoner of Cell 25 to be excellent at describing the characters and it had a lot of good suspense. However, there were areas in which the book was not quite as good. On some parts you could tell what was coming next.

for my evidence, a quote from the book, "and there I was in the very stinkiest part of the armpit, the principals office." In this quote Micheal tells us what he thinks of school and the principals office. This also tells us a li...more Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. I find the book The Prisoner of Cell 25 to be excellent at describing the characters and it had a lot of good suspense. However, there were areas in which the book was not quite as good. On some parts you could tell what was coming next.

for my evidence, a quote from the book, "and there I was in the very stinkiest part of the armpit, the principals office." In this quote Micheal tells us what he thinks of school and the principals office. This also tells us a little bit about Micheal and that he has a little bit of humor.

"Terror was evident in his eyes." Usually when you have terror in your eyes you are usually scared. So they could be scared to revolt against him. The author is good at describing how the characters are feeling and when you know how the character feels then other things will make more sense.

"You'll find out soon enough." In this quote the author is telling you that you don't need to learn about that or know that at the moment. The character that is saying this is trying to make another character nervous or scared about what is going to happen and to add some suspense to the book to make it more interesting for you to read.

"Hatch is waiting for you, you know" and "the man's insane" are two quotes that are kind of like you didn't know that a third grader could figure that out. hatch has been searching for him his whole life he's not just going to let him go and leave him. The second thing is the man really is insane. he killed around a hundred new born babies and likes to make people get tortured and get hurt or even get killed. He treats all the normal powerless people like their nothing even though he doesn't have any powers just money and fire power. And to stop the insane man we get are next piece of evidence.

Micheal and his electric friends must stop hatch from experimenting on people and taking over the world "it's the rise of the electroclan."

As you can see from the evidence presented above, this book is a very good and interesting young adult book to read.(less)

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Oct 22, 2012 08karstenc rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book by Richard Evans is intended for teenagers, but i think you will like it no matter what age. The main problem in this book is that Michael and others are being used to basically take over the world. I think that the setting works really good how it is but in order for it to work, if you changed the place you would have to change other stuff too. Michael Vey is the main character but some other important characters are Ostin his best friend, Taylor, and Dr. Hatch.
The story starts out...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Jazz rated it 2 of 5 stars

it was ok. i didn't really like the prose and the cliche characters, though they didn't act as cliche towards the end.

but i really liked how taylor felt alive, although i find it extremely disturbing how fifteen-year-olds have to bear such burdens of responsibility. you know how the saying goes: "with great power comes great responsibility."

sometimes i wonder if the author has really attended high school.

anyway, the beginning is horribly written and very slow, but the story really picks up its p...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Lynne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, ya, ya-fantasy-sci-fi

Richard Paul Evans is best known for "inspirational" books like The Christmas Box. Here, he branches into mainstream Young Adult science fiction. This book is the first of a trilogy, but who knows? He may end up deciding to ride the cash cow through as many books as he can get away with.

Michael and 17 other kids are survivors of an experiment that took place while they were babies in a hospital in California. These young people are the only survivors among some two hundred babies who died from t...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Steven rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: superhero novel fans, those who are not bothered by cliches, teens

Disclaimer: This book is full of cliches and entirely cheesy.

The beginning is kind of crap. Flat dialog, little development of characters making them uninteresting and any development feels rushed.

It gets better and more exciting toward the middle bits. The author attempts to add character development here but he fails to do so by using long, drawn out, dull, and seemingly unimportant dialog and narrative about shopping. He tries to make a point about controlling people through their personalit...more

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Aug 03, 2012 PEI Public Library Service rated it 4 of 5 stars

This story is a tween readers' fantasy. It is as fast-paced as a movie and hits many of the right buttons - reformed bullies, a road trip, unlimited shopping, special powers and power-hungry adults.

Reluctant readers will enjoy this title, the first in a series. The "small and vulnerable" Grade 9 student Michael Vey is being picked on by bullies - both fellow students and a principal who punishes the victims not the abusers. When he can stand the abuse no longer, Michael fights back using his sp...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Denae rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, 1st-person-narrative

Very exciting.

The powers are all very well defined and similar and no one gets "all the power", which far too often frequently happens in ya fantasy books. Actually, one of the characters that accomplished the most was the normal human, which was neat.

The bad guy was pretty typical (wanted to take over the world but thought his motives were pure and that the ends justified the means). He was very rich, but the few operations we see him engaging in just seem to be getting him more money. This was...more Very exciting.

The powers are all very well defined and similar and no one gets "all the power", which far too often frequently happens in ya fantasy books. Actually, one of the characters that accomplished the most was the normal human, which was neat.

The bad guy was pretty typical (wanted to take over the world but thought his motives were pure and that the ends justified the means). He was very rich, but the few operations we see him engaging in just seem to be getting him more money. This was a little odd, since he allowed his students to spend almost without limit on stupid things like clothes and $300 glasses of wine. Of course, he needed them distracted so they wouldn't question his brainwashing, but still.

While this book was Michael's first person pov, a couple chapters now and then were from Taylor's pov in third person. Or we'd get a page from Dr. Hatch's pov twice or thrice. It was never jarring between the switches, and every scene added to info or tension or suspense in someway.

While a few things were predictable (the gunman was a trap and little things like that), I never found myself rolling my eyes at the MC's stupidity. Michael just didn't have the info I had, and I never wanted to smack him for not doing the obvious thing which would have stopped the bad guys way back at page 30 (which seems like it has happened in other books I've read).
He was also truthful. One of my pet peeves is an MC that lies all the time to get out of trouble. Michael didn't (except when he told the principal that he "forgot" who had stuffed him in his locker). Oh, and Michael has Tourette's, which really made this a better book. I do like it when the main character has an abnormality or a handicap (ie, Tyce Sander, Percy Jackson, Noah Zarc). Oh, and he absolutely adores his mother. He has a completely sane mother; so do his best friends, actually. I like to hear about normal parents. :)

The plot. There wasn't too much emphasis on being cool, even though they're almost all in ninth grade. There was one after-game party, but it was completely clean. No mention of alcohol or drugs or anything dumb like that (finally, characters who are realistic). Noah did get cornered into a fight with a wrestler, which was funny to read. The kidnapping, the running away, the attempted escapes, the attempted brainwashing, all were well done.
The final fight . . . I'm not sure yet. It was very rushed, and I'm still a little suspicious of how the gang pulled off all their feats, but it was well planned out and didn't end perfectly well. There are plenty of loose ends for the next book(s).(less)

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Jul 25, 2012 Erica rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book is about a boy who finds out he has electric powers. He has to go on a journey to save his mother.
My grandma gave this book to me to read. She said she enjoyed it, but it was a little slow. She thought it taught character traits.
No. Just, no. The characters were flat and boring, with the exception of Michael, who is endearing mainly because of his relationship with his mother. Other than that, he's just this generic, awkward teenage boy.
So who is going to fall for him? The prettiest,...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Tonja rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you liked the percy jackson books, you will love this one. If you thought the percy jackson books were a little weak, even for YA, then you will still love this one. Michael is an extraordinarily strong character, not just because he has powers, but because Evans has amazing skill. Every character in here is so visually alive, even the bad guys. I have this book on audio and I couldn't stop listening. I imagine i would have gulped the book had i been reading it.
The story is deep, as well. I...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, good-for-boys, ya-fiction, sciencey-science-fiction

Why I picked it up: June teen bookgroup read at my library.

Michael is almost 15 and he is tired of being punished for the school bullies who push him inside his locker. What bothers Michael most is that he could defend himself if only he weren’t afraid of revealing his secret: he has electricity running through his body and he can shock people or things. He & his mom have already had to relocate to try to hide Michael’s ability. But it seems there are people who are looking for him, and he m...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Michael Vey is a memorable character - certainly he changes from inept victim to strong, steadfast hero over the course of the book. This is a book I will particularly recommend to middle school boys (however, my 14 year old daughter loved it enough to recommend it to me). Throughout the book you can easily picture how a movie director would shoot each scene and add special effects for a phenomenal action sequence. Michael and his counterparts represent a group of children who were, as a result...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Laurie Cameron rated it 4 of 5 stars

Some say ninth grader Michael Vey has a special gift; others say he’s a mutant. His body generates an inordinate amount of electricity which he is only just learning to harness and control. Because of the danger this gift poses to him and others, he and his mother have run away to Idaho, where Michael must constantly struggle to keep it secret. This is especially difficult when, because of his small size and generally nerdy personality, the class bullies like to use him as a punching bag. When t...more Some say ninth grader Michael Vey has a special gift; others say he’s a mutant. His body generates an inordinate amount of electricity which he is only just learning to harness and control. Because of the danger this gift poses to him and others, he and his mother have run away to Idaho, where Michael must constantly struggle to keep it secret. This is especially difficult when, because of his small size and generally nerdy personality, the class bullies like to use him as a punching bag. When three bullies gang up on him and threaten to “pants” him, he can’t help but fight back. He calls on a surge of electricity within his body and unleashes a shock that knocks all three of them to the ground.

Up until this moment, only Michael’s best friend Ostin knows his secret. But now, not only have the biggest bullies in the school experienced this special talent up close and personally, but Taylor, cheerleader and most popular girl in the school, has also seen it. She is not about to ignore what she saw because she, too, has special powers. She befriends Michael and soon Michael, Ostin and Taylor form a secret club. When they start to investigate their backgrounds to discover what caused this strange phenomenon, they trigger the attention of a powerful group with evil intentions. Abducted, they must choose whether to do the right thing or save the ones they love.

From the start the book is engaging, drawing in the reader effortlessly. Michael is a sympathetic character, nerdy and picked on. His best friend is a total brain, overweight, and totally lacking in social graces. Naturally, they bask the attention of one of the most beautiful and popular girls in the school. But soon the villains catch up with them and the book moves from typical high school scenes to a faceoff between good and evil. Towards the end, it is pretty much all action and no depth of emotion and the bad guy is very predictable. All in all, however, it was very entertaining, sure to engage the attention of many a teen. It is also suitable for advanced upper middle grade readers.
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Jun 05, 2012 Alyssa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Unrealistic. Over the top. Super amazing.

All words to describe this book. And I mean them all in a good way. This book is sort of like X-Men for young adults who love books. Kind of. It's just so different, but scientific and it's a thriller, sci-fi, almost just a mix-mash of everything. And for the girls-it's even got a bit of romance in it.

Michael Vey is really easy to relate to. So are many of the other characters. This whole book just screams cliche and original at the same time-making it a...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Have you ever felt peace like Michael felt in cell 25?	1	4	May 15, 2013 08:38pm
Michael and Taylor?	27	49	Jan 19, 2013 10:55am
Taylor in a club?	1	4	Dec 10, 2012 06:52pm
One Community One...: I liked this book, so what should I read next?	1	4	Sep 24, 2012 04:20pm
ARVRLS Book Club: Michael Vey	1	2	Jul 09, 2012 01:08pm

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About Richard Paul Evans

When Richard Paul Evans wrote the #1 best-seller, The Christmas Box, he never intended on becoming an internationally known author. His quiet story of parental love and the true meaning of Christmas made history when it became simultaneously the #1 hardcover and paperback book in the nation. Since then, more than eight million copies of The Christmas Box have been printed. He has since written ele...more

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The Christmas Box (The Christmas Box Trilogy #1)

The Letter (The Christmas Box Trilogy #3)

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Quotes from Michael Vey: The Priso...

“Mr. Vey, you cannot be stuffed into a locker without your consent." Dallstrom said, which may be the dumbest thing ever said in a school. "You should have resisted. That's like blaming someone who was struck by lightning for getting in the way.” — 21 people liked it

“Mr. Dallstrom is a bald, scarecrow of a man with a poochy stomache. Think of a pregnant Abraham Lincoln.” — 12 people liked it

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title link	preview: The Prisoner of Cell 25
avg rating	preview: The Prisoner of Cell 25 Goodreads rating: 4.08 (7694 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11337912-the-prisoner-of-cell-25?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348544498l/11337912.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11337912-the-prisoner-of-cell-25?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans[/url]

The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey #1)

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