It's the ultimate battle of good versus good.
They were best friends at an elite academy for superheroes in training, but now Callie Bradfor... read full description
They were best friends at an elite academy for superheroes in training, but now Callie Bradfor... read full description
reviews
Jan 01, 2010
Jacqueline
rated it: 
I won this ARC a few weeks ago from Jackie Kessler and I'm just now getting around to reading and reviewing it. There's not much that I can say about it without giving away the plot so I'll try to sum it up in a word - amazing.
Given the facts that this novel is written by two authors, features two main characters and jumps back and forth from the past to the present, it's amazing just how seamlessly this story flows.
Jet and Iridium together make the ideal heroine. If the More...
Given the facts that this novel is written by two authors, features two main characters and jumps back and forth from the past to the present, it's amazing just how seamlessly this story flows.
Jet and Iridium together make the ideal heroine. If the More...
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Jan 11, 2010
Chris
rated it:
"We have lots of metaphors related to white and black, good and evil. The line between good and evil is supposedly black and white. Good guys wear white hats and bad guys wear black hats. Good is light, bad is darkness. Black and White plays with those crisp delineations, showing us that things are never that clear, even when superheroes (or ""extrahumans"" as they're called in 2112) are involved.[return][return]Black and White is told alternately from the perspective of
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Mar 24, 2011
Steven
rated it:
I liked this book but the back and forth four-way was a little dizzying. The story flips from the perspective of one character who is 'good', to another who is considered 'bad', but from each character's point of view they are both doing good in the world but it's easy to see why each one considers the others way to be 'wrong'. Add to this flip/flop between characters that the story flips back to the past of each character as the story progresses. It's not terrible but it is a bit much at tim
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May 23, 2010
Cheryl
rated it: 
Many years ago, Callie Bradford aka Idridium and Joannie Greene aka Jet were best friends. They were room mates during their academy days. That all changed.
Jet is now a super hero helping the city of New Chicago take down the bad guys. Jet battles the bad guys using her abilities to manipulate shadows. Idridium went in the complete opposite direction and became a villain. She has these deadly globes that when they burst cause some serious damage.
Jet is used to working a More...
Jet is now a super hero helping the city of New Chicago take down the bad guys. Jet battles the bad guys using her abilities to manipulate shadows. Idridium went in the complete opposite direction and became a villain. She has these deadly globes that when they burst cause some serious damage.
Jet is used to working a More...
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Feb 14, 2010
Wren
rated it: 
Jet and Iridium are mortal enemies now, but they became friends at the Academy when they were 12 and just learning the ways of heroes - people born with genetic differences that give them superpowers. There’s a lot going on in the telling of the story. View points that alternate each chapter, and time frames that very every few chapters. You get the present time, where the story takes place over days. And interspersed with that you get year one, year two, etc., while the women were at the ac
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Jul 11, 2009
Adam
rated it:
Looking at my local brick and mortar, the cover of this book caught my eye. I read the blurbs and impulsively bought it. As a huge fan of comics and super-hero mythology, I figured I'd be entertained.
Well, I was definitely entertained. The authors are strongest on building an environment; they're masters at the throwaway detail that reinforces the future world. I was glad to see strong female protagonists, especially of the "superhero" ilk. It had the burden of being a More...
Well, I was definitely entertained. The authors are strongest on building an environment; they're masters at the throwaway detail that reinforces the future world. I was glad to see strong female protagonists, especially of the "superhero" ilk. It had the burden of being a More...
Jun 09, 2009
Bridget
rated it:
I'm a sucker for superheroes. Always have been and probably always will be. I'm obsessed with the whole good versus evil philosophy.
A fertility clinic figures out a way to help woman become pregnant. Soon after the children are born, the clinic realizes that the children are not your average humans. They have special powers. Jet is a shadow power who's father killed her mother when he went insane. She is told that all shadow powers loose their mind eventually. Then an adult shadow p More...
A fertility clinic figures out a way to help woman become pregnant. Soon after the children are born, the clinic realizes that the children are not your average humans. They have special powers. Jet is a shadow power who's father killed her mother when he went insane. She is told that all shadow powers loose their mind eventually. Then an adult shadow p More...
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Jan 20, 2010
Dave
rated it:
This was a decent superhero book. I enjoyed the way it played with the ideas of good and evil, twisting them around and questioning how we define them.
In truth, this novel is more potential than package. Almost everything about it falls just short of living up to what it could have been. The character concepts are interesting, but not fleshed out enough to make me actually care about them. The dialogue is snappy, but never quite witty. The concepts are intriguing, but never ge More...
In truth, this novel is more potential than package. Almost everything about it falls just short of living up to what it could have been. The character concepts are interesting, but not fleshed out enough to make me actually care about them. The dialogue is snappy, but never quite witty. The concepts are intriguing, but never ge More...
Jul 27, 2009
Mardel
rated it:
I mainly bought this book because it was written by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge, two authors that I enjoy very much.
I'm glad that I bought this book. It was a very interesting book, with two main characters. I liked the way the book was laid out. It switched back and forth, not only between Iridium's and Jet's point of view, but also between now and then. I loved the way all that back and forth just seemed to bring both stories together-their academy years and their present More...
I'm glad that I bought this book. It was a very interesting book, with two main characters. I liked the way the book was laid out. It switched back and forth, not only between Iridium's and Jet's point of view, but also between now and then. I loved the way all that back and forth just seemed to bring both stories together-their academy years and their present More...
Jul 06, 2010
Leanne (Magic of Reading)
rated it:
So i'm going to review this without posting spoilers that way everyone can read my review and not ruin the plot for themselves! :-)
To sum it up in two words: Awesomely Awesome. Yes, i'm well aware that the first is made up on my part but still, it deserves a made up word for how brilliant it is.
I'm well aware that people will pick this up and think it has a slow start, and they wouldn't be wrong, but it really picks up a couple of chapters in and it will have you hooked. More...
To sum it up in two words: Awesomely Awesome. Yes, i'm well aware that the first is made up on my part but still, it deserves a made up word for how brilliant it is.
I'm well aware that people will pick this up and think it has a slow start, and they wouldn't be wrong, but it really picks up a couple of chapters in and it will have you hooked. More...
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Jun 30, 2010
The premise of this book is awesome (if you enjoy superheroes, which I do): the world is filled with superheroes, but they're not Clark Kents, so what do you do with them all? Train them to fight each other, of course.
I had trouble getting into this one--it begins very much in medias res, with superhero Jet going after supervillain Iridium. They are deadly enemies, but once they were close. The pace was ninety miles an hour, throwing all kinds of world building in. I suspect I wouldn More...
I had trouble getting into this one--it begins very much in medias res, with superhero Jet going after supervillain Iridium. They are deadly enemies, but once they were close. The pace was ninety miles an hour, throwing all kinds of world building in. I suspect I wouldn More...
Sep 21, 2009
Lisa
rated it:
REVIEW SUMMARY: This complex story explores the good and evil in all of us, even superheroes. The characters in Black and White are relatable and flawed despite their extra-human status. I enjoyed this new take on superheroes with the two main characters being female and best friends - and of course later archenemies. Without taking itself too seriously, this Justice League-meets-Harry Potter novel offers some valuable insights into the nature of being human.
MY RATING:
BRI More...
MY RATING:
BRI More...
Jul 03, 2009
Sammy
rated it:
Black and White is a good read for a fans the superhero genres, or just of any kick-ass female characters in general. It manages they oft-tricky and confusing convention of jumping back and forth between both characters POV's and time frames (childhood and present), very nicely; pulling together a taunt and cohesive story.
In the world that is created, the characters are expected to live in a completely manufactured identity; one that is created as much to scare villains as it is to More...
In the world that is created, the characters are expected to live in a completely manufactured identity; one that is created as much to scare villains as it is to More...
Sep 13, 2009
Chris
rated it: 
This was a frustrating read. Loved the premise -- a future version of the USA, where superheroes are essentially the product of bioengineering and controlled by corporate sponsors -- and the rough plot, but there were elements I found maddening. It felt like it could have easily been about 100 pages shorter (way more backstory than was necessary) and the scenes of dialog were usually awful. Every conversation was an exercise in witty repartee that just read so awkward and false that it became di
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Jan 11, 2010
Julie
rated it:
While this was an enjoyable read, I never really connected with either of the leads. For me, it may have been the inherent distance caused by the third person narrative, but I know that's a personal preference.
The flashbacks to their years at school interested me more than the battle happening in the present too. The "THEN" sections I plowed through, whereas the "NOW" dragged for me. There were some twists in the action, but I felt one of the bad guys was obvious f More...
The flashbacks to their years at school interested me more than the battle happening in the present too. The "THEN" sections I plowed through, whereas the "NOW" dragged for me. There were some twists in the action, but I felt one of the bad guys was obvious f More...
Jan 21, 2012
J K
rated it:
In a world where superheroes are put through vigorous training academies, and their powers divided between Dark and Light, two friends are caught up in a huge conspiracy, and no one can be trusted. But allies can appear from the most unlikely places.
I really enjoyed this, but I would love to see it turned into an actual comic book one day. Being able to read a more indepth version of a superhero's experience is one advantage of this format, and you get a lot of sympathy for each prota More...
I really enjoyed this, but I would love to see it turned into an actual comic book one day. Being able to read a more indepth version of a superhero's experience is one advantage of this format, and you get a lot of sympathy for each prota More...
Nov 22, 2010
Lucas
rated it:
You don't have to be a fan of superheroes or comic books to like this novel. In fact I can't say that I've ever been interested in either of them. It's about two former friends, now enemies, that attended the same school for superheroes. This book plenty of drama as you would expect from something with superheroes and villians but it is also extremely funny. Kessler (Jet) and Kittredge (Iridium) do a great job displaying the differences between the two characters but at the same time show how ve
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Jun 17, 2009
Darcy
rated it:
I was really skeptical about this book when I first got it. But decided to give it a try. It really sucked me in fast. I liked Iri and Jet, and as the backstory unfolded felt sorry for them. I liked how the book was set up with learning about the problem faced in the present, then going back to the past and seeing what made these girls in to the people that they were. I would say that with the ending they both had to face up to things that they really didn't want to, and had their worlds al
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Oct 03, 2010
Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~
rated it:
4.5 Stars
Set in a future rife with superheroes under the thumb of a huge corporation Black and White is a book about good and evil and fighting crime. But who are the bad guys? Who is really the villain? Jet and Iridium were at the Academy, where they train, or brainwash depending on your opinion, and they become unlikely friends. But a disaster occurs in the last year and Iridium becomes a rabid and Jet a model hero. But 5 years later they have to team together to stop a maniac inte More...
Set in a future rife with superheroes under the thumb of a huge corporation Black and White is a book about good and evil and fighting crime. But who are the bad guys? Who is really the villain? Jet and Iridium were at the Academy, where they train, or brainwash depending on your opinion, and they become unlikely friends. But a disaster occurs in the last year and Iridium becomes a rabid and Jet a model hero. But 5 years later they have to team together to stop a maniac inte More...
Jun 23, 2011
Rebecca
rated it:
I like books about superheroes. I like the cool powers and gadgets and the fight of good versus evil. And this book has those things. But if you are not into those things it also has an exploration of the bonds of friendship and how strong and fragile they can be. It has betrayal, redemption and people trying to deal with all their assumptions and beliefs being challenged. It goes back and forth between the two main characters and between the present and the past. As you see the events unfold in
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Oct 23, 2010
Kavanand
rated it:
Superheroes: check. Supervillains: check. Dystopian future: check. Moral ambiguity: check. Fiendish plot: check. Excellent read: check.
This book is chock full of awesome. Set in a dystopian early 22nd century Chicago (now known as New Chicago), it's the story of two former friends: by-the-books superhero Jet and budding supervillain Iridium. Once the closest of friends, they're now bitter enemies. Jet is the adored superhero, and Iridium, once a superhero in training, is now on the oth More...
This book is chock full of awesome. Set in a dystopian early 22nd century Chicago (now known as New Chicago), it's the story of two former friends: by-the-books superhero Jet and budding supervillain Iridium. Once the closest of friends, they're now bitter enemies. Jet is the adored superhero, and Iridium, once a superhero in training, is now on the oth More...
Aug 16, 2009
Annie
rated it:
So, so, so good. Starting around page 250, I absolutely could not put it down (hence the being awake at five am to write this...), it was just that awesome and intense. The joint authors/switching characters/"now-and-then" storyline could have easily become overcomplicated, but Kessler and Kittredge pulled it all off fantastically. Awesomely fun, with an amazing amount of depth and emotion underneath. Completely recommended to anyone into Watchmen-type superhero origins stuff, and
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Feb 28, 2011
Yvonne
rated it:
3.5* rounded up to 4* - a reread
While the worldbuilding and plot are fantastic and the action non-stop and fun, the book could have used... a little more time, maybe, to fully explore the issues it wanted to capture? Jet and Iridium are great characters but they're a somewhat cardboard, and there were a couple plot holes that I really hope are addressed in the sequel. Which I am going to pick up asap - this book, while flawed, is still a great read, and has survived several bookshelf p
While the worldbuilding and plot are fantastic and the action non-stop and fun, the book could have used... a little more time, maybe, to fully explore the issues it wanted to capture? Jet and Iridium are great characters but they're a somewhat cardboard, and there were a couple plot holes that I really hope are addressed in the sequel. Which I am going to pick up asap - this book, while flawed, is still a great read, and has survived several bookshelf p
Jun 21, 2009
Rosalia
rated it:
Jet and Iridium went through superhero training school together as teenagers. Then things change and they become archenemies; Jet the hero and Iridium the villain. However there is much more going on in this book then a simple superhero story. The book goes back and forth between Jet and Iri's time at the academy and the present. The story touches on many issues from homosexuality to human experimentation, however it still moves along at a pace fast enough for the most impatient reader.
Jul 25, 2009
Snail in Danger (Sid)
rated it:
Another case where goodreads really needs the ability to give 3.5 stars ... I thought it was better than Soon I Will Be Invincible, and certainly substantially better than the Genius Squad books. (Ignore the fact that I gave Invincible 4 stars. Standards can change over time. :P)
Anyway, if you like the "school for kids with paranormal abilities" premise of the X-Men series you might like this, particularly if the idea of it being given a dystopic twist appeals to you.
Anyway, if you like the "school for kids with paranormal abilities" premise of the X-Men series you might like this, particularly if the idea of it being given a dystopic twist appeals to you.
Sep 05, 2009
CJ - You Carry On As If I Don't Love You
rated it:
Surprisingly good. I didn't think I was going to like this but it surprised the heck out of me.
Superheroes are pretty hard to write about. You can either be all distopian Watchmen like or you can be cheesy 30's Superman. This book is neither.
The Academy is where all young extrahumans go when they are old enough to learn how to use their powers. They learn how to be heroes and they learn how to not trust anyone. Jet and Iridium, Joane and Calista, are different. Dark and More...
Superheroes are pretty hard to write about. You can either be all distopian Watchmen like or you can be cheesy 30's Superman. This book is neither.
The Academy is where all young extrahumans go when they are old enough to learn how to use their powers. They learn how to be heroes and they learn how to not trust anyone. Jet and Iridium, Joane and Calista, are different. Dark and More...
Nov 08, 2010
Michael Gary
rated it:
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. It started off very interesting, ing me right away. Then somewhere along the line, it turned into Dawson's Creek with superheroes. I lost interest. Towards the end, it picked up a little more, but the ending was so beyond trite that I just was really glad to be done with it at that point. There was no big, shocking ending, though the author seemed to intend it to play out that way. I'll most likely pick up Shades of Gray just to see how that play
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Jan 20, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
My first superhero book! I loved how the concept was realized in details, especially the way the authors wove in newspaper 'articles,' which added a lot of depth. The only thing I didn't just love was that the 'good' extrahuman, Jet, is just too spineless. I understood that that's part of the plot, but it was a little overdone. Iridium, the 'bad' extrahuman, is more human, and more enjoyable. But I'll read more!
Apr 16, 2010
Alyson
rated it:
I'm not a big superhero story fan; most of the comics I've read have been more in the vein of Sandman and V for Vendetta than Spiderman or X-Men. This, however, is like a novelization of the best comics. The story of Jet v. Iridium is realistic (well, as far as superpowers go), funny, and intense. I picked this up on a whim and am strongly looking forward to the next book in the series.
Jul 30, 2011
This is okay. Just okay. If you like super-heroes and girl books, it's for you. But Sarah Dessen, Libba Bray, and Gabrielle Zevin are all better writers. It's a mildly interesting retread of superhero training stories, but not much that is special. The ending is also very rushed and somewhat predictable. Still, I am invested enough to consider reading their next book.
