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64th out of 284 books
—
444 voters
Sidekicks
by
Jack D. Ferraiolo (Goodreads Author)
Batman has Robin, Wonder Woman has Wonder Girl, and Phantom Justice has Bright Boy, a.k.a. Scott Hutchinson, an ordinary schoolkid by day and a superfast, superstrong sidekick by night, fighting loyally next to his hero.
But after an embarrassing incident involving his too-tight spandex costume, plus some signs that Phantom Justice may not be the good guy he pretends to be,...more
But after an embarrassing incident involving his too-tight spandex costume, plus some signs that Phantom Justice may not be the good guy he pretends to be,...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
May 1st 2011
by Harry N. Abrams
(first published January 1st 2011)
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Scott's a superhero, born with vastly superior strength and speed, but these 'gifts' came with a heavy price. Normal kids didn't want to play with him. He couldn't make dates because he might have to slip away and stop a bank robbery. And his mentor made him wear a ridiculous costume that looked cute before puberty.
When a TV news crew caught his first 'wardrobe malfunction' and broadcast it nationwide, all Scott started out wanting was a new costume. When his mentor, Phantom Justice, refused to...more
When a TV news crew caught his first 'wardrobe malfunction' and broadcast it nationwide, all Scott started out wanting was a new costume. When his mentor, Phantom Justice, refused to...more
It's not easy to be Scott. While he has super strength and speed, he's being raised by Trent, aka Phantom Justice, and must perform super hero sidekick duties as Bright Boy. The yellow tights and red cape were cute when he was younger, but after a much televised wardrobe malfunction, he's ready to ditch the costume. At school, he's bullied by Jake and ignored by most of the other students. After being in prison for five years, Bright Boy's arch nemesis, Dr. Chaotic, is back, as is his screeching...more
This book was totally amazing. I started to read it when I downloaded it on my NOOK color and I could not put it down. You will find yourself reading until you it.
This book is about a sidekick named Scott and he is a sidekick to the hero Phantom Justice. When Dr. Chaotic gets out of jail they start to get in the fighting mode. Phantom fights Chaotic and Scott fights Monkeywrench. When they happen to be fighting Monkeywrench's mask falls off and Scott realizes who it is... it is Allison- a girl...more
This book is about a sidekick named Scott and he is a sidekick to the hero Phantom Justice. When Dr. Chaotic gets out of jail they start to get in the fighting mode. Phantom fights Chaotic and Scott fights Monkeywrench. When they happen to be fighting Monkeywrench's mask falls off and Scott realizes who it is... it is Allison- a girl...more
My sister and I just recently picked up some arcs, and Sidekicks was one of them. Masked by a couple young adult novels, I definitely was expecting it to be more of a sidekick (no pun intended) to what I thought would the "better" books. I was so wrong. I picked it up after one of said "better" books disgusted me so much I had to put it down (Misfit, see my review).Thinking I'd just start it quickly and then go to bed, I was totally unprepared for the kick Sidekicks had. It was amazing! The main...more
This story explores many subjects from the teen years. It does it in a very entertaining and fun way. There are superhero action sequences, a little romance, and a school bully. Scott Hutchinson is an ordinary teen by day. He doesn't fit into the social cicles of his elite high school. He is afraid to talk to girls. And the school bully just loves to pick on him. But by night, he is Bright Boy, sidekick to Phantom Justice. He beats up on villians. To complicate matters, during a fight with Phant...more
Bright Boy is a side kick to Phantom Justice. Unfortunately Bright Boy is kind of out growing his costume and the persona that Phantom has created for him. Bright Boy keeps to himself at school and is just beginning to feel like enough is enough when he finds out who Monkeywrench is, the sidekick of his arch nemesis. It turns out that he has more in common with Monkeywrench then he ever would have thought possible, and that maybe the line between good and evil isn't as clearly demarcated as he t...more
Why is it so difficult to write a good superhero novel? There must be dozens out there but most of them are like Ferraiolo's Sidekicks. Which is it to say, they don't quite make the grade. Scott Hutchinson has been a plus/plus (super speed and super strength) for years. Posing as Bright Boy, the sidekick to Phantom Justice, Scott's never had a problem with his job or his employer until an embarrassing moment with his yellow tights and a pretty lady end up on all the news channels. Determined to...more
6-word summary: Shy teen superhero falls for archnemesis.
Summary:After an embarrassing super-sidekick wardrobe malfunction, Bright Boy (a.k.a. student Scott Hutchinson) begins to question the motives of his superhero partner, rethinks an old enemy, and prepares to step out on his own.
The Good: I definitely think the tween set will like this one. It has numerous martial arts fight scenes, criminal masterminds, betrayal, secret identities, and first love. It is easy to read and moves fairly quickl...more
Summary:After an embarrassing super-sidekick wardrobe malfunction, Bright Boy (a.k.a. student Scott Hutchinson) begins to question the motives of his superhero partner, rethinks an old enemy, and prepares to step out on his own.
The Good: I definitely think the tween set will like this one. It has numerous martial arts fight scenes, criminal masterminds, betrayal, secret identities, and first love. It is easy to read and moves fairly quickl...more
I enjoyed this book a lot, but after the first couple of chapters I was ready to toss it out. Without the first few chapters, it would be so much better.
In the future, some people are born with extra strength, speed, intelligence, or a combination of some of the three. Bright Boy is the teenage sidekick to Phantom Justice, both plus speed/plus strength. Bright Boy is struggling to transition into adolescence: he doesn't make friends at school, he gets picked on by bullies, and his costume still...more
In the future, some people are born with extra strength, speed, intelligence, or a combination of some of the three. Bright Boy is the teenage sidekick to Phantom Justice, both plus speed/plus strength. Bright Boy is struggling to transition into adolescence: he doesn't make friends at school, he gets picked on by bullies, and his costume still...more
Me reading this book was ENTIRELY my younger brothers fault. He picked it up at the library and never read it (he never reads - how is he related to me???) which was probably good because it was a little to adult for an eleven year old.
Anyway, SIDEKICKS was a fun book with an awesome plot and amazing characters. I loved how the ultra-bad guy was a better person than the 'good guy' and the romance was sweet, if not majorly fast-paced (enemies to kissing in two days or less!). It was a fast, fun,...more
Anyway, SIDEKICKS was a fun book with an awesome plot and amazing characters. I loved how the ultra-bad guy was a better person than the 'good guy' and the romance was sweet, if not majorly fast-paced (enemies to kissing in two days or less!). It was a fast, fun,...more
Scott, aka Bright Boy, has bee the sidekick to Phantom Justice since he was a child, but lately he's been growing out of his role -- and his costume -- in a rather obvious manner. Being Bright Boy has suddenly become a burden for Scott -- he has no friends at school, Phantom Justice is distant and unsympathetic, and everyone is making fun of his 'wardrobe malfunction.' When Phantom Justice's old foe Dr. Chaotic breaks out of prison, Scott finds out that Chaotic's sidekick is someone he knows, an...more
Considering that I could never quite decide whether or not I liked this book as I was reading it, it must have only been ok. I thought this was going to be targeted to a younger crowd than it was. That's on me, not the author but I was expecting more Super Friends and less Dark Knight Returns type stuff. The first two chapters deal with an incident that is basically an awkward teen moment and although kind of humorous, wasn't that interesting and the joke went on way too long. Some of the action...more
I loved this goofy take on superheros and villains. Scott Hutchinson, aka "Bright Boy," is growing up fast and is not so sure about his continued role as Phantom Justice's sidekick. To make matters worse, he has a horrible costume that seems to draw attention to certain, ahem, body parts, causing him to be a laughingstock amongst the media and everyone else watching his attempts to save the world. To make matters worse, Scott soon realizes that Phantom Menace's arch nemesis, Dr. Chaotic's sideki...more
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Scott, a.k.a Bright Boy, is just trying to get through high school by day while using his superpowers to uphold justice by night. Unfortunately for him, the costume he's worn since he was young is no longer a symbol of power, but one of ridicule, especially after the embarrassing opening scene. He goes on fighting crime, however, with Phantom Justice. Oddly, the only remaining adversaries they have are Dr. Chaotic and his sidekick Monkeywrench. There used to be many more supers, or plus/pluses (...more
Scott Hutchinson aka Bright Boy, has been a sidekick since he was little. Now in middle school he's outgrown his Bright Boy outfit, yellow tights and red cape. In the opening scene, after saving a woman from a kidnapper, the tights show Scott's excitement and its caught on tape. Now everyone is making jokes at Bright Boy's expense.
Bright Boy is the sidekick to Phantom Justice. Supervillain Dr. Chaotic has escaped from prison. Now Phantom Justice and Bright Boy must face off against Dr. Chaotic's...more
Bright Boy is the sidekick to Phantom Justice. Supervillain Dr. Chaotic has escaped from prison. Now Phantom Justice and Bright Boy must face off against Dr. Chaotic's...more
This book starts off reminding readers of a typical Batman and Robin story except that it's Phantom Justice and Bright Boy, complete with aptly named villians, namely Dr. Chaotic and his evil sidekick Monkeywrench. After an incident with Bright Boy's bright yellow tights, our sidekick hero shows us that even superheros experience the normal teenage dramas of life. Just when you become comfortable that this is just a run of the mill superhero story, it twists as Bright Boy and Monkeywrench both f...more
Bright Boy, sidekick to superhero Phantom Justice, narrates what it's REALLY like to be a super-powered ward to an over-worked do-gooder. Turns out the costumes can be embarrassing, the mentors can be high strung, and having a secret identity isn't everything it's cracked up to be, especially when you accidentally reveal said identity to your archenemy's sidekick...who turns out to be a classmate who might not even be that evil.
The humor and lampooning of comic books in this story are great, but...more
The humor and lampooning of comic books in this story are great, but...more
2.5 stars. I was going to round up because even though I thought it was poorly constructed and contained only mediocre writing, I still somehow enjoyed it. However, I just don't know what kid I would feel comfortable giving this to considering the fact that the story opens (and continues to dwell on) a pubescent, er, tenting issue (not that I have a real problem with kids reading this, but I don't think I could booktalk it without feeling super creepy). As a whole I also thought that the plot sh...more
I found a advanced reader copy of this book awhile ago and it has been sitting on my shelf waiting for me to get in the mood to pick up another Y/A novel. Well, I found the time and I'm pretty pleased with the results.
To be honest, Sidekicks isn't a great novel. It isn't the sort of book that will ever transform a kid into a reader, but it is a good book. The sort that would keep a newer reader going.
Honestly, the book doesn't bring anything new to the table. It throws together some generic supe...more
To be honest, Sidekicks isn't a great novel. It isn't the sort of book that will ever transform a kid into a reader, but it is a good book. The sort that would keep a newer reader going.
Honestly, the book doesn't bring anything new to the table. It throws together some generic supe...more
I absolutely loved this book! I am really hoping for a second one to see just how it plays out with the sidekicks. The story is new and fresh with characters that you really truly enjoy. I feel as though the ending was a bit rushed, but I did like the overall conclusion. I also found that the actual plot was interesting - being able to see how everyday life was viewed from a sidekicks perspective. Also to see how a hero may become evil.
The story begins with Bright Boy. A young plus/plus who is...more
The story begins with Bright Boy. A young plus/plus who is...more
Dec 08, 2011
Willie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Willie by:
Cacy
Shelves:
young-adult,
superhero
I really, really enjoyed this book. The man character, Scott, is relatable and awkward and just so darn cute. The humor in this book is spectacular and the teen romance felt fresh and squeal-able. The only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars is because the section after the major climatic fight felt a little sloppy and confusing. There were some question about what the character did in the aftermath and I felt it could have been easily dealth with but the author seemed to be striving for some my...more
This book took me by surprise. It was funny with some great twists. Scott, AKA Bright Boy, is the Sidekick to superhero Phantom Justice. His purpose is to distract, not engage, the villians that he and Phantom Justice fight. There seem to be only a few left, and their archnemesis, Dr. Chaotic, has just been released from prison and is on the loose. Right at the beginning of the story, Bright Boy has a "costume malfunction." I don't want to give too much away but as the story progresses, he learn...more
Eye-opening, funny and tender, “Sidekicks” shows another side of the superhero genre, one not often explored. The life of a partner to a superhero isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and Mr. Ferraiolo details just what it’s like to trot after an overly intense, brooding blowhard in a cape. But this is more than a story about the trials, tribulations and headaches of donning too-constricting spandex tights. “Sidekicks” delivers surprises and action galore as we see that the roles of good guy and bad...more
I picked this up with the idea of trying to read more books that would appeal to high school boys. Turns out I loved it! This is hilarious, clever, and never what you expect. Poor Bright Boy is struggling with the problems of any adolescent boy as made all too evident when his arousal in his little yellow tights is captured by a news crew and broadcast to the entire city at his expense. It only gets more awkward from there. I seriously considered this for the middle school because 8th grade boys...more
The first section of this book is a slog, but it quickly goes from brutal to brilliant. Superhero sidekick "Bright Boy" narrates, but the text is offset by two sections of white on black text, which on each occasion change everything. The first 10 chapters or so are dullsville. I truly thought that if I had to hear one more cheese-fest superhero of villain speech, or picture Scott in his sidekick leotard for one more chapter that I would have to put the book down. But as soon as I hit the first...more
Thankfully I decided to read this to my boys rather than have them read it on their own. Really wanted to love this book but we didn't make it very far because of the content right from the beginning. I was able to edit it in reading to them but after several chapters it was evident that the teenage like incident was going to keep coming up in conversation and media, while the character tries to live it down. This sort of shock value in ridiculous to have as a topic of JUV Fiction. Ridiculous. I...more
I put off reading this book because, being about superheroes, I suspected that it was totally a GUY book. Fantasy is not my favorite genre either, but my Mock Newbery guys loved it so much (and the girls are starting to weigh in positively too) that I knew I HAD to read it. WOW!! I was immediately drawn into this amazing adventure of modern kids, Scott and Allison, who are typical middle schoolers by day and Bright Boy and Monkeywrench, sidekicks of the warring Phantom Justice and Doctor Chaotic...more
At first I didn't like it too much and the book ranged from me not liking it to the book being okay. It wasn't until about 100 pages in that I began liking it. After reading the whole book, overall I liked it. For me this book often has more description than action or speech than what I like in this type of book. Part of it is becasue at the beginning the main character/sidekick in the story doesn't really get to do much. And up until the first set of black pages with white lettering I didn't re...more
Stories with a male protagonist seem to be slim pickin's these days, so I was excited to pick up this comic-book themed novel. Middle-school student Scott Hutchinson, better known as Bright Boy, is the sidekick to world-renowned superhero Phantom Justice. Superheroes are now referred to by the more scientific appellation plus/plus. Supers can have super strength, speed, intelligence, or some combination of all three.
Witty repartee, "punny" insults and other cheesy dialogue is part of the territ...more
Witty repartee, "punny" insults and other cheesy dialogue is part of the territ...more
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Hi...I'm Jack... I've been editing and writing for tv animation for about ten years now, working on such shows as Squigglevision (ABC), Home Movies (Adult Swim), and O'Grady (The N). I also developed and currently write for WordGirl on PBS, for which I won an Emmy. My first novel, The Big Splash, is like Raymond Chandler meets Goodfellas set in a middle school. Here's a couple of reviews:
http://ww...more
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Dec 30, 2011 07:41pm