BOOK REVIEW: META B Y TOM rEYNOLDS

Intro: Novels about super beings are all over the place. You can find them from writers who have been self-published to writers who have been traditionally published. With the market being so flooded, it can be hard to take an old concept and give it a new twist. Tom Reynolds has done that, but only a little. Some Spoilers ahead.

Premise: Meta is the first in a series about a young man named Connor Connolly, who finds himself the new owner of a pair of “Meta-Bands”. Once on, these bands give the wearer any combination of a vast array of powers. Now at the age of 16, Connor becomes the first Meta the world has seen in over a decade. With a dark vigilante as his mentor, he learns that he isn’t the only powerful Meta in existence.

The Good: Meta proves to be a very fast read. You can finish it in around a day if you tried. The story unfolds well and hits all the fine points that a superhero story would need. Common powers? Check! I’m talking super-speed, super-strength, flying, teleportation, and much more. Crazy Powers? Check! Being made out of rubber, or being able to bring images to life. The book has that too.  The story also gives a decent variety of characters. While the book seems to be aimed at middle grade readers, make no mistake, it has some adult themes, jokes, and fights.

The Bad: Sadly, I have more bad points than I do good points. First, while the story is told well, it often comes off as cliché. For example the vigilante character is a clear rip-off, and I mean RIPOFF, of Batman. It’s to the point that you may find yourself, shaking your head at the similarities. I know I did. Next, Connor has WAY too many powers. He can do almost anything. It’s usually better to see characters use only one ability, but in unique ways. Lastly, this is just a personal preference; I wasn’t a fan of the audio book version. Tom decided to be the person who did the voice over work for it. It’s very noticeable that he should have invested the money on a professional. 

Final Verdict: B- or 7/10