I finished this book today to finally complete the original trilogy. As an adult, I have to admit, unabashedly, that I will be reading the next three books out of nostalgia. And what a trip down memory lane this was!
Jack is a good protagonist, he reminds me of Wolverine from the X-Men, disheveled and hardened by his Oliver Twist street life. Ben and Emily are better characters, imo, mainly because the story spends more time with them and their father's legacy.
Still, it's a good series and it made me feel better, which is the bigger takeaway. I love a book that can make me feel better after reading it. I felt like it was the 90's again (not too far from the early-mid 2000's when this was published) and I was watching some cartoons in my childhood basement. Hell, if they turned this into a show, I'd watch it.