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The Adventures of Kid Combat #1
The Adventures of Kid Combat Volume One: A Secret Lost
When teenager Kyle Christensen moves to town, he joins a secret group of Defenders that encounter Artie Jones -- a billionaire tech mogul that is obsessed with The Book of Darkness, a book that can grant him unlimited power . . . Kid Combat has fun adventures, techy gismo stuff, and a high-stakes adventure that is great reading for the whole family!
154 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 27, 2011
Completely unimaginative
There is a group who doesn’t exist. They are called the Secret Organization of Clever Kids or S.O.C.K.S. Kid Combat, secret kid agent and leader, and his gang are out to save their town from the likes of Jones who is trying to take over every inch of their beloved town.
If you can step back after weeding through way too much fluff and extra stuff, the storyline is cute is and would appeal to the 9-12 age group. They probably wouldn’t notice the numerous clichés or confusing inconsistencies. They may not even notice that the overall idea is completely unimaginative and too predictable. In fact, 9-12 year olds might enjoy that. But the book seemed way too long to me and each chapter seemed to drag on forever—not appealing to a reluctant reader of said age group—and I’m an adult and avid reader!
I could have tolerated the overly simplistic bad guys is the author had just spent a little more time on the characterization of the heroes instead of all the nifty gadgets and the cool new Playground that they somehow secretly built in a grove a trees off the park (a bunch of 10 year old kids managed to squirrel away and install that much glass and wood flooring?). If these kids were such geniuses and so special, it is highly unlikely they would all be the same age and in the same classroom at the same school. Okay, so it’s a small town with only one school. The author took the easy way out on that one otherwise the kids would have been a variety of ages and in at least two, maybe three different classrooms.
The author also seemed to use this as an opportunity to climb on his soapbox about big companies taking over small towns to “improve” them. I really think that personal agenda will be lost on this age group.
I’m glad this was a free download, because I would have been very disappointed, possibly upset, to have wasted any money on this.
There is a group who doesn’t exist. They are called the Secret Organization of Clever Kids or S.O.C.K.S. Kid Combat, secret kid agent and leader, and his gang are out to save their town from the likes of Jones who is trying to take over every inch of their beloved town.
If you can step back after weeding through way too much fluff and extra stuff, the storyline is cute is and would appeal to the 9-12 age group. They probably wouldn’t notice the numerous clichés or confusing inconsistencies. They may not even notice that the overall idea is completely unimaginative and too predictable. In fact, 9-12 year olds might enjoy that. But the book seemed way too long to me and each chapter seemed to drag on forever—not appealing to a reluctant reader of said age group—and I’m an adult and avid reader!
I could have tolerated the overly simplistic bad guys is the author had just spent a little more time on the characterization of the heroes instead of all the nifty gadgets and the cool new Playground that they somehow secretly built in a grove a trees off the park (a bunch of 10 year old kids managed to squirrel away and install that much glass and wood flooring?). If these kids were such geniuses and so special, it is highly unlikely they would all be the same age and in the same classroom at the same school. Okay, so it’s a small town with only one school. The author took the easy way out on that one otherwise the kids would have been a variety of ages and in at least two, maybe three different classrooms.
The author also seemed to use this as an opportunity to climb on his soapbox about big companies taking over small towns to “improve” them. I really think that personal agenda will be lost on this age group.
I’m glad this was a free download, because I would have been very disappointed, possibly upset, to have wasted any money on this.
January 27, 2012
This is a book for middle graders, or as we say in Australia “primary schoolers”, which covers the ages of 9 to 12 year olds.
It's a sort of cross between Get Smart or Inspector Gadget verses Superheros, although none of the characters have super strength or can fly. The reason I’ve made that connection is because the kids are a bit inventive and use different gadgets and they wear a uniform or costume when assuming their “other” identities.
This is another classic case of the cover stopping me in my tracks and yelling at me “read me”. So I did. The first two books in the series are available for free from the iTunes bookstore.
The story itself is about a group of intelligent kids who decide to stand up (secretly) against the tyrant of their town, Jones. The old man owns half the town and plans to own the other half too. He’s corrupt and the once lovely little town is changing ... for the worst. Kid Combat (that’s the main character’s nickname) and his friends want to expose him and save the town from further evil and corruption.
I liked the fact that there was no foul language in the book as I believe that’s how it should be in books for younger readers. I liked the actual storyline and the characters – simple but adequate. However, there were several times when parts (either sentences or paragraphs) were repetitive, which was a bit annoying or distracting. And there were a few little inconsistencies or flaws, which I could see but a younger reader may accept without question. Overall, however, I feel the target audience (9 to 12 year olds) will enjoy the book as it will ignite their imaginations.
It's a sort of cross between Get Smart or Inspector Gadget verses Superheros, although none of the characters have super strength or can fly. The reason I’ve made that connection is because the kids are a bit inventive and use different gadgets and they wear a uniform or costume when assuming their “other” identities.
This is another classic case of the cover stopping me in my tracks and yelling at me “read me”. So I did. The first two books in the series are available for free from the iTunes bookstore.
The story itself is about a group of intelligent kids who decide to stand up (secretly) against the tyrant of their town, Jones. The old man owns half the town and plans to own the other half too. He’s corrupt and the once lovely little town is changing ... for the worst. Kid Combat (that’s the main character’s nickname) and his friends want to expose him and save the town from further evil and corruption.
I liked the fact that there was no foul language in the book as I believe that’s how it should be in books for younger readers. I liked the actual storyline and the characters – simple but adequate. However, there were several times when parts (either sentences or paragraphs) were repetitive, which was a bit annoying or distracting. And there were a few little inconsistencies or flaws, which I could see but a younger reader may accept without question. Overall, however, I feel the target audience (9 to 12 year olds) will enjoy the book as it will ignite their imaginations.
June 9, 2012
I've read some reviews of this book which are not too glowing. All I will say about the subject is, you need to read this book from the point of view of a 4th or 5th grade student. When done this way, the book is very enjoyable. I can certainly see my students devouring it. If you read it from an adult's perspective you will likely be very disappointed because all you'll be able to do is analyze all the things that "just can't happen." So, decide how you want to approach the book and then decide whether or not it's worth your time. For me, knowing that my students are looking for fun reads, it was time well spent.
September 1, 2009
I'll prefix this by saying that perhaps I am biased as I personally know the author.
That said, I did enjoy this book. The premise of "No violence, no foul language" I believe would be a big hit for parents & teachers alike to offer this book to the 7 to 11 year-old crowd.
I would not hesitate to purchase a copy for each of my nieces & nephew.
Well done, Chris! Looking forward to Volume 2.
That said, I did enjoy this book. The premise of "No violence, no foul language" I believe would be a big hit for parents & teachers alike to offer this book to the 7 to 11 year-old crowd.
I would not hesitate to purchase a copy for each of my nieces & nephew.
Well done, Chris! Looking forward to Volume 2.
April 6, 2009
This is a great adventure book for kids. I enjoyed it. Most of it you could really see kids 10 years old or so doing, then toward the end it got magical, which I liked very much. I am looking forward to reading the other volumes.
January 27, 2011
The Adventures of Kid Combat is full of action. This book would be great for younger readers. I like the characters. Each kid has there own special talents and personality. The plot is great and you never know what tricks Kid Combat has up his sleeve.
May 11, 2011
this is superrr goood book i have read the whole series its really good it has no foul mouth paced with action
i know your onnly sopost to talk about books but please add me as friend....or add me on play station 3 my playstation name is rtr2213
i know your onnly sopost to talk about books but please add me as friend....or add me on play station 3 my playstation name is rtr2213
August 10, 2011
Mission Impossible meets Spy Kids (1 and 2...the rest were worthless wastes of time). Very cool book. A normal 10 year old kid decides to make a difference in his town and gets to play with some awesome gadgets. :P
September 2, 2011
A fun and exciting adventure about a group of 10 year old kids who start a spy club. I read this with one of my students and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next in the series which I have on my kindle.
October 21, 2013
Loved the book. It is basically about a kid and a group of friends who have adventures against their villain (an old man). This book has an awesome story to it. I recommend this book to people who love adventure books
March 14, 2016
I found this book originally when I was around 10, and I have loved this book ever since. It was one of the books I read that made me love reading again, and I hated to read for at least three years prior. Every now and then, I'll reread it because it made such a big impact on me.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews