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The Ables #2
Strings
Three years after the showdown with Finch razed their hometown of Freepoint and changed their lives forever, Phillip & the rest of The Ables gang find another school year interrupted by a growing threat. Relations with the government have never been more strained and the political rhetoric has shifted to a more hostile tone when discussing those with special abilities. A new branch of Homeland Security has been empowered to investigate custodial acts of heroism and even detain suspects indefinitely. While juggling his leadership responsibilities over the dozens of Ables members, a new crush, and a growing anxiety problem... Phillip will have to decide how much of The Ables' time will be spent training for simulation games and how much will be spent stepping into the real-world crime-fighting holes created by the custodians that have disappeared--presumed to be imprisoned or worse. Confronted with a mysterious new villain wielding a previously unknown power, Phillip, Bentley, & Henry will be forced to stretch their abilities and their bonds further than ever before.
269 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2019
15 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Jeremy Scott
7 books259 followersJeremy Scott is a writer and entertainer from Nashville, TN. He is the co-creator & narrator of CinemaSins, a YouTube channel dedicated to movie-related comedy that has amassed over 3.8 million subscribers in under 2 years' time. A former online marketing consultant, Jeremy spends his time writing, being sarcastic, and greenly hoping to find a good laugh once a day.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 12, 2019
Just finished and I have to say, I'm disappointed. The boys are older and dealing with being mid-teen superheros while still going to school and worrying about the disappearance of custodians. There's plenty of action and it's a fun read up to the end. The only Black character dies and no one really seems to care or bat an eye. Phillip is sad for a quick second that his best friend, the boy who gave him sight, is dead. But, not too long after (maybe a few weeks or so) Phillip goes on a date with a girl he's been crushing on at school. It isn't as though the series is chock-full of PoC characters but the one major one has to 'heroically' die? Donnie happened to have died 'heroically' as well in the previous book.
The death of the final PoC character left a bad taste in my mouth. I don't like feeling like my existence in a book is strictly to serve as a plot device or way of furthering another character's development. That was a severe let down. With everyone I identified with gone, I'm officially checking out of this series. Should a 3rd book come out, I will be skipping it. I do, however, recommend this series to boys who feel overlooked in the YA scene which is mostly heroine centric. This series is also good for those looking for disability empowerment reads. Not good for buddy reading where everyone chooses a character they want to be or most identify with. Odds are, if don't chose Phillip, you probably wont make it to the next book. Main characters aren't safe from being killed off.
***this review is based on an arc copy provided at no cost in exchange for an honest review ***
The death of the final PoC character left a bad taste in my mouth. I don't like feeling like my existence in a book is strictly to serve as a plot device or way of furthering another character's development. That was a severe let down. With everyone I identified with gone, I'm officially checking out of this series. Should a 3rd book come out, I will be skipping it. I do, however, recommend this series to boys who feel overlooked in the YA scene which is mostly heroine centric. This series is also good for those looking for disability empowerment reads. Not good for buddy reading where everyone chooses a character they want to be or most identify with. Odds are, if don't chose Phillip, you probably wont make it to the next book. Main characters aren't safe from being killed off.
***this review is based on an arc copy provided at no cost in exchange for an honest review ***
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2019
Rating: 2.7/5
Review: This does not quite live up to the first in the series as the story line drifts a bit and wanders into adolescent love crush country. This is tailored for the 12-13 year old crowd that longs to be 16. Still, a good writer that needs to move on from the genre.
Review: This does not quite live up to the first in the series as the story line drifts a bit and wanders into adolescent love crush country. This is tailored for the 12-13 year old crowd that longs to be 16. Still, a good writer that needs to move on from the genre.
June 29, 2020
This hurts...
This is probably one of the more frustrating cases of a sequel not meeting the somewhat high bar of expectations set by its predecessor. What does the bar look like from the first book? A fresh take on the superhero genre and the tropes that come with it? Superpowers meet disabilities, decent worldbuilding within the setting (superhero schools with special ed classes), a fleshed-out villain, a great ensemble of characters around our protagonist. Basically, a lot felt fresh, even within the confines of a well-established genre.
What went wrong?
Characters development seems to have gone by the way-side. It never truly feels like characters have real motivations, and are purely moved by the plot in a reactionary manner. This means we get little to no character development, and whatever character development we get feels unearned.
The antagonist or villain for the story is honestly a husk as far as interesting characters go, or as far as characters go, period. I remember Finch, his mystery, his presence, his cruelty, his pain, his hopes, and his twisted ideals. I couldn't tell you much about this book's antagonist aside from their base level motivation, and I've just finished the book.
The government vs superheroes storyline is a tired one at this point, and this current take on it doesn't improve on it and is honestly a subpar take on it. There's another tired trope that I won't spoil, but it hurt the book in the character department.
A lot of times when things unfolded with little to no foreshadowing, I kept thinking "show, don't tell."
I do appreciate that the impact of the previous book's events is felt in this one, especially with the characters, especially in broaching the topic of anxiety and mental health in growing teens.
Overall, it was an okay, but unfocused story, and that's not what I expected from a book within the world of The Ables.
This is probably one of the more frustrating cases of a sequel not meeting the somewhat high bar of expectations set by its predecessor. What does the bar look like from the first book? A fresh take on the superhero genre and the tropes that come with it? Superpowers meet disabilities, decent worldbuilding within the setting (superhero schools with special ed classes), a fleshed-out villain, a great ensemble of characters around our protagonist. Basically, a lot felt fresh, even within the confines of a well-established genre.
What went wrong?
Characters development seems to have gone by the way-side. It never truly feels like characters have real motivations, and are purely moved by the plot in a reactionary manner. This means we get little to no character development, and whatever character development we get feels unearned.
The antagonist or villain for the story is honestly a husk as far as interesting characters go, or as far as characters go, period. I remember Finch, his mystery, his presence, his cruelty, his pain, his hopes, and his twisted ideals. I couldn't tell you much about this book's antagonist aside from their base level motivation, and I've just finished the book.
The government vs superheroes storyline is a tired one at this point, and this current take on it doesn't improve on it and is honestly a subpar take on it. There's another tired trope that I won't spoil, but it hurt the book in the character department.
A lot of times when things unfolded with little to no foreshadowing, I kept thinking "show, don't tell."
I do appreciate that the impact of the previous book's events is felt in this one, especially with the characters, especially in broaching the topic of anxiety and mental health in growing teens.
Overall, it was an okay, but unfocused story, and that's not what I expected from a book within the world of The Ables.
April 4, 2020
I'm not even sure where to start with this review.
Perhaps it is in the "why would you read the second book if the first one was SO terrible" spot?
Or, if there's a mysterious new superpower for our villain and it's crazy mysterious, how about DON'T USE THE TITLE TO GIVE IT AWAY???
Maybe it's an ending where given the choice between killing your best friend and killing the enemy, you make a curious choice?
Perhaps it's another "teenagers save the day" cliche?
Or, it might be the technical inclusions of GIRLS in the second book but probably not since they barely register except as love interests. (there was a brief moment when I saw maybe a possibility of double cross from the young women but NOPE) It's even mentioned at the end of the book that our "beloved" main character doesn't even know the abilities of one of his teammates - probably because she's girl.
Maybe it was when your dad goes missing and you take the opportunity to get a puppy and skip school and not even worry about where he's gone. Especially since your mom was so callously murdered in the last book.
Could it be the escape from a maximum security prison by a group of teenagers done on a technicality?
It could also be the continual descriptions that rely heavily on sight. Again, I appreciate an author writing book filled with teens dealing with physical disabilities but the way they overcome it is always by "curing" it.
All in all, if there was no Covid-19, I probably would never have picked up this book in a hurry from the library. It was frustratingly bad.
Perhaps it is in the "why would you read the second book if the first one was SO terrible" spot?
Or, if there's a mysterious new superpower for our villain and it's crazy mysterious, how about DON'T USE THE TITLE TO GIVE IT AWAY???
Maybe it's an ending where given the choice between killing your best friend and killing the enemy, you make a curious choice?
Perhaps it's another "teenagers save the day" cliche?
Or, it might be the technical inclusions of GIRLS in the second book but probably not since they barely register except as love interests. (there was a brief moment when I saw maybe a possibility of double cross from the young women but NOPE) It's even mentioned at the end of the book that our "beloved" main character doesn't even know the abilities of one of his teammates - probably because she's girl.
Maybe it was when your dad goes missing and you take the opportunity to get a puppy and skip school and not even worry about where he's gone. Especially since your mom was so callously murdered in the last book.
Could it be the escape from a maximum security prison by a group of teenagers done on a technicality?
It could also be the continual descriptions that rely heavily on sight. Again, I appreciate an author writing book filled with teens dealing with physical disabilities but the way they overcome it is always by "curing" it.
All in all, if there was no Covid-19, I probably would never have picked up this book in a hurry from the library. It was frustratingly bad.
January 14, 2020
So SO good. I can see just how much the author loves these characters in how he writes them. They’re real, they struggle, and they don’t get everything right. But they’re still human, and even through their mistakes, they’re capable of love and being loved.
On a more personal level, in the few days it took me to read this book, I experienced my second ever panic attack. The way the characters talk about mental illness, anxiety in particular, is a conversation of compassion and sympathy, rather than pity or disdain. Strings opened my eyes to my own struggles in a way I’d never seen them before, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
The only critiques I have for Strings: contains minor typos, and a few pieces of dialogue felt like it was placed in the wrong chapter.
Overall, Jeremy has such a talent for writing lovable, super-powered characters. Highly recommend. (READ ABLES FIRST!)
On a more personal level, in the few days it took me to read this book, I experienced my second ever panic attack. The way the characters talk about mental illness, anxiety in particular, is a conversation of compassion and sympathy, rather than pity or disdain. Strings opened my eyes to my own struggles in a way I’d never seen them before, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
The only critiques I have for Strings: contains minor typos, and a few pieces of dialogue felt like it was placed in the wrong chapter.
Overall, Jeremy has such a talent for writing lovable, super-powered characters. Highly recommend. (READ ABLES FIRST!)
August 13, 2019
Yes it’s an interesting take on a superhero. But my favorite part is how normal going to therapy after traumatic events is treated.
October 17, 2019
Wow, just wow. Such a major improvement compared to the first book which is a delight given most sequels tend to be worse.
The characters are much more well-developed and the overall pacing is really, really good minus a couple of moments when you sorta just get tossed into the middle of a situation. Did not like the random sketches particularly the last one toward the end which depicts a scene that wasn’t in the story at all (I’m guessing a last minute editing error).
The story itself gravities away from My Hero Academia and hangs out in the X-Men playground for most of it. It also deals quite heavily with matters of PTSD and mental health issues which I commend. The ending was a little rushed -well, more like getting to the ending was rushed-and there were some predictable elements and a little repetition from the first book but still also very shocking.
The biggest compliment I can give this book is that when it was done I was bummed out there wasn’t another book I could immediately pick up. I hope there will be a third installment and I also hope it at the very least maintains the level it has achieved.
Now I wanna play Detroit: Become Human again.....
The characters are much more well-developed and the overall pacing is really, really good minus a couple of moments when you sorta just get tossed into the middle of a situation. Did not like the random sketches particularly the last one toward the end which depicts a scene that wasn’t in the story at all (I’m guessing a last minute editing error).
The story itself gravities away from My Hero Academia and hangs out in the X-Men playground for most of it. It also deals quite heavily with matters of PTSD and mental health issues which I commend. The ending was a little rushed -well, more like getting to the ending was rushed-and there were some predictable elements and a little repetition from the first book but still also very shocking.
The biggest compliment I can give this book is that when it was done I was bummed out there wasn’t another book I could immediately pick up. I hope there will be a third installment and I also hope it at the very least maintains the level it has achieved.
Now I wanna play Detroit: Become Human again.....
November 25, 2019
I did greatly enjoy this sequel, but I do have to give some criticism. The main thing is that the book, to me, is too short for what story needs to be told. There are a few character emotions and events that feel glossed over when they should really be explored and given depth. There are things that the main character "is t ready to talk about" but also never does actually talk about when it truly needs to be, both for the character and for the readers.
As said, I still greatly enjoyed the book, I just feel there were things left only mentioned or referenced that really needed more attention.
As said, I still greatly enjoyed the book, I just feel there were things left only mentioned or referenced that really needed more attention.
April 17, 2022
Please, sir, may I have another?
This is a great continuation of Phillip's story that allows him to grow while still presenting him as a realistic teenager. I hope Jeremy has more to say about this universe because I'm enthralled!
This is a great continuation of Phillip's story that allows him to grow while still presenting him as a realistic teenager. I hope Jeremy has more to say about this universe because I'm enthralled!
December 5, 2019
Loved this, but it left so much unanswered that I hope another installment is in the works!
June 13, 2022
CinemaSins *ding*
This was cool concept! I liked the characters (and their interactions) and the representation, and I thought the art was really nice touch. The ending was appropriately crushing, so thanks for that. I appreciate when authors don't pull punches.
The plot was a pretty basic superhero plot, kind of X-Men-esque. But there's a reason those types of stories are so popular.
On a more critical note, the MC and narrator (Phillip) had a really reflective voice (not a bad thing but...) that at times dipped into preachiness (there it is). And the author didn't seem to know when to let him shut up. Seriously, nobody wants to hear about how You Are My Sunshine is a morbid lullaby when you are MID EPIC BATTLE.
There were a couple of things that were a bit glossed over, like why Teleporters don't take the asphalt under their feet with them whenever they teleport. And whether or not it hurts Limbs when he, uh, de-limbs (and also how did he rip his arms off, he's not a lego, there's still muscles and bones attaching those suckers to his body). But honestly I've seen worse oversights in superpower stories.
Some other things were maaaaaajorly glossed over, for the sake of time and plot I assume. It worked out, it just made me squint and go 'hmmm' at the pages a little.
Anyways, would recommend for a quick read after a busy day, but you absolutely must read the first book first because the author does not waste time re-introducing... anything. (I still don't remember who James is).
Would read again.
This was cool concept! I liked the characters (and their interactions) and the representation, and I thought the art was really nice touch. The ending was appropriately crushing, so thanks for that. I appreciate when authors don't pull punches.
The plot was a pretty basic superhero plot, kind of X-Men-esque. But there's a reason those types of stories are so popular.
On a more critical note, the MC and narrator (Phillip) had a really reflective voice (not a bad thing but...) that at times dipped into preachiness (there it is). And the author didn't seem to know when to let him shut up. Seriously, nobody wants to hear about how You Are My Sunshine is a morbid lullaby when you are MID EPIC BATTLE.
There were a couple of things that were a bit glossed over, like why Teleporters don't take the asphalt under their feet with them whenever they teleport. And whether or not it hurts Limbs when he, uh, de-limbs (and also how did he rip his arms off, he's not a lego, there's still muscles and bones attaching those suckers to his body). But honestly I've seen worse oversights in superpower stories.
Some other things were maaaaaajorly glossed over, for the sake of time and plot I assume. It worked out, it just made me squint and go 'hmmm' at the pages a little.
Anyways, would recommend for a quick read after a busy day, but you absolutely must read the first book first because the author does not waste time re-introducing... anything. (I still don't remember who James is).
Would read again.
October 8, 2019
This review and others posted over at
my blog.
Thank you to Turner for sending me this book for free in exchange for my honest review.
Strings is a decent sequel, but I’m guessing it’s suffering from middle-child syndrome. I really hope there’s at least one more book in the series (and I certainly think it could carry on longer), as this book felt more like a set-up or segue into a third. I also hope there are more books because I enjoy them.
Phillip is still a solid narrator, but his thoughts felt incredibly repetitive in this book. I know we’re in his head, and that’s probably very accurate, but I have my own repetitive thoughts, thanks. It felt tiresome sometimes – along the lines of telling, not showing. But I appreciate that he continues to do his best to remain thoughtful and caring, and recognizes his ego when it gets the best of him.
There was another villainous monologue. -Insert ding noise here- They’re always sinned on Cinema Sins; gotta sin ‘em when I see ‘em! My other issue was the end. There is one major death and, unfortunately, it was low-impact for me. It should have hit me right in the feels, but something about the scene wasn’t strong enough. I was a little saddened, but…I’m not sure what it needed, but it needed something a bit more.
Regardless, this was still a pretty fun read and I was glad to see the involvement of more characters (and female ones!) outside the core group of guys. I’m eager to see what other power and disability combinations could be explored in the future, and how the characters progress from the events in this book. If you liked the first book, definitely check this out.
Thank you to Turner for sending me this book for free in exchange for my honest review.
Strings is a decent sequel, but I’m guessing it’s suffering from middle-child syndrome. I really hope there’s at least one more book in the series (and I certainly think it could carry on longer), as this book felt more like a set-up or segue into a third. I also hope there are more books because I enjoy them.
Phillip is still a solid narrator, but his thoughts felt incredibly repetitive in this book. I know we’re in his head, and that’s probably very accurate, but I have my own repetitive thoughts, thanks. It felt tiresome sometimes – along the lines of telling, not showing. But I appreciate that he continues to do his best to remain thoughtful and caring, and recognizes his ego when it gets the best of him.
There was another villainous monologue. -Insert ding noise here- They’re always sinned on Cinema Sins; gotta sin ‘em when I see ‘em! My other issue was the end. There is one major death and, unfortunately, it was low-impact for me. It should have hit me right in the feels, but something about the scene wasn’t strong enough. I was a little saddened, but…I’m not sure what it needed, but it needed something a bit more.
Regardless, this was still a pretty fun read and I was glad to see the involvement of more characters (and female ones!) outside the core group of guys. I’m eager to see what other power and disability combinations could be explored in the future, and how the characters progress from the events in this book. If you liked the first book, definitely check this out.
February 21, 2020
2.5-3
Definitely not as good as the first one. I have a lot of questions left and the romance was unnecessary, I really wanted it to develop more in the book. Plus that ending? Really bad lol. The first half was pretty good, then it went downhill. The main thing I enjoyed with the first book was the friendship, then it just kind of flopped at the end of the book. Just weird. And you got no answers about donny, so it feels like everything that happened in the first book was not important at all (or that this book should've been an actual sequel containing the same shit and characters as the first book lol). I'm just dissapointed. I will reread and keep the first book but I'm gonna pretend this doesnt exist - after all, this is really not the same story as the first book so I dont need to reread this.
Definitely not as good as the first one. I have a lot of questions left and the romance was unnecessary, I really wanted it to develop more in the book. Plus that ending? Really bad lol. The first half was pretty good, then it went downhill. The main thing I enjoyed with the first book was the friendship, then it just kind of flopped at the end of the book. Just weird. And you got no answers about donny, so it feels like everything that happened in the first book was not important at all (or that this book should've been an actual sequel containing the same shit and characters as the first book lol). I'm just dissapointed. I will reread and keep the first book but I'm gonna pretend this doesnt exist - after all, this is really not the same story as the first book so I dont need to reread this.
June 26, 2020
This was another great novel. This time the Ables are recovering from the last attack that was two years previous. What I enjoyed was that the Ables weren’t all ok. They had experienced a traumatic event as children and were trying to cope. One of the things I love about this series is that it doesn’t shy away from tough issues but it also deals with people, even superheroes, as human. Scott doesn’t make children who have faced trauma as weak but as human who are working each day. It is wonderful to see the humanization of people who face adversity. I love these books and I hope the series continues.
May 1, 2020
Dare I say it, even better than the first book! The world needs more books like this -- disabled superheroes. It's well written and such an interesting concept. Did NOT see that ending coming. Highly recommend. Loved it.
February 25, 2020
The sequel to the Ables, the plot of this book is not as good as the original. The bad guy's powers are not well developed and events just seem to happen instead of the plot flowing.
August 18, 2020
Solid entry to the series
October 3, 2022
It was good fun, but a touch contrived at times.
December 6, 2022
369 pages
April 16, 2023
Loved it. Leest als een trein en het concept/verhaal vraagt gewoon voor “ale nog 1 hoofdstuk”.
Heel benieuwd waar dit naartoe gaat met nog 2 boeken te gaan!
Heel benieuwd waar dit naartoe gaat met nog 2 boeken te gaan!
April 23, 2022
Oof
I still picked up the second book because I find the world and characters really interesting, BUT the writing is just bad. The story isn't well thought out at all...
Overall the quality just deteriorates the more you read. It felt super rushed and like the author simply did not enjoy writing it.
I still picked up the second book because I find the world and characters really interesting, BUT the writing is just bad. The story isn't well thought out at all...
Overall the quality just deteriorates the more you read. It felt super rushed and like the author simply did not enjoy writing it.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews