What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
► UNSOLVED: One specific book
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YA/ Children's Sci-Fi/ Fantasy. Children use science to access magic powers. New boy joins after school club run by scientist who invented "magic chambers." Scientist is kidnapped. Similar to Harry Potter & Michael Vey. Read around 2013. Spoilers ahead.
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Kris wrote: "Caden, around what year did you read this book? A range of years is fine."I read it in 2013. If not 2013, then a nearby year.
Sounds like something I would like to read.There are some Goodreads lists that might have this book on them.
List search terms Magic School brings up about 45 lists.
List search terms Superhero brings up some good lists.
Warning: perusing these lists may stimulate your To-Be-Read mountain into out of control growth!
It's been a couple of months, but I've had no luck finding any book of the series. Any help would be appreciated! (This message is to bump the thread).
Mod
Google search of Goodreads -
site:goodreads.com "fantasy" joins after school club "scientist" magic kidnapped
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The book is a young adult/children's, and begins with the main character moving to a new town. I remember the main character being young - in his tweens or early teens - although I can't remember his name (I'll refer to him as MC).
Early in the book, he makes a friend. I can't remember the friend's name either, but he reminded me of Ron from "Harry Potter." This friend invites MC to an afterschool club. There are four or so kids already in the club, and the most notable is a young girl with long black hair, who's featured on the cover of the book.
This afterschool club is run by an older scientist. He's invented these chambers that allow the users to use magic, but only inside of the chambers. The scientist gives these kids access to his "magic chambers," and in return, he studies the relationship between the chambers and the children.
Within the first half of the book, the villainous group of the story (I'll refer to them as the V's) break into the scientist's lab while the children are there. They kidnap the scientist. I vaguely remember them planing to execute the children, but that may not have happened.
Regardless, the children are rescued by the heroic group of the story (I'll refer to them as the H's). The H's bring the children to their home base, which is filled with children who have naturally learned how to use magic (without the help of the "magic chambers"). The H's are interested in how exposure to the "magic chambers" will affect the children's powers. All but MC are able to learn natural magic, and are unusually good at it.
MC struggles to learn natural magic. To help him, the H's give MC a shell to hone his focus. It's not uncommon for magic users to rely on some kind of object to access their powers. These objects act similarly to the wands of "Harry Potter." With the shell, MC is able to learn magic, but not as powerfully as the scientist's technological chambers allowed him to.
As the story progresses, MC and the reader both learn that the H's aren't completely good, and the V's aren't completely evil. They both hold corruption and values. Every other character is convinced that the H's are entirely good and pure though.
Because he can't convince anyone that the H's aren't as they seem, MC runs away. Eventually, he's found by the V's. They treat him more kindly than expected. If I remember right, there's even a scene where the leader of the V's orders MC a pizza (while they're holding him captive).
The book builds up to a climatic end fight between the H's and the V's. MC is pressured by both sides to help, and instead goes rouge. The leader of the V's breaks MC's shell, hoping to prevent him from using magic. MC realizes he doesn't need the shell anymore, and creates a huge tornado during the H's vs V's fight. He quickly loses control of the tornado though, and the leader of the H's has to step in and quell it. I remember the book ending on a cliffhanger shortly after.
The cover of the book was colorful - the cover is what initally made me interested in the book. MC is forefront on the cover, with the black-haired girl to his right and his first friend to his left. There may be other features, but I can't remember them. I read the book in 2013, during a scholastic book fair, so it was probably published near then.
In summary, the most unique and defining features of the book that I can remember are:
- The older scientist (I belive his prefix was "Mr."), and his chambers that gave children superpowers.
- The objects given to children who can't learn to hone their powers on their own. MC's shell is one of these. The objects have a general name, although I can't remember what it is.
- MC realizing that neither the heroes nor the villains are truly good. The only morally correct option is to venture out on his own.
- The leader of the villains buying MC a pizza.
- MC, in a "realization of power" moment, creates a destructive tornado, but quickly loses control of it.
I've been looking for this book for years, and I've never had any luck finding it. Any help or references would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!