Supernatural Hero

by Eran Gadot

 

This is a heart rending novel that no pre-teen and his or her parents want to miss. Andy, the main character, is at that age where he is neither a child nor an adult. Sometimes he tries to do adult things and is treated like a child. Other times, his parents treat him like a child and his reaction is much closer to an adult’s. Andy is a self-declared nerd and is especially good at math but doesn’t play sports. He lives with his parents and older sister, Lynn who only has rude comments for him. She has no qualms about making fun of her brother in front of her friends. Since both Andy’s parents are busy, Andy mostly relies on his grandfather for moral support. They get along great!

 

Andy is especially keen on winning the heart of Zoe, a classmate. He feels that this is impossible because he is a nerd and she is popular. In the meantime, Andy learns that his grandpa has terminal cancer and dies shortly thereafter. This marks a difficult time for the whole family. Something very peculiar happens to Andy—he can see his grandpa’s spirit and talk to him and his grandpa can talk back to him too. This becomes a big issue for his parents and they want to take him to a therapist. Andy tries not to talk out loud to his grandpa while he’s around other people but he is nevertheless overheard on occasion. Andy’s grandpa continues to give him advice, specifically to ask Zoe out on a date.

 

This book touches my emotions. It takes me back to when I was in the sixth grade and had problems like Andy and I wanted to be more grown up, but couldn’t always. It was translated from another language, but I wouldn’t know that if it weren’t stated at the beginning of the book. It reads like a native English text! I’m also drawn to the supernatural issue. Andy’s grandpa cares about him so much that he lingered around Earth to talk to him and give him guidance. That’s amazing. What a brilliant move by the author!

 

This book should be required reading at school because it is both interesting (I couldn’t put it down) and it teaches core values such as family unity and unconditional support. On that same note, parents should read Supernatural Hero along with their children too because it shows them the hidden things that children don’t always tell their parents for fear they won’t understand. Buy it here!

Unplugged

by P.D. Quaver

Technology is everywhere in our lives today. We are forced to use it on many occasions and on others, we just use it over other activities. This teen novel starts out as a group of teenagers from well-to-do families addicted to technology: cell phones, computers and other devices. At their parents' behest, they all check into a boarding school to cure them of their technology addictions. Although they are definitely sequestered from technology and the outside world as they know it, it soon becomes apparent that the school, The Natural Path, has other designs for them. Dr. Zarkov, the head of the program, turns out to be involved in a kidnapping plot. The kids are flown off to a tropical island far away from home. They interact with each other and learn coping skills and share humor with each other despite the circumstances. I was constantly on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. A couple of times, I sincerely thought that some of the students would lose their life—for diverse reasons.

 

I found this book to be a pleasant read. It took me back to when I was the characters' age. There was some technology back then — but of course, nothing like now. I found myself engaging with the hostages in my head, pretending to give them advice and laughing along with them. This is something that happens to me when a book is well-written by a skilled author.

 

Whatever stereotypes might have fit the kids at first (rich, nerdy, living outside the law in the case of the hacker) either disappeared or were fleshed out as the story leaped out of bounds on an endless roller coaster. This is something not a few authors neglect to do—describe characters so they are three dimensional and not just flat, cursory descriptions. Yet another talent of P.D, Quaver’s that comes to light.

 

I recommend this book for any teenager who wants to experience an entertaining story and also contemplate their own personal situation. If their parents are so inclined, they can read it too and have another reason to bond with their children. You can purchase it on Amazon and download it to your e-reader in less than a minute!