Review: Exciting action, clever plot, great characters.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 18, 2014
While I'm no expert on fiction targeted at a “young adult” or an even younger readership, I'm well aware of the market potential of this genre – which has created multi-millionaires and even a billionaire (JK Rowling). With movies based on books meant for young people such as the Hunger Games turning out to be such massive box office hits, Hollywood too is on the lookout for the next big book and the next big writer to come out of this genre.Will Savior (and the Savior Series), written by A. King Bradley be that breakout book that finds such astonishing success ? Time will tell. But my initial impressions after just finishing this book have been all good. This book is highly addictive – I started reading the book at 3 in the afternoon, and kept reading till the very end, hardly ever letting go of my Kindle – for 5 hours at a stretch. A cracker of a plot, well developed characters you want to root for, thrilling action, true friendship and some nicely done romance. Now, as I said, I'm no expert on this – but isn't this what young people look for in a book?The story – The book centers around Adam Reaper, his friends Howie and Jason, and his lady love Monica. Adam is a classic 16 year old underdog, from a very poor family, malnourished and often bullied by high school brutes. Howie is a great kid, who is also a super genius with an IQ of over 220.Jason is a cool guy, an athlete with great martial arts skills, strong, proud and brave, yet kind, sensitive and sacrificing. Monica is a sweet girl, smart and beautiful, and the love of Adam's life. Then there's Adam's family, an abusive father, an abused mother, and a smart brother, who plays a significant role in the plot. (I won't tell you more !)Adam is more than he appears to be. We are told in the beginning that he weighs 700 pounds. (You read that right!) In the middle of a bullying episode, he discovers a superhuman strength inside him, and takes it out on the bullies. As we find out along with Howie, Adam is capable of lifting trucks weighing 1000 pounds and running at a speed of 40 miles an hour.Certain events result in Adam transforming  into a hooded superhero called “Reaper”, and forming a crime fighting team with Howie (“Echo”) and Jason (“Ace”). Pitted against the friends are a nasty and evil bunch of genocidal maniacs called “Strangers”, led by the mysterious and charismatic “Suspect”. Seeking the Reaper's help is a federal agent and his team.A lot of action happens between the Strangers and our trio, and these scenes are beautifully captured. The plot turns and twists leave you gasping for breath. This is merely the first book of what promises to be a great series. In the next book, I hope to read more about our friends and their battles with the “Righteous” - the evil mastermind behind every major terror plot worldwide.