How would you feel if all of your friends had super powers and you had none? Jealous? Insecure? Left out? What if you suddenly manifested the power to steal the 
powers from those around you, your friends; a power shared by a recently defeated super villain who had stolen the powers and memories from a hundred generations of “supers”? This is especially disconcerting to Daniel Corrigan, as he was the one who helped vanquish this villain, Herman Plunkett aka The Shroud. This new power appears as Plunkett’s grandson, Theo, returns to Noble’s Green and things begin to go awry in a disturbingly familiar way. Shadows, like those manifested by The Shroud are creeping into the light and attacking Daniel and his friends, who find themselves increasingly on the losing side. As the situation grows more dire, Daniel becomes estranged from his friends because of his new powers and a secret ring given to him by The Shroud. He struggles to find the source of his new powers and the disturbing dreams connecting him to the villain. Together with his friends, they must uncover the mystery behind the army of vengeful Shades before their town is destroyed. Little do they know, that at the heart of the mystery is a dark secret concerning their town and the legendary first super, Johnny Noble.
This sequel to Matthew Cody’s first novel, Powerless, deals with alienation between friends and the discovery of new abilities or changes. These are tropes paralleled in the lives of adolescents as they begin to grow into adulthood and discover the changes that occur. Cody deals with these concepts in an intriguing and soluble way, presenting the problems coherently and addressing them through interesting actions and situations. Daniel must deal with his new powers, using them in a way to help his friends and the town. He must learn to confront his fears regarding his powers, choosing to use them for good and protect his friends. He hangs in the balance, as he could become the next Shroud of Noble’s Green, continuing the work of his mentor, Herman Plunkett; or he can break the cycle and use them to help his friends, which might inadvertently lead to the discovery of Noble’s Green and the supers. Cody handles this conflict well, presenting Daniel’s struggles in a way that allows Daniel to make his own mistakes, rather than just doing the right thing. Cody seems to have a peculiarly good insight into the adolescent mind and he treats their struggles respectfully.
I would highly recommend this novel, even though it is a sequel. I would maybe recommend reading the first book, to deepen the experience while reading Super, but it isn’t totally necessary. Super stands on its own two legs, giving the reader the appropriate amounts (hefty amounts even) of action and plenty of exposition to explain the events of the earlier book. The characters are interesting and the plot is more than compelling, hooking the reader by the nose and pulling the in head first. In the end, Matthew Cody has crafted a wonderful book and I would recommend it to adults and young adults alike.
- Posted by Ed Chaney