THE REMARKABLES (Owen Johnson and the Remarkables #1) by A.D.Elliott-a review

Order link: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca/

ABOUT THE BOOK: Released April 10, 2013

Owen Johnson’s day was progressing just like it did for most other teenagers. By lunchtime he had climbed a tall building using abilities usually reserved for superheroes; he’d flirted with the girl he had secretly adored for years; he’d come home to find his dad had been kidnapped and a mysterious stranger standing in his living room; and finally he’d been rescued by the elderly woman next door who had suddenly revealed that she had the power to launch people through the air.

“The Remarkables” introduces Owen Johnson to the world of The Remarkables, a group of seemingly ageless war heroes, each possessing unique gifts that had been used to fight evil. Now they must help Owen find his dad, and uncover a new threat to our way of life. Along their journey Owen slowly starts to learn the secrets of his past, and uncovers surprising truths about himself and those that he thought he knew: some of which he is glad to learn, some he may wish he hadn’t.

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REVIEW: THE REMARKABLES is the first storyline in A.D.Elliott’s YA sci-fi/fantasy series focusing on sixteen year old Owen Johnson and a group of gifted men and women who call themselves The Remarkables. Not quite the X-men or Marvel Comic heroes, The Remarkables have certain abilities that allow them to pull their powers from the elements such as wind, fire and water. Owen Johnson is about to learn what it really means to be special.

The Remarkables is a super hero storyline but not one that involves costumes or over-the-top abilities. Many are gifted with psychic powers while others have the ability to pull their strengths and gifts from other worlds. The group has been hunted for decades but with Owen’s full potential about to be revealed, they can no longer hide in plain sight as Owen has become the number one Remarkable on the hit list of super heroes. On the run, Owen and the others will find themselves pulled into a struggle of good vs evil.

The storyline reads more like a middle grade novel rather than young adult. This is an adventure storyline where the young hero must use his powers to save the people that he knows and loves, but in true super hero storylines, it is never that easy.

Many secondary characters are introduced whose backstory and history were only hinted at or alluded to. There are many unexplained scenarios about The Remarkables that have yet to be answered and this left me with some issues of coherency and cohesion. I kept asking myself-How and Why -but apparently The Remarkables is the first book in a series (by virtue of the ending) and hopefully many of the questions and unknowns will be answered in the next book.

Overall, THE REMARKABLES is a cute adventure storyline but one that I believe will be of interest to a select audience-perhaps young boys and girls who dream that they too will one day be able to fly and walk through walls. If you have a tween who likes to read stories of adventure, science fiction and super heroes with magical abilities then The Remarkables is the perfect summer read.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy