Wednesday, February 25

The OK Team - Nick Place

Hazy Retina was born out of focus, an issue that's been a problem for him all his life. A lifelong fan of superheros, he suddenly realises that maybe his affliction is really a path to him becoming a member of the Australian Federation of Hero Types. Heroes come in all varieties, with associated gradings - initially ranked Entry Level, Grade Two, does Hazy have what it takes to reach the dizzying hights of a Level Triple A hero like the Golden Boy or (retired) Mr Fabulous? As Hazy gathers a motley crew of equally unlikely teen superheroes around him (Cannonball, who can fly but can't aim himself, Yesterday, the Hero Who Can See Into the Past, and Liarbird, who cannot tell the truth), he creates the OK Team and they all work toward improving their skills, spurred on by retired Hero Mr Fabulous.
This is fun and engaging, an ideal book for reluctant young male readers. I liked the underlying premise, the character development and the subtle sense of place; though I found the obvious characters names (Hazy Retina? Really?) irritating, I'm not exactly the target audience, and there were any number of ligh humorous touches to compensate. - Alex

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