Marrow by Preston Norton
Synopsis:
Marrow is a fourteen-year-old prodigy at FIST (Fantom Institute for Superheroes-in-Training). With a perfect score on his finals, the ability to smash through walls, and leaps that can launch him over a city block, the Sidekick Internship Program is bound to place him with a top-notch superhero mentor for the summer. But when a series of disastrous events lands Marrow on academic probation, he is forced to team up with Flex – a drunk, hippie, bum with the power of elasticity.
The two Supers’ powers and personalities clash as they are forced to overcome their differences to prevent the return of Cosmo City’s most notorious foe, a supervillain so powerful, no one will survive the cataclysm he is sure to unleash.
Review:
Marrow by Author Preston Norton is a superhero fantasy about a fourteen-year-old named Marrow who has the ability to control his bone density and his journey to becoming one of the greatest superheroes of all time.
At the start of the novel we’re given a glance at FIST (Fantom Institute for Superheroes-in-Training) – an X-Men-esque school for superpowered young teenagers who aspire to become mainstream superheroes. Marrow, the protagonist, is top of his class and prepared for the final test – the Sidekick Placement Assessment. Should he prove himself in the test, he shall be teamed up with the greatest hero of all: Fantom. But after an accident that may or may not have been staged against Marrow, he is forced to pair with Flex – a lazy disgraced hero with the power of elasticity whose only concern is his next drink.
Together, they unwittingly unfold a plot by Cosmo City’s greatest supervillain, all the while working through their own personal issues.
This was a fascinating novel, in my opinion. The idea of a world where superheroes are so common you don’t even blink when you see someone flying in the air is truly remarkable. It’s very X-Men-like, but sets itself apart from that with its own set of rules. Heroes are accepted by society, even given sponsorship deals. They are celebrities; giants with red capes and millions of dollars at their disposal. To be the best hero is to be the one who has the most billboard ads with your face on it.
Marrow wants it all, but is hindered by the stigma of his father. He is the son of the greatest supervillain yet, Spine, and Marrow aims to set himself apart from his dastardly father in the hopes of winning everyone’s approval. But the lines of good and evil are twisted when Marrow learns more about his father and his possible return to Cosmo City, not to mention Flex – Marrow’s hero mentor – sheds some more light on the actual person behind the mask of Spine.
Through it all, Marrow’s struggle is the best part of this whole novel. His struggle with his lot in life, mastering his powers, maintaining his cool when first meeting his bum of a mentor, and handling the weight of the world when everything starts falling apart.
Unfortunately, the reason I give this a four star review is because of two reasons:
1) At times the writing got a little simplistic, and I had to skim just a bit. Certain scenes felt rushed, and when I felt elaboration was needed none was given. A good editing job could fix this book up a bit.
2) The big twist at the end was a little predictable.
But, aside from those two issues, I did enjoy this novel and would suggest it to all those looking for a new superhero fantasy to excite!
Four out of Five stars!