The Super Life of Ben Braver (Ben Braver, #1)
by Marcus EmersonPublished by: Roaring Brook Press on March 6, 2018
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Humor, Middle Grade, Graphic Novel
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Source: Roaring Book Press
Ben Braver is an ordinary kid. All he wants to do is finish his summer watching awesome TV shows and eating his favorite candy. But when some kid screams for help, Ben, like his favorite comic book heroes, tries to save the day. Let's just say it ends badly. But it does lead him to a secret school where kids with super abilities learn to control their powers. Ben's never had any powers—and never thought he could be special. So when he's offered a spot at the school, Ben realizes this is his chance to become the superhero he's always dreamed of. Packed with black-and-white art and comic strips throughout.
Many thanks to RockStar Book Tour and Roaring Brook Press for a finished copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
The moment I learned about this series, I knew I had to read it, because superheroes + humor = no brainer.
Seriously. 1+1 seems like rocket science compared to that. Plus, Marcus Emerson also wrote Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja, which has freaking ninjas, so clearly, the author’s just winning at this writing thing in general.
Ben Braver is a series full of adventure, action, and comedy, where the laughs are almost as big as the egos of these heroes and villains. Just remember … not all powers are a blessing.
I was honestly surprised by just how much I loved this series. I always run mid-grade books through my own mid-grade reader when I get them to see if she’s interested, as a reluctant reader. Minion read the first two pages of this series and walked away with my copy. This review brought to you by my perseverance in tracking it down again and reclaiming what was rightfully mine.
After reading a little and looking at the pictures, Minion declared that the book reminds her of Danny Phantom. And you know what? She’s right!
What am I even doing here? Clearly, I need to retire and she should take over, because I hadn’t even made the connection until she did. And then I couldn’t unmake the connection. This has everything I loved about Danny Phantom and then some, so if you’re a fan of that show? Give this series a try.
❧ This is part book, part graphic novel, and that method of storytelling was super effective.
It’s basically the best of both worlds. I’ve noticed this is a growing trend in middle grade literature, and from what I’ve seen, the kids just love it. My daughter is much more likely to pick up a chapter book with pictures in it, because it seems less daunting to her.
While the narrative itself is funny, the pictures add an extra layer to it, in an almost comic strip style, which made a lot of the punchlines land even better.
Sometimes it’s just funnier to see the characters reacting to things than it is to read about it. Also, being able to see some of the powers? Soooo helpful and fun. Definitely nice to be able to see what the characters are actually supposed to look like, too.
❧ Ben Braver makes a wonderful narrator, because he’s both relatable and hilarious.
Who knew a peanut-butter-cup-loving, superhero-in-training, sixth grade would be so easy to understand? But boy is he. I mean, at the very base level, he wants a superpower and wow, who the heck doesn’t? If that struggle’s not relatable to you, I question your priorities.
Despite being quite a funny book, there are some really touching moments in it, and Ben Braver has to grapple with some pretty big emotions.
Can I just say that the parents in this book are so freaking cute, particularly Ben’s father? This book skirts the whole “parents interrupting kids’ ability to get in danger and hopefully get out of it again,” while still providing the protagonist two loving, supportive parents, and I want this trend to gain traction in middle grade, please. As a parent to a middle grader, I want her to know that she can both save the world and have parents who will cheer for her all the way.
❧ This book is chock full of superpowers. But boy, they’re not always a blessing like you’d think.
I refuse to go into detail about this. No, you just need to read the book to find out, because that was part of the pleasure of this story. Needless to say, the powers are extremely varied, and sometimes they border less on power and more on curse. I loved all the different forms these powers presented as and what they grew into.
“Uh … yes,” I said. “Exactly that. I didn’t think I’d become a superhero on the first day, but I thought I’d at least be on the path. You know what I learned today? The definition of an integer …”
“What’s an integer?” Penny asked.
“I don’t know. I wasn’t paying attention.”
❧ There’s a nice blend of character and action, enough to keep the story moving, but also giving me time to completely fall in love with these characters.
After all, superheroes deserve big stories, right? So there obviously needs to be some sort of villain somewhere (and there is). But also … superheroes have backstories. That’s kind of important. While we don’t get most of the backstories of the side characters, we get to know them along with Ben, and we do start to piece together the backstory of the adults, little by little, throughout this series, and wow that sometimes kicks you right in the feels.
Everyone.
Everyone gets hit while you’re barfing and spinning circles ten feet in the air.
The worst part was that I was still spinning when I stopped puking.
No wait, the worst part was when I started puking again after I had already stopped.
❧ The characters are all unique and colorful, and there’s not one that I didn’t love.
Even the villain. Well, okay, I say that like I’m not all predisposed to loving villains. But the villain’s motive was understandable, and I can’t say I blame them. As is normal with superheroes and supervillains, a lot of these characters have personalities that are larger than life, which made it easy to get to know them.
Our main trio, in particular, Ben, Noah, and Penny? They make for a great leading trio, because Noah’s the smart and loyal one, Penny’s the female voice of reason, and Ben’s the doer, the one to launch into everything head first. The dynamic between them was fabulous.
“Ooooo! Mac and cheese!” Penny said.
“Hugs and kisses!” Noah chimed in.
“Chips and salsa!” Penny exclaimed. “I like this game!”
“Blood and honey!!”
We all looked at the goat.
“No?” Totes said, bobbing his head, embarrassed. “Okay then … not blood and honey.”
Ben Braver and the Incredible Exploding Kid (Ben Braver, #2)
by Marcus EmersonPublished by: Roaring Brook Press on March 5, 2019
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Humor, Middle Grade, Graphic Novel
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
The Super Life of Ben Braver: The Incredible Exploding Kid is jam-packed with art and comic strips. It's another wacky adventure from Marcus Emerson, the author behind the hit Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja series!
“A crazy fun ride—action packed and loaded with laughs!” —Max Brallier, The Last Kids on Earth
Even though Ben Braver saved Kepler Academy from total destruction last year, he knows he still doesn't fit in at his secret middle school for kids with special abilities. Ben's been hiding his lack of super skills, but it's getting harder as his classmates' powers are getting stronger.
Will Ben be able to power up before his enemies at school take him down? And will he risk everything to become the ultimate superhero?
Many thanks to RockStar Book Tour and Roaring Brook Press for a finished copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. This review may contain spoilers for the first book.
❧ This is my favorite book of the series so far, with a perfect blend of humor and retrospectiveness.
I don’t know why, but I just fell for this book hard. No, that’s a lie. I know exactly why. There was so freaking much going on in this, with new amped up powers, super cool tech, and villain backstories that’ll make all your feels flee in terror. Plus, our leading man, Ben, gets to learn some pretty big lessons in this book … the hard way.
Some of the comics in this felt extra effective over the first one, and I’m not sure why. Maybe Emerson just hit his stride with this book? My favorites were the ones where the kids were messing with Duncan’s tech. Because, I mean, what could possibly go wrong there, right?
❧ There’s a mystery to be solved here, and it was easy to get caught up in it.
I was so sure I had solved it, but … I had not. Nope. I blame the lack of sidekicks on my part. How can I be expected to function under these conditions?!
There were parts of it that I had figured out early on in the first book and parts that came as a surprise, so it was a nice balance for foreshadowing and plot twist.
“Worse than turning yourself into a statue?” I ask.
“I believe the worst thing to happen when you die would be meeting the person you could’ve been.”
❧ The drawn scenarios in this book are just stinking funny, more so than the first book, I thought, and I just couldn’t stop laughing.
I already loved these characters, especially our lead trio, but oh gosh, I didn’t think I could love them more, and I just did. The way they interact is hilarious and pulls no punches, but also, they’re obviously totally there to support each other. You know, the perfect sort of friend balance.
There are several full-page comic strip feeling scenarios, particularly around helping Duncan (which really means playing with his tech, let’s be honest, as if they needed more of an excuse for that), and they made me laugh so freaking hard.
❧ All the best characters are back for the sequel, and we get to meet even more in the meantime.
Don’t worry, Totes comes up again. And Duncan. Really, those are the important ones, right?!
I actually don’t want to say much about the new additions to the cast, because part of the pleasure is in discovering them and meeting them for yourself. What I will say, though, is that there are soooo many superpowers in this. What you get in the first book is only a sampling, and in this book, you really realize the breadth and depth that can exist.
Ben Braver and the Vortex of Doom (Ben Braver, #3)
by Marcus EmersonPublished by: Roaring Brook Press on March 3, 2020
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Humor, Middle Grade, Graphic Novel
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
An ordinary kid like Ben Braver is no match for a band of super villains, but he may be humanity's only hope in Marcus Emerson's Ben Braver and the Vortex of Doom.
The world will never be the same . . .
When the baddest of bad guys threatens the world with a giant black hole, Ben Braver is the only one who can stop it. Ready or not, he's about to learn what it really means to be a hero.
The Ben Braver series is “a crazy fun ride--action packed and loaded with laughs!” says Max Brallier, author of the New York Times–bestselling series The Last Kids on Earth.
Many thanks to RockStar Book Tour and Roaring Brook Press for a finished copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. This review may contain spoilers for the first two books.
❧ This book felt a little lighter on the humor, but it doubled down on the action.
Or maybe it was just me? I didn’t find this one as funny as the first two (though it was still funny, no doubt about that). This one really pushed the life lessons, though, in a way that was pretty heavy-handed, and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about that. On the one hand, it’s a super freaking important message that I support 100% and I think it’s great to have in a kids’ book, and I hope all the readers take that message away with them. On the other hand … there was absolutely no subtlety to it, and it wasn’t the most interesting arc of the book to read, just because it was so obvious where it was going and what it was selling. Well, to me, at least.
The action in this book, though? Phew. There is action, and even one scene at the end that has some pretty strong Avengers vibes, and I loved it.
If you thought the second book had a lot of powers … phew. Get ready. Just when you thought you’d seen it all, this book delivers more and new and so many things you didn’t realize you wanted until they pop up. One of my favorite things about this series is the exploration of power and how the kids are growing into theirs, so to see superpowers play a role in the story in a big way was exciting, and the art really shone in this regard.
That…is a black hole.
Or something like it.
It was more like a giant vortex of doom that was growing larger smack dab in the middle of Times Square in New York City.
❧ Time travel in books usually makes my head explode, and I can’t say for sure it hasn’t, but I enjoyed how it was broached here.
I followed along pretty easily. There was no major “red flag, you have broken the universe” alarms going off. It made pretty good sense, and I thought it was interesting how it came up and resolved itself.
“Looks like we’re in the forest,” Noah said.
Penny glared at Noah. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m…oh, you’re being sarcastic,” Noah said.
❧ Oh, the feeeels. There were so many feels. I need somewhere to put them all.
While the other books were funny, this one accomplished a different level of emotion, because it made me laugh and feel and just … so many emotions. Though I didn’t laugh as much at this book, I felt like the depth of the book was greater, while still being funny. While there was definitely something to take away from every book, I think this will be the one that stays with me the most, just because of all the emotions in it.
Is it pee?
Like…did the bad guy just pee all over me?
I was probably better off not knowing.
❧ I’m finding there’s not actually a whole lot I can say about this one, because the plot is so convoluted and tightly wrapped that I’m afraid of spoiling something.
Time travel will do that to a person, right? I felt like every part of the book built on another part of it, which was necessary in order to have the time travel make sense, but boy does it make it hard to talk about.
About Marcus Emerson
Marcus Emerson is the author of the hit Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja series and the Secret Agent 6th Grader series. His career started in 2nd grade when he discovered Garfield. He grew up playing Super Mario Bros. 4, watching Thundercats, and reading comics like X-Men, Superman, and Wildcats. He lives in Eldridge, Iowa with his wife and children.
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[…] Braver and the Incredible Exploding Kid by Marcus Emerson★★★★★ || GoodreadsI think this was my favorite book of the series, just because the humor was on point. […]