Synopses & Reviews
Brad Baron is used to looking lame compared to his older brother, Blake. Though Brad's basically a genius, Blake is a superhero in the elite Justice Force. And Brad doesn't measure up at his high school, either, where powers like super-strength and flying are the norm. So when Brad makes friends who are more into political action than weight lifting, he's happy to join a new crew-especially since it means spending more time with Layla, a girl who may or may not have a totally illegal, totally secret super-power. And with her help, Brad begins to hone a dangerous new power of his own.
But when they're pulled into a web of nefarious criminals, high-stakes battles, and startling family secrets, Brad must choose which side he's on. And once he does, there's no turning back.
Perfect for fans of The Avengers, Ironman, and classic comic books, V is for Villain reveals that it's good to be bad.
Review
In this provocative adventure, Moore (Red Moon Rising) explores the dichotomies of good versus evil and nature versus nurture through the story of a teenage scion of a heroic family who's forced into a life of rebellion. Because he's "unpowered," Brad Baron can never live up to the standards set by his legendary father and brother, but he strives on-until rampant prejudice and casual neglect lead him to make friends with a band of malcontents bent on changing the system through supervillainy. Discovering his latent, illegal power of telepathy, Brad adopts their mission as his own and discovers dark secrets underlying everything he's ever believed. While Moore's story stands on its own as a superpowered coming-of-age story, complete with a bad-girl love interest and dramatic scenery-destroying battles, it's also a subtle criticism of institutionalized privilege-in this case, featuring a society in which flashy physical powers are valued more than less-obvious ones, and normal people are practically faceless bystanders. Come for the fights and tights, stay for the fascinating evolution of a sympathetic villain. Ages 12 up.
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Publishers WeeklyReview
Being the nonpowered brother of a superhero could turn any good kid bad.
Sixteen-year-old Brad Baron attends Monroe Academy for Powered Teens with the powerful children and siblings of other superheroes. Having no powers makes this a dangerous proposition, especially in Physical Training, a fact made all too clear when Brad is laid up for several weeks with shattered vertebrae. He's moved (involuntarily) to the alternative program, and not only does he make a few friends, but also discovers teachers who aren't jerks or hero-worshippers. However, his big, dumb brother, Blake, aka Artillery of Justice Force, thinks Brad's new friends make him look bad. Blake's attempts at meddling only serve to deepen Brad's anti-hero sentiments. Brad and his friends form an alliance when he finally discovers his own latent telepathy, and they seek out connections in a world where telepathy is illegal. When they make a startling discovery about the origin of superpowers, what should they do with the knowledge? And will they survive any decision they make? Moore's science fantasy takes place in a recognizable world, and young teens will identify with Brad and his cohorts. Well-crafted characters, moral nuance, and a tale with nice, believable twists make this a great addition to the teen-superhero genre.
This is superhero fiction done right. (Fantasy. 12 and up)--Kirkus
Review
3Q 3P M J S In a near-future United States, adolescents with extreme talents, such as flying and superhuman fighting strength, attend the Monroe Academy for Powered Teens. Younger siblings of these heroes-in-training, who apparently lack superpowers themselves, can also attend, but they are placed in the academy's "A-program" for the ungifted. Because his brother, Blake Baron, is a famous alum, now known as the superhero Artillery, sixteen-year-old Brad was initially accepted in the superhero track. But after he is flattened and nearly killed by a superpowered classmate, and has shown no promise of developing any heroic abilities of his own, Brad is demoted to the A-program. As related in the first-person by Brad, after getting over his initial shock and disappointment, he finds a rich underground of fellow rejects and rebels who challenge the prevailing culture of superhero worship. Among the rebels is an attractive girl, Layla, who helps Brad discover that, although he lacks conventional superhero talents like his famous brother, he may have untapped mental powers that are just as potent. In the style of superhero comics, graphic novels, and movies, this story is thin on literary qualities such as character development and buildup of an authentic setting. Its science fiction premise of extreme genetic engineering of humans is flimsy, but the novel does succeed as a parable of rebellion against dominant values and power structures that minority and underdog teens must negotiate in high school and the wider mainstream culture. Brad becomes an interesting antihero, regarded as a villain by society, but the reader may decide otherwise.-Walter Hogan.--VOYA
Review
Brad Baron has been living in the shadow of his older brother, Blake, all his life. Blake is bigger, stronger, faster-and he can fly. Somehow, Blake got the superpower genes, and all Brad got was enhanced intelligence. In the superherocentric world of V Is for Villain, brains don't count for much. "Just because you don't have powers . . . doesn't mean that you're any less of a human being," says Blake. Who wouldn't turn villain in the face of that kind of attitude? And when Brad is transferred out of the hero program at his school, he meets other kids like him with "minor" or low-level powers, kids who question the might-equals-right paradigm that exalts superheroes without regard to the consequences of their methods. Maybe the difference between hero and villain is muddier than it seems. Some of the characterizations in this quasi-dystopian novel can be a little heavy-handed, but with plenty of plot twists, dastardly conspiracies, and a snarky narrator, the latest from Moore (Red Moon Rising, 2011) has lots of sparkle. - Paula Willey--Booklist
Review
Brad Baron has the alliterative name, the family history, and the education to be a great hero-he just doesn't seem to have any superpowers. His awesome older brother does in spades, which makes Brad's demotion to his elite school's less prestigious program even more embarrassing. Fortunately, the new program provides Brad with his first real friends, a group of renegades who see problems with their society's hero worship-and who want to take it down, villain style. It turns out that Brad does have powers, illegal ones in the form of telepathy and mind control, and he just needed the right person (in this case, the gorgeous Layla) to help him develop them. Though the teens quickly get in over their heads by trying to impress one of the most dangerous bad guys of them all, they are a scrappy bunch, and they may actually shake up the status quo. The battle line scenes are effectively zippy, but it is actually the backstory of how some of the bad guys emerged that is most compelling in this novel-almost everyone is a pawn in someone else's gene-splicing or population-control game, and no one group seems to have all of the information. Luckily for the reader, Brad, the intrepid narrator and budding supervillain, is brilliant and particularly adept at gathering the pieces, once he is made aware that all is not as it seems in this world where the heroes are so jerky they may be more villainous than their foes. Comic-book buffs and fans of the similarly themed Sidekicks by Jack Ferraiolo (BCCB 4/11) will appreciate the mix of humor and action and the tweaking of expectations of what makes one good or evil. AS--BCCB
Review
PRAISE FOR RED MOON RISING"The details are imaginative and believable, as are the social interactions at school and in Danny's home. This is a nifty book to pair with discussions about race and class, and a few direct references to Nazis also make it potentially useful for history connections."--Booklist
Review
PRAISE FOR RED MOON RISING"Moore ably keeps this novel from becoming simply social commentary by allowing Danny, a kid far more concerned with his new love, his future, and his newly found wulf strength than what he might represent in larger society, to narrate his own transformative experience."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children?s Books
Review
PRAISE FOR RED MOON RISING"Moore tackles important issues such as self-esteem, prejudice/discrimination, loyalty, and acceptance, all woven into a teen paranormal adventure drama Fans of the genre will enjoy this different spin on the supernatural."--School Library Journal
About the Author
Peter Moore (petermoorebooks.com) has been fascinated with superheroes since he was old enough to trip over his own cape. (He didn't make a very graceful hero.) After a brief life of crime (he shoplifted some candy and got caught) he decided to devote his energy to the forces of good. Lacking super-strength, he took to working out and became strong. Lacking super-intelligence, he studied hard in high school and read a lot, which enabled him to attend Vassar College and Columbia University. Lacking superior fighting skills, he trained in boxing and Goju-Ryu karate. Finding job opportunities for aspiring heroes to be scarce, he instead has worked as a screenwriter, college professor, English teacher, film teacher, and guidance counselor. He lives with his wife and two kids in an undisclosed headquarters somewhere in New York state where he allegedly works on his writing. This is his fourth book for young adults. He strongly denies allegations that any character in this book is based on him.