Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: Confessions of a Former Teen Superhero

SERIES: Kid Quasar Saga #1.

AUTHOR: Keith Hartman

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 200 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2023

BLURB:

It’s not easy being invulnerable.

Back in high school, Josh was secretly the famous superhero KID QUASAR. But he was so busy saving the world that he never had a chance to make any friends — let alone a boyfriend.

So now Josh is living in his mom’s basement, struggling to get his first real job after nearly failing out of college. Because it’s hard to be an A-student when alien arms dealers decide to attack Cleveland in the middle of your sociology final. And as his mom keeps pointing out,
being a superhero doesn’t actually pay anything.

Worse, Josh isn’t even a big-name superhero anymore. Some showoff named Comet Boy came along, rescued a few celebrities, and became a social media darling. And suddenly, nobody cares about Kid Quasar.

Like so many young guys, Josh is feeling lost. He can’t be the person that he was back in high school, but he can’t figure out what comes next. And even though he has this one amazing thing that makes him special, there’s no way for him to make a living at it. He’s a misfit who can’t find a place for himself in the world.

And then Josh meets Rick, the guy who might change everything. There’s just one BIG problem . . .

REVIEW:

Being a superhero isn’t easy. Josh, AKA, Kid Quasar, could let people die – nope, not an option. Instead, he sacrifices his education, relationship, and job prospects to save the masses. For a genius with a strong non-paying job ethic, life sucks, especially when his rival rescues one pop star, snagging all the press and financial benefits. Kid Quasar needed an agent. Then he met Rick.

Confessions of a Former Teen Superhero is the first in a five-book series. It is an entertaining read, full of classic comic-book-styled corny banter, posturing, battles, saving the innocent, supervillains, and living a lonely existence.

The story is told in the first-person past tense from Josh’s viewpoint. The setting is LA. However, worldbuilding revolves around situations instead of physical buildings and other vistas. Other than the odd autonomous body part (‘my fingers wrapped’ – instead of ‘I wrapped my fingers’), there’s technically not much wrong.

There are many superhero wannabes in LA with various talents. However, Josh is an A-Class superhero – impervious to bullets, etc. Yet, he has his Kryptonite and is naive about how the world works. His journey in this novel is one of enlightenment, indulgence, and coming to his senses. Effectively he grows up, transforming from lonesome Kid Quasar to a team player superhero (without the Kid). But, as already stated, this is a multi-book series with several elements destined to carry through.

As this story is book one, it serves as an introduction to the short and longer-term cast. I won’t name them all, but a few deserve a shout-out. Josh’s mom is the grounding influence. She worries for Josh’s future while ensuring he picks up the shopping on his way home from saving the city. Rick is the publicist, possible love interest, and more, who guides Josh through the murky waters of being in the public eye. But my favorite two people are the bad guys. Firstly, Tiffany is so psychotic she is positively adorable. Secondly, Dr. Nightmare is the main adversary, who also lends an ear to a downtrodden Josh while having no trouble freezing some interrupting tourists in ice.

Overall, I found this story a riot to read. It contains plenty of action, emotion, and snarky banter. However, I am an impatient reader. While Josh’s journey is a work in progress, other storylines run from one book to the next. So, if cliffhangers frustrate you (I’m holding my hand in the air), and the next book isn’t to hand -it may be worth waiting until more of the series has been published. Nevertheless, this is a series to keep an eye out for.

RATING:

BUY LINK: 

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