The Neighborhood Watch

Just Cause Universe, Book 10

By: Ian Thomas Healy

Narrated by: Jodi Evans

Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Seventh-grade Superheroes!

It's not easy being a 12-year-old superhero, but the five kids of the neighborhood watch are doing the best they can. La Capitána: super-strong flier. Wheels: brilliant inventor. Hothead: catches on fire. Breezy: controls wind. Rascal: super-skateboarding. From their headquarters built into a repurposed Winnebago, they patrol the streets and alleys of their small hometown and dream of being big time heroes like Mustang Sally and the rest of Just Cause. Instead, they're stuck rescuing cats stuck in trees...or they would be if their rivals didn't get there first.

Three identical superpowered triplets, the Culture Club, are the darlings of local media. They never miss a photo opportunity or interview. They always seem to be in the right place at the right time. It just isn't fair.

When La Capitána manages to stop a real supervillain, it changes everything for the neighborhood watch, and sets in motion a chain of events that will mean only one team can come out on top. Will the Culture Club win the day once more, or will the neighborhood watch prevail?

©2013 Ian Thomas Healy (P)2019 Ian Thomas Healy

Fun YA Superhero Series

My 13-year-old son helped me listen to this book and I will say that we had not read the other books in the series. That being said the author does a great job explaining what is going on so we were not lost in any way, so I think these could stand on their own. On a morality rating for those parents out there... there is minimal violence and some cussing but no f-bombs. My son struggled a bit with the gay parents (kissing scene) and when the girls joked about their costumes looking better if they had "boobs". Overall, I thought it was a really fun super-hero adventure but I do think it is geared towards an older teen to young adult. This story is about teen supers that are on competing teams- popular team and the Neighborhood Watch. Teen drama enters in when feelings get hurt and one of the Neighborhood Watch members gets kicked off the team... then joins the rival popular team. Can friendships be healed and can they also work together to save the day?

The narrator did a great job with the acting and voices, my son said he could tell she was having fun with the different characters and scenes.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Delightful, Diverting, and a Fine JCU Detour

While I am very much a fan of the entire series, I wasn't sure I wanted to go to "Young Teen Hero" land, so I avoided this one for a while. Being a continuity fiend, however, meant I eventually had to catch up on this book.

I am glad I did - the characterizations are exceptional, and not cookie-cutter or trite. The story reveals more depth than I expected, as well. The performance has a lot of enthusiasm, but the reading can come off a bit stilted and overly-precise instead of cool and natural.

There are others in this series that I enjoyed more, but I am truly glad I listened to Neighborhood Watch and look forward to learning more about the story of these characters going forward.

Superhero kids. Enjoyable story

This is the first book in this series that I have heard. The story is enjoyable. The characters, young superheroes, are believable as young kids.
At first the narration seemed a little fast to me, if I could have changed it to 90-95% it would have been perfect. However, I got used to her speed after a chapter or two. My partner thought the speed was fine from the start. There was not a lot of voice changes, more like someone reading a book. Dispute these comments, we would both listen to Jodi Evans again

We will definitely listen to other books by Ian Thomas Healy.
I received this book free in exchange for my honest review.

Teenage super heroes with cool powers

So being a teenager already comes with more awkwardness and issues then one needs. Now add in super powers, also realize that while supers are rare. This town has two teams of teenage supers. One set is a ragtag bag of kids who want to do right and make a name for themselves. The other. Two powerhouse sisters with a fashion mogul mother who designs their outfit and markets them, and a father who is a local tv reporter using his connections to promote them. Needless to say one gets much more action than the other. So what happens when the ragtag group stumbles on a bank robbery? The two begin two mix, just like oil and water. Secrets will be revealed, a dark villain has done something truly sinister that will rock this small town group of heroes to their core and require a show of solidarity to make things, If not right, than at least to make sure justice is served. This will test them all to the limits both in power sets and moral strength. Great addition to the Just Cause Universe. Well written and well narrated. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher