Mutation

Kid Sensation, Book 2

By: Kevin Hardman

Narrated by: Mikael Naramore

Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Kid Sensation is back! The intrepid teen super with the plethora of powers returns in a new adventure.

Having saved the planet and earned a place with the world's premiere superhero team, Jim (aka Kid Sensation) is preparing to attend the prestigious Academy, where teen supers from every corner of the globe learn to master their abilities. At the same time, however, he is approached by a mysterious government organization that wants Jim to work for them - and they won't take "No" for an answer.

Moreover, at the Academy itself, an insidious and highly contagious virus is running amok through the student population, striking at the heart of their abilities. Students are losing control of their powers, with lethal consequences.

Now, in addition to evading the machinations of government agents, Jim must solve the mystery behind the virus - and how to stop it - before every super everywhere becomes fatally infected.

©2013 Kevin Hardman (P)2016 Kevin Hardman

Fun follow-up to a young superhero story

I really enjoyed the first book, and had much the same reaction to this second one. It's got a good heart and sense of humor, and the fights keep your interest well. The negatives for me were that Kid Sensation has probably too many abilities, and thus to keep him from being overpowered, the author is forced to make him a bit slow. Every situation he is in, you'll be thinking to yourself "just phase/superspeed/fly/teleport..." etc., etc. Honestly, with his abilities there really should only be a single threat to him in this book. It's the same problem authors have had with Superman I guess. My other issue is the evil government agency that is a trope in superhuman novels. It's a bit over-done here, and then solved with some deus ex machina.

Anyway, ignoring the above gripes, it's a fun novel that had me smiling and laughing pretty often, and that's always going to win me over. If you enjoyed the first, you'll enjoy the second, and you'll be left wanting the third. Being left wanting more without the forceful push of cliffhangers is the hallmark of a good series!

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

fun story, light novel

lots of good teen moments, but the main character is almost a little too smart

Superhero adventure packed with action!

If you could sum up Mutation in three words, what would they be?

Action Packed Fun!

What other book might you compare Mutation to and why?

Some similarities with Super Powered as the story showcases a young superhero attending a school for other superheroes. Also kind of reminds me of Daniel X and I am Four, with the teenage protagonist being an alien.

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the scene with Kid Sensation and Alpha Prime at the end where he gives a chance to getting to know is father.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I liked the moments where the book explored the relationship between Jim, his mother, grandfather, and father. The book had a lot of action, so there was no slow part, but I wish they put some more depth to the characters and settings.

Any additional comments?

"This review copy audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost."

Another great story

They story keeps getting better. The characters keep growing are very relatable . Great read

Fantastic All Around

I loved this narrator Mikael Naramore, he does justice to the story that is great.

A fun Read

So after listening to the first book I'll admit I was hooked. A note before we get down to the review, this is a YA novel only in the sense that the main characters are teens and that there isn't a lot of depth or complications to the plot. With that said if you come into this expecting Shakespeare you will be disappointed. If you just want a fun read with super heroes, then you might have found what you've been looking for.

Pros:
1. the powers are well thought out, with the real world issues some scientists have actually look into. Fortunately the fixes this with other powers to off set these issues.
2. The characters are usually rather well developed and make sense.
3. There is humor that is actually funny, and not just in an adolescence manner either.
4. The romantic subplot is exactly that the subplot, not the plot, and is done in a rather realistic manner, it's sweet but not overwhelming.
5. the plot while not overly original is solid, without any real 'wait that wouldn't happen' moments.
6. everything makes sense within the context of the book, while some reviewers have questioned people not using their super powers, they clearly weren't listening about the risks.

Cons:
1. Lack of depth, this is where the book earns the YA status. It goes into some really heavy stuff like national sovereignty, legal checks and balances, moral and immoral science and so on. Yet rather than doing anything with them the book slowly retreats from them or outright runs away.
2. The plot 'twists' or big reveals are far from unexpected or surprising. I don't know if this is because they are a bit cliché or because there are so many hints and nudges about what is going on.
3. because there are no real surprise twists and because the main is so powerful there isn't really any suspense and so the last bit of the book is kind of boring.
4. while it is hinted at what the adult super heroes are doing, they're actions are never stated or even brought to light.
5. Sadly there is a lot of exposition, and I mean a lot even when it wasn't necessary. It doesn't get too much in the way but the book could have been much better without it.

Finally the narration. Honestly I can't remember it too well it must have been neither bad or spectacular.

In the end I would recommend buying this book. It's not a masterful work of literature but it is fun. If you want a YA that isn't drowning in angst, or just a fun listen this is a good book to pick up and I'll continue the series.

Supers trapped with a virus made just for them!

Mutation by Kevin Hardman and narrated by Mikael Naramore is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary. Another great story with Kid Sensation and his extreme life. He gets an offer to attend the academy for supernatural teens but also gets threatened by a group that wants him to spy on the academy or get deported off planet! Very intriguing story with suspenseful as well as lighter moments. This has action, great characters ( Good and evil), wonderful and unpredictable plot, emotional connection between characters, and great dialogue.
The narrator performs tremendously!

Fun Fast Fantasy Adventure

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely. It was a fun, fast read. Well written with good characters.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Mutation?

I really enjoyed the surprise date in Paris <3 always a romantic

What does Mikael Naramore bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His storytelling brought the story to life and made it way more interesting than just simply reading it could. Great variety of voices, of course male better than female.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, It flowed well from beginning to end. I couldn't wait to see how it ended.

Wow.

Another fun adventure. I look forward to more adventures in the future. I'm also curious about Alpha Prime.

A Great Listen

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, and found it very entertaining. Life is always difficult as teenager, but add being a superhero and having the world to save, it becomes stressful to say the least. With a very interesting plot, developed around very unique characters this story moves along a good pace, and suddenly it's over. With just the right amount of suspense, action and humour makes it well worth the listen.