Archvillain by Barry Lyga

Kyle Camden lives in the small town of Bouring, where nothing exciting ever happens. Until one strange night when the sky lights up with mysterious lights. All of a sudden, nothing is the same. Kyle discovers his body has developed so interesting powers. Even more perplexing is the arrival of a boy with similar powers, named Mighty Mike. Mike has been flying all over the nation saving lives, but Kyle knows there is something much more sinister going on. The question is, can Kyle exposed Mike for the fraud he is without making his own situation into something worse?

A super, drippingly cute book. I am a HUGE fan of Barry Lyga, so I was totally expecting to love this book. But it was not like I thought it would be. There were totally some surprises that threw me off, and I still enjoyed the book. First of all, Kyle's voice is both wise and funny. Then there's the fact that he is a super genius and yet still struggles with the things normal boys do (like having "the talk" with his Dad). I loved how Kyle takes everyday techie objects and turns them into boy fantasy items. This is how I imagine boys ages 6-12 see their world all of the time. Very clever! Kyle's friend Mairi is also a nice touch, to give the story a slight feminine side. And with an ending that is sure to leave readers wanting more, elementary school age boys will love it!

Overall Rating: 4 Stars