Review of Vanguard and the Bloody Bones

[kandscreeley]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Vanguard and the Bloody Bones" by Duke York.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Jack Sinclair lives in a world full of superheroes and supervillains. While in class one day, a supervillain by the name of Bloody Bones starts attacking the school. Jack is determined to hold this superhuman off long enough for his friends to get to safety—and he does. You see, Jack is himself a superhuman, though he's tried to hide it. Students from The School—a training ground for young superheroes—come to his rescue. He is offered a place to learn more about his own powers. But, superhumans tend to attract other superhumans. This is a dangerous life that he's contemplating. Will Jack become a powerful superhero? Or, will his life be cut short like many others before him?

Vanguard and the Bloody Bones by Duke York is a young adult novel of approximately 315 pages. There is violence as well as mild profanity. Therefore, this would be best suited for teenagers or adults.

The book is written in the third-person perspective, focusing on Jack. I enjoyed his character. Sheltered from life by an overprotective mother, he's inexperienced and naive. It was interesting to learn about this world along with him. For example, I loved that almost everyone, superhuman or not, wore masks.

The other students at The School make for a compelling cast of characters. From those that are invulnerable to those that simply know how to exploit and adapt technology to those that can fly, there's a superpower for everyone. Though they seem to skip some of the teenage drama (no mean girls here), they still have their difficulties (relationship issues, trust issues, etc.).

The plot is simplistic, but it's not dull. The action starts from the beginning and doesn't stop until the bitter end. The book is never boring, always leaving you wondering who the real bad guy is. Unfortunately, the book ends before we really find out. If you don't like incomplete endings, this isn't the book for you.

The one drawback was the editing. The book wasn't even proofread to say nothing of professional editing. There's a mistake on almost every page. From missing words to extra words to incorrect punctuation, it covers the gamut. It was rather distracting.

I immensely enjoyed reading Vanguard and the Bloody Bones. Therefore, I rate it 3 out of 4 stars. There is one caveat, though. I can't recommend it to anyone who can't overlook grammatical errors, at least until it's been proofread. However, if you enjoy a good superhero story with some coming-of-age elements, you should absolutely read this story. I hope that there's a sequel coming out soon.

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Vanguard and the Bloody Bones
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[Precious DA]

Such an interesting review! I would love to see how Jack manages to pull through and if he does indeed get to be a superhero. It feels like challenges in our lives. I want to see how Jack manages to survive the hurdles his own life throws at him. It is also a reminder that even superhumans need help sometimes.

[kandscreeley]

Such an interesting review! I would love to see how Jack manages to pull through and if he does indeed get to be a superhero. It feels like challenges in our lives. I want to see how Jack manages to survive the hurdles his own life throws at him. It is also a reminder that even superhumans need help sometimes.

It's a fun story. I love the concept. Thanks for commenting.