Book Review for The Mighty Odds by Amy Ignatow

A copy of the book was provided by SocialBookCo.

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4/5 STAR RATING

I had never read anything by Amy Ignatow before, even though I see her Popularity Papers series checked out from my library all the time. It just seemed like another Diary of a Wimpy Kid rip-off series. But going by this book, she has a unique take on children’s literature that I think should be heard. It’s funny and serious and relevant to how kids think and what they enjoy.

A group of kids, who are not friends, get into a bus accident coming home from a field trip. They all walk away with some pretty distinctive powers. For example, Farshad has super human strength but only in his thumbs .The other kids: Nick, Martina, and Cookie, also have weird powers that they’re learning to control. Its little quirks like that that make this book such a joy to read. I’m sure any middle school aged pre-teen would love to acquire super powers. But Ignatow shows how you should be careful what you wish for. Since now they have someone (possibly evil) looking for them.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a juvenile fiction book quite like this one. I either read regular fiction or graphic novels. Ignatow is known for combining words and art into her books. The pictures are not the dominant feature for her story. They act more like highlights to the narrative. This would be a good way to “trick” kids into reading this book, with the promise that there are pictures scattered about. And I know you’re supposed to let a child read what they want but sometimes they need a push. So I wouldn’t be above using ulterior motives to get someone to read this book.

The dialogue was well written. To my surprise, a few curse words were sprinkled throughout Cookie’s POV. I appreciate the realism to how she talks. As a young black female, I expect a certain amount of sass from her character. I know that may sound like I’m stereotyping her but I’m not. It’s instinctual for me to gravitate towards any character of color and I desperately want them to be authentic without being a caricature of their race. Cookie and Farshad both hold their own and exceed my expectations when it came down to their speech and representation.   

The ending of the novel seemed a bit rushed to me. I was really enjoying the book and then before I knew it, it was over. I think the author could have handled it better. I do understand that this is the intro to a series though, so some themes have to be fleshed out in the next book. I just feel like you barely get to know these kids before their story is wrapping up and trying to set up the mystery of who's after them. This is why I plan on reading the next book when it is released. I look forward to some more bonding between the reluctant superheroes.