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The Ables

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

I did have fantastic hearing, mostly by virtue of being blind. But that couldn't actually mean that he's trying to tell me I have super powers, right? Because that would be ridiculous.

It wasn't the "sex talk" he expected. Phillip Sallinger's dad has told him he's a custodian—a guardian—and his genetically inherited power is telekinesis. He'll learn to move objects with his mind. Excited to begin superhero high school until he discovers he's assigned to a "special ed" class for disabled empowered kids, he suddenly feels like an outsider. Bullied, threatened, and betrayed, Phillip struggles, even as he and his friends—calling themselves the Ables—find ways to maximize their powers to overcome their disabilities, and are the first to identify the growing evil threatening humanity. As vital custodians disappear and the custodian leadership is mired in indecision, a mysterious and powerful figure taunts Phillip, and the enemy is poised to strike. But what if the next "one who does all," the multi-gifted custodian predicted to come, is one of the Ables?

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    • Kirkus

      June 1, 2019
      A congenitally blind boy discovers that he's a superhero. When his dad took him aside for "the talk" when he was 12, wisecracking Phillip expected a humiliating lecture on sex. Instead, he learned that, like everyone else in their small town, he's a "custodian": a superhero. Phillip has inherited telekinesis, which his blindness complicates. Relegated to the special education class at Freepoint High School, Phillip befriends Henry, an overweight, telepathic wheelchair user; Bentley, who has cerebral palsy and a hypersmart mind; Freddie, whose asthma hampers his power of gigantism; and James, also blind, who teleports. When a mysterious villain appears, the friends--dubbing themselves "the Ables"--must combine their skills to save the town. Scott's debut squanders an intriguing premise in a clich�-riddled plot; fans of superhero fare will guess twists long before they're revealed. Preachy, expository dialogue and Phillip's summary-laden narration slow the pace, and weak character development renders even tragedy flat. Despite the (mostly) realistic portrayal of Phillip's blindness, stale disability tropes abound, including disability-negating superpowers, Phillip's "fantastic hearing," and the glaringly infantilizing portrayal of a teen with Down syndrome as a "big teddy bear" with "the mind of a young child in the body of a grown man." Most characters are assumed white; Henry is black. Occasional line drawings illustrate the text. For an action-packed superhero tale sans egregious stereotyping, skip this and stick with Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief (2005). (Fantasy. 12-15)

      COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Library Journal

      May 24, 2019

      [DEBUT] What child doesn't dream of being a superhero one day, with the power of superstrength or the ability to move an object with only your mind? Children with disabilities are no different in this regard, and in this refreshing first novel, Scott tells of a child discovering his gifts through the eyes of Phillip Sallinger, a blind 12-year-old boy. Readers of all ages, genders, and abilities will connect to this incredibly action-packed tale and its wild roller-coaster of emotions and surprises. Belief in yourself is the main message, sent loud and clear. Scott's debut is smart, thought-provoking, and unique, and readers won't want to put this eye-opening, explosive story down. VERDICT Recommended for adult as well as YA sf collections and fans of Ransom Riggs's Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.--Susan Echols, Troy Univ. Lib., Dothan, AL

      Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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