"Super Human" by Michael Carroll

With an off-putting cover, this one hasn't moved much.  A determined student, however, was persistent in his efforts to get me to read it.  I'm so glad he did.  This is the first of three books to focus on a new crop of super heroes.  Much like those in the DC and Marvel universes, the characters in this book read minds, fly, throw fire and do any number of very cool things.  The entire story takes place over a day and a half (with some Ancient World excerpts) -- switching back and forth between four main characters, all teens.  Hugely action-packed, there is a page-turning quotient, in that you hardly get a breath between one battle and the next.  If asked, I would say this isn't my kind of thing but Carroll manages to weave a real mystery around the events and describes each fight very specifically and somewhat uniquely.  He makes sure that each character fights (or doesn't) in ways that match that person's skills ~and~ personality.  There isn't a whole lot besides action but the characters come off as real and well-rounded, and Carroll does manage to insert some very accurate Science into the whole thing.  The author also gets two thumbs up for making half of his "cast" African American and for giving the female characters some major ***-kicking skills.  My favorite character is Lance, a bad-boy-in-training that you just have to like.  I'll admit -- it's not "literary" in any sense of the word but it is very well written for what it is -- both accessible and engaging.  There are also "quite a number" of hints dropped at the end which will likely pay off in the next installment.  The copy I had contained the first chapter of the next book, a trend publishers are engaging in which is meant to tease the readers.  It works.  Fans of The Tomorrow People, The Avengers, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and even Star Trek will find this an entertaining romp.