The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell

Damien Locke can’t wait for his sixteenth birthday when his right thumbprint will form a V, officially marking him as a supervillain. Imagine his surprise and outrage when instead an X appears. There’s only one possibly way this could’ve happened: his supervillain mother doing it with a superhero. Blech. A superhero, of all people! To make matters worse, Damien now has to live with his superhero family. With his plans of villainy temporarily foiled, Damien must figure out what to do in the meantime. And even though Damien’s convinced he’s meant to be a supervillain, deep down, what if he’s not?

The Rise of Renegade X is without a doubt a comic adventure jam-packed with sarcastic fun. I’ve never been one for comics (though I’m of the mind that they make great movies), but Campbell’s novel has made me an enthusiast for the world of superheroes and supervillains. It’s probably because she makes it so much fun to navigate Golden City with Damien Locke. Humor and action combine surprisingly well in this unique story, making it difficult to put down. Another even more pleasant surprise for me was the depth and believability of Damien’s character. When his X thumbprint appears and he moves in with superheroes, he thinks he can have the best of both worlds, but his confused antics end up causing too much trouble for Damien to deal with. And although Damien doesn’t make a formal choice by the close of this story of which path he’ll pursue, superhero or supervillain, the decisions he does make increase my excitement for a sequel.

I recommend The Rise of Renegade X to those who like comics. I honestly can’t wait for a continuation of this original story or more from Campbell.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from publisher EgmontUSA