Against the Odds

May 1, 2017

Gr 4-6-The Odds, a motley crew of middle school students from Muellersville, PA, are bonded together because they all accidentally gained superpowers. In the aftermath of a fateful bus accident, they are learning to live with their new abilities. They are also trying to come to an understanding of what part the scientific lab Auxano played in the whole incident. Together they travel to Philadelphia, then to an apartment full of excommunicated Amish teens, and finally into the belly of Auxano, all while going to school and taking exams. The Odds are also attempting to hone their powers; Farshad's strong thumbs cause him to break things, and Nick's original ability to transport himself a few inches has transformed into more than he bargained for. Their journey is full of self-realizations as well. Cookie must learn how to manage her social circle and admit that she has more in common with her Odds partners than she thought. Told in a mixture of prose, comic book illustrations, and newspaper articles, this title is sure to grab the attention of many types of readers. The characters are from a mix of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, including Indian American, Amish, and African American, and they freely acknowledge their differences. This is very much a sequel, and the setting is continually being developed. VERDICT Recommended for middle grade readers familiar with the first book and ready for more "Odds" adventures.-Morgan Brickey, Arlington Public Library, TX

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2017
A small group of young teens who have suddenly acquired bizarre superpowers are back for a second romp.Reading series opener The Mighty Odds (2016) is essential for an understanding of the second, but who would want to miss it? During a bus accident, four middle school students, an Amish teen, and the driver acquired strange new powers. Cookie, the only black kid, mocks others' occasional discomfort with her race and can read minds--but mostly just thoughts involving directions; Iranian-American Farshad has helicopter parents and superstrong thumbs; Nick, white, can teleport four inches to the left; Martina, also white, can see the bus driver, who became invisible, and has eyes that constantly change color; Amish Abe can communicate (politely) with animals but not so well with Cookie. White Jay has no superpowers, but he's so hilariously irrepressible that he's oblivious to rejection, quite a strength in itself. It's become clear that major local employer Auxano is nefariously behind what's happened. The teens discover that it's holding prisoner an Amish young adult who may also have powers, necessitating a bumbling rescue mission and setting up the next in the series. A fantastic hybrid of novel and graphic novel, this is a fine selection for both reluctant readers and anyone who enjoys an exuberant combination of spot-on humor and nail-biting suspense. (Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 10-16)

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July 1, 2017
Fans of the equally offbeat predecessor The Mighty Odds should be eager to learn the backstory of the main characters' strange superpowers, which involves an ill-intentioned lab testing a drug on rabbits--and on Amish teens during their Rumspringa. The often funny mission to rescue several people locked up by that lab is punctuated with drawings, news articles, and sometimes boorish middle-school dialogue.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)