Jack Blank Adventure, #1: The Accidental Hero

The Accidental Hero: Jack Blank Adventure, #1 by Matt Myklusch

My stars: 4

My Rating: PG (for some violence)

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  The author drew this. I liked it, so I thought I’d share it here.

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  Alternate cover

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  Alternate cover

For more photos, you can check out Mr. Myklusch’s Facebook: Jack Blank sketches

Plot: Jack Blank, a bullied orphan at St. Barnaby’s, has no friends but the comic books he smuggled away. He is hated by the teacher, the kids, the principal, everybody. Even the electronics hate him- whenever he is around, lights begin to flicker, bus engines stall. Life is extremely dismal, especially with no future but as a toilet brush cleaner. All that changes one day, when a robot from the comics he loves comes to life… with the intent of killing him. Shortly afterward, Jazen, an android from a bustling land called Imagine Nation, takes him away to that country- a place where every comic he’d read (and those he hadn’t) were real. But there are enemies lurking here too, and he can no longer run from them…

Pros: Unique storyline, good plot twists, well-developed characters, creative setting.

Cons: Slow; took about 30% of the book to finally pick up speed, and another 20% to get me interested.

Detail: I found The Accidental Hero really slow at first, like I mentioned above. I almost had to force myself to keep reading it, as I hate to leave an unfinished book. At around 30-something percent of the way through, The Accidental Hero started to get interesting enough for me to keep reading. Around 40 or 50%, I found I had to see what happened next! There were two plot twists near the end and I was like AAAAAHHHHhhhhh!!!!!! My favorite character was Allegra. She sounds like someone I would like to be friends with- modest, hidden courage, and she chooses friends carefully.

I recommend this book to the age range 10 or 11 years old and up (I don’t like to say a maximum age, because you are never too old to read a book!!)

Will I finish this series? That remains to be determined…

Fun fact: The Accidental Hero was previously called Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation.