Title: SIDEKICKED
Author: John David Anderson
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Release Date: June 25, 2013
Number of Pages: 384
With not nearly enough power comes way too much responsibility.
Andrew
Bean might be a part of H.E.R.O., a secret organization for the
training of superhero sidekicks, but that doesn’t mean that life is all
leaping tall buildings in single bounds. First, there’s Drew’s power:
Possessed of super senses – his hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell
are the most powerful on the planet – he’s literally the most sensitive
kid in school. There’s his superhero mentor, a former legend who now
spends more time straddling barstools than he does fighting crime. And
then there’s his best friend, Jenna – their friendship would be
complicated enough if she weren’t able to throw a Volkswagen the length
of a city block. Add in trying to keep his sidekick life a secret from
everyone, including his parents, and the truth is clear: Middle school
is a drag even with superpowers.But this was all before a
supervillain long thought dead returned to Justicia, superheroes began
disappearing at an alarming rate, and Drew’s two identities threatened
to crash head-on into each other. Drew has always found it pretty easy
to separate right from wrong, good from evil. It’s what a superhero
does. But what happens when that line starts to break down?
if you could only have one superpower, what would it be?
to take the kids to tennis lessons I found myself wishing for teleportation.
Mind control would have been handy the other day when I tried to convince the
cable company that they were overcharging me.
Or telekinesis for those times you are stranded without toilet paper (if I could just open the cabinet under the
bathroom sink…). It might be fun to be able to rearrange the entire
molecular structure of the universe: Like playing with an infinite number of
Lego bricks, except I’d be afraid I wouldn’t be able to put it back together
right.
would still just use it for mundane stuff: like using laser vision to make
water boil faster by looking at it or frost breath to lower my air-conditioning
bill. You probably don’t want me saving the world.
up? What inspiration did you draw (or not draw) from this?
comics—just mooched off of friends—but I was profoundly influenced by the
mythology. I remember pretending to be every tights-wearing paragon imaginable,
flying through the house, leaping over couches in a single bound, smashing
potato chips between my fists in threatening gestures as I warned imaginary henchmen
that I was not to be trifled with. My imagination was populated by a tableau of
superheroes, Star Wars characters,
and cartoon miscreants. I’m not sure where all this came from: books, film,
clubhouse conversations, advertising. I think it was important, though, that I
never got overly immersed in comics. I
have an appreciation for the genre and its practitioners and enough of a basic
understanding of the conventions of superhero narratives that I could pervert
them to my own ends.
process developing the various minor and major superheroes we meet in the book,
building out the history of the completely original superhero world you created
here. Is there anything in particular you discovered while digging into
this backstory?
actually make it longer. The great thing about going back to the novel to revise it was
stepping outside of Drew’s head to get a sense of the bigger picture. My
initial draft was so focused on his remarkable (and yet myopic) vision of the
world, that I sometimes overlooked how rich that world could be. There are
things Drew takes for granted that readers might not. So as the book evolved, I
tried to flesh out Justicia and its inhabitants a little, rounding out the
heroes and villains that populated it, drawing out the motives of other
characters, but still trying to keep Drew’s often ambivalent attitude about the
whole thing as the focal point. I think several of the adult characters grew as
a result of that process, but perhaps the character who benefited most from the
revision was Jenna, who, in my opinion, ends up being even more conflicted than
Drew. Like him, I still don’t quite understand that girl. And I created her.
characters seem to be particularly suited to their personalities: for instance,
our hero, Andrew Bean, a thoughtful and sensitive guy, is quite literally
possessed of super-senses. How did you go about choosing the various
powers for your characters?
(Gavin’s literally rock-hard muscles). Some provided much needed comic relief
(Mike’s shocking fear of self-electrocution). Most of the sidekicks have powers
that compliment their personalities, but for Drew the power provided something
extra: a way of looking at the world—and writing about it—from a slightly
skewed perspective. His power is as much a burden as a blessing, I think, and
much of the novel is him struggling to decide if it’s even worth having,
especially given the circumstances he finds himself in. Like many kids his age,
he sits on the cusp of a more adult world full of responsibility and codes and
severe consequences and yet barely equipped to tackle them. Even with his
powers, he still has a lot of growing up to do.
the concept of heroism – the moral questions, the responsibility, the moments
when being “good” might just not be good enough. What do you think is the
hardest part about being a superhero?
The hours. When do they sleep? And for the flyers all those
bugs—shouldn’t they wear goggles? And then there’s the revolving door
prison—that’s got to be frustrating, knowing that almost as soon as you put
somebody behind bars they are going to bust out and hold the city for ransom
again. And I hear the paparazzi are terrible. And the underground lairs almost
always have mold.
that selfless. At their best, superheroes are purely altruistic, willing to
sacrifice everything for the “greater good.” They don’t have time to
watch Animal Planet with their kids
(that they probably don’t even have), or go on a date, or just lay in the
hammock with a good book. I remember watching the first Superman, the scene with him flying through the air with Lois Lane,
and thinking “Dude, there are probably eighty crimes going on RIGHT NOW
and you’re just showing off for some GIRL!? So unrealistic!” Of course at
the time I was twelve and just wanted Christopher Reeve to punch something, but
even now I think about the real heroes in the world and admire them for all of
the time, sweat, money, and lives they sacrifice so the rest of us can pursue
our often self-motivated ends.
hero or a villain? Or is it more complicated than that?
the capacity to be both, but that our default is actually bystander. In some
ways I worry that our primary impulse is to sit back and watch as crimes or tragedies unfold around us. Most of us are voyeurs—the
gaping gawkers that stand outside the pool in the first chapter of the book,
oohing and aahing as the action unfolds before them. I’m not sure that’s
admirable. Bystanders, yes, but does that mean we are innocent?
nefarious or the noble? There is something alluring about villainy: the chance
to undermine or circumvent all the codes and laws in order to pursue your own
ends, especially if you question the codes and laws to begin with. Ultimately,
though, I think that, if pressed, our capacity for love and empathy and our sense
of community take hold, and we err to the side of heroism. Our history and
culture are not without their share of villains, but our heroes still outnumber
them in droves—we just don’t hear about them as often. Still, it’s a choice…that
is, once you realize you don’t need a pair of tights and a snazzy mask to go
make a difference in the world.
book, Minion?
Minion tackles many of
the same issues as Sidekicked, but
from the other side of the metropolis. The book’s protagonist is an antihero
who is decidedly anti hero. He is
undoubtedly a criminal; yet he struggles with many of the same issues as Drew
does: the difference between what’s right and what’s best, the search for
identity, and the desperate need find someone to trust in a world of men in
masks.
robberies and crushes and people being
crushed and people who shoot thorns out of their skin and all the things that
make a book really worth reading too.
suspenders-wearing, banana-loving henchmen. I love those guys.
maria.selke says
Hmmm…. my superpower…
Definitely NOT telepathy – unless I could turn it on and off at will. I have no desire to hear what people think of me every moment of the day. Teleportation is out. I'm like Bones from Star Trek on that one – having my atoms scattered is not appealing. Super memory… yeah… as long as I can choose to turn THAT on or off… there are a few things I'd love to forget.
Elise says
I would really like to be able to teleport! Stupid plane tickets are REALLY expensive and I have major wanderlust! Nope, no altruistic motives for my superpower! *shrug*
DMS says
Also- I accidentally said I follow via GFC as Jess/DMS- but I follow via bloglovin as Jess Haight. Sorry! I couldn't fix it in the form.
DMS says
This book sounds like such fun. I love super heroes and this book is sure to be an interesting read. If I could have a superpower it would be a toss up between being able to fly and being able to teleport. 🙂 Awesome giveaway. Thanks!
~Jess
Batch of Books says
I would love to not have to sleep. Imagine how much you could get done in a day if sleep didn't interrupt all your great plans!
Anonymous says
I think my superpower would be Research Girl. If there was information required I could find and find it fast. Stuck inside a smashed up computer or iphone…call me in and I be able to mind control the information out of it! I am really looking forward to reading this book this summer!
Rosi says
Oh, my. This one sounds so good and I hadn't heard of it. Thanks for the review and great interview and for running the giveaway.
Holly Mueller says
I've heard great things about this book!
Stephanie Shouldis says
I'm seriously so excited about this book!! As for a superpower, I would like to have the ability to never need sleep. Imagine all the books I could read, if I didn't have to sleep!