Most teenagers think they are pretty special but Avery knows there's no one else just like him. And actually, he's right. Avery's got some super special and completely super secret super powers. Not only can he bench-press his mother's car (sometimes resulting in a little body damage) but Avery can actually fly - which of course he can't even tell a soul about since it would most likely result in a massive government investigation. Hey, I'd be worried about becoming a science experiment too. Feeling rather confused and alone, his parents send him to a reform school in hopes of curing his 'troublesome' behaviors, which only leads to encounters with Big Dawg the bully and the Mary Janes (watch out, those girls will cut you for a Diet Coke). Fortunately, Avery meets up with some other not-so-average kids including a genius ready to conquer the world with robots, an ultra tough (and grumpy) Catwoman, the Iceman, and Sticky Girl - who happens to also be Awfully Cute Girl. Together, these misfit teens decide to take the law into their own hands by tracking down muggers, rescuing lost boy scouts - while still making it home in time for curfew. If only they can continue to outwit the villainous Cherchette [insert evil laugh here:] who wants to take control of them and use them for her own nefarious purposes. MwaaHaa!Avery is such a likable kid with his constant sarcasm and desire to 'use his powers for good.' He's just so dang lovable as a teen trying to figure out things but once he gets matched up with the kooky Darla and her gang of merry misfits, he goes from loner to having some dang funny adventures in a hurry. Usually the hilarity is due to some unfortunate accident or other while the gang tries to help some hapless victim using one of Darla's prototype weapons. What other teenager has a boomerang that will not only disable them but cover them in sparkles?Even if Dull Boy became somewhat predictable at times, Sarah Cross has effectively created a light and fun hero vs. villain adventure full of adventure and friendship. I quickly became attached to Avery and was totally cheering when he found some kindred spirits in Darla, Catherine, and Nicholas. Full of geektastic references (anyone else love X-Men and Batman?), Dull Boy strikes a nice balance and I happened to love it. ( )

Reviewed by Karin Librarian for TeensReadToo.com

Avery lives for the darkness. Not for any deviant reason, but because he is less likely to be seen when he is flying around town. You see, Avery isn't like other kids. He has super-strength and can fly.

Since these powers developed, his life has totally changed. His normal friends are pulling further and further away because he is spending less time with them. They're upset that he quit the wrestling team, but he really didn't have a choice. His strength was too hard to control during practices and matches.

By trying to be a nice guy and save the day by using his powers for good, Avery sends his parents over the edge. They are already forking over a lot of money for his other unintentional damages and feel he is out of control. So his parents decide to send him to a special school for troubled kids.

On his first day at the new school, Avery meets a strange girl. She ends up shedding a lot of light on the world for him. He discovers that he isn't the only one with special abilities and finds himself becoming part of another "family." One that understands him and his desire to help the world and not just waste his powers on frivolous thrills and ways to get into the spotlight.

But, in any superhero story, there has to be an evil mastermind. In DULL BOY that evil mastermind is Cherchette, and she wants to gather all the kids with super-powers together. Why, you might ask? You'll have to read the book to find out.

DULL BOY has it all - humor, friendship, family issues, a little romance, super-powers. What more could you ask for? As a reader, I completely fell in love with Avery. Sarah Cross leaves the reader completely satisfied, even though it is clear there will be a sequel. ( )

I won this one from TravelingToTeens.com. I read it in flat 2 days :) It was amazing.
Avery is the Dull boy who knows that he is different. Well he is very strong, so strong that he lifted the car off a small boy whose mother accidentally backed up on him. And well he can fly. He had a lot of friends, with whom he can't hang out anymore, as he is afraid of his own strength and roams in dark alleyways, so that he can help others in distress, so that he can put his super-hero skills to use!

Love the way the author has described Avery. This book is basically narrated by Avery, which is also great, I love the simple, humor-full depiction of the hardships of being different.
And of course there are others who have different powers. I felt the most for Nicholas [ read the book to know his powers :)]. When Avery finds others, they start training to be a gang [ like X-Men??], which is just nice. Darla [ the super brain] is the one who arranges these sessions. I love Catherine too!

And then there is Cherchette, who has her own set of powers and who wants to help the one's who are blessed with these powers. She wants to train them, to control and use there on powers. Is she good or evil? Read the book to find out!

There is another awesome review by Alea from Pop Culture Junkie! Go read it! She also features an interview with the author Sarah Cross!
I just have a few questions for the author Sarah Cross ~~

* Have you started on the 2nd installment of this book, which definitely has to be a series!?
* When is coming out, I need to grab a copy ASAP :)

Does that make you want to read the book? It must, it is a definite must-read! ( )

Suffice it to say that Avery is not particularly "normal." And that's a good thing as far as I'm concerned, because it means this book got written about him. I loved every minute of Avery's adventures finding other teens like himself and discovering the extent of his powers. When he and his group come accross a mysterious woman offering help to the superpowered whether they want it or not, the story gets even more intense.

Dull Boy was also cleverly funny from start to finish. Especially if you're a bit of a geek like me, you will enjoy the superhero and pop culture references throughout. Avery and his motley group of super(?) powered friends are considerably wittier than most people I've met. This is definitely a snicker-along kind of story.

I'm trying to think of something negative to say about this book, just to make my review more believable, but I don't really have anything. The plot is tightly woven and fast-paced. The writing style is thoroughly enjoyable. I liked the characters and the ways they interact with each other. About the worst I can come up with is this book was too exciting, I couldn't put it down, and now it's over and I'm sad. If Dull Boy sounds remotely like something you'd enjoy, I highly recommend it!

Can anyone out there tell me when the sequel is coming? Because I don't think I can wait very long. ( )

Should be titled "Dull Book". Avery suddenly develops superhuman strength and the ability to fly. Because he has difficulty controlling his strength and causing accidents and breaking things, his parents send him to a school for juvenile deliquents. Avery has kept his power a secret so his parents believe him to simply be a bad kid. Huh? At the school, Avery meets up with others who have unusual talents; one kid has a vortex in his chest that is activated by stress, another causes the temperature to drop, another sticks to things.

So how can they use their powers to benefit society? Well that idea is brought forth and never fully developed. Maybe there's a sequel in the works? Who cares?

Poor editing causes a "huh?" moment too. In school, the teacher is called out of the room and, of course, pandemonium ensues. When a student passes out face down in the worm dissection tray, suddenly the teacher pulls her earphones out of her ears and asks if the kid had a seizure...but she never came back in the room. And why is she listening to her iPod while a bunch of deliquents are using sharp instruments? ( )