Norma Howe

This is one of those ‘80s books like “Blubber” where the main character is a bit hard to sympathize with because she is one of the cruel popular kids, or at least she starts out as one. I love the pacing of books from this era. At first I thought the author was overdoing it with the MC’s wacky family, but then I got into it. This book is still in the local school library system, so obviously it has lasting appeal.

I first read The Adventures of Blue Avenger because it had a picture of a superhero on the front and a cool title, but it is a really deep book! It's about a teenage boy who decided to change his name to "Blue Avenger" because he saw a lot of hurt in the world and wanted to make a difference. The main theme of the book, though, is how he wonders where everything that happens is predestined or whether we really have free will. It is open-ended about that part, leaving it up to the reader to show more decide what he/she thinks. It is an enjoyable read with a lot of character development and relationships between characters. show less

I didn't enjoy the writing style for the first few pages, but the moment David's Mom complained about the word moniker, I was hooked. The main characters in this story continually did things that were both totally unexpected, yet completely in character.

One-of-a-kind philosophical YA novel. Very short, but also smart and touching. Definitely worth the read, ends on a cliff-hanger of sorts.