The Accidental Prophecy (A Story of Accidental Proportions Book 1)

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I wondered who would send me such a thoughtful, threatening gift. I took a deep breath and tried my generous but also macabre and boundary-pushing friend Jake. Luckily, I guess, he texted me back, confirming that he was the sender: As I clicked the link, I discovered that this was not a totally free, no-strings-attached gift.

It sounds like fun, but also, good God. I like big books—I cannot lie: In fact, the book was banned in Russia when it first appeared, and then again under Lenin. Middlemarch is roughly seven hundred pages, approximately the size of a brick, but actually pretty lightweight, and remarkably lighthearted. Mary Ann Evans, known by her pen name George Eliot, confides in her reader many small gems of characterization as she sets her stage in a small provincial town.

My own comparably provincial upbringing has perhaps allowed me a greater enjoyment of these nineteenth century portraits. Of another character, Caleb Garth, Eliot writes: I will only say that sitting outside and slowly penetrating this book has given me more satisfaction than the sum of all my attempts at quick beach reads, forthwith abandoned like a beer unfinished and warmed by the sun. Something happens, or nothing happens. I feel weird even calling this a book.

As such, the arcs of many of the stories are strange, inconclusive, and cruel. Characters introduced on the first page might have little to do with the events on the second. Everything feels stripped down and unpolished, as though Shalamov dumped the details directly from his brain and left them exactly as he remembered.

The intoxicating juice of frozen berries. The mysterious resilience of the dwarf pine. The warm presence of a stray dog. A woman waving to the prisoners in the rain, pointing to the sky, telling them it will all be over soon. If you are such a person, I suggest to you an alternative: What I find the most interesting in this amalgam is how Herbert uses his tome to treat concerns of environmental distress it was published on the wave of attention paid to the fraught ecological practices of the sixties.

Like most good science fiction, the fantastic and imaginative are used as tools for examining reality—and in this case, it became reality: The same could be said for the book, which has its drawbacks, but is so action-packed that it barely gives you a moment to stop and catch your breath, let alone think about how much fun everyone is having playing beach volleyball without you.

New York City, I soon learned, is full of awful people who know the ending to Anna Karenina and would enjoy nothing more than to spoil it for me.

Friends, acquaintances, and strangers alike greeted me with oblique references to trains, or to train tracks, and I began to avoid them all. I ripped the cover off my paperback and finished the book in private, so that my encounters with Anna, like those of Vronsky, could remain an open secret. The story, primarily about two families in post-partition India, moves quickly with a variety of intrigues.

My heart has still not recovered from when Lata first falls for Kabir: He looked so handsome in the more sunlight and his laughter was so open-hearted and free from tension that Lata, who had been about to turn towards the library, found herself continuing to follow him.

Barnaby's Home for the Hopeless, Abandoned, Forgotten, and Lost, an orphanage that sinks further into the swampland of New Jersey with each passing year. His only chance at escape comes through the comic books donated years ago to the o Author: The second is an emissary from a secret country called the Imagine Nation, an astonishing place where all the fantastic and unbelievable things in our world originate - including Jack.

Jack soon discovers that he has an amazing ability--one that could make him the savior of the Imagine Nation and the world beyond, or the biggest threat they've ever faced. Two words describe this book: There are similarities between this series and the Harry Potter series - orphan boy discovers powers he didn't know existed; orphan boy goes to a hidden world - but that's where the similarities end. Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation is in a class of its own.

What I Didn't Like I couldn't find any unlikeable thing about this book. Oh, I didn't like that it had to end. I have to actually wait for the next book in the series. What I Did Like He's memorable, likeable, funny I found myself rooting for him throughout the whole book, which is what writers aim for when coming up with protagonists. His last name isn't really Blank, that's just the name they gave because no one knows who his parents are.

Imagine Nation is where you find all creatures that come from the imagination of humans - superheroes, supervillians, aliens, etc. Many of the inhabitants of Imagine Nation are from the comic books Jack loves to read. I loved it from beginning to end. It was like one big adventurous ride. The descriptions were awesome. I could actually picture what was happening and what the world would look like.

The cover is what drew me in. The story is what kept me in. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes a good read Boys will love this book. Girls as well as adults will too.

An Accidental Goddess

I so cannot wait for book 2, Accidental Hero to come out April 26th. Jul 23, Carrie Slager rated it it was amazing Shelves: I had my doubts about this book when my friend lent it to me. The way she described it…well it made me less than enthusiastic, I have to admit. After all, I had been skeptical when the same friend lent me Cinder and it turned out to be amazing. The Accidental Hero focuses on the adventures of an orphan, Jack Blank, who accidentally discovers his superpowers and is taken away to the Imagine Nation, a constantly moving island of superheroes.

Yet from the moment he arrives, things start to go wrong. Jack is a character readers of all ages will love, especially boys, who seem to be woefully neglected in the YA genre. Oct 18, Nikki rated it it was ok Shelves: If I didn't have to read this for a committee, I would have stopped reading after the first chapter. There was nothing compelling about the main character, he didn't ever really DO anything, just kind of passively floated around. I think this passivity might not bother kids, but it really made it hard me as a reader to be excited about what happens next.

Recommend this to kids who are looking for a superher If I didn't have to read this for a committee, I would have stopped reading after the first chapter. Recommend this to kids who are looking for a superhero book, but have read all of the other better options. Jack Blank is such a brilliantly written book, with an amazing setting, wonderful characters and a lot of powerful messages written within it's pages.

It makes the extraordinary seem ordinary. Twelve year old Jack Blank has been living in a horrible orphanage, where he's constantly picked up on the bully Rex, and finds excitement in reading his comic books. Jack Blank has no ide Jack Blank is such a brilliantly written book, with an amazing setting, wonderful characters and a lot of powerful messages written within it's pages.

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Jack Blank has no idea where he came from, where his family is, and what his real last name is. On the morning a killer robot from one of Jack's comics becomes a reality and tries to kill him, Jazen Knight, an emissary from a secret country called Imagine Nation, has come for Jack.

Jack soon finds himself in a place that is right out of his imagination. The way to get there is by believing. Imagination Nation is in constant motion and travels between the countries of our world, though the members from this nation are from all over the world, make believe, real and from out of this world.

I was really surprised that I loved Imagine Nation as much as I did. One of my favorite places in Imagine Nation is in Cognito. A city where people can go to, to "disappear", not even the streets have names. Imagine Nation is made of all sorts of living creatures from normal people to ninjas, kung fu masters, aliens, sorcerers, androids, regular people and more.

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

It almost felt like it has a more updated Star Wars feel to it, complete with it's own Yoda in the form of one of my favorite characters, Stendeval, who's wisdom and encouragement help Jack find out who he is. I really admired Jack's character. His life hasn't been easy and it gets tougher as soon as he arrives to Imagine Nation. He's been infected by a virus from a feared enemy, the Rustov, as known as Robie-Zombies, who all but destroyed many lives 12 years ago, in an invasion.

Jack has few people who believe he's not a threat, Jenzen Knight and the wisest leader on Imagine Nation, Stendeval are two of them. I loved their characters. They convey such powerful messages not only to Jack, but to the reader. Here's some of my favorite messages: It's only the brave who choose not to surrend where there's no reason left to hope.

Never forget the power today has over tomorrow. Jack alone must believe in who he is and what his powers can do. Jack has a power that has not only kept his infection at bay, but it can destroy the Rustov. When the evil Rustov robot comes back to kill Jack and reveals who he is, Jack will be faced with a decision that can ultimately change his future forever.

I know this book is written for grade and middle school aged kids, but I really enjoyed Jack Blank and The Imagine Nation. I was reminded of how much fun it is to imagine. I can't wait for son to read this when he's a little older. Matt Myklusch writing it truly what kept me glued to the book. Jack Blank and The Imagine Nation is an awesome, action packed, must have book, with some great plot twists. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series. For the last eleven years, Jack has been raised at St. He was found on the doorstep with the name "Jack" on the cradle and no last name.

So now Jack is Jack Blank, victim of bullies and evil teachers everywhere. But Jack isn't a wimp and he's not one to let the daily grind of extra chores get him down. On a day when the rest of the orphanage is http: On a day when the rest of the orphanage is going on a field trip to Mount Dismoor Maximum Security Prison, Jack chooses to hide out in the library with his secret stash of comic books. Of course, he couldn't go on the field trip even if he wanted to which he doesn't because he seems to always make mechanical things stop working, so he's been banned from riding the bus.

Basically, Jack is trapped at the orphanage and is usually pretty bored. All of that changes on this field trip day when a Robo-Zombie that Jack has only ever seen in his comic books appears and tries to kill him. Soon after that, another man shows up and tells Jack that he doesn't belong at the orphanage and he is taking him to Imagine Nation, where all his comic book stories are true and almost anything can happen.

Unfortunately, instead of a happy reunion with people just like him, Jack is discovered to have been unknowingly harboring an enemy and now there are many who want him dead, including the Robo-Zombie. Can Jack find out who and what he is before it's too late? This is a fun read and a definite story for boys who love comic books. The whole land of Imagine Nation is carefully crafted and easy to see in the mind's eye. If you have boys around who need a little push to get reading "real books", this is just what you need.

Best bits are big surprise twists, fights - wham bash bam. Worst bits are long-winded descriptions, when they first land at futuristic Empire City p Mostly Jack acts older, reminders of his age a http: Mostly Jack acts older, reminders of his age are artificial, forced. Allegra melts into puddle of metal when scared. Skerren slices and dices expertly with huge knives. Jazen, android Mecha, takes Jack to his home and cooks feasts. Stendeval is senior on the ruling Inner Circle. He was away 12 years guarding Jack.

Lots of questions - what kind of protection he gave besides comics, why he left a letter for 15 years later, why the letter says he'll be 15 minutes late for the meeting,.. Also on the ruling Inner Circle, zillionaire Jonas Smart is "the smartest living person on planet Earth" p , claims Jack's parentage file is corrupted and wants the boy dissected to find a cure. He is truly "heartless" after replacing the defective organ p He was their unknowing spy. He jumps off a high-rise and dies with the enemies he grabs onto.

The boy's victory is uneasy. Dec 18, Z rated it did not like it Shelves: While the book The Accidental Hero had a nice lead, the lead soon dropped into a monotonous book about a bullied and put-down kid finding his special powers in forbidden reading comics. The plot deteriorates to a boring and predictable setting. You have Jack, the main character, bullied and given the worst tasks at a "Home for the Hopeless" which is basically a boarding school, except for Jack, who is there for no reason in particular. Next enters his "strange" powers, which he is somehow bl While the book The Accidental Hero had a nice lead, the lead soon dropped into a monotonous book about a bullied and put-down kid finding his special powers in forbidden reading comics.

Next enters his "strange" powers, which he is somehow blind to, even though the reader, and almost every other character in the book notices. Before that scene I had been slightly iffy about the book, but that cheesy and fake attempt at humor drove me off, because after just finishing Blood of Olympus, I had no interest in entering another book with a younger humor target audience.

The main message from what I could glimpse of this book was about trusting yourself and being yourself I got this from the entire chapter they dedicated to Jack driving a boat by "letting his soul guide him".

This was a nice traditional science-fantasy middle grade novel - young orphaned boy who can't seem to fit in, discovers he's got superpowers and gets swept away into a fantastical world in which some of his favorite comic characters turn out to be real - with a nice twist in the end that's definitely got me wanting to read its sequel. Despite the traditional tropes common in most fantasy, coming of age novels, I think this book would make a wonderful read for younger readers not quite as jaded a This was a nice traditional science-fantasy middle grade novel - young orphaned boy who can't seem to fit in, discovers he's got superpowers and gets swept away into a fantastical world in which some of his favorite comic characters turn out to be real - with a nice twist in the end that's definitely got me wanting to read its sequel.

Despite the traditional tropes common in most fantasy, coming of age novels, I think this book would make a wonderful read for younger readers not quite as jaded as older fantasy readers. I thought Matt Myklusch may have spent a little too long on world-building - though I'll admit the Imagine Nation is an awesome world in which it's difficult to get bored, - I would have appreciated for the action scenes to be a bit less concentrated at the beginning and the end of the novel and more evenly spread out throughout the book.

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But hey, it's a debut novel and what's more, it's the first title in a series, so description and set up are essential Overall, part fantasy with its superheroes, part science fiction with its alien robots, this is a very enjoyable read I would recommend to younger readers. Waiting for the sequel Jan 22, C rated it it was ok. Do you know the Avengers?

Have you ever wonder why it takes so many superheroes including a Norse god to combat any foe? Because cool superheroes make good comic books. It reminds me of the Skylander game populated with characters that possess different powers and moves, and as many dimensions as the screen they inhabit. They have been created to distract the minds of 10 Do you know the Avengers? They have been created to distract the minds of 10 to 14 years old who can argue endlessly about them the same way they can argue about Pokemons.

An orphan grew up where he was hated and lonely, then whisked away to a magical place where a wise and powerful wizard, eh I mean, protector puts him in a school. In this school his friends are a boy and a girl. Oh, and most importantly, this orphan is intimately connected with a reviled Destroyer of the World. My oh my, does it seem so familiar to you? This MG book really surprised me. I was so inspired by all the encouraging and motivational ideas and messages. It challenges you to stretch your imagination and dream big. You carve out your own future.

Who you are now doesn't " Who you are now doesn't determine who you're gonna be. Jack Blank is an inspiring story which I really recommend for all, regardless of age. The world of Jack Blank will blow your mind. Oh yeah, one more thing! Look out for the sudden revelation that I totally didn't see coming. Oct 06, Dylan Jones rated it it was amazing. I really liked this book.

This book was about a kid stuck on a superhero island. If you like superheroes, fantasy, and robots, this is a book for you. Jack Blank grew up in an orphanage and ever since has been messing with electricity. Whenever they went on field trips, the school bus always broke down. One day, Jack runs into a robot set on killing him.

He made the power generator explode and destroyed it, but that wasn't the end. Jack was taken to an island where people with specialties go to I really liked this book. Jack was taken to an island where people with specialties go to learn how to control them. There, he figures out he is part of the Rustov, an evil robot race determined on destroying Earth. Read the rest of this story now. Oct 26, Stas rated it did not like it Shelves: This is bland and cardboard-like.

It's mind-numbing in simplicity. This here is the later case. This would probably be suitable for a 6. Sorry for all of you lovers of this book, but to me this was the most boring story I have ever read.

It took all that I had to get half way through. I personally think that every thing was blown way out of proportion. All of the details had to be a "Go Big, or Go Home" type. I found that this book was extremely typical. It starts out with a poor orphan boy, who winds up belonging to this secret nation, and it turns out that he's part of this evil villain association, and it's all up to him to sa Sorry for all of you lovers of this book, but to me this was the most boring story I have ever read.

It starts out with a poor orphan boy, who winds up belonging to this secret nation, and it turns out that he's part of this evil villain association, and it's all up to him to save the Imagine Nation. Although that's just my opinion, so if you're in to super hero's, futuristic gadgets, and details blown way out of proportion, I recommend this book to you. Sep 29, Kristofer rated it it was amazing. Good reads review The Accidental Hero is a great book for anyone who liked the Harry Potter or the Percy Jackson series would love the Jack Blank Adventures series because basically the base of the story is that Jack Blank who is the main character is an orphan and he doesn't know who he is or where he was born.

It is almost the same beginning as harry potter but instead of wizardry it is superpowers and other talents by saying that I am recommending this book to everyone. Aug 05, Denae Christine rated it really liked it. More of a 3. He wants so badly to question this villain, so why does he wait until after he has spent an entire night guarding the villain?

Why doesn't he question it then? And he isn't sacrificial.

He could give up himself and save everyone, but instead he's content to let them fight for him.

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