phyllish
Written on May 26, 2020
What a delightfully fun story!
When teens with superpowers convene at a gathering for kids with "potential", they have no idea why they are there or how they were selected.
Demarcus can move fast. Incredibly fast. When we are introduced to him, he sets out to race a Camaro. With an open throttle. And he wins! This young man is a blend of faith and insecurity. His mom has taught him his entire life that God has given him gifts to be used for His purposes. Whatever that might mean!
Many of the characters have suffered at the hands of bullies. While this is not a major theme, I loved when Lily finally realized that enough is enough and decided to stand against it.
So as to not give anything away, suffice it to say it was great! Full of adventure and a fight of good against evil. Though there were certainly elements of fantasy, there was also a faith element as John, the custodian, shared Bible stories of those showing super powers (Samson, for one) and exhorted the boys to not allow pride to draw them from the Lord. There were hints at the end that more is still to come. I will be watching for more stories in the Rise of the Anointed series.
Well suited for teens and young adults, even older adults who appreciate a superhero story will want to read Launch.
I absolutely loved the names of the characters. They were thoughtfully given and many were subtle puns. If you aren't sure, do a search on the name - either first or last to see what you might find. Let me give you a few examples. Demarcus had to learn to distinguish the boundaries of right and wrong - demarcate. Simon Mazor was the mastermind behind the social media giant. Mazor Robotics is the real-life name for an Israeli robotic guidance system for surgery (with the author working in the medical field, I'm sure this is a name he is familiar with - I had to look it up.) John Presbus is an ancient man who is attempting to point the teens to Jesus. In case that word sounds slightly familiar, it means "leader" and is the root of "presbyter", an elder in the church. I'll leave you to see if you find others yourself.
Read my full review at Among the Reads