Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities (review)

Vincent Wu lives in a town with its own superhero, Captain Stupendous, who has been fighting monsters, robots, and supervillains since before Vincent was born. He and his friends, Max and George, form the most knowledgeable (and also the nerdiest) of the four Captain Stupendous fan clubs in town, so when something goes wonky with Captain Stupendous, the superhero comes to the boys for help. They are surprised to discover that the superhero is really Vincent's longtime crush, Polly, who recently became Captain Stupendous when the superhero's former alter ego transferred his powers to her just before he died. Even more surprising is that Stupendous' latest foe is Vincent's father's high school rival, who has turned into an evil genius named Professor Mayhem. When the professor kidnaps Vincent's mother, Vincent not only has to help Polly learn how to be Captain Stupendous, but he also has to figure out a way to defeat Professor Mayhem and save his mom. This classic fanboy fantasy hits all the right notes as Vincent uses his wits to overcome some pretty formidable odds. Not only must he outmaneuver a dangerous foe, but he also has to fight for his place in his trio of friends and figure out how to handle sweaty palms and a first kiss; there's even a little side plot about learning to accept a new boyfriend in his mother's life as well. The dialogue is witty, the plotting clever, and the sentiments are right on target for the age group; fans of Cody's Powerless (BCCB 2/10) and readers who enjoy stories about superheroes, underdogs, and friendship skirmishes will all find something to like here.