Review: Joshua Dread by Lee Bacon

Joshua Dread by Lee Bacon.

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780385741859

Review: Have you ever read a book about an adult that has superpowers and hides their identity but helps the public? Well Joshua Dread takes that concept and flips it upside down. It was written by Lee Bacon, and it was the first novel he ever wrote! The main character is in fact a boy named Joshua Dread. All he wants to do in a situation like this is survive.

The character in the story is named Joshua Dread and he is a normal 6th grade boy being raised by two of the most notorious super-villains in the world. At least he thought so. It turns out he is a ticking time bomb that can explode at will. That's what his evil parents told him but his superpower had other plans. Then he finds a girl who lives a life like him but their parents are nothing alike. In fact, they are complete opposites. Can they co-exist or will their parents' way of life get the best of them?

A couple things I liked about the plot was that it was very suspenseful and had good pace from event to event. It also had some well-developed ideas and a satisfying ending, but I won't spoil it. You'll just have to read the book to find out. I liked some things about the characters like that they were original ideas and well-developed people who did realistic actions in their time of crisis. The theme was very powerful and memorable but it comes in very subtle. The authors writing style was one of the best parts about this book! Lee Bacon is very talented because this book is filled with metaphors, similes, and onomatopoeia. It is also very descriptive and lively. This book is full of action and excitement combined into one!

Review written by Marat (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Joshua Dread for this review.

Have you read Joshua Dread? How would you rate it?