Overall Rating:

“You wanted us to use our powers for good… Well, I have worked out exactly how; we are going to become superheroes…”

I’ve had my eye on this book for some time, and I’m absolutely thrilled with it! It has everything kids love and it even had my eyes glued to the pages! Filled with humour and characters you can’t help but love from start to finish, this story is an absolute delight and needs to be on every child’s bookshelf without a doubt. Or adult’s bookshelf, if you like anything thoroughly entertaining! So happy to share my review for this brilliant book.

As their world is turned upside down, two superheroes must battle their greatest enemy yet…

Ryan and Jake suffer heart-breaking tragedy and are barely existing in life. One disaster leads to another until a freak incident changes them beyond their wildest imagination and gives them incredible Superpowers.

But this isn’t the only change in the sleepy town of Trincaster, an evil force is on the rise and no one can stop it. Can the Super Twins discover who is behind the crime wave and defeat them in the ultimate battle?

The beginning

Is it just me, or does the synopsis sound like the most epic superhero movie plot in existence? Actually, the book isn’t that far off if I’m completely honest, even if it is for 7-12 year olds! The story begins by introducing us to two very important twins with a very saddening backstory, and the author has effortlessly worded this in a way that instantly makes you connect with the two main characters, Ryan and Jake. After tragically losing their mother, they’re helping each other to cope, and as I learnt more about these two boys, I found myself hoping and praying for their happiness. I mean, come on – we’re barely one chapter in and I’m already fully invested in these guys! There was something about them straight away that just made me want to wrap them up in cotton wool, and of course, credit goes to the author for not only his solid creation of these characters, but also the evident storytelling talent he possesses. The opening was perfect really!

Even after everything they’ve gone through, I loved how the twins were just like your typical boys – playing pranks on one another, trying to boss each other around and either moaning or doing the infamous eye roll when tasked with something they really did not want to do. The author has captured this perfectly, and it was actually rather charming! Evidently, they weren’t too thrilled to be moving in with their dad, but it wasn’t like they had a choice. After all, if they didn’t, they wouldn’t have been able to have the biggest adventure of their lives… The story takes an unpredictable turn and made me very excited for what was to come for them. After Jake wakes up in a hospital bed, I knew this was definitely the start of something big for the boys. What were they about to experience? And how exactly would they become the only two people that could save their town? Suspense was subtly built and the book was quickly turning into such a fun read.

“I know I’m upset; I know I’m angry, and I know these aren’t normal circumstances, but there has been a massive change in me. I am stronger than I’ve ever been, not just a little bit stronger but ten times stronger.”

Now we were getting to the really good bit, the bit that I’d been waiting for ever since first reading that synopsis… super powers! The event leading up to Jake’s hospital stay had quite the impact on him and it quickly becomes clear that he’s gained some significant strength. If I loved this as much as I did, I knew the target audience for this book would go crazy for it! It’s not just Jake that has seen a change either – Ryan’s IQ has increased, allowing him to think clearer and be more focused (a power I’d love to have when I sit down at my desk on a Monday morning). With the twins coming to terms with their new found powers, I was thinking of all the different ways they could potentially use them to their advantage. However, what we were about to experience was far from what I had in mind, and would take the story down a whole new, unexpected path.

It’s clear that this author was destined to write children’s stories and the beginning of the book was an absolute breath of fresh air. Characters are so memorable and loveable, and I had a smile plastered on my face constantly. The story is already so fun and hilarious in parts and with what we’ve learnt so far, it’s sure to bring anyone excitement and joy until the very end. Who thought I’d be sat here chuckling to a children’s book? There’s a first for everything I guess! With Ryan’s plans for their own individual powers coming together, I couldn’t wait to see what the twins would get up to in their superhero adventures next. However, with any superhero adventure, there’s sure to be a bit of danger thrown into the mix too… After such a brilliant start to the book, the story had a lot to live up to, but I just knew the author wouldn’t let me down in the slightest. Bring on the adventure!

The middle

Crime begins to take over the little town of Trincaster, with each case turning out to be stranger than the last. With no evidence and no witnesses, nothing was getting solved and the town was going into a sense of panic (much like the eve of lockdown 2.0 here in the UK). As a big lover of crime and mystery in novels, I loved how this was explored in the book and it really does make the reader think of all the ‘whys’ and the ‘hows’. However, it’s not difficult for kids to get their heads around either! I completely lost myself in all of this, and when the idea of fighting crime using their newly found powers comes to light, this really made the story come to life. Something much darker seemed to be the cause of all this crime, and the big reveal of what this was became so exciting! The author has built up the story so perfectly to this moment, and we’re left wondering how on earth the twins could make things right. Surely those superpowers would come in handy…

I really liked the description in the book and found it so easy to imagine scene after scene in my mind. Everything seemed so vivid and popped out of each page with ease, helping readers to enjoy the story to its fullest. The pacing and flow of the story was also perfect – nothing dragged on or flew past too quick! I think this is particularly important for a younger audience; it doesn’t take much for a kid to get bored or switch off from what they’re reading, so it has to really engage them from beginning to end. This book seemed to tick every box and already, I was confident it’d be loved by kids everywhere! Excitement continues to build and superhero plans get bigger and better, but who is this figure dressed all in black? The twins needed to stop him and fast, but it was proving to be more difficult than they thought! Would they ever manage to stop him once and for all?

“Ryan continued to rattle through his orders whilst Jake’s sole concern was finishing the plate of veg. He was so hungry that even this actually tasted OK.”

What an imagination this author has! Things quickly turned very fast-paced – from sheds transforming into underground bunkers and a suspicious dad acting out of character, what we learn from this part of the story was rather fascinating and equally as gripping! Description is incredible here once again, and it was so clear to me how well the author imagined this bunker when the book was being written. I love how you can sometimes tell how much goes into a book and how much care and attention an author pours into it, and it was particularly evident in this story. Of course, the story is super hero themed, but I really appreciated just how great the attention to detail was, and the author touches on many common themes we see in other superhero books and films. Kids and adults who are superhero fans will adore this book, and I’m confident it may also convert a few people who haven’t given it a try yet! Absolutely delightful and so so enjoyable.

I wasn’t sure how the paperback of the book looked as I was reading on Kindle, but I was so pleasantly surprised to see some fabulous artwork from the very talented Kate Illustrate! These illustrations broke the book up nicely and really enabled us to put faces to names and see just how the author imagines certain scenes to look. I loved comparing them to the pictures in my own head! As we see a completely different turn of events for the twins and some much darker scenes (which I particularly loved), I was left wondering if these boys would ever be able to save their town, or even save themselves. Could they put their heads together and come up with a plan to save Trincaster? The middle of the book is so action-packed and engaging, perfect for the audience and perfect for me! I was really looking forward to seeing how the author rounded up the book and whether we’d get the outcome we all want!

The end

After being kidnapped, the boys desperately try to find a way out of the mess they find themselves in, but with fading superpowers, any chance of escape looks slim. I found myself thinking just as hard as these characters to work out a plan that would not only save their sanity, but to help them escape and still manage to save their town. Suspense is built well here yet again, and the ending just proves that the author can perfect literally any scene he creates. We can really feel exactly how Jake and Ryan are feeling at this point and their emotions and state of mind are described very well. It soon comes to light that half of their town has turned into an evil zombie army – far from what I expected, but a truly excellent way to take the story. I had no idea how the characters would solve this problem, but if the rest of the story was anything to go by, it’d be clever, gripping and witty all the way through!

With their town in complete chaos and destruction everywhere they looked, they’d have to plan quickly and carefully if they were to save everyone and everything. I loved how the twins had a connection, not only because they were brothers, but through their superpowers too, and I found this to be such a clever addition to the story. This connection made them stronger, and I believed they could achieve great things by using it to their advantage. We’re soon transported to the ‘final boss’ as I liked to call it, an intense battle between that one character who had been terrorising the town and destroying everything in his path. These scenes were incredibly detailed and really made me feel like I was right there in on the action! I felt on the edge of my seat which just does not usually happen for me with children’s books, but this was really something else! Just incredible.

“We must be victorious; we have to be the heroes that Trincaster has been waiting for.”

I’m being entirely truthful when I say that the scenes I read towards the end of the book were ten times better than of those in some full sized novels I’ve read! I even went back and read Chapter 14 in particular again, (remember, Chapter 14!!) purely because of how gripping and exciting it was! It was here where I was curious to see how the author would feel about writing a full sized action/adventure book, as I really thought he’d excel at it. The story continues with fabulous vocabulary and description until the battle is over – would it end the way we all wanted it to? Was there any way of knowing if their town could ever go back to normal again? There was one great moment in particular where we question whether the boys would do the right thing, and in the end, they do. I felt like shedding a tear as a heartfelt conversation played out – completely unexpected!

The final few pages of the book ended things nicely for the Twins, but also made me curious about book two which is currently in the works. This wasn’t the ending I expected! The evil forces we’ve encountered give us the impression that this battle isn’t over, and left us with the ultimate eye-popping cliff hanger. Thinking back over what I’ve just read, I can’t quite believe the immense detail and the incredible description that this book holds, and I am so desperate to read the next book in the Super Twins’ adventure! Taking down one particular character would prove to be tougher than they thought and I just knew the next book would be just as gripping. Andy – you should be incredibly proud of this book, but I know you probably already are! Five stars for this brilliant story without a doubt!

Overall thoughts

Getting a child to read more might prove difficult, so if this is the case, I urge you to try out The Super Twins. It’s been a while since a kids book has had me gripped so much, and to be honest, I don’t think any has managed it at the level this book has! Ryan and Jake are some of the cleverest and funniest kids I’ve met in a book, and their bond is so heartwarming, yet so powerful that they can conquer anything they put their minds to. If you’re looking for a book your child can relate to as well as something that can ignite their imagination and introduce a love of books and reading, I’d always recommend this one without a doubt. A brilliant book that I simply cannot fault in any way!

A huge thank you to the author of this book, Andy Slinger, for my copy of the book for me to read and review! You can purchase your own copy of The Super Twins over on Amazon, available on Kindle and paperback. Make sure you’re following the author over on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more updates.

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