Minion audiobook

Last year, John David Anderson’s super-charged superhero adventure Sidekicked thrilled and entertained readers (especially this reader!), and Anderson returns to this superhero and villain filled world in Minion.Minion, a companion, not sequel or prequel, to Sidekicked, is set in a whole new city with a whole new cast of characters. In New Liberty there are no Supers, only the haves and the have-nots. Thirteen year old Michael and his adoptive father live in the have-not side of town, yet pretty much have what they need. Michael’s father, a brilliant, mad-scientist type, works for the local mob thugs, creating special little black boxes with big abilities. Michael and his father like their life and Super-less town the way it is, but their comfort and security is threatened when a new breed of criminal mastermind appears in New Liberty and brings a Super (the Comet) hot on his tail.Once again, John David Anderson delivers an exciting, laugh-out-loud, pitch-perfect middle-grade adventure that will have young readers enthralled from beginning to end! Minion, with its focus on the world of villains and bad guys, is a bit darker than its companion, but has a lot of surprising depth and heart.Anderson has a real knack for spinning a wildly funny and delightfully oddball story; he clearly knows and gets his intended audience and this shines through on every page. I seriously laughed out loud through this entire book! And the humor isn’t just silly, it’s downright clever. With its high crime rate, lack of a Super, and mix of devious; bumbling; amusing villains, New Liberty makes for an oddly engaging setting. As awesome as the Super filled world of Sidekicked is, there’s just something so fun and exhilarating about exploring the world of bad guys, and from the mob boss Tony, to his competition Mickey, to a human porcupine and boulder, to a creepy evil mastermind called the Dictator, the baddies in Minion do not disappoint!The sometimes villain (he’s only robbed a few banks and only took what he and his dad needed), but mostly good guy, Michael, is such a likable, endearing character! He has a super cool, super persuasive superpower, but is still relatably and amusingly awkward, but in a totally adorable and charming way. From his time spent as an orphan, to his complex relationship with his father, his first encounter with puppy love, and his struggle with wanting to be a good guy in a villain filled city, Anderson infuses Michael’s story with a great deal of heart, emotion, and depth. Both Michael and readers are thrown some wicked fun curve-balls and twists, leading up to an explosive and exciting ending!My Final Thoughts: John David Anderson takes the world of Superheroes, Villains, and superpowers to some heart-racing and breathtaking places in this series. Minion is an excellent companion to Sidekicked and, while both can be read and enjoyed separately, young readers will no doubt want to devour them together!

Well, I didn't really know what to expect. But this is a great read. It kept me on the edge of my seat. There are good characters, bad characters and then there are the ones in between good and bad. Which is where I would put Michael and his dad. I think middle school readers will really enjoy this. And there is a perfect (in my mind) set up for a sequel. If the author is so inclined.....

This is such a fantastic book! A perfect companion novel to SideKicked. This story is told from the perspective of the "bad guys" and criminals, hoping not to be caught by the superheroes. It's not a sequel to SideKicked though, because all the characters are new. Different people, different city, different story.I thought it was very interesting that the word "minion" comes from and old French word "mignon" meaning "darling". It explores the meaning of good and evil and the limits of family relationships, friendships, and romance. Really deep stuff, but told with such an action-filled plot and beautifully complex characters. This book tugged at my soul!Michael Morn is an orphan, whose adopted father is a genius scientist who makes gadgets for criminals. So Michael is in the criminal world sort of by default. He hasn't really decided to be evil, but as circumstances fall into place around him, he gets sucked deeper into the criminal agenda. His character is so delightfully thoughtful and introspective. He really soaks in the world around him, and we get to experience the ups and downs of the story through his eyes and heart.Every supporting character is so weird and different and interesting! You never really know what to expect from these separate hierarchies of bad guys. Some are really evil, some are small-time, some are basically good guys in bad circumstances. Then there are the actual superheroes and cops, who are supposed to be the ones shining the light of goodness on the world, but they also have choices to make that put them in gray areas. It's all so deliciously complicated and convoluted, then it comes down to that one moment of decision for our main character. Just gorgeous writing!I really loved reading about the relationship between Michael and his adopted father. They have this wonderful trust and love between them that colors the entire the story. Of course, Michael is a teen finding his way, rebelling against authority, discovering his identity both 'with' and 'apart from' his father. So the father-son relationship is rocky at times, but there's this assurance that those two will always have each other's back.I would have given it 5 stars, but the author uses two of my pet peeves- he bad-mouths religion, and leaves the ending hanging. I need a solid ending with plenty of closure, not this open-ended, artsy, poignant stuff! I need every loose thread tied up in a neat bow at the end! However, I can appreciate that the ending is well-written and it IS poignant. It's not the style I happen to like, but other people would probably love it.I love love love this author! Can't wait to read more of his work!Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher or author in exchange for a free and honest review.

A bit slower to read than Sidekicked and it almost felt more YA but I did like it. The more of Dave's books I read, the more I like him. He has a way of combining humor, emotion and excitement into one and is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

My kids and I just love these books. I like this one more than Sidekicked even though it's about the bad guys! They are exciting and funny and the characters are truly lovable, even when they are breaking the rules.

John David Anderson's writing style is engaging, and this book is no exception. Minion is a fascinating look at the life of someone who could be described as a "supervillian sidekick." His father is a genius who is always creating boxes that do amazing things. Meanwhile, Michael (our protagonist) is able to influence the minds of others--a great skill to have when you need some extra cash, and want to rob a bank.Usually, a concept like this would almost assuredly be home to a comedic book. But Anderson instead surprises us by showing us the struggles that Michael and his father have, being poor, and trying to maintain a sense of morality--and we sympathize with them in their plights.A fantastic emotional journey with super-powers, Minion gets five stars.

Minion was a much better book than the first Sidekicked book. Minion has a much better set of characters and a better story-line. Minion tells the story of a boy, Michael, who is sometimes a villain, but mostly good and trying to figure out what to finally become (in true teen confusion). He has an adoptive father who is a criminal with enduring relationship with Michael. When Michael's father gets into trouble with other villains, Michael has to step up and come into his own.

Very fun superhero novel that had a good balance of adventure and the inevitable teenage-romance-drama. I really liked the themes of looking at the life of someone who grew up on the "bad guy" side of things, and their perspective on everything. I would love to see more of these characters.

This book reminded me a a lot of the movie Megamind. What, you might say, they have nothing in common.but they doEvil can be goodthat in mindI really want to read the first book and can't wait for the third one

The beginning does drag a bit, but it speeds up towards the end. It’s harder to find the plot, but the bond between his adoptive father and the main character is strong. I do wish there were more main female presences though.

realistic as possible with a robust world building. Kid meets girl while life is being unraveled by uncontrollable circumstances with incredible realism. 10/10! :p

This book is pretty good has lots of interesting things like superpowers.

this is a great companion to Sidekicked (but not a sequel). I liked the reverse view of villainy

This book was even better than Sidekicked, its companion! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the beginning! Read it!

Michael Marion Magadlene Morn Edson was found in a White Castle by St. Mary of the Woods School for Wayward boys when he was just a baby. There was no tearful goodbye on a doorstep, or anything like that for Michael. What he discovered there, as he got older, was that he had his very own super power. He was able to suggest things to people. Within reason, and they had to be open to the idea in the first place, but if they were he could look them in the eyes and get them to do what he wanted them to do. He had the run of St. Mary’s until the day he was adopted.That’s when he became a Minion. He was adopted by a super-villain called The Professor. Though, super-villain is probably a bit of a stretch. The first thing we see Michael doing is robbing a bank of exactly $27,500 because that’s exactly what they needed. The Professor was more of the brains behind a series of little black boxes that helped out those with more money and less scruples, and currently that meant that he was working for a Mob boss named Tony Romano and Michael was there helping The Professor do his work, but then everything changes when a new superhero comes to the city and upends everything for Michael, his friends, and his father.This book isn’t a sequel to Sidekicked—it takes place at roughly the same time. They talk about the events in Sidekicked from a distance, like it made the news, so it isn’t necessary to have read Sidekicked before reading this one. However, I would recommend that you read Sidekicked first because it provides an excellent counterbalance to this story. It’s the other side of the same coin, and Anderson wants to talk about the same kind of themes and ideas that he did in Sidekicked but from a slightly different perspective. It’s not from the evil villain’s side either, because other than the bits of crime they commit to stay alive and keep hidden, Michael and The Professor aren’t the super-villain types. In one point when asked if Michael would want to take over the world, he replied, “That’s like asking to have everyone’s problems dumped on you at once.”Because of the subject matter, Minion is for a slightly older audience than Sidekicked. It’s a little more challenging, so if your younger tween wants to read it right after they read Sidekicked, you’ll probably want to be there to answer any questions. The book loves questions, and frames all the things it wants to talk about that way. The Professor likes the Socratic method, and asks questions about good and evil, what Michael thinks about things, and what he plans to do.These questions don’t slow down the story at all, and it feels like there’s a lot going on even though there are only really a few action scenes in the book, and mostly when the Blue Comet—the town’s new superhero—shows up. Michael really just wants to try to have a normal life, and watching him interact with his friend Zach, or Spike as he’s known on the street, or Viola, the girl he has a romantic interest in, is just as interesting as the action stuff when things are being blown up.Which makes it a book you should read with your tween. It’s a great read, with an interesting story that will keep your tween interested in what’s going on even if there isn’t a lot of superhero action. The characters are all interesting, and they all have their own take on what makes someone a good person, which is really the main question the book puts forth....RecommendationMinion is a great story for your middle to older tween. Despite being a companion novel to Sidekicked, it isn’t a superhero story. It isn’t a story about someone who doesn’t feel like their powers are awesome, it isn’t a story about using the powers that a person has to the best of their ability. It’s a story about what’s really good and what’s really evil, and it doesn’t have a simple answer to that question. It has action, it has friendship, it has a bit of romance, and it will leave your tween with questions, but the ending leaves you with hope that, even if there isn’t an answer, there is a possibility of being understood.Read the rest of the review at reads4tweens.com

Michael Morn lives in a series of grey areas. He is technically a bad guy, in that he helps his dad rob banks and do other things the authorities wouldn't exactly give him a medal for. But he's not that bad of a guy. He and his dad have their clear boundaries. They never use real guns or real explosives, or really threaten people with any kind of harm and they only steal what they need to keep food on the table, electricity in the house, and the production of his dad's boxes going. Threatening people is just not necessary, thanks to Michael's ability to persuade people to do things just with a few simple words and eye contact. Now that doesn't stop Michael and the rest of the organized crime in New Liberty to start hyperventilating when a new hero shows up, the Comet. The new guy is seemingly invincible, which may not be such a bad thing because there's also a new group of supervillains who start to move in. They all wear steal masks and it seems that nothing but the Comet slows them down. Michael's dad is ready to relocate to a new country, but Michael's just started to feel like a normal teen and possibly made his first normal friend. He's not sure if supervillains and a flashy superhero are worth sacrificing that, and besides, why would they be interested in him or his dad? Except, suddenly it seems everyone is way too interested in his ability and his dad's boxes for comfort.Though this is a companion book to Sidekicked you absolutely don't have to have read that book. None of the characters from Sidekicked feature prominently in this story, it is just set in the same world. (So those of you with an aversion to series, you can breathe a little easier.) This tale reminds me a bit of Artemis Fowl in that the main character isn't a clear cut bad or good guy. Michael stands with one foot in moral territory, and one foot in somewhat nefarious territory. But he's still a likable character and his tale is very well woven. In fact, it is so well-woven, that the entire first half of the book is mostly introducing the cast of characters and the setting, it isn't until past the halfway mark that any real action starts to happen, but it never felt slow or lacking momentum. Just getting to know Michael and the things he is wrestling with is entertaining enough, the superhero/supervillain stuff was just icing on the cake. So I was impressed by the writing, especially the trust the author has in the reasoning abilities of his readers. There's a pretty significant secret "revealed" at the end, but it is done very subtly and not spelled out. You have to be paying attention to catch it. Probably the only thing that bothered me a little bit was Michael's occasional mocking of the Catholic nuns and priests who raised him in the orphanage for the first couple of years of his life. Yes, you would expect a teenage boy who lived in an orphanage till he was 7 to make fun of his roots somewhat, sometimes it felt a bit overboard. BUT I will say on the other hand that Michael is wrestling with some moral issues in his life throughout the book and though he jokes about his past teachings at times, at other times he wonders if they didn't have some wisdom in them. So it isn't all negative. This would be a great book club book, in that there's lots of fodder for discussions about the grey area life that Michael and his dad inhabit. I'm sure readers will have a vast array of responses to what Michael and his dad should have done or should plan to do. Notes on content: A few minor swear words scattered throughout, one use of strong profanity at a very tense moment. No sexual content. There are several run-ins between bad guys and police, bad guys and other bad guys, or bad guys and superheroes. Each of those involves shooting, blunt force weapon use, flying fists, and usually a vehicle ramming something. A bloody nose is described, people flying in the air are described, but for the most part the injuries do not receive much description at all. It is evident that some people are killed in some of the skirmishes, but deaths are not described in any detail.