Flint hates middle school. All he wants to do is draw the comic book adventures of his superhero, Squint. Flint once liked school and was popular, but that changed when he developed an eye disease that made him lose most of his sight and all his friends. Unfortunately, everyone calls him Squint because he constantly squints behind his thick glasses. Luckily, Flint found purpose in creating his comic book. One day at lunch, a girl named McKell sits by Flint and asks him to complete some random challenges with her. Intrigued, Flint helps McKell even though his eye sight is getting steadily worse. However, through accomplishing these challenges with McKell, Flint learns to find his inner superhero and face down the villain of his self-doubt.There are two unique ways Morris and Brown have set their story apart. First is that throughout the book Flint shares his life’s lessons by listing humorous yet insightful rules for surviving middle school, understanding relationships, and crafting comic books. Finally, chapters jump from Flint’s real-life challenges to the conflicts the superhero, Squint, faces. At the beginning of the book, Flint retreats from his own trials. Instead he tackles them by turning them into super villains and having Squint fight out a resolution. When McKell enters Flint’s life, Squint’s comic book story changes by including a sidekick, Diamond. Diamond watches Squint’s back and gives him a clearer perspective to the people he once viewed as villains. As Flint grows in confidence and strength, so does Squint. Any fans of comic books and contemporary fiction will enjoy this heartfelt and insightful middle-grade read.
Check out the authors' Blog Tour going on for their book!
