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A review by lavenderwarlock
The Ables by Jeremy Scott
3.0
I remember when I first listened to this in my teens and I loved it. I re-listened to it recently and I still liked it but I did look at it more critically. I do like it, I think it's pretty interesting in concept and execution and I plan to read/listen to the rest of the books. I also find it quite funny and I do love a lot of the characters.
Donnie is my fav. I love him, he's very charming and his loyalty is great. Though the idea that people try to get him banned from attending school is sooooo unrealistic. Henry is pretty cool, I do think his sarcasm is fun but it does suck a bit that he turns into Philph eyes 2 after they realise (tho Henry sending images is pretty cool). Bently is fun I find him a bit relatable (though never in 1000 years would he not check if the plant pots were plastic or not). James is a little entrepreneur and it's pretty endearing actually. I also love the blind humour between James and Philph. Philph is such a complicated character in my brain, I feel like he's incredibly stupid but also it kinda makes sense? His character is just a bit stupid and that's fine but also sometimes he's REALLY stupid. Arson Philph? You're gonna blow up cars in the supersim?? He is still a bit endearing tho.
I can't really comment on the quality of the disabled representation in this book as someone who's not disabled physically but I feel like Philph getting sight in the second half isn't the best. Also there's a lack of women (at least women who don't serve almost not purpose or straight up get fridged). There's not a tone of racial diversity either.
My biggest problem comes in the finale. It starts with the pacing of this book. Everything goes just a bit too fast so you don't get as much detail as would be best. This directly relates to my biggest issue: Chad. He goes from a bully to a disabled kid and we spend barely any time with him. His turn around doesn't feel convincing because we spend NO time with him to see his supposed turn to the light. Then he turns out to be evil and there's NO motive. Chad LOSES a whole ARM he becomes PERMANENTLY DISABLED and we have NO idea why! Is his family long-time believers??? Is Finch holding something over his head?? All we can assume is he's just evil. He leads to the destruction of his home and straight up SHOOTS someone in the head and we don't have any idea why. He's just evil. Also as a twist, pretty bad. We as the viewer don't get a real chance to notice his suspicious behaviour other than him doing the same trip move. All the suspicious happens off screen until it's needed to shock the viewer. I think it just isn't good. I hope we get some Chad lore next book.
I found the finale frustrating. Everyone kept fucking up shit I feel they shouldn't have. I mean I like Finch his mad logic makes sense to me. He's forcing Philph into the prophecy and I think it does work. However the bomb shouldn't have gone off. You're telling me of half the town of Freepoint, double the heroes than believers, not one could stop a button being pushed?? Philph couldn't pull it out of Finch's hand? Stop the button decompressing? A speedster couldn't have grabbed that shit? An invisible hero couldn't have nicked that shit? someone couldn't have fucking murdered Finch on the spot???? Also it has the if you kill the villain you're as bad as them trope which I think it's dumb for Finch, mass murderer. The idea that Philph (a traumatised 12 year old) would be seen as a villain forever for killing a mass murderer who is threatening the lives of a whole town is batshit and makes Freepoint look a lot less utopia. I did think the Thomas reveal was alright but the idea that Thomas got struck by lightning, fell thousands of feet off a building and lived and no one checked on him. Did they not go back for a body to bury??? I did enjoy the book mostly but there were some flaws I couldn't overlook.
Donnie is my fav. I love him, he's very charming and his loyalty is great. Though the idea that people try to get him banned from attending school is sooooo unrealistic. Henry is pretty cool, I do think his sarcasm is fun but it does suck a bit that he turns into Philph eyes 2 after they realise (tho Henry sending images is pretty cool). Bently is fun I find him a bit relatable (though never in 1000 years would he not check if the plant pots were plastic or not). James is a little entrepreneur and it's pretty endearing actually. I also love the blind humour between James and Philph. Philph is such a complicated character in my brain, I feel like he's incredibly stupid but also it kinda makes sense? His character is just a bit stupid and that's fine but also sometimes he's REALLY stupid. Arson Philph? You're gonna blow up cars in the supersim?? He is still a bit endearing tho.
I can't really comment on the quality of the disabled representation in this book as someone who's not disabled physically but I feel like Philph getting sight in the second half isn't the best. Also there's a lack of women (at least women who don't serve almost not purpose or straight up get fridged). There's not a tone of racial diversity either.
My biggest problem comes in the finale. It starts with the pacing of this book. Everything goes just a bit too fast so you don't get as much detail as would be best. This directly relates to my biggest issue: Chad. He goes from a bully to a disabled kid and we spend barely any time with him. His turn around doesn't feel convincing because we spend NO time with him to see his supposed turn to the light. Then he turns out to be evil and there's NO motive. Chad LOSES a whole ARM he becomes PERMANENTLY DISABLED and we have NO idea why! Is his family long-time believers??? Is Finch holding something over his head?? All we can assume is he's just evil. He leads to the destruction of his home and straight up SHOOTS someone in the head and we don't have any idea why. He's just evil. Also as a twist, pretty bad. We as the viewer don't get a real chance to notice his suspicious behaviour other than him doing the same trip move. All the suspicious happens off screen until it's needed to shock the viewer. I think it just isn't good. I hope we get some Chad lore next book.
I found the finale frustrating. Everyone kept fucking up shit I feel they shouldn't have. I mean I like Finch his mad logic makes sense to me. He's forcing Philph into the prophecy and I think it does work. However the bomb shouldn't have gone off. You're telling me of half the town of Freepoint, double the heroes than believers, not one could stop a button being pushed?? Philph couldn't pull it out of Finch's hand? Stop the button decompressing? A speedster couldn't have grabbed that shit? An invisible hero couldn't have nicked that shit? someone couldn't have fucking murdered Finch on the spot???? Also it has the if you kill the villain you're as bad as them trope which I think it's dumb for Finch, mass murderer. The idea that Philph (a traumatised 12 year old) would be seen as a villain forever for killing a mass murderer who is threatening the lives of a whole town is batshit and makes Freepoint look a lot less utopia. I did think the Thomas reveal was alright but the idea that Thomas got struck by lightning, fell thousands of feet off a building and lived and no one checked on him. Did they not go back for a body to bury??? I did enjoy the book mostly but there were some flaws I couldn't overlook.