Rachel Reviews: The Bangle Bombers Blast Banks (3rd book in Cockroach the Superhero series) by Steve Frederick

I really enjoyed Steve Frederick's book, even without having read previous instalments of Cockroach's adventures. I was a little wary going in, Cockroach's moniker not really lending itself to competent superhero-dom but I needn't have worried as Frederick has written an entertaining tale for late primary readers which will appeal. I know this because it appealed to me now and it would have appealed to me too at that age.

Cockroach is part of a group of good guys who all have different powers. I'm not going to list them but Frederick has used his imagination to create a diverse group, even one who's disabled, which I rather liked, subverting that idea of what constitutes "superhero".

And so, a new threat presents itself in the form of the Bangle Bombers, bank robbers who blast their way into banks using a machine which looks strange and disappears unconventionally once the dastardly deed has been done. The good guys are flummoxed but they are resourceful and have plans.

Cockroach is part of this crime combatting super team but what Frederick also shows is how being a superhero as a child is something that needs to be juggled with school life, family interactions and the everyday concerns of an 11 year old boy, like baseball and bullies, Frederick creates, within an unbelievable premise, believable characters and situations, juxtaposing futuristic bank robberies with Kyle (Cockroach's real name) fielding the interrogative powers of Grammy and the problems posed by having a cape which needs a wash but also concealing.

This was an easy read with characters who are easy to visualise, helped by Frederick's ability to create convincing dialogue to round them out. There is a lightness to this book, although darker themes are presented like bullying and past trauma but all in all, this is just plain wholesome storytelling, well-written with a generous sprinkling of humour and in-jokes to prompt a good-natured chuckle throughout. I was especially impressed with the names of the bank robbers and where Frederick has them end up as well as some of the names of the superheroes mentioned at the end of the book like Dick Mobee.

If you're looking for a book that might get your primary/elementary school boys reading, especially if they're into superheroes, then this could be something that gets them interested. It's certainly worth a go!

Rachel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This review was first published on Reedsy Discovery where I was privileged to read it as an ARC: