Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Genre:  YA Science Fiction

Reckoners Series, Book 1

Brandon Sanderson's website

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Description (taken from Brandon Sanderson's website):

There are no heroes.

Every single person who manifested powers—we call them Epics—turned out to be evil.

Here, in the city once known as Chicago, an extraordinarily powerful Epic declared himself Emperor. Steelheart has the strength of ten men and can control the elements. It is said no bullet can harm him, no sword can split his skin, no explosion can burn him. He is invincible.

It has been ten years. We live our lives as best we can. Nobody fights back . . . nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans who spend their lives studying powerful Epics, finding their weaknesses, then assassinating them.

My name is David Charleston. I’m not one of the Reckoners, but I intend to join them. I have something they need. Something precious, something incredible. Not an object, but an experience. I know his secret.

I’ve seen Steelheart bleed.

This book is set in a world where a random star shows up in the night sky.  And this star gives off these bizarre powers that turn ordinary people into Epics.  At least that's the theory.  This world is suddenly possible for a Superman to emerge, but instead, we get brutal, powerful men wanting more power.  And it turns the world ugly really quickly.

In Newcago, David has grown up an orphan.  He remembers a time before Steelheart's reign, a time when there was still sun light.  But it's all gone now.  And he wants revenge.  He wants to kill Steelheart.  But the only way to do that is to get in league with a band of people who make it a hobby of killing Epics: the Reckoners.

Honestly, I thought this book had a great concept.  But David as a person annoyed the crap out of me.  His really stupid metaphors, his incomplete thought process; I felt like it was an eight year old in a teenager's body.  And then the bits of attempted romance just made me roll my eyes.  I guess this book looked really good, but it rubbed me the wrong way.  However, there are plenty of plot twists to keep you interested.  I missed one major one, and it could have been redeeming enough to recommend this to others.

If you're a science fiction fan, you'll probably like this.  If you're some one who doesn't care for romance or enjoys watching a five-year-old attempt romantic notions, then this one's for you.  I guess I can't pull the romance part out of my brain enough to enjoy a good sci-fi....