Featured Friday: King of Bad by Kai Strand | Jo Linsdell

Featured Friday: King of Bad by Kai Strand

Title: King of Bad: Super Villain Academy Book 1
Author: Kai Strand
ISBN: 978-1-61160-665-2
ASIN: B00DQGA6MW



Purchasing links: 


Book blurb:

Jeff Mean would rather set fires than follow rules or observe curfew. He wears his bad boy image like a favorite old hoodie; that is until he learns he has superpowers and is recruited by Super Villain Academy – where you learn to be good at being bad. In a school where one kid can evaporate all the water from your body and the girl you hang around with can perform psychic sex in your head, bad takes on a whole new meaning. Jeff wonders if he’s bad enough for SVA.
 
He may never find out. Classmates vilify him when he develops good manners. Then he’s kidnapped by those closest to him and left to wonder who is good and who is bad. His rescue is the climactic episode that balances good and evil in the super world. The catalyst – the girl he’s crushing on. A girlfriend and balancing the Supers is good, right? Or is it…bad?

Author bio:

When her children were young and the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died. The end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers and short stories for the younger ones, Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Learn more about Kai and her books on her website,www.kaistrand.com.


Reviews:

It's about time we see the perspective of the world from a super villain! All too often, books tend to focus on the super hero. I liked the idea of a Super Villain Academy and seeing how the children were all trained to be bad. -The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl

This story was well worth the read, and the author pulls the 'bad' aspect off with balance, structure, and - believe it or not - goodness. The super powers Strand uses to create her characters' world are altered slightly from the norm, giving freshness. -SA Larsen

It was a light read that got better and better as it went on; the author threw in a few twists with the main character, too. I can't wait for the sequel to come out! –Goodreads review

Mini Interview:

Why did you write this book?

King of Bad was a NaNoWriMo book (National Novel Writing Month). Originally, I had outlined a middle grade novel for the project, but on November 1st when I sat down to write, a young adult book about teenage super villains came out of me. Yes, I was surprised. But boy is it fun to write about the baddies!

Anything in particular you'd like to share about this book or it's creation?

Even though the main character is a super villain and he attends a school that trains villains, not every character is grumpy and filled with angst. It's a story of good vs bad and about finding your way through life. 

As part of the giveaway, I'm offering several sets of character trading cards. It's a first time I'm offering them and I'm so excited about them. This set was designed specifically for King of Bad. There will be a unique design for each book, so this is the best and most fun time to get a set. From the beginning!

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

The second book in the series, Polar Opposites, is out already and the third and final book will be released next summer. The third book in my Weaver Tales series, The Lumpy Duckling, released in October. The Weaver Tales are written for middle grade readers. Readers can visit my website to learn more about all of my books. 

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