"Arena Mode" by Blake Northcutt

image from Amazon

Arena Mode by Blake Northcutt is the first in a series of fantasy novels around 2041.  This is about Mox, a superhero comic collector genius with a photographic memory, a cancerous brain tumor, and a couple good friends who convince him to enter the Arena Mode contest held in Manhattan, NY to get enough money for the surgery he needs to remove the tumor.  He has no faith in God or anything, and is solely focused on playing the odds which have paid off for him in winning lots of money gambling.  The contest is only for superpower humans, so he has to sneak in by faking a superpower to get the attention of the guy who gives out the invitations to participate.

The majority of this book is the actual contest involving a lot of fighting. During the contest, Mox discovers what is really important to him and fights to survive by out thinking his opponents and getting some help along the way.  I was interested to see how this guy with no superpowers was going to survive against the others who all had superpowers which was pretty fascinating.  I think the theme is about being a superhero by making a difference, but it wasn't all that clear.  Overall, the book is pretty gruesome, corny and unbelievable with a surprise ending I didn't like.   This is not a series I intend to pursue.
(Karen's review, 3 stars) 

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