Alex Wise vs. the End of the World
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Welcome to the summer of the apocalypse. One 12-year-old boy leads the charge against the forces of evil as he tries to stop the Four Horsemen from taking over the world in the start to a wildly funny and addictive fantasy series about accepting yourself and finding your inner hero.
Alex Wise feels like his world is ending. His best friend, Loren, is leaving town for the summer, his former friend and maybe sort of crush Sky hasn't spoken to him since he ditched Alex on first day of sixth grade, and now his mom is sending him and his annoying younger sister, Mags, on a cruise with the dad who abandoned them. And, as if things couldn't get worse, a creepy shadow monster may or may not be stalking him.
But none of this could prepare Alex for the actual end of the world. Too bad that is exactly what's coming, after the definitely-real Shadow Man kidnaps Mags and she is possessed by the ancient spirit of Death—one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Luckily (depending on who you ask), Alex is possessed as well by a powerful god who imbues Alex with their powers in an effort to stop the Horsemen…if he can figure out how to use them. So begins an epic battle between good and evil: Alex, Loren, a grumpy demi-god, and Alex's fourth grade teacher vs. Death, Pestilence, Famine, War, and the waves of chaos and destruction they bring to LA and soon the rest of the globe. Just your average summer vacation.
Alex is more used to being left behind than leading the way, but now he's the only one who can save his sister—and the world. That is, if he can unlock his new powers and see himself as the hero he is.
“Never has the apocalypse been so fun!"
—Mark Oshiro, author of THE INSIDERS and co-author with Rick Riordan of THE SUN AND THE STAR: A NICO DI ANGELO ADVENTURE.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A Black 12-year-old's family trip is derailed by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in this action-packed series starter by Benton-Walker (The Blood Debts). Now that his bestie is vacationing elsewhere for the summer, Los Angeleno Alex Wise is more determined than ever to win back his former friend, who ditched him for a new pal at the beginning of the school year. Alex's mother has other plans for, though: along with his younger sister Mags, Alex is setting sail on a cruise with his father, whom the siblings haven't seen since their parents divorced two years ago. Alex tries to make the most of his time at sea, but the relaxing cruise is plagued by Mags's insistence that there's a Shadow Man aboard the ship. When she's taken by the Shadow Man and possessed by the spirit of Death, Alex endeavors to save her. But with the spirits of Famine, Pestilence, and War by her side, he has his work cut out for him. This adventurous tale—propelled by a hero whose reluctance drips from his first-person narration—weaves themes of standing up for oneself in their personal life with high-octane sequences that culminate in a satisfyingly earnest first installment. Ages 8–12.