FROM SHCC - CORE COLLECTION.

FROM AMAZON:
What can he do with his new powers -- and what are they doing to him?

Before the attack, Tom Harvey was just an average teen. But a head-on collision with high technology has turned him into an actualized App. Fragments of a shattered iPhone are embedded in his brain. And they're having an extraordinary effect on his every thought.

Because now Tom knows, sees, and can do more than any normal boy ever could. But with his new powers comes a choice: To avenge Lucy, the girl he loves, will he hunt down the vicious gangsters who hurt her? Will he take the law into his own electric hands and exterminate them from the South London housing projects where, by fear and violence, they rule?

Not even his mental search engine can predict the shocking outcome of iBoy's actions. ( )

CW: Gang rape

2.5 Stars ( )

Spiderman meets the Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. 16 year old Tom has fragments of an iphone embedded into his brain after a gang attack where his love interest, Lucy, is raped and her brother brutally beaten. With all the capabilities of the iphone virtually linked into his brain, Tom uses his powers for revenge and finds more than he bargained for. ( )

The book was...interesting? The concept was interesting.
Pros
Novel idea
iPhone in your head? yes, please.
Cons
Cussing, lots and lots of cussing.
Rape- it is portrayed as the horrible, awful crime that it is. But still. I don't want to read about it.

For me the cons weighed out the pros, but I gave it three stars because the plot wasn't horrible. If I could I would probably only give two and a half stars though... ( )

The book was...interesting? The concept was interesting.
Pros
Novel idea
iPhone in your head? yes, please.
Cons
Cussing, lots and lots of cussing.
Rape- it is portrayed as the horrible, awful crime that it is. But still. I don't want to read about it.

For me the cons weighed out the pros, but I gave it three stars because the plot wasn't horrible. If I could I would probably only give two and a half stars though... ( )

To read my review, go to Booknerd777.Blogspot.com ( )

To read my review, go to Booknerd777.Blogspot.com ( )

an okay book not really anything out of the ordinary i just sure hope that this person will improve on there next book if you want to read a beginning writers first attempt and critic them this is a good book ( )

Really great book! I loved all the super powers. ( )

In iBoy by Kevin Brooks, due to a bizarre bullying incident, pieces of an iPhone get lodged into Tom Harvey’s brain. This gives him instant, unlimited access to the Internet, which helps him solve the rape of his best friend Lucy.
Tom’s progression from an average Joe into a perpetually wired “iHero” felt plausible; his thoughts were believably described. So, nothing wrong with the writing style, but the plot could use fine tuning. Suspension of disbelief was a stretch with this one – definitely puts the fiction in science fiction. For those interested in London and/or teenagers.
EJ 09/2012

I picked up this book at the library, thinking it would be an interesting book to read. And boy was i right! This book was more than interesting! It was downright AMAZING!

This book has it all! Action, mystery, plot twists, a climax, and even a little bit of romance. Even better, the main character is someone that some people could relate to. I recommend this book to people who like action and romance. ( )

Sixteen-year-old Tom Harvey was an ordinary Londoner until an attack that caused fragments of an iPhone to be embedded in his brain, giving him incredible knowledge and power, but using that power against the gang that attacked him and a friend could have deadly consequences. Summary BPL

Uneasy juxtaposition of X-Men type super powers with inner-city street gang crimes. Tom deploys his superpowers—thanks to the iPod fragments—to avenge his girlfriend who was gang raped by local street thugs. The premise is too cartoonish, in my opinion, to support the weight of the grim plot.

Brooks handles his pen professionally and with style. Above average teen fiction author. I would like to read another of his books.

7 out of 10 For sci-fi and action lit fans. ( )

I was not expecting how much I liked this book. I thought it looked kind of cheesy because of the name and IPhone reference but I was completely wrong. IBoy is an original and emotional YA about doing the right thing and the power technology has today.

Tom was going to meet the girl he loved when a voice called his name “Hey Harvey”, he looked up and that was the last he remembers until he wakes up from a coma several days later. The IPhone that collided with his skull was operated on but the doctors were not able to get all the fragments of the phone out. Now Tom is experiencing strange things and is able to do things he never thought possible.

He can hear calls, look up information, hack into databases, text, and even zap things at a close range…in short he is part IPhone, part boy….IBoy! Tom learns the horrible news about what happened to Lucy the day he went to meet her. Tom and Lucy live in a bad neighborhood that is overrun by gangs, and when Lucy’s brother got in trouble with one of the gangs the punishment was harsh….Lucy got raped and her brother beat up. Tom cannot stand to think of what happened to Lucy and once he finds out who hurt her and threw the phone, he sets out to serve up a little vengeance.

The author did an amazing job of describing Toms new powers in a way that seemed realistic and interesting. I connected with Lucy, the sweet girl next door, and felt terrible about what happened to her. Tom deals with many internal issues about right and wrong and how best to use his new powers….granted, he does have a little fun too, but in the end I think he discovered the right path.
:) ( )

This is a really smart take on a modern “origin” story for a 21st century superhero. The model is Spider Man (mentioned more than once) but the hero’s transformation is more like the film Lawnmower Man. It’s somewhat inward (as if he’s internalized the Matrix) but this is the rare story where what’s going on around the “superhero” story is probably stronger than the heroics. The writer does something really cool with point of view and it’s so subtle that it takes awhile to register. Gritty and human and scary, the book has an edge but it also has a heart.

The premise sounds a little … silly … at first. After surviving a brain injury caused by a falling cell phone, an ordinary teenager named Tom discovers he now has the capacity to do anything an iPhone can and more and uses those powers to exact a little vigilante justice. There is nothing silly about how this premise works itself out, or anything candy-coated about iBoy’s mission. He wants justice done and although he doesn’t like the consequences, he can live with the results. (He would fit right into the Watchmen’s pantheon of superheroes with damaged souls.)

The characters are terrific. Tom is only 16 but as he integrates the iBoy powers, he’s forced to confront concepts like “situational ethics” and deal with criminal dynamics way over his head. Tom’s friend Lucy is equally as strong. She undergoes a horrific ordeal and emerges feeling dead and ruined. By the end, though, she has summoned reserves of courage and grace that will stand her in good stead.

The villain of the story, a local gangster named Howard Ellman (nicknamed “The Hell Man”) is a true sociopath and we know he’s capable of anything.

The writer has also done an excellent job of seeding in various elements of the plot that grow to fruition as the story rolls on. He’s not always subtle about this—there’s a patch of waste ground that’s a cell phone sink where iBoy’s powers don’t work and once Tom makes note of that, we’re pretty sure we’re going to see it again.

The council estate where Tom and the other characters live is a bleak place that reflects 21st century realities. The towers and flats are filled with gang members and even the residents who aren’t a part of the thug life find themselves caught up in it.

While there is a fantastic element to the story, at its heart, everything that happens is very real. A young girl is raped for no better reason than her attackers want to send a message about power. A skinhead psycho keeps younger gang-members in check with ruthless displays of death-dealing. A mischief-making text sent by Tom results in a young man being stabbed—which is what he hoped for but doesn’t completely like.

Brooks is known in the UK for his books Martyn Pig and Being. iBoy is his best book yet. ( )

The Good Stuff

* Unique and unusual idea for a storyline
* Darkly humorous at times, which helps tone down the darkness of the story
* Gram is one cool bad-ass -- my kind of Grandmother
* Fast paced
* Could lead to some fascinating class discussions about moral choices
* Love the relationship between Tom and his Grandma - real honest love and respect
* Tom's a believable and likable protagonist and you can really feel the struggles he deals with
* Very raw, bleak, honest and dark (not a bad thing, just giving you the mood)
* Did I mention how much I loved the Gram
* Emotional wild ride

The Not So Good Stuff

* There is something missing and I just can't put my finger on it, maybe storyline and characters could be fleshed out more -- but than again I was sick when reading, so could just be me

Favorite Quotes/Passages

"Have you got a mobile phone?"

I tapped the side of my head.

He grinned.

"Yeah," I told him. "I've got a mobile phone."

"I couldn't help smiling to myself as I crossed over to the lift with Gram.

"What?" Gram asked me. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing ..." I looked at her, grinning. "It's just .... well, iBoy ... I mean, that's actually pretty good, isn't it?"

Gram shrugged. "It's better than fuckhead."

"Maybe it was the brain surgery," I said, smiling at her. "Maybe it's turned me into a budding genius."

A faint smile flickered on her face,"It'd take more than major brain surgery to turn you into a genius."

I pulled an idiot face.

She laughed.

Who Should/Shouldn't Read

* Suitable for male and female readers
* I would strongly advise a more mature reader for this one due to violence and mentions of rape (not gratuitous or overly descriptive though)
* Would be good for a reluctant reader

4.25 Dewey's

I received this from Scholastic in Exchange for an Honest Review ( )

Hit on the head by a mobile phone gives this kid powers beyond his imagination.

Tom lives in the projects. He and his friend Lucy are surrounded by gangs and trouble. When Lucy is attacked, someone throws an iPhone at Tom, 30 stories down, striking him in the head. When he leaves the hospital, he is changed, and goes looking to avenge Lucy. ( )

A powerful book with strong content, Kevin Brooks at his finest so far 10/10

It's a Kevin Brook's novel, so expect violence and pessimism, but the pleasant surpise is the science-fiction element of a boy with the chips of an i-phone embedded in his brain and what he can do as he merges with the powerful entity that is the internet and telecommunications. Tom lives in a housing comission and fancies Lucy who lives in the same building. On March the 5th, he hears his name shouted, looks up and an i-phone is thrown from above and embedded into his brain. When he wakes up, Tom's world has changed; he can access any information, anytime and anywhere but also Lucy has been gang-raped and no one has been brought to justice. Tom, as i-Boy, takes it upon himself to bring the perpetrators to justice, but his powers are only as good as the reception you get on a phone. What happens when Lucy is kidnapped and taken to a place where Tom has no reception at all? Fascinating look at revenge and technology and how it can be used against people...very topical. The violence/rape issue makes this an older readers' novel.

When I first saw this story about a boy who has an iPhone fall on him from a great height and ends up with parts of that iPhone in his head which gives him some superhero powers, I thought it was going to be a pretty predictable superhero story.

It wasn't. This isn't a story of big heroism, it's the story of an ordinary boy coming to terms with powers and trying to do a little good to avenge a friend. This is definintely a young adult or older teen book as it features rape and it's consequences quite a lot, the hero of the story makes some hard decisions and I did care for him and other people around him.

Enjoyable, interesting, worthwhile and definitely neither predictable or light. ( )

I thought that a story about a boy who had an iPhone shattered into his head sounded really dumb. But it was a great read. I suspended belief and it became a thrilling story about Tom and how the fragments of the iPhone in his brain gave him amazing powers. He used these to try to control the gangs in his rundown area and help a girl he liked. Nice little bits of romance mixed in with page-turning excitement. Quite a bit of bad language but I suppose people in gangs would use this sort of language. ( )

Kevin Brooks’ iBoy is, as are all of his books, a tense, well plotted, often humorous, and always thought provoking young adult novel. Technology, teenagers, crime, friendship, and loyalty weave together in a story that shows what strengths lay at the heart of true friends and what power information can hold.
Read the rest on Bookgeeks!:
http://www.bookgeeks.co.uk/2010/07/21/iboy-by-kevin-brooks/ ( )

'iboy' was one of the books that I came away with from the Puffin stand. It was highly recommended; I was completely sold on the book purely from the passionate account that the publisher gave, regarding the storyline. As a result I desperately wanted to read it, and as soon as I could. Fortunately the long train journey home enabled my wish to come true, and within 48 hours of acquiring the book, I was soon turning the pages.

I have to say that this book has been a great read; a really unexpected and very memorable story. I had an initial idea that this was some sort of Hollywood-type blockbuster; a modern day Superhero, with lots of non-stop action and gadgets. But to be honest it has fallen short of this, and in this instance, I am pleased that it has.

Before the attack, sixteen-year-old Tom Harvey was just an ordinary boy. But now fragments of a shattered iPhone are embedded in his brain and it’s having an extraordinary effect . . . Because now Tom has powers. The ability to know and see more than he could ever imagine. And with incredible power comes knowledge – and a choice. Seek revenge on the violent gangs that rule his estate and assaulted his friend Lucy, or keep quiet? Tom has control when everything else is out of control. But it’s a dangerous price to pay. And the consequences are terrifying . .

This book has a gripping real-life feel to it; with characters who are found to be living their lives on an inner city estate, outside of London. The story covers gritty issues such as drugs, the gang culture and even rape. Tom and Lucy, unfortunately find themselves victims to some of these events, at some point within the story.

The book has a brilliant heart-in-your-mouth story. I loved every page of this amazing book; it will stay with me for some time to come. I have to say, that I probably wouldn't have normally picked it up, due to it depicting 'real-life' issues. It was only the lure of the Superhero character which evetually enticed me. However everything within the book works well together, even the Superhero is understated and is featured more like a real-life hero.

I would really recommend for you to get your hands on a copy of this book; it comes out in July. I would love to hear your comments once you've had a chance to read it.

I would love to see an additional book being written; just to see the possibilities as to how iboy could be developed into another storyline. We'll just have to wait and see if this is possible . . . . . ( )