The first Michael Vey book starts out with kids living a relatively normal life. Michael is picked on by bullies and has a crush on a cheerleader. One day, the bullies pick on him and he shocks them as she looks on. From this, they discover that they both have special power. They are eventually found out by Mr. Hatch and the Elgin. Here the book gets depressing. Hatch is just too evil, spending money as much as he wants and crashing airplanes for ransom. His strategy is to use carrots and sticks to gain control. He lavishes his "kids" with gifts and tells them how separate they are from other people. Then he gets them to perform "acts of loyalty" which often harm or kill others. Now he has their loyalty as well as potential crimes to hold over their heads. Of course, our heroes don't fall in the trap and they eventually escape. In the process they experience the joys of the big city from the point of view of a small town kid. Even sushi is something special. There was something about the story that didn't quite seem right. The characters were too melodramatic and easily controlled. It felt like things were better adapted to the rural west than the many areas that were covered. Things were working well as an "awkward boy meets cheerleader" book, but had difficulty stretching into a superhero adventure.
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