What would happen if Flash Thompson (from Amazing Spider-man) or Whitney Fordman (from Smallville) acquired super powers rather than the sympathetic Peter Parker and Clark Kent. That is the premise of this inviting YA novel which details the transformation of selfish, conceited Hamilton Dinger into the struggling superhero Wingdinger.



Johnson so effectively immerses us in Dinger's limited world in the "social elite" of his high school (In Dinger's words, "Someone had to be popular... So it was my duty, my curse and blessing, to be so.") that the first third of the novel can be a painful read. How self-possessed can this teenager be? Known by his "trademark smirk," Dinger celebrates being intelligent, popular, and attractive (receiving "best eyes" in his yearbook) and frequently ignores or belittles those who do not fit his shallow definitions of what deserves his attention.



{Johnson's own background in education informs her presentation of teachers at the school (she is obviously having fun with the descriptions and characterization). She reminds us that those who take on the task of teaching high-schoolers deserve our support and sympathy.}



We see Dinger's narcissism in his relationships with fellow football players Poncey, Mikey, and Jason, but particularly in his attempts to win Gwen Kessler from drama student Tim, who plays Romeo to Gwen's Juliet in the high school's production of Shakespeare's play.



A meteor crashing into the town shakes the status quo, giving Dinger a chance to save Gwen's life, but also exposing him to something that slowly transforms him. The changes begin with dreams of stars, a vision of a menacing cloud with eyes, and a sighting of "a man in black" hurting some thirty people in the stands at the end of the homecoming football game. The last vision distracts Dinger from the crucial play that would have won the game, and those on his team wonder at his failure.



Later in the novel we discover the meteor did not give Dinger superpowers, but that he is an angel who has lost his way, who is "slumbering" in a self-centered world. Elysian, a dragon who can shrink to a small lizard to ride in Dinger's backpack or expand to full size for a battle, explains the Prince has sent Dinger to fight the Seven Deadly Sinisters. Somehow Dinger has gotten off-track. This novel portrays the journey back, how Dinger reclaims his sense of mission, and in Narnia-like fashion, there is a crucial encounter with the Prince that helps Dinger to muster the courage needed to face off against the demons.



But Dinger does not face them alone. There is a female angel named Starry Night. Although he has intimations he may have a history with her, Dinger cannot decipher who she is. Ah, but, that's another story, and indeed the next book in the series.



If you like Narnia, superhero adventures, or coming-of-age tales, definitely give this book a try. I look forward to seeing where the story goes.