The End of Infinity (A Jack Blank Adventure)

What a fantastic series for young readers! As a parent, nothing is more satisfying than discovering a book you hope your child will pick up and enjoy every moment they spend reading it like you did. This is one series my son is anxious to start reading this year, and I can't wait for him to start it. Jack Blank's adventures span three books, The Accidental Hero, The Secret War (the links go to my reviews for each book) and the final book in the series, The End of Infinity. What an awesome series this is! I have loved reading about Jack's journey, watching him grow as a character, and getting to be apart of his world. Everything about this series, it's characters and it's world building is simply amazing!

Through out the entire series Jack has been overlooked many times and told he'd never amount to anything. In reality this resilient young hero proves he can do more than anyone thought he could, especially in this book. Even when the whole world, both the Imagination and the real world are against him, he finds the strength within himself to do some incredible things. I loved that about him. One of the things I loved about this series is the messages found in each book. Some of my favorites messages in the series have come from a character whom I've compared to Yoda before, because of his inspirations messages and the good he sees in Jack. He's always giving advice to Jack, but it's also advice that readers can take to heart. This time my favorite message is from Jack, and in saying this I also feel like it shows readers just how much Jack has grown as a character.

"A hero was someone who tried to make a difference, even when everyone else thought all hope was lost. Being a hero meant putting the needs of others before your own. Being a hero meant sacrifice." (pg. 321)

Jack proves he's a hero time and time again. Similar to two other beloved children's characters, Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker, Jack Blank is a character who has some incredible odds stacked against him, and when his journey is done he realizes his future is, and has always been in his hands. He determines his own outcome. Before you roll your eyes that I'm comparing him to these greats, I've it before in talking about this series, but I'll give you a few new reasons why here. Growing up these characters are deemed as your every day kid, and some would call them nerdy, but regardless, these three have this incredible inner strength, amazing will power and that goodness about them that make them all unlikely heroes, and beloved by both kids and adults like. They each do some pretty incredible things in their own way. Though they're guided by a wise friend, it's up to each of them to find their own way and become that great person their mentor sees in them. They're all destined for great things, and capture their reader's attention, and make us as readers cheer them one. Like Harry and Luke, Jack is a character readers will relate to in some form. We've either been in his shoes or been told we'd never amount to anything, or we've been that character who was bullied, or been put in situations were we wondered how in the world we would get through it. Similar to the other two beloved heroes, Jack Blank is a new unlikely hero young fans will be rooting for, will be inspired by and will fall in love with.

Now I know this is a middle grade series, and I'm a grown up who's raving about this book/series. Let me just say, great literature, especially children's literature doesn't have a cap of what age group reads it. This is a book and series adults will love just as much as kids. They're plenty of action and humor that readers of all ages will enjoy, and get. If you're looking for a fabulous book that the entire family can enjoy, I highly recommend picking this one up! You can be sure you'll see this on my top 10 favorite lists at the end of the year.

[Full disclosure: Matt Myklusch sent me a copy of The End of Infinity to review as I saw fit after he saw I loved The Accidental Hero. There was an understanding between us that sending me the next two books in his trilogy would not guarantee him a good review.]

Whoa.

I haven't been speechless like this since I finished Mira Grant's Blackout. And for those of you who know how much I loved the Newsflesh trilogy, you know that's really saying something. Here's why I'm lost for words:

There were so many times in the story that Matt Myklusch painted himself into such a tight corner I seriously had my doubts about his ability to pull things off. Obviously, he plotted out his trilogy very carefully or he would never have been able to pull off such unexpected twists. He did something that few authors have done to me: he made me very skeptical there could ever be a happy ending. Truly, he spares his characters no pain and The End of Infinity is a much better book for it.

Jack is an amazing character. He goes through so much in his short life and it's amazing that he is still a functional human being. Is he three dimensional? Absolutely! Jack is a character everyone (even girls) can relate to, yet he's very flawed as he tries to do everything himself. But when you look at what happened to him in the last two books, it's not at all surprising he has trust issues, especially when he learns who his father is. Hint: it's not who you think.

Very few series endings are satisfying for me, but Matt Myklusch managed to wrap things up nicely while still leaving potential for a sequel or even a spin-off series. This is probably one of the only series that I actually wouldn't mind the author continuing. In fact, I'm all for it! The world of the Imagine Nation still has so much potential, especially for prequels.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

Amazing...there is simply no other way to put it. I am sad the series is over, but this seems like it was a very successful series so there will (hopefully) be more books about half. Hard to belief that the story of these characters we have grown to love will be over. The fact that I am sadder that this series is over than when I finished Harry potter says good things about the quality of this book. definitely get this book ,but read the other two books in the trilogy first. Also I would like to draw attention to the fact that there are no reviews below 4 stars at th time of my writing this. Sorry if if this review does not make sense, it is my first one and it is hard to type on this kindle. On a side note there is a typo for the upcoming collection pack for the books, it is set to come out December 30...2030.

This book is amazing! I love the adventures and Jack Blank is so cool! I have read this book 3 times as well as the others from the series. I am 14 and started reading them at 12. You will love these books!

I was hooked on this series from the beginning, and this book is another exciting addition to the series. I just got it today, and I already finished it because I couldn't put it down. I certainly recommend this series to anyone. I certainly hope that there will be another novel added to the series!

I like how everything wraps up. The first half of the book dragged a little like the entire second book. Why do authors even give their characters powers so they can take them away? But after Jack gets his mojo back it's a thrill ride. I stayed up way too late reading this one (and work came oh so early the next morning). But it was exciting seeing how it all ends. If I was Jack I would not have been so merciful at the very end (promise or not). Lots of fun seeing all the threads woven together to form the tapestry of this epic adventure.