The Stranger (Last Man)

In the first installment of The Last Man: The Stranger, 12-year-old Adrian is training hard in his martial arts dojo in order to compete in the annual tournament. He becomes depressed when his teammate for the tournament gets sick leaving Adrian unable to participate in the event. A stranger and travelling martial artist helps Adrian by offering to enter the tournament as his partner. Adrian’s mother is very apprehensive about a stranger competing with her son, but she gives in to their persuasion. Adrian struggles with his opponents, but the stranger’s skills allow them to advance several rounds. The story ends with a cliff hanger when a technique used by an opposing tournament member from Adrian’s dojo leaves the stranger unable to compete and Adrian is left to finish the match on his own. As an 11-year-old black belt in Shaolin Kempo karate I was immediately drawn to the book. The story was initially captivating, but the repetitiveness of the tournament rounds lessened my interest towards the end. The best part of the book for me was the artwork; it brought me in with its cool, retro style. Overall, it was a good story and I do look forward to the next book in the series.