Book Title: Michael Vey: The Final Spark
Author: Richard Paul Evans
Pages: 316
The Final Spark is the seventh and final book in the Michael Vey series. As I’ve written reviews of the other books, I’ve mentioned that I got into this series because of my son. He started reading the books and after he had read the third or fourth book he started telling me about it and asked me to start reading it. I did and have loved the series.
This book actually came out last September (2017). My family and I were invited the book release party at Cottonwood High School in Salt Lake City. I had been invited to the book six launch party but couldn’t make it due to other commitments. The party was great. Richard Paul Evans gave my family VIP access which gave us access to a pre-launch party. At the party, we got a free copy of the book and a photo with Evans. After we took the picture he personalized the book for my kids and autographed it.
As I talked with Evans, I mentioned that I work with a friend of his from high school. I told him her name and he told me that Michael Vey’s friend is based off of my work colleague. The next day at work I ran into her office and asked her if she knew this? She confessed that she did and it’s been fun to read this book knowing that it’s based off of my colleague. It’s added a new, fun twist to reading it. It’s almost like I have the inside scoop and actually know one of the characters.
Even though the book came out in September, I just got my chance to read it. I always let my son read the books first and this was no different. He started it and I got busy with other projects and didn’t ask about it again until about a week ago.
My son admitted that he hadn’t read the entire book yet didn’t’ know when he would due to some demanding school projects. I told him I couldn’t wait any longer and asked him for the book. I’ve got to be honest, I was so excited to read the book and see how it ended. At the same time, there was a little hesitancy to read it because I didn’t want the series and all the fun to come to an end.
Book 6 ended with a huge cliff hanger. Micheal and his Electroclan were in a battle with hatch and the Elgen to save the world. The battle ends when Michael essentially takes on so much electricity that he explodes and destroys the majority of the Elgen army. After the explosion, the Electroclan is regrouping and discovers that Michael is nowhere to be found. It’s uncertain if he survived or not.
While I won’t tell you what happened and ruin the book, I will say that once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. It didn’t disappoint. It held enough intrigue to keep me on my toes and hoping certain things would happen. At times, I was worried about the characters and their fate and at other times I found myself cheering for them and hoping that they would be successful.
They way Evans tells the story was incredible. I felt like I knew Michael and his friends and that we were actually friends. Several times during the book I caught myself thinking, “No way, this isn’t happening,” or, “This can’t be happening.”
Towards the end of the book, one sentence caught my attention and gave me hope that one day Evans will come back to the series and write more Michael Vey books. I don’t know anything, but the fanboy in me is really hoping that it will happen.
A couple lines from the book stood out to me. In one chapter, Jack and Ostin apologize to each other for things they felt sorry about doing to each other before they got to know one another and become friends. Another character overhears it and Jack and Ostin are embarrassed by it. I loved the response, “No, that was good. People say things too late.”
Later, as the villain in the book is trying to destroy the good guys, he is unable to do so and one of the characters says, “Only a fool thinks he can keep doing the same thing and get different results.”
And, lastly, at the end of the end of the book, one of the characters says, “I once heard it said, there are no great men, just great challenges.”
I don’t want to give attribution to these quotes from the book for fear of giving too much away. I liked these quotes as they were referenced on the book. I also think they’re great as standalones.
One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about the Michael Vey series is reading it and talking to my son about it. He hasn’t read the book yet and I’m dying for him to read it so we can talk about it. I’m as excited for him to read it as I was to read it myself. With the series coming to an end, I’m hopeful that my son and I can find another series that we can enjoy as much as this one.
I can’t recommend this book and the series enough. I’ve been reading the series to my 12 and ten-year-old daughters and it’s been fun to relive the book with them. I’m having just as much fun reading it to them and discussing it with them as it is with my son. The book is appropriate got kids and adults of all ages. My kids and I have been trying to get my wife to read the series and I’m hoping she’ll give in and join the fun.
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