If you ever have the good fortune to meet YA author Sarah Cross in person, don’t mistake her quiet disposition for lack of superpower prowess. This kind, cheerful, sweet-mannered New Yorker once saved me from a grenade thrown carelessly in front of an oncoming 6 train on the Upper East Side. It all started at Sarah MacLean’s party and there was wine and Turkish food and an errant cab driver…

Er… that’s actually a story for another night. What you need to know now is that Sarah Cross is not an author to mess with. And if her debut novel is as funny, charming, and downright intimidating as she is, well… we’re all in for a kick-ass summer read with DULL BOY!

About DULL BOY

Superpowers are awesome — unless you actually have them, like Avery does. There’s only so much he can pass off as “adrenaline” before people start to get suspicious. Probably it’s best to lie low, so guys in white lab coats don’t come to carry him away, to find out what makes his freakish body tick. Who wants to be vivisected? But flying under the radar becomes a whole lot harder when you can actually fly. It’s dangerous to be different, so for now he’ll pretend to be normal, unremarkable Avery — a dull boy — anything to keep his secret safe.

What he doesn’t expect is the horrifying truth about where his powers came from, who else might have them, and the madness of one villain’s plan to turn this superpowered dull boy into something even more powerful and amazing.

Avery’s 2009 Debut Party

After that late-night subway incident, I’m fairly confident Cross can throw a party better than she can throw a grenade. Let’s check it out…

The Guest List

Edward Cullen from Twilight (token celebrity guest; everyone is shocked when he shows up).

The Party

It’s a surprise party for Avery’s debut, thrown by his best friends/teammates. It’s not a birthday party, but there is a giant cake, and a frosting-spattered robot jumps out of it and challenges Avery to a deathmatch. (Um, a friendly deathmatch, of course … the robot was totally Darla’s idea. She thought it would liven things up way more than Pin the Tail on the Donkey would.) There is also a disco ball to make the most of guest Edward Cullen’s sparkles, although Ed read the invitation wrong, and so most of his sparkly skin is covered by a Batman costume. Alas.

The party is held in Sophie’s backyard. There is an Ultimate Fighting-style octagon instead of a dance floor, the point of which quickly becomes apparent when the cake-encrusted giant robot reveals itself. The octagon looks disturbingly cute because Sophie tied balloons all over it.

Party theme? A mix of robot world domination, pastel streamers, glitter, and cupcakes. Avery could do without the glitter. And the robot who challenged him to a deathmatch. That was just not cool. He did not sign up to play Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots at his own party, with his face as the punching bag.

Plus he almost broke a tooth on a rivet that was left in the cake.

At least the guests will be happy with their take-home robot-shaped lollipops and limited edition Ninjarangs.

What did I tell you guys? Cross can party. Better bring a change of clothes and your ninja skills.

The Guest of Honor: Avery

Avery is wearing jeans & a T-shirt for tonight’s big debut. And his theme song? Right. He has no idea. He doesn’t have a chance to pick a theme song because his J-Pop-loving friend Sophie and his Norwegian-death-metal-loving friend Nicholas are too busy fighting for control of the music.

Sarah’s Advice for Avery on His Big Debut

I seriously cannot save you from this madness, Avery–sorry. I hope your superpowers are up to the challenge.

Somehow, I think Avery can handle whatever is thrown at him, debut night and all! And I can’t wait to read all about it! Best of luck on your debut, Sarah and Avery!

DULL BOY is available in book stores now, and also online through Indiebound and other Web retailers.

Sarah Cross has saved the world, like, five times since fifth grade — and you didn’t even notice. Learn her secrets at www.sarahcross.com.