The Antidote

by Susan McCormick

Overview

"A high-stakes and exciting tale of good versus evil." Kirkus Reviews

For fans of The Lightning Thief, with maladies and medicine instead of mythology.

Alex Revelstoke can see disease. And not just disease-injury, illness, anything wrong with the body. This comes in handy when a classmate silently chokes on a hot dog or when the school janitor suffers a heart attack unclogging a gooey science experiment gone awry. But his newfound gift soon puts him and an unsuspecting world in peril. Throughout time, Revelstokes have waged a battle with ancient evil itself. A man, a being, an essence-the creator of disease. Alex has seen his darkness. He has felt his strength. He does not want to fight. But Alex is the last Revelstoke. The war has just begun.

An urban fantasy for middle grade to adult readers. Written by a doctor, this is a one-of-a-kind adventure about darkness, deception, and disease.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780998618753
Publisher:	Carroll Press
Publication date:	04/22/2025
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	310
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

Editorial Reviews

2021-03-25
A boy from a long line of paranormal healers fights the embodiment of illness itself in McCormick’s debut middle-grade fantasy novel.

Twelve-year-old Alexander Asclepius Revelstoke, a Seattle middle schooler, has the ability to sense things about people’s physical conditions. It’s true that his parents are doctors and that he’s grown up surrounded by the tools, books, and journals of their trade, but that doesn’t explain his unusual talent. When his parents become aware of his gift, they take Alex to visit his Grandpa Asclepius, who explains that although the power sometimes skips generations, “Revelstokes can see disease, can diagnose illness, without labs or x-rays. And not just disease. Injury, illness, anything wrong with the body.” It turns out that the Revelstokes also have an enemy, called ILL (“all in capital letters to emphasize his power,” Alex’s dad says), an evil entity who creates or worsens diseases and addictions. Asclepius’ father managed to shackle and weaken ILL, but he still has great power to harm others. It’s up to Alex to destroy ILL before he can carry out his plan to unleash a deadly worldwide plague. Alex has a few allies, but his strength, courage, and healing abilities will be tested to their limits. The story’s pandemic theme is impressively timely and resonant considering that McCormick’s book was written before the rise of the Covid-19 crisis. McCormick intriguingly links age-old diseases like leprosy with modern-day health dangers, such as hugely increased serving sizes of junk food—both of which were conjured by ILL. The suspenseful plot is well grounded in Alex’s growth as a healer and his growing maturity, as shown in his developing friendship with blue-haired Penelope, a new girl in town who was recently orphaned.

A high-stakes and exciting tale of good versus evil that thoughtfully reflects on modern maladies.

Kirkus Reviews