Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 Book 1 Summary

The novel starts off with protagonist Michael Vey, a young boy with Tourette’s syndrome who has electric powers. He is often the target of bullying by Wade and accidentally reveals his powers in front of his crush, Taylor, when trying to fight off the bullies. He then leans that he is not alone in his capabilities, and that Taylor also has electric powers.

Ostin, Michael’s best friend and a genius, researchers into the strange discovery and finds that at the hospital at the time of Michael’s birth, a new medical machine, the MEI, was being used but unfortunately had malfunctioned leading to the deaths of many children. Only 17 children had survived and the situation was covered up by Dr Hatch to prevent it going public.

Later, Taylor and Michael receive scholarship from Elgen Academy. Michael’s mum gets worried by this and takes him out of the restaurant where they are eating. A man tries to rob Michael, who shocks him. A few other people arrive and one of the teenagers manages to drain Michael’s power, later noted to be Nichelle.

After Michael wakes up, he discovers that both his mum and Taylor have been kidnapped and that Taylor has discovered of an evil twin sister called Tara.

Elsewhere, the reader learns Taylor, as well as many other Glows, has been taken to Elgen Academy where she is treated like royalty by Dr Hatch. However, soon Taylor starts seeing through the false façade and attempts to disobey Hatch when he tries to manipulate her into using her powers for his benefit. She is drained by Nichelle and put on Floor D, also know as Purgatory.

Michael attempts to free Taylor from Elgen Academy but instead is kidnapped and is put into Cell 25, a torture cell. Michael and Taylor and Ostin are placed together after spending time in cell 25, and are sentenced to be killed by Zeus. However, Michael absorbs Zeus’ lightening powers and knocks him out. Taylor, using her mind reading abilities, finds that Hatch had tricked Zeus into thinking he had killed his family. When Zeus learn of this, he sides with Michael. The other members of the electric users form the electroclan and join in the fight against Hatch. However, Hatch manages to escape the building with the other Glows who are still loyal.

The electroclan later meet Grace, a former Glow and she reveals that she downloaded all of Elgen's files as her power is to act like a human flash drive.