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cherrymf15's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
dame_samara's review against another edition
I wasn't sure how I'd like this book but have been craving more superhero fiction after binge "reading" (listening) to the Renegades Series.
I can't say I was disappointed by this book but I certainly wasn't wow-ed by it either. Their were no surprising twist or reveals. Which is ok, because it adds to the overall humor of the book. It really plays towards the ongoing joke of how can no one notice that Superman is Clark Kent it is just a pair of glasses. So instead of waiting on edge wanting to find out the identities of these people you are instead giggling and rolling your eyes as people fail to put two and two together.
I was also all for the awkward queer romance, It makes me so happy that YA Fiction now has this kind of representation. Also normalizing Trans people, I'm also always here for.
What I had not expected to pop, or not at least by that point in reading was race relations in this novel. When Captain Orion begins speaking poorly of Smasher and Shockwave due to their ethnicity and nationality, I became infuriated.
But also it made me more intrigued to learn about the systematic racism that is now most certainly is part of the Hero's League. I hope to see this further explored in the sequel because the whole system of the 'hero and villain' tracks seem inherently flawed and discriminatory.
Especially since at the end when we see Captain Orion and Mrs. Mischief discussing that the whole reason Mrs. Mischief is a Villain boils down to who she was in a relationship with. It made me uncomfortable, reminding me of a mixture of Eugenics and keeping the bloodline pure.
I can't say I was disappointed by this book but I certainly wasn't wow-ed by it either. Their were no surprising twist or reveals. Which is ok, because it adds to the overall humor of the book. It really plays towards the ongoing joke of how can no one notice that Superman is Clark Kent it is just a pair of glasses. So instead of waiting on edge wanting to find out the identities of these people you are instead giggling and rolling your eyes as people fail to put two and two together.
I was also all for the awkward queer romance, It makes me so happy that YA Fiction now has this kind of representation. Also normalizing Trans people, I'm also always here for.
But also it made me more intrigued to learn about the systematic racism that is now most certainly is part of the Hero's League. I hope to see this further explored in the sequel because the whole system of the 'hero and villain' tracks seem inherently flawed and discriminatory.
Especially since at the end when we see Captain Orion and Mrs. Mischief discussing that the whole reason Mrs. Mischief is a Villain boils down to who she was in a relationship with. It made me uncomfortable, reminding me of a mixture of Eugenics and keeping the bloodline pure.
spacepanda120's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bridget_books's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
While this book was quite predictable, it was nevertheless very enjoyable. I loved all the characters and relationships and the slightly different take on superpowers and a super world. I appreciated the diversity of the cast of characters and the romance was adorable.
leeleeski's review against another edition
3.0
Delightful story with a twist on the traditional super-hero story. Quick read.
littleyarngoblin's review against another edition
5.0
Not Your Sidekick was absolutely phenomenal, for so, so many reasons.
1. THE REPRESENTATION. Jess, the main character is Asian and bisexual, which was absolutely awesome to see. There's a trans character and not every character besides Jess is white, either, which completely made my day. This book is the most accurate reflection of everyday life (excluding the superpowers) that I've ever read.
2. THE WRITING. Not Your Sidekick was a really fun read. Parts of it were predictable, but C.B. Lee's voice was so easy to fall into. This is a book you can sit down and devour.
3. THE PREMISE. Superheroes and villains? Yes, please! I've always loved books that question the hero/villain dichotomy and really showcase the grey characters. While the lines were a little more defined between hero and villain in Not Your Sidekick, it was awesome to read as Jess started questioning whether hero vs. villain was as sharply divided as society told her. Also, the somewhat apocalyptic/post-WWIII-and-have-rebuilt-already setting was so cool to see, contrasted with what's usually a futuristic-feeling of superhero stories.
4. THE ROMANCE. They are so cute together, dear goodness. So shippable. So sweet. And the romance didn't overwhelm the plot, nor did it feel underwhelming. It was just whelmed. *hugs characters close*
5. TEENS. Sometimes I'll read books and the teens aren't written very convincingly, which doesn't feel great. Not Your Sidekick got it right, though, and felt pretty real, though at some points, adult dialogue or hero/villain monologues felt kind of stilted and forced. Overall, the dialogue was well-written. There are definitely things I'd say with my friends there, and there's so much variety in conversation (as in, there are completely random conversation topics that is something my friends and I would definitely discuss).
Not Your Sidekick was the perfect end to finals week and the perfect start to Winter Break. I knocked off half a star because of the predictability and slight dialogue issues, but Not Your Sidekick is definitely a book you shouldn't miss.
4.5 stars.
1. THE REPRESENTATION. Jess, the main character is Asian and bisexual, which was absolutely awesome to see. There's a trans character and not every character besides Jess is white, either, which completely made my day. This book is the most accurate reflection of everyday life (excluding the superpowers) that I've ever read.
2. THE WRITING. Not Your Sidekick was a really fun read. Parts of it were predictable, but C.B. Lee's voice was so easy to fall into. This is a book you can sit down and devour.
3. THE PREMISE. Superheroes and villains? Yes, please! I've always loved books that question the hero/villain dichotomy and really showcase the grey characters. While the lines were a little more defined between hero and villain in Not Your Sidekick, it was awesome to read as Jess started questioning whether hero vs. villain was as sharply divided as society told her. Also, the somewhat apocalyptic/post-WWIII-and-have-rebuilt-already setting was so cool to see, contrasted with what's usually a futuristic-feeling of superhero stories.
4. THE ROMANCE. They are so cute together, dear goodness. So shippable. So sweet. And the romance didn't overwhelm the plot, nor did it feel underwhelming. It was just whelmed. *hugs characters close*
5. TEENS. Sometimes I'll read books and the teens aren't written very convincingly, which doesn't feel great. Not Your Sidekick got it right, though, and felt pretty real, though at some points, adult dialogue or hero/villain monologues felt kind of stilted and forced. Overall, the dialogue was well-written. There are definitely things I'd say with my friends there, and there's so much variety in conversation (as in, there are completely random conversation topics that is something my friends and I would definitely discuss).
Not Your Sidekick was the perfect end to finals week and the perfect start to Winter Break. I knocked off half a star because of the predictability and slight dialogue issues, but Not Your Sidekick is definitely a book you shouldn't miss.
4.5 stars.
idsh's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
babydollsarah's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
themermaddie's review against another edition
4.0
for a superhero/supervillain story, this book is awfully fluffy. i mean this in the best possible way, Not Your Sidekick is a tropey, low-stakes story about underdogs taking on the government. it can be quite predictable at times, but it's light and entertaining and just plain fun.
the conspiracies are pretty low level, they're things that have been done before so it's not really the kind of mystery that grips you by the throat, but it's just an enjoyable world. the history of the future was my favourite part of the setting! it was so interesting to learn about the tech and the disasters and the new geography, and i absolutely loved the way the author wove the immigrant experience into it. i thought it was really well done and relatable, especially as a first gen asian american, which just goes to show that the more things change the more they stay the same, i think. i loved the inclusion and exploration of jess's chinese-viet background, i think one of my favourite scenes was in the bakery in her immigrant neighbourhood; i loved it, i could practically smell the food. the little details like the price of meat were wonderful and rounded the world out really well.
the casual inclusivity of this book makes my heart so so happy, both with race and with queerness. bells' powers as a trans guy is incredibly cool, and i thought darryl's gsa was a very funny touch. i thought abby and jess's romance was adorable; turns out there's still gay panic in the future. their romance was easy and fluffy and very tropey; LOVE when the children of villains and superheroes fall in love. that being said, everyone was super reasonable and there's not a lot of angst about it.
very easy read, super cute, GREAT rep, fun world. overall great book that doesn't take itself too seriously.
the conspiracies are pretty low level, they're things that have been done before so it's not really the kind of mystery that grips you by the throat, but it's just an enjoyable world. the history of the future was my favourite part of the setting! it was so interesting to learn about the tech and the disasters and the new geography, and i absolutely loved the way the author wove the immigrant experience into it. i thought it was really well done and relatable, especially as a first gen asian american, which just goes to show that the more things change the more they stay the same, i think. i loved the inclusion and exploration of jess's chinese-viet background, i think one of my favourite scenes was in the bakery in her immigrant neighbourhood; i loved it, i could practically smell the food. the little details like the price of meat were wonderful and rounded the world out really well.
the casual inclusivity of this book makes my heart so so happy, both with race and with queerness. bells' powers as a trans guy is incredibly cool, and i thought darryl's gsa was a very funny touch. i thought abby and jess's romance was adorable; turns out there's still gay panic in the future. their romance was easy and fluffy and very tropey; LOVE when the children of villains and superheroes fall in love. that being said, everyone was super reasonable and there's not a lot of angst about it.
very easy read, super cute, GREAT rep, fun world. overall great book that doesn't take itself too seriously.