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princesspaige's review
5.0
Thank you to Taylor and Parliament House for providing me with an e-ARC!
It’s not every day that someone I know personally publishes a book. I’m beyond honored to get to read Collateral Damage in advance of its publish date (6/25/19!), and I loved every minute, page, character...everything.
Meg Sawyer is the exact opposite of me in that absolutely tired of superheroes and would probably roll her eyes at my adoration of Marvel’s version of Thor without thinking twice. It’s cool - she has a good reason to not want to be dealing with the destruction the SuperVariants leave in their wake. Meg’s a normal human just trying to live her life, but finds even that simple task infuriatingly difficult when buildings are constantly falling around her (literally).
And I love her dearly. Meg has all the makings of a typical cynical teenager, AND she’s funny and compassionate - even towards people she inherently detests right off the bat. She sees the humanity in everyone that still has a shred of it in them, and she is the heart and soul of this book, this world (maybe not literally but that doesn’t change what I said!), and the tears I shed at 5am when I was reading instead of sleeping.
The thing about Taylor’s characters in general - from the charming, pure, wonderfully optimistic Oliver Lee to the snappy, intelligent, takes-no-shit Juniper Jensen - are so real, round, and relatable that I’m gonna be carrying them all with me for a good, long while. Almost everyone in this book deserves a hug (should they want one), a mug of their favorite warmed beverage, and a damn BREAK.
But like all good hero stories, it’s never that easy for the characters we love the most. For someone who never wants to be involved in SuperVariant business, Meg is always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Which, of course, leads to many a hilarious (for readers, not Meg) and (more often than not) life-threatening situation, despite the fact that all Meg wants is to find a safe place so she can breathe for once! The more complicated things get around her, the more Meg knows she can’t run from her problems - even and especially when things get Super personal in a way she’d never before imagined they could.
Every twist and turn is fresh, despite how overrun we are with superhero stories these days. Not a single one of those stories that I’ve seen outside of Collateral Damage (so far) does the work to analyze the sensationalization of the very genre it takes influence from. This book is one of a kind, especially because it’s not afraid to have complex feelings about criminal justice in a sci-fi/superhero setting. It’s not afraid to tell you, “Hey, maybe violence really isn’t the answer because violence only ends in destruction. Every time. That real humans have to clean up and live with.”
In essence, Collateral Damage is what Captain America: Civil War should have been.
I’m so excited for June 25th! Doesn’t matter that I’ve already read the book - I can’t wait to have a physical copy in my hands as proof of how GOOD - genuinely great - this book is!
It’s not every day that someone I know personally publishes a book. I’m beyond honored to get to read Collateral Damage in advance of its publish date (6/25/19!), and I loved every minute, page, character...everything.
Meg Sawyer is the exact opposite of me in that absolutely tired of superheroes and would probably roll her eyes at my adoration of Marvel’s version of Thor without thinking twice. It’s cool - she has a good reason to not want to be dealing with the destruction the SuperVariants leave in their wake. Meg’s a normal human just trying to live her life, but finds even that simple task infuriatingly difficult when buildings are constantly falling around her (literally).
And I love her dearly. Meg has all the makings of a typical cynical teenager, AND she’s funny and compassionate - even towards people she inherently detests right off the bat. She sees the humanity in everyone that still has a shred of it in them, and she is the heart and soul of this book, this world (maybe not literally but that doesn’t change what I said!), and the tears I shed at 5am when I was reading instead of sleeping.
The thing about Taylor’s characters in general - from the charming, pure, wonderfully optimistic Oliver Lee to the snappy, intelligent, takes-no-shit Juniper Jensen - are so real, round, and relatable that I’m gonna be carrying them all with me for a good, long while. Almost everyone in this book deserves a hug (should they want one), a mug of their favorite warmed beverage, and a damn BREAK.
But like all good hero stories, it’s never that easy for the characters we love the most. For someone who never wants to be involved in SuperVariant business, Meg is always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Which, of course, leads to many a hilarious (for readers, not Meg) and (more often than not) life-threatening situation, despite the fact that all Meg wants is to find a safe place so she can breathe for once! The more complicated things get around her, the more Meg knows she can’t run from her problems - even and especially when things get Super personal in a way she’d never before imagined they could.
Every twist and turn is fresh, despite how overrun we are with superhero stories these days. Not a single one of those stories that I’ve seen outside of Collateral Damage (so far) does the work to analyze the sensationalization of the very genre it takes influence from. This book is one of a kind, especially because it’s not afraid to have complex feelings about criminal justice in a sci-fi/superhero setting. It’s not afraid to tell you, “Hey, maybe violence really isn’t the answer because violence only ends in destruction. Every time. That real humans have to clean up and live with.”
In essence, Collateral Damage is what Captain America: Civil War should have been.
I’m so excited for June 25th! Doesn’t matter that I’ve already read the book - I can’t wait to have a physical copy in my hands as proof of how GOOD - genuinely great - this book is!
loneghost's review
4.0
Brilliant concept of a superhero story being told from the perspective of a civilian. The characters were great. Writing and dialogue amazing. Only flaw I would say was that I can see all of the story's twists coming a mile away. Still very enjoyable nevertheless!
fatimam1's review
5.0
I loved this book and how it was in the perspective of a "normal" citizen, not a superhero. The book was enjoyable to read and it was really funny. Meg and Oliver are my favourite characters and I loved their friendship and how they always looked after each other. It was predictable at times but still interesting and the ways things happened were unexpected. For example, I knew that Meg would end up getting superpowers by the end of the book but how she did was definitely unexpected. Overall, I loved this book and would definitely recommend it.
septemberheartflakes's review
3.0
Just a fun, quick and non-serious read on superheroes uniquely in the perspective of a normal citizen instead of the cliche I'm the chosen one/hero
Meg is a mundane citizen of the Lunar City, a city that is protected by the Super Variants (fancy name for superheroes). She thinks the super Variants are doing more harm than good and causing unnecessary fatalities while saving the city, for example, crashing her car, burning her house. Until she is found the dead body of a SuperVariany and is hurtled into the chaos of everything.
I love how the umbrella is Meg's iconic trademark and how despite her mundaneness, she is the main character of the novel. I admit the story is quite simplistic and one of the most predictable storyline I had ever read. I am also uncomfortable with how much details are spoonfed through dialogues, it makes me feel like the book is objective. I also did not enjoy the back-and-forth banters between the characters trying to sound sarcastic and cool.
But I did enjoy the quick ride of the book and some meaning behind the chosen ones of the Super Variant towards the end. Also, I love the umbrella. That's why it's a 3 star from me and not less.
kathytrithardt's review
4.0
This hilarious look at the background characters of ever super hero movie you've ever watched had me so gripped that I read it all in one day. Meg is a damn hero in her own right for putting up with all she's ever owned being used as weaponry when Supers need something to throw at a villain. Although I occasionally figured things out ahead of the characters, I was also thrown curve balls I didn't see coming, and just want to hug all of these precious panic children. As a side note to how much I enjoyed this novel, if this is never optioned to become a major motion picture, I'll be seriously upset.
multitaskingwithbecca's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I think this is one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read.
acrimsondaisy's review
4.0
4.5 stars
This was such a surprise! I really enjoyed this! It felt like a classic, fun, superhero adventure, like an old cartoon of my childhood! Great pacing, relatable characters, and an entertaining plot!
This was such a surprise! I really enjoyed this! It felt like a classic, fun, superhero adventure, like an old cartoon of my childhood! Great pacing, relatable characters, and an entertaining plot!
caitlin_bookchats's review
4.0
CW: several characters were orphaned by the general comic book violence before the book starts, comic style fighting and damage throughout, at one point a character flees a house fire, a rat dies
This was extremely enjoyable. Although I was a bit ahead of the narrator in figuring things out, I was excited to see the book go in the direction I predicted and the narrative voice was full of the kind of snark and jokes that I really enjoy.
I think this could be perfect for fans of the humor of The Epic Crush of Genie Lo.
I follow Taylor on social media and have met her twice, it was hard not to think of her love for both Spider-man and Tangled the series while reading this, but I can't definitively say that the book actually evokes those because it might just be my familiarity with Taylor's Twitter persona.
This was extremely enjoyable. Although I was a bit ahead of the narrator in figuring things out, I was excited to see the book go in the direction I predicted and the narrative voice was full of the kind of snark and jokes that I really enjoy.
I think this could be perfect for fans of the humor of The Epic Crush of Genie Lo.
I follow Taylor on social media and have met her twice, it was hard not to think of her love for both Spider-man and Tangled the series while reading this, but I can't definitively say that the book actually evokes those because it might just be my familiarity with Taylor's Twitter persona.
mikaeladisnerd's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes