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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
terrible. I didn’t connect with any of the characters at all and the instalove (oh but here it’s played as a “connection” and “I feel like I must stick with you”... BLERGH) made me roll my eyes so hard. The whole Ava dreaming about Alex thing is so lame, wasn’t there a better way to connect these two people?
Natasha is flat and boring, something the Black Widow shouldn’t be. Actually, I found it hard to distinguish which point of view I was reading from 😭 Ava is whiny and irritating to the point that I skimmed the last 40% of the book. She’s the typical YA heroine - smart, headstrong and the kind of person who doesn’t know she’s pretty. In other words, highly unlikeable. It’s a shame that this was written in such a bland way when the premise is so promising and also, it’s fucking Black Widow. I’m sorry but I’ve read better Marvel fanfiction than this.
We could have had it all with a story that focused on Natasha as the main character but instead she’s relegated to the background and we get to spend time with Ava. Sigh.
Natasha is flat and boring, something the Black Widow shouldn’t be. Actually, I found it hard to distinguish which point of view I was reading from 😭 Ava is whiny and irritating to the point that I skimmed the last 40% of the book. She’s the typical YA heroine - smart, headstrong and the kind of person who doesn’t know she’s pretty. In other words, highly unlikeable. It’s a shame that this was written in such a bland way when the premise is so promising and also, it’s fucking Black Widow. I’m sorry but I’ve read better Marvel fanfiction than this.
We could have had it all with a story that focused on Natasha as the main character but instead she’s relegated to the background and we get to spend time with Ava. Sigh.
I was really excited to finally get my hands on this, because Natasha is one of my favourite ever fictional characters, both in the comics and the MCU. But overall I felt a little disappointed by this, especially after just finishing some of her amazing comic runs.
The physical book was beautiful, I love the BW logo stamped into the cover, and the fact that the shield files were coloured and formatted differently.
I knew going in that the story would revolve a lot around Ava as opposed to just Natasha, but I didn't realise how much it would also focus on Alexi, and I'm not a fan of the 'romance' that occurred during the story, honestly I'd have been happier if he wasn't included at all.
That being said, I did love that we kept jumping from the story to the LODD investigation, and we were filling in the missing parts as we went, and I enjoyed Ava and her progression to where she ends up at the end of the book, I'll be reading the sequel for sure as that seems more focused on just the two of them, and hopefully it will have more Nat in it!
The physical book was beautiful, I love the BW logo stamped into the cover, and the fact that the shield files were coloured and formatted differently.
I knew going in that the story would revolve a lot around Ava as opposed to just Natasha, but I didn't realise how much it would also focus on Alexi, and I'm not a fan of the 'romance' that occurred during the story, honestly I'd have been happier if he wasn't included at all.
That being said, I did love that we kept jumping from the story to the LODD investigation, and we were filling in the missing parts as we went, and I enjoyed Ava and her progression to where she ends up at the end of the book, I'll be reading the sequel for sure as that seems more focused on just the two of them, and hopefully it will have more Nat in it!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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
I'm addicted to all things Marvel and love Black Widow and her backstory, so it was inevitable that I snatch this book up and give it a read. The action is great and I really enjoyed the ending and the scenes with other beloved Marvel characters. The story and concept were great and I really enjoyed reading them. That said, the story isn't solely focused on the Widow like I wanted. Yes, the main character, Ava, is a distinct parallel to Natasha, but I struggled to like her for a little while. I also found her romance with Alex to be a little forced and way too quick. I also found my suspension of disbelief to be pushed to the limit at some points, but I can let it go because this is a superhero story after all. There were some high points and low points, and I think I was a little let down to be honest. That said, I am interested in checking out the sequel, and do agree that this is a book to check out if you like traditional YA novels and strong female characters going toe to toe with the one and only Black Widow.
Are you looking at this book and thinking "A Black Widow book is cool and all but what I'd really rather read is a teen romance between two psychic kids" because if so then have I got good news for you. If you were hoping for an action packed spy thriller or maybe a tense mystery or even just a light easy reading adventure in the vein of the MCU you'll likely be disappointed. It's not irredeemable (and is actually quite well written) it's just that the plot, the characters, the setting, and just about any other aspects you can think of are all paper thin and underdeveloped leaving you with a functional novel that's never bad but never hooks the reader or does anything particularly fun and exciting. Not worth starting but worth finishing if you do.
overall it was okay!! I lost concentration on occasion and spotted far too many grammatical/spelling mistakes which the editor could've caught so easily which really threw me for a loop but mostly this is a good harmless story that I'm glad I read because (having not read any marvel comics) I was happy to get some insight into Nat's background and the Red Room!!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A well structured little story (assuming you buy into the ludicrous nature of Marvel spycraft), but I wanted more Black Widow perspective than I got, and I just didn't care that much about the POVs of the two teen protagonists. Definite fluff, and might make a good beach read for fans of Marvel looking for a novel.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No