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hannahhmh's review
3.0
Okay, so the plot may be predictable and bad but the romance was so cute it made up for everything.
juliact4's review
3.0
I enjoyed this book a lot, I liked the whole plot with the meta-humans and so on. I also really liked Jess and Abby's story, it was really cute (although at times too cheesy for my taste). However, the reason I almost stopped reading the book was how clueless Jess was about everything happening around her constantly. I understand how Jess not knowing certain things until later in the book was part of the story, but the clues were soooo obvious sometimes. I'm glad I forced myself to finish it, though. It had a good ending (again, a bit cheesy) that left me wanting to read the next book, especially if the sequel is from Bells' POV since he was by far one of my favourite characters.
sarahanne8382's review
4.0
I came into this one without a lot of expectations, but ended up really enjoying this fun YA superhero story set in a somewhat bleak future where solar flares in 2028 wreak havoc on the electrical systems of the planet, but also unlock the "superhero" gene in a small percentage of the population.
Jessica Tran is the daughter of the two C-level superheroes who keep her town safe from villains. As she approaches her 17th birthday she desperately tries to uncover any superpowers she may have inherited from her parents. When it seems clear she hasn't inherited any, she agrees to a mysterious internship at a major robotics company that turns out to actually be in the secret lab of her parents' sworn enemies, and also happens to be with her longtime crush.
As Jess begins to unravel the carefully spun narratives that hold her world together, what she discovers may have consequences for the whole world. Another plus is that it's set in a generally LGBTQ+ accepting world (Jess is bisexual, her best friend is trans, and plenty of side characters fit somewhere in the queer rainbow), so plenty of sensitivity is shown to characters not automatically falling into heterosexual or cisgender norms, without having to make a big deal about it.
Jessica Tran is the daughter of the two C-level superheroes who keep her town safe from villains. As she approaches her 17th birthday she desperately tries to uncover any superpowers she may have inherited from her parents. When it seems clear she hasn't inherited any, she agrees to a mysterious internship at a major robotics company that turns out to actually be in the secret lab of her parents' sworn enemies, and also happens to be with her longtime crush.
As Jess begins to unravel the carefully spun narratives that hold her world together, what she discovers may have consequences for the whole world. Another plus is that it's set in a generally LGBTQ+ accepting world (Jess is bisexual, her best friend is trans, and plenty of side characters fit somewhere in the queer rainbow), so plenty of sensitivity is shown to characters not automatically falling into heterosexual or cisgender norms, without having to make a big deal about it.
cherrymf15's review
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
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
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
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
3.0
Delightful story with a twist on the traditional super-hero story. Quick read.
littleyarngoblin's review
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.