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ciarajanae's review against another edition
1.0
Wired gave this one a positive review, so I picked it up. But it just didn't hold my interest. At all. Maybe I'm not enough of a comic book nerd?
picklepei's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
theaurochs's review against another edition
3.0
Look, this book lacks a lot of polish, and could have done with another few passes of editing. The characters internal monologues seem completely at odds with their actual actions and dialogue. But at the end of the day, it's fun. It is a fun treatment of classic superhero tropes, with at least a few sensibilities of literary fiction thrown in there. It is also laugh-out-loud funny in places!
Doctor Impossible's sections are much more compelling than Fatale's (the novel alternates between the two POV characters), and makes you wish that he'd been the focus of the whole novel; would have left room to explore some of the ideas in more detail.
Can definitely see some of the themes & elements that Grossman takes into his second novel You, which remains one of my favourite books. Hope he returns to writing at some point!
Doctor Impossible's sections are much more compelling than Fatale's (the novel alternates between the two POV characters), and makes you wish that he'd been the focus of the whole novel; would have left room to explore some of the ideas in more detail.
Can definitely see some of the themes & elements that Grossman takes into his second novel You, which remains one of my favourite books. Hope he returns to writing at some point!
radishcake's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved this book. I can't say a lot without spoiling it but if you are a fan of any kind of superhero or villian or are just smarter than the average Joe, this is a great book for you!
twstdtink's review against another edition
3.0
A light, quirky read. This book has some really great elements to it. It also doesn't quite reach the mark. My hope is that since this is Grossman's first book, he'll perfect his writing talent over time. "Soon I Will Be Invincible" is witty without ever really being funny. It's interesting, but not engaging. I didn't want to stay up all night reading it.
meghan111's review against another edition
3.0
Dr Impossible is breaking out of prison again. He still doesn’t know why the accident made him evil, but it did. And trying to stop him is Fatale, the rookie cyborg, on her first big mission with the Champions. Imagine a sprawling world full of comic book superheroes and villains. Now imagine that world lovingly described and detailed in a novel. This is Soon I will be Invincible by Austin Grossman.
spinstah's review against another edition
5.0
This was awesome! Totally entertaining, funny and I really liked the characters. Basically this book takes a look at the lives of superheroes, but in a way that highlights the ordinariness of their lives. Who's divorced from who, group politics of the superhero hero's group, insecurities of the supervillian, etc. I really enjoyed this and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys quirkiness and nerds.
teachinsci's review against another edition
3.0
Good, but...
A 3.5 really. I loved the idea of a book with the super villain as the protagonist. This book is kinda that...
The book is told from the perspective of a super villain (Dr. Impossible) and a new hero Fatale. Each chapter, the point of view switches. In some ways, this is an interesting way to tell a story... you can hear about a fight from two different perspectives. However, it can also lead to a slightly disjointed story where you feel like you missed something during the switch.
In general, I really liked the story. The WHY of super villainy were interesting (though in retrospect lacking in some meat). The problems I had were with the resolution and anticlimax. I feel like some of the most interesting characters endings got little in the way of tying off. Overall, it is the type of ending that you might expect if the sequel would be out soon.... Rather like the comic book that it had the feel of.
A 3.5 really. I loved the idea of a book with the super villain as the protagonist. This book is kinda that...
The book is told from the perspective of a super villain (Dr. Impossible) and a new hero Fatale. Each chapter, the point of view switches. In some ways, this is an interesting way to tell a story... you can hear about a fight from two different perspectives. However, it can also lead to a slightly disjointed story where you feel like you missed something during the switch.
In general, I really liked the story. The WHY of super villainy were interesting (though in retrospect lacking in some meat). The problems I had were with the resolution and anticlimax. I feel like some of the most interesting characters endings got little in the way of tying off. Overall, it is the type of ending that you might expect if the sequel would be out soon.... Rather like the comic book that it had the feel of.
bookiesanta's review against another edition
4.0
Listened to the audiobook version, which are always made by how good the readers are, and SIWBI does a pretty good job nailing that, specifically the voice of Dr Impossible. I imagine this book is for people comfortable in superhero/villian genres already: There's no real new insights, and the book is really too obvious to be satire. But it does well by the genre, and is written from a fan who is obviously very familiar with comics. The heroes are overpowered and dull, and Dr Impossible, as the Wile-E super genius bad boy, is way more interesting, and at some points, almost sympathetic. (Emphasis on almost) I also liked the ending, where you find that the girl who is bounced between the hero and villian, besides being quite bitter, is the only one who can see through everybody's BS. At a certain point, good guy or bad guy, your narrative becomes a crutch.
cortjstr's review against another edition
3.0
I was on the waiting list for this at the library forever. Worth the read, I can see why it was so popular but not one I'll go out an buy or likely read again.