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A review by athenathestorier
Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee
Did not finish book.
There are so many reasons to love this story. The casual rep everywhere, of multiple kinds. The future setting. The superpower premise. The un-superpowered MC looking to find her own place in a family where superpowers and genius is the norm. The fact that it's a sapphic romance.
But unfortunately, I am a character-driven reader. The MC doesn't feel like she has a personality. She has an insecurity (not being good enough for her family), a hobby (watching old and banned US movies - remember, this takes place in the future), and a trait (being unobservant and letting everything brush off her shoulders). But not a personality. In scenes where she's clearly meant to be portraying personality, it feels too forced. I can't connect to her, or many of the other characters for that matter, enough to anchor into a story that should've otherwise ticked all the boxes for me.
I hear that the rest of the series gets better in that regard, so I might pick this up at a later point in time. But right now, I just can't stay immersed nor convince myself to keep going despite that.
But unfortunately, I am a character-driven reader. The MC doesn't feel like she has a personality. She has an insecurity (not being good enough for her family), a hobby (watching old and banned US movies - remember, this takes place in the future), and a trait (being unobservant and letting everything brush off her shoulders). But not a personality. In scenes where she's clearly meant to be portraying personality, it feels too forced. I can't connect to her, or many of the other characters for that matter, enough to anchor into a story that should've otherwise ticked all the boxes for me.
I hear that the rest of the series gets better in that regard, so I might pick this up at a later point in time. But right now, I just can't stay immersed nor convince myself to keep going despite that.