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A review by littleyarngoblin
Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee
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.