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A review by mezzosherri
Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee
4.0
Vibrant start to a middle-grade/YA trilogy that brings a welcome spirit of inclusivity to the superhero genre. So, so, so fantastic to have a bisexual young woman of color as the protagonist and POV character--centering her story and perspectives in a way that sci-fi/heroes lit so rarely does. (I'm looking at you, Doctor Strange and Iron Fist...) I also loved the matter-of-fact way that the wealth of LGBTQ+ characters and POC who inhabited Jess's world did so in a way that was fun and authentic and not tokenism.
Admittedly, I was able to predict a bunch of the "plot twists," but I think that was due to the combination of being a middle-aged person reading a middle-grade book, AND the fact that some of the twists were meant to be transparent, as a way of playing with superhero tropes.
Admittedly, I was able to predict a bunch of the "plot twists," but I think that was due to the combination of being a middle-aged person reading a middle-grade book, AND the fact that some of the twists were meant to be transparent, as a way of playing with superhero tropes.