Blog Tour: Renegades

Hi there! Welcome to one of today's stops on the blog tour for Marissa Meyer's newest book, Renegades!

It's all about superheroes, about good and evil and the spaces in between. About what pushes us to help or to hinder. About what makes a hero, what makes a villain. To celebrate Renegades, enjoy this post that has both my review and a question answered by the wonderful Marissa Meyer herself. :)

Me on Sovereign

Title: Sovereign
Author: April Daniels
Release Date: July 25, 2017
Publisher: Diversion Books

Only nine months after her debut as the fourth superhero to fight under the name Dreadnought, Danny Tozer is already a scarred veteran. Protecting a city the size of New Port is a team-sized job and she's doing it alone. Between her newfound celebrity and her demanding cape duties, Dreadnought is stretched thin, and it's only going to get worse. When she crosses a newly discovered supervillain, Dreadnought comes under attack from all quarters. From her troubled family life to her disintegrating friendship with Calamity, there's no trick too dirty and no lever too cruel for this villain to use against her. She might be hard to kill, but there's more than one way to destroy a hero. Before the war is over, Dreadnought will be forced to confront parts of herself she never wanted to acknowledge. And behind it all, an old enemy waits in the wings to unleash a plot that will scar the world forever.

Sovereign is rough and dangerous, a near-constant battle for Danny. A battle to save the world, to prove something to those who look down on her. To confront her past and to free herself from it. To survive.

After battling Utopia, Danny has sort of settled into being a superhero. She's patrolling, taking down criminals and villains. She has a love-hate relationship with the media, she's trying to distance herself even more from her parents, and things are really awkward and strained with Calamity. Maybe it's not the best, but things are going okay. Danny's alive, in the female body she's always wanted and superpowers flowing through her. Making her feel powerful. But is that enough?

So much of what happens in this book to Danny is a punch to the gut, to the heart. She just wants to belong, to finally belong, but there are so many factors trying to push her into spaces she doesn't want to be in. Her parents, those who don't see her as a viable superhero because of her age, those who don't want a transgender superhero. Those who want to rule the world like a dictator with an iron fist, who want to control with power while those without would live in servitude. Danny's own demons, her nightmares and her childhood traumas and her issues that she doesn't always want to face. If you enjoyed the first book, you'll surely enjoy this second book.

(I received an e-galley of this title to review from Diversion Books through NetGalley.)

Me on Dreadnought

Title: Dreadnought
Author: April Daniels
Release Date: January 24, 2017
Publisher: Diversion Books

Danny Tozer has a problem: she just inherited the powers of the world's greatest superhero. Until Dreadnought fell out of the sky and died right in front of her, she was trying to keep people from finding out she's transgender. But then her second-hand superpowers transformed her body into what she's always thought it should be. Now there's no hiding that she's a girl. It should be the happiest time of her life, but between her father's dangerous obsession with curing her girlhood, her best friend suddenly acting like he's entitled to date her, and the classmate who is secretly a masked vigilante, Danny's first weeks living in a body that fits her are more difficult and complicated than she could have imagined. She doesn't have much time to adjust. Dreadnought's murderer, a cyborg named Utopia, still haunts the streets of New Port City. If Danny can't sort through the confusion of coming out, master her powers, and stop Utopia in time, humanity faces extinction.

Dreadnought is powerful and explosive. It's about identity and power, about good and evil, about safety and danger. It's about hope and fear, about sacrifice and strength, about making the difficult decisions that we think come easily and naturally for those we call heroes.

Danny is kind and caring, but afraid of what should be the safest place in her life: her home. Her father constantly berates her and criticizes her, refusing to listen to Danny's point of view. Refusing to understand that Danny is a girl, that Danny is transgender. After Danny's transition, after Dreadnought gave her his powers and her body changed, the excitement and the joy in her voice is unmistakable. She's finally in a body that she wants to be in. She looks and sounds the way she wants to. Danny is finally happy, but it doesn't last. Her father is still furious, derisive and emotionally abusive towards her. And while the local superheroes are happy that Dreadnought's powers are still available, some aren't so interested in a lesbian transgender superhero.

I found the superhero aspect to be interesting. There's this new trend of superhero stories where authors look at the grey areas of being a protector and saving cities. The moral aspects, the financial aspects. The human aspects. For all their powers, they're still people. They still have loved ones, hopes and dreams, personal lives. Seeing the other side of superheroes lives, the 'home from work' side, is great. But I also appreciated the awesome fight scenes.

The start of Danny's story as a superhero certainly has some highs and some lows. There were times when I was so happy for Danny, going shopping for girls' clothes, flying around New Port City. Hanging out with an actual girl friend. And the times when Danny was beaten down and depressed, all the times her father would hurl insult after insult at her, I was so upset during those moments. I would definitely recommend this to those who enjoyed Heroine Complex or Superior, to those looking for some powerful diverse YA.

(I received an e-galley of this title to review from Diversion Books through NetGalley.)

Me on Heroine Complex

Title: Heroine Complex
Author: Sarah Kuhn
Release Date: July 5, 2016
Publisher: DAW (Penguin imprint)

Evie Tanaka is the put-upon personal assistant to Aveda Jupiter, her childhood best friend and San Francisco's most beloved superheroine. She's great at her job—blending into the background, handling her boss's epic diva tantrums, and getting demon blood out of leather pants. Unfortunately, she's not nearly as together when it comes to running her own life, standing up for herself, or raising her tempestuous teenage sister, Bea. But everything changes when Evie's forced to pose as her glamorous boss for one night, and her darkest comes out: she has powers, too. Now it's up to her to contend with murderous cupcakes, nosy gossip bloggers, and supernatural karaoke battles—all while juggling unexpected romance and Aveda's increasingly outrageous demands. And when a larger threat emerges, Evie must finally take charge and become a superheroine in her own right... or see her city fall to a full-on demonic invasion.

Heroine Complex is exciting and dangerous. It's a fast-paced adventure across San Francisco and an honest look at friendships and having the confidence to stand up and fight for those you care about and what you believe in.

Evie is caring and supportive, working as hard as she can to save money for her and her sister. Working as hard as she can to make sure that superheroine boss Aveda Jupiter only has to worry about kicking demon butt and looking awesome while doing it. It's her job to keep all the darker secret stuff hidden away, like the fact that Aveda can fall into tantrums quicker than a toddler, like how she worries all the time about money and her sister's acting out. Like how Evie has her own superpower that she's afraid of. Evie's strong and smart but a total pushover. Her sense of self-worth and confidence in her abilities needs a real shot in the arm, especially if she's going to help save the city from an invasion of demons, but doing that might mean saying the things she's always wanted to say to Aveda to her face.

This is a book about superheroes, about what makes them in terms of mystical superpowers and in terms of personality and drive. It's been a long-running requirement of saving the world from villains and demons that superheroes be physically strong, that they be able to both throw and take a punch. But what about the strength that comes from being confident with yourself and your abilities. Both Evie and Aveda are insecure about a lot of things when it comes to themselves and their abilities, which makes them great at being flawed heroes. The hardest thing for them might be to be completely honest with each other and those around them.

I did find this book fun, this is a fresh look at being a superhero in a modern day setting. There's a lot more interpersonal relationship talk than I was expecting, but the moments of fighting and saving the day do balance it out. I wasn't necessarily a fan of the times Aveda would talk down to Evie, how Aveda would always need to have her way, but all those moments worked with her personality, with her needing to be in the spotlight. I would recommend this to urban fantasy and paranormal fans looking for something new and different.

(I received an e-galley of this title to review from DAW through NetGalley.)

Me on Waiting on Wednesday (285)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. :)

Title: Not Your Sidekick
Author: C.B. Lee
Release Date: September 8, 2016
Publisher: Duet Books

From Goodreads:

Welcome to Andover… where superpowers are common, but internships are complicated. Just ask high school nobody, Jessica Tran. Despite her heroic lineage, Jess is resigned to a life without superpowers and is merely looking to beef-up her college applications when she stumbles upon the perfect (paid!) internship—only it turns out to be for the town’s most heinous supervillain. On the upside, she gets to work with her longtime secret crush, Abby, who Jess thinks may have a secret of her own. Then there’s the budding attraction to her fellow intern, the mysterious “M,” who never seems to be in the same place as Abby. But what starts as a fun way to spite her superhero parents takes a sudden and dangerous turn when she uncovers a plot larger than heroes and villains altogether.

Yay for more superhero/supervillain books! I like how they're going these days, how they're looking deeper into good and evil, what defines the two and how they're not really all that different. It all comes down to actions taken, yes? In a way. This sounds like it'll be both fun and complicated, which is great! :)

Me on Gotham Academy Volume 2

Title: Gotham Academy Volume 2: Calamity
Writers & Artists: Becky Cloonan, Brenden Fletcher, Karl Kerschl & Mingjue Helen Chen
Release Date: March 22, 2016
Publisher: DC Comics

At the beginning of the term, Olive Silverlock returned to Gotham Academy a shadow of her former self. But thanks to her new friendships and their Detective Club sleuthing, Olive was finally starting to feel whole again. But now, Olive is seeing ghosts. A spectral, robed figure is haunting the Academy, and haunting Olive in particular, appearing to her and giving sinister instructions. Could this spirit be the key to unlocking the secrets of her family's dark past? Or is Olive simply losing her grip on reality? Plus, the kids hunt a werewolf on campus and Maps teams up with the Academy's newest transfer, Damian Wayne!

Gotham Academy Volume 2 is again full of mystery, investigation, danger, and supportive friendships. Olive's sorrow hangs over the school like a cloud full of rain, but she and Maps are still searching. Still hoping to find out more about Olive's mother and the secrets hiding in the walls.

Olive and Maps are back. Back to being awesome friends that work with each other, back to searching out the secrets of Gotham Academy. The secrets in Olive's past. Things are a little more serious now. We start to see the reason why Olive's mother was locked away in Arkham, the reason why Olive was sent to Gotham Academy. Her loneliness, listlessness, and desperation are quite clear. As sad as she is, she's desperate to know why, know who, and know what comes next. Maps, as always, is supportive, but she can't escape sticking her nose into secret things. Into Batman-related things. Into kick-ass sidekick things.

As with Volume 1, I love the artwork and the colouring. The clean, thin lines. The fury in Olive's eyes in the cover art. The bright pop of Maps' yellow raincoat in a dark, dreary, rainy scene. The sweet, round faces found in the first 'chapter' of this volume, the adorable artwork done by Mingjue Helen Chen.

After Volume 1, I had high hopes for this series. I was hoping what I found would continue. That the Pizza Club would keep on searching out and hunting down the Academy's secrets and mysteries. That the reason behind Olive's distant summer would come to light. In some ways, that is what's happened. It goes deeper into what pushes Olive, what motivates her and what scares her. But that's as deep as it goes. I was hoping for more about the school and its students. More diverse representation. Some LGBTQ characters.

I do wonder if I'm at some kind of crossroads with this series, if I'm waiting for a story that's being held back because of the pacing and release schedule of comics. Volume 2 is good. It picks up where Volume 1 left off and gets into some dark, dangerous things. I suppose I thought there would be more. Still, I am curious as to where the series will go as a whole. What Olive will do with this new family knowledge. Where Maps will go in her quest to learn every secret thing about Gotham Academy.

(I received an e-galley of this title to review from DC Comics through NetGalley.)

Me on Gotham Academy Volume 1

Title: Gotham Academy Volume 1: Welcome to Gotham Academy
Writers & Artists: Becky Cloonan, Brenden Fletcher, & Karl Kerschl
Release Date: June 23, 2015
Publisher: DC Comics

Welcome to Gotham Academy, the most prestigious school in Gotham City. Only the best and brightest students may enter its halls, study in its classrooms, explore its secret passages, summon its terrifying spirits... Okay, so Gotham Academy isn't like other schools. But Olive Silverlock isn't like other students. After a mysterious incident over summer break, she's back at school with a bad case of amnesia, an even worse attitude... and an unexplained fear of bats. Olive's supposed to show new student Maps Mizoguchi the ropes. Problem: Mags is kid sister of Kyle, Olive's sort of ex. Then there's the ghost haunting the campus, the secret society conducting bizarre rituals, and Bruce Wayne, the weirdo billionaire who funds the Academy-and may know the secret to Olive's big mystery. Can Olive and Maps ace the biggest challenge of their lives? Or are they about to get schooled?

Gotham Academy Volume 1, filled with mystery and drama, is a fresh and new story in an already well-established comic universe.

There's a little bit of an ensemble cast going on, the same reoccurring characters popping up, but if there had to be a main character it would be Olive Silverlock. It's her second year at Gotham Academy but things aren't going so well. Olive is filled with questions because she's not quite sure what happened to her over the summer. Why did she end up spending the summer alone? Why is she so angry now? Thankfully, she's joined almost at the hip to Mia "Maps" Mizoguchi, the most excitable, nerdy freshman who also happens to be her sort-of boyfriend Kyle's sister. Their friendship is everything. It's all about their interactions, how they don't always agree and make compromises when it comes to investigating the secrets of Gotham Academy.

The artwork is awesome. The academy comes across as atmospheric, all the details of the stone towers and the interior wood paneling. And the different facial expressions. Olive's determined face, Maps' big grin, Pomeline's sneer, Kyle's confusion. There seems to be a faint dark wash over everything, giving the comic a dark tone, but it works. This is the start of something new, this is when the start of more than a few mysteries are discovered, when all the sneaking about under cover of night starts. It'll take time before everything is brought into the light. Plus there's Maps being all big smiles and excitement, ready to brighten up the day with her lime green backpack.

When it comes to diversity it seems to be there. An even balance of female and male named characters with more emphasis on Olive and Maps. The characters are racially diverse. There are a couple of mentions made to Olive not having much money, her being on scholarship and not having a cellphone, but it still feels like a rich kids' school. And I really hope that there will be some LGBTQIA characters appearing in the future.

Now, don't worry, you don't need to be well-versed in the DC/Batman universe before picking this up. It's a good intro to the universe but it stands alone. There are the standard references to certain characters and places, like a mysterious asylum, but feel free to just jump in. It's meant for all ages, there's nothing too graphic when it comes to violence or language, but remember that the characters are all teenagers. At its heart, it seems to be a fun and mystery-heavy boarding school drama with a complicated, flawed heroine searching for answers and her sidekick full of joy and tricks ready at her side.

I've been reading the single issues and I'm really curious as to what will come next. What's going on with Olive's mom? What's going on with Olive? What's this new kid doing there? Complicated characters, lots of mysteries to uncover, a supportive female friendship. If you're new to comics or an avid reader, you might want to give this a read.

(I received an e-galley of this title to review from DC Comics through NetGalley. I also purchase the single issues from my local comic book store.)