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Superheroes Anonymous #1
Superheroes Anonymous
Everybody in Chicago has a “superhero sighting” story. So when a villain attacks editorial assistant Gail Godwin and she’s rescued by superhero Blaze, it’s a great story, and nothing more. Until it happens again. And again.
Now, the media has dubbed her Hostage Girl, nobody remembers her real name, and people are convinced that Blaze is just Gail’s boyfriend Jeremy in disguise. Gail’s not so sure. All she knows is that when both Jeremy and Blaze leave town in the same week, she’s probably doomed. Who will save her now?
But when the villains miraculously lose interest, Gail is able to return to her life…until she wakes up strapped to a metal table by a mad scientist who hasn’t read the news. Escaping, and now more than human herself, she’s drawn into a secret underground world of superheroes. She’ll have to come to terms with her powers (and weakness) to make it in the new society, and it’s not easy. After all, there’s a new villain on the rise, and she has her sights set on the one and only Hostage Girl.
Now, the media has dubbed her Hostage Girl, nobody remembers her real name, and people are convinced that Blaze is just Gail’s boyfriend Jeremy in disguise. Gail’s not so sure. All she knows is that when both Jeremy and Blaze leave town in the same week, she’s probably doomed. Who will save her now?
But when the villains miraculously lose interest, Gail is able to return to her life…until she wakes up strapped to a metal table by a mad scientist who hasn’t read the news. Escaping, and now more than human herself, she’s drawn into a secret underground world of superheroes. She’ll have to come to terms with her powers (and weakness) to make it in the new society, and it’s not easy. After all, there’s a new villain on the rise, and she has her sights set on the one and only Hostage Girl.
336 pages, ebook
First published November 18, 2014
75 people are currently reading
1257 people want to read
About the author
Lexie Dunne
5 books124 followersLexie Dunne is a woman of many masks, all of them stored neatly in a box under her bed. By day a mild-mannered technical writer and by night an adventuress and novelist, she keeps life interesting by ignoring it and writing instead. She hails from St. Louis, home of the world’s largest croquet game piece, and SUPERHEROES ANONYMOUS is her professional debut into the world of caped crusaders, a journey that started when her father took her and her brother to see The Rocketeer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
October 24, 2015
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
As big a fan of superheroes as I am, I've actually read very few books that are superhero focused: Jennifer Estep's Bigtime series, After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi . . . maybe one or two others that didn't immediately spring to mind, but that's pretty much it.
Of those, Superheroes Anonymous is most similar to Bigtime, but that's a very kind comparison . . .
Gail Godwin lives in a world filled with superheroes and villains. When our story begins, she's just an ordinary human, which is a problem, b/c she's constantly getting taken hostage. She gets taken hostage so frequently that, like the superheroes and villains she so often rubs elbows with, she has her own moniker:
Hostage Girl.
YEP. Gail Godwin is Hostage Girl.
"But why is Gail Godwin always getting taken hostage?" you ask.
B/c the superhero/villain community thinks she's Chicago's #1 superhero's girlfriend, that's why.
And even Gail herself doesn't know if that's true. Her incredibly hot (but somewhat slacker) boyfriend Jeremy certainly could be her habitual rescuer Blaze, but . . . for whatever reason, Gail doesn't think so.
But what she thinks becomes irrelevant when Jeremy breaks up with her, accepts a job transfer to Miami, and Blaze is seen rescuing new damsels in distress in the same city.
Poor Gail.
But at least she's no longer getting kidnapped several times a week, right?
Wrong.
Someone didn't the memo, and when evil Dr. Mobius snatches Gail from a local coffee house with the intent of performing Mad Scientist experiments on her, Blaze isn't there to stop him.
After spending an indeterminate amount of time weighing the pros and cons of attempting to launch her own breakout vs. continuing to feel sorry for herself and waiting to be rescued, she eventually escapes (under dubious circumstances), stumbles into a bank robbery, and spineless-ninny-that-she-is, manages to occupy the villain until the superheroes arrive.
Then she blacks out.
She wakes up at Superhero Headquarters where she's to be tested to determine the extent of the new villain-occupying abilities she now has thanks to Dr. Mobius' aforementioned experiments.
And that's pretty much all that happens in this book. Yeah, she finds out, once and for all, Blaze's true identity, and yeah, the previously mentioned bank robber is part of a bigger sinister plot, but do we find out anything about that plot?
NOPE.
The book ends in a cliffhanger of DOOM, with us knowing neither what the Bad Guy is after, nor why it's important, and with Gail being accused of being a Bad Guy herself.
The end.
Seriously. It's like the book was cut in half, and that's all we got.
Add to that Gail being a chump who calmly embraced her Hostage Girl status for years, and well . . . her incremental character growth wasn't quite enough to overcome that less than flattering first impression.
Still, it was a highly entertaining read, and if you like mousy heroines who struggle with self-doubt, but (presumably) go on to eventually discover their self-worth, then I would definitely recommend Superheroes Anonymous. Whether you want to wait for the next installment, or dive in right now is your call.
As big a fan of superheroes as I am, I've actually read very few books that are superhero focused: Jennifer Estep's Bigtime series, After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi . . . maybe one or two others that didn't immediately spring to mind, but that's pretty much it.
Of those, Superheroes Anonymous is most similar to Bigtime, but that's a very kind comparison . . .
Gail Godwin lives in a world filled with superheroes and villains. When our story begins, she's just an ordinary human, which is a problem, b/c she's constantly getting taken hostage. She gets taken hostage so frequently that, like the superheroes and villains she so often rubs elbows with, she has her own moniker:
Hostage Girl.
YEP. Gail Godwin is Hostage Girl.
"But why is Gail Godwin always getting taken hostage?" you ask.
B/c the superhero/villain community thinks she's Chicago's #1 superhero's girlfriend, that's why.
And even Gail herself doesn't know if that's true. Her incredibly hot (but somewhat slacker) boyfriend Jeremy certainly could be her habitual rescuer Blaze, but . . . for whatever reason, Gail doesn't think so.
But what she thinks becomes irrelevant when Jeremy breaks up with her, accepts a job transfer to Miami, and Blaze is seen rescuing new damsels in distress in the same city.
Poor Gail.
But at least she's no longer getting kidnapped several times a week, right?
Wrong.
Someone didn't the memo, and when evil Dr. Mobius snatches Gail from a local coffee house with the intent of performing Mad Scientist experiments on her, Blaze isn't there to stop him.
After spending an indeterminate amount of time weighing the pros and cons of attempting to launch her own breakout vs. continuing to feel sorry for herself and waiting to be rescued, she eventually escapes (under dubious circumstances), stumbles into a bank robbery, and spineless-ninny-that-she-is, manages to occupy the villain until the superheroes arrive.
Then she blacks out.
She wakes up at Superhero Headquarters where she's to be tested to determine the extent of the new villain-occupying abilities she now has thanks to Dr. Mobius' aforementioned experiments.
And that's pretty much all that happens in this book. Yeah, she finds out, once and for all, Blaze's true identity, and yeah, the previously mentioned bank robber is part of a bigger sinister plot, but do we find out anything about that plot?
NOPE.
The book ends in a cliffhanger of DOOM, with us knowing neither what the Bad Guy is after, nor why it's important, and with Gail being accused of being a Bad Guy herself.
The end.
Seriously. It's like the book was cut in half, and that's all we got.
Add to that Gail being a chump who calmly embraced her Hostage Girl status for years, and well . . . her incremental character growth wasn't quite enough to overcome that less than flattering first impression.
Still, it was a highly entertaining read, and if you like mousy heroines who struggle with self-doubt, but (presumably) go on to eventually discover their self-worth, then I would definitely recommend Superheroes Anonymous. Whether you want to wait for the next installment, or dive in right now is your call.
November 22, 2014
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for fair review.
This review is also available at my blog Fantasy Findings.
First and foremost, can I say this is a fantastic premise? So often in comic-book series, women are reduced to the helpless damsel-in-distress trope. Modern comics are starting to buck this trend to an extent, but the tropes are very much still alive and the general public is still more apt to know about Mary Jane Watson always getting rescued by Spider-Man than know that the extended Bat-family has both a Batgirl and Batwoman or that Thor is now a woman in Marvel’s recent reboot. So yeah, this notion that someone can go from being the villain-bait to the villain-fighter is something I can get behind. Without spoiling it, her origin story is appropriately absurd and fits right in with the likes of Spiderman and the other heroes who need a little outside help to get their powers. The explanation behind the explanation even made me laugh, it was that great.
The bulk of the book is spent with her adjusting to her new life, making new friends and trying to wrap her head around her new powers and a villain named Chelsea, whose new to the gig and still working on the villain name and outfit. While nothing in this story is overly unexpected, it’s well done and you quickly grow to enjoy the group of people that surround Gail: her mentor Vicki, her trainer Angélica and Blaze. Dunne does take the time to explain how Blaze and Jeremy are connected and it’s well done. It’s a very human feeling story for a group of superheroes and it’s something I always appreciate in my superhero tales because quite frankly, they are still people and perfection is boring to read about.
So yeah, it’s a fun, enjoyable read, and then you hit that ending.
If you can call it an ending.
This is one of those books, where it doesn’t really end so much as just break off and throw a “to be continued” onto the last page. “But wait,” you say, “superhero comics end on cliffhangers all the time!” This is true. What’s also true is that media only allows for 22-24 pages of story per issue. This is a book. This can be as long as it needs to be, especially because this is a genre that allows for longer books. I really do wish they’d done it, because it’s just so hard to shake that feeling that the work is undone, especially when the cliffhanger feels a bit out of left field. It’s ultimately just frustrating.
Had this book told a complete story, I’d probably be recommending fully: it’s a book that hits sweet-spot of the genre that fans of the genre will enjoy. As it is, I’m going to have to stick with my gut and knock this down a notch. I’ve yet to find a book that was otherwise so fantastic that would let me overlook a non-ending like this, and sadly, this one won’t be the first to do so.
This review is also available at my blog Fantasy Findings.
First and foremost, can I say this is a fantastic premise? So often in comic-book series, women are reduced to the helpless damsel-in-distress trope. Modern comics are starting to buck this trend to an extent, but the tropes are very much still alive and the general public is still more apt to know about Mary Jane Watson always getting rescued by Spider-Man than know that the extended Bat-family has both a Batgirl and Batwoman or that Thor is now a woman in Marvel’s recent reboot. So yeah, this notion that someone can go from being the villain-bait to the villain-fighter is something I can get behind. Without spoiling it, her origin story is appropriately absurd and fits right in with the likes of Spiderman and the other heroes who need a little outside help to get their powers. The explanation behind the explanation even made me laugh, it was that great.
The bulk of the book is spent with her adjusting to her new life, making new friends and trying to wrap her head around her new powers and a villain named Chelsea, whose new to the gig and still working on the villain name and outfit. While nothing in this story is overly unexpected, it’s well done and you quickly grow to enjoy the group of people that surround Gail: her mentor Vicki, her trainer Angélica and Blaze. Dunne does take the time to explain how Blaze and Jeremy are connected and it’s well done. It’s a very human feeling story for a group of superheroes and it’s something I always appreciate in my superhero tales because quite frankly, they are still people and perfection is boring to read about.
So yeah, it’s a fun, enjoyable read, and then you hit that ending.
If you can call it an ending.
This is one of those books, where it doesn’t really end so much as just break off and throw a “to be continued” onto the last page. “But wait,” you say, “superhero comics end on cliffhangers all the time!” This is true. What’s also true is that media only allows for 22-24 pages of story per issue. This is a book. This can be as long as it needs to be, especially because this is a genre that allows for longer books. I really do wish they’d done it, because it’s just so hard to shake that feeling that the work is undone, especially when the cliffhanger feels a bit out of left field. It’s ultimately just frustrating.
Had this book told a complete story, I’d probably be recommending fully: it’s a book that hits sweet-spot of the genre that fans of the genre will enjoy. As it is, I’m going to have to stick with my gut and knock this down a notch. I’ve yet to find a book that was otherwise so fantastic that would let me overlook a non-ending like this, and sadly, this one won’t be the first to do so.
December 18, 2014
**I received this book for free from Harper Voyager Impulse via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!! This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
*Genre* Science Fiction, Super-Heroes
*Rating* 3.5-4
*My Thoughts*
SUPERHEROES ANONYMOUS is Lexie Dunne's debut into the world of superheroes, and super villains. The story is told in the first person narrative by Gail Godwin. Gail lives and works in Chicago, where superhero sightings are just as exciting as watching a Chicago Bulls game. Well, maybe not for everyone.
Gail is a diminutive editorial assistant who has a bad habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nicknamed Hostage Girl by the media, Gail has been on the villains radar for the past 2 years. Every villain with something to prove, finds a way to make sure Gail is part of their world domination plans in order to lure a certain superhero into their web.
*Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Recvd 11/25/2014 via Edelweiss* Published November 18th 2014 by Harper Voyager Impulse
*Genre* Science Fiction, Super-Heroes
*Rating* 3.5-4
*My Thoughts*
SUPERHEROES ANONYMOUS is Lexie Dunne's debut into the world of superheroes, and super villains. The story is told in the first person narrative by Gail Godwin. Gail lives and works in Chicago, where superhero sightings are just as exciting as watching a Chicago Bulls game. Well, maybe not for everyone.
Gail is a diminutive editorial assistant who has a bad habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nicknamed Hostage Girl by the media, Gail has been on the villains radar for the past 2 years. Every villain with something to prove, finds a way to make sure Gail is part of their world domination plans in order to lure a certain superhero into their web.
*Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Recvd 11/25/2014 via Edelweiss* Published November 18th 2014 by Harper Voyager Impulse
February 3, 2020
I thought long and hard about that one-star rating--my very first for a book I read voluntarily. Normally if I'm reading a book for fun and I don't like it, I put it down ("DNF") and I don't rate any book I haven't finished. But this one was so much fun at the beginning that I kept reading right along, even though the fun sort of faded, until I came to that ending. After it was over I said to myself, "I hated this book." And that's what one star is supposed to mean, so there it is.
You see, it starts off as a parody of the superhero comic-book universe, and it's an outlandish parody unlike the restrained parody of Jennifer Estep's "Bigtime" series. The first-person narration is done by Gail Godwin, who works at Mirror Reality in Chicago. She's known to everyone, including her boss and her friends, as Hostage Girl (Girl for short) because she's been kidnapped so often by supervillains only to be rescued each time by one superhero named Blaze. Everyone thinks Gail's boyfriend Jeremy is Blaze's secret identity but Gail isn't buying it, so she comes across as kind of an idiot. Loads of laughs in the first three chapters.
Then Jeremy moves to Miami, and Blaze turns up doing his superhero thing in Miami too, but insane Dr. Mobius, just escaped from the Detmer prison for supervillains, doesn't know the score and kidnaps Gail, straps her to a table, and injects her with his special compound called Mobium as bait for Blaze. Unfortunately, Dr. Mobius doesn't really know what Mobium will do (untested till now of course); it's a sentient substance that seeks its own survival by developing superpowers in her.
It was fun to follow Gail as a super-newbie who tries to get back to a normal life, runs into a super-newbie on the villain side named Chelsea, and gets kidnap-rescued into Davenport Industries' secret superhero training and medical institute, where she's identified as a Class C superhero who with proper training might just attain Class B status. Comedy fades slowly into fairly ordinary adventure among heroes and villains with different kinds of superpowers.
It was still okay (Goodreads' two-star rating) as it got more and more serious, and then in the last four pages the story turns grim and ugly. Not just a cliff-hanger; the reader falls all the way off the cliff and sustains serious injuries. I realized then that this book and its sequel, Supervillains Anonymous are parts 1 and 2 of a single novel, which is probably pretty serious after this dramatic halfway point. Do I really want to go on?
You see, it starts off as a parody of the superhero comic-book universe, and it's an outlandish parody unlike the restrained parody of Jennifer Estep's "Bigtime" series. The first-person narration is done by Gail Godwin, who works at Mirror Reality in Chicago. She's known to everyone, including her boss and her friends, as Hostage Girl (Girl for short) because she's been kidnapped so often by supervillains only to be rescued each time by one superhero named Blaze. Everyone thinks Gail's boyfriend Jeremy is Blaze's secret identity but Gail isn't buying it, so she comes across as kind of an idiot. Loads of laughs in the first three chapters.
Then Jeremy moves to Miami, and Blaze turns up doing his superhero thing in Miami too, but insane Dr. Mobius, just escaped from the Detmer prison for supervillains, doesn't know the score and kidnaps Gail, straps her to a table, and injects her with his special compound called Mobium as bait for Blaze. Unfortunately, Dr. Mobius doesn't really know what Mobium will do (untested till now of course); it's a sentient substance that seeks its own survival by developing superpowers in her.
It was fun to follow Gail as a super-newbie who tries to get back to a normal life, runs into a super-newbie on the villain side named Chelsea, and gets kidnap-rescued into Davenport Industries' secret superhero training and medical institute, where she's identified as a Class C superhero who with proper training might just attain Class B status. Comedy fades slowly into fairly ordinary adventure among heroes and villains with different kinds of superpowers.
It was still okay (Goodreads' two-star rating) as it got more and more serious, and then in the last four pages the story turns grim and ugly. Not just a cliff-hanger; the reader falls all the way off the cliff and sustains serious injuries. I realized then that this book and its sequel, Supervillains Anonymous are parts 1 and 2 of a single novel, which is probably pretty serious after this dramatic halfway point. Do I really want to go on?
October 25, 2014
I was privileged to have read this author's work well before she got the offer to have this story published, and I'd like to say that this book is her best piece of writing ever.
Gail is a victim of circumstance. Dragged kicking and screaming into becoming Blaze's Lois Lane, she eventually becomes jaded and fatalistic. In the first few pages, she wakes up after being kidnapped and asks the doctor nonchalantly who took her this time. After all, she *is* "Hostage Girl"
Fast-forward almost a year to a Gail who has a much more sedate life. She's minus a boyfriend, hasn't been snatched, and her hero - having nothing to save her from - has left her alone.
Then something happens and her whole life changes. Almost nothing is what she thought it was. And in her case, new news is almost never good news. She wasn't stupid, she knew that other people would've been thrilled to be in her place - but for Gail - it was *not* a walk in paradise.
Seeing the world from a new perspective, yeah - that was a novel concept. But she still felt like "Hostage Girl". Just... with a bow on top. And for some reason, it wasn't any prettier.
I am so excited about this book. I cannot say enough good things about it. Really, I would like to just say "GO GET IT AND READ IT NOW", but that would be doing it a disservice.
There's a story in every character - even ones that flit through in the background. The depths with which I dove into the hearts of the heroes (LITERALLY heroes) was unimaginable until I felt it. Completely absorbing, engrossing, amazing - not enough adjectives ever.
"GO GET IT AND READ IT NOW!"
Caveat - there is a follow-up book, and this book ends in a bit of a cliffhanger. However, it's WELL worth the angst you will experience in the wait between now and mid 2015.
Gail is a victim of circumstance. Dragged kicking and screaming into becoming Blaze's Lois Lane, she eventually becomes jaded and fatalistic. In the first few pages, she wakes up after being kidnapped and asks the doctor nonchalantly who took her this time. After all, she *is* "Hostage Girl"
Fast-forward almost a year to a Gail who has a much more sedate life. She's minus a boyfriend, hasn't been snatched, and her hero - having nothing to save her from - has left her alone.
Then something happens and her whole life changes. Almost nothing is what she thought it was. And in her case, new news is almost never good news. She wasn't stupid, she knew that other people would've been thrilled to be in her place - but for Gail - it was *not* a walk in paradise.
Seeing the world from a new perspective, yeah - that was a novel concept. But she still felt like "Hostage Girl". Just... with a bow on top. And for some reason, it wasn't any prettier.
I am so excited about this book. I cannot say enough good things about it. Really, I would like to just say "GO GET IT AND READ IT NOW", but that would be doing it a disservice.
There's a story in every character - even ones that flit through in the background. The depths with which I dove into the hearts of the heroes (LITERALLY heroes) was unimaginable until I felt it. Completely absorbing, engrossing, amazing - not enough adjectives ever.
"GO GET IT AND READ IT NOW!"
Caveat - there is a follow-up book, and this book ends in a bit of a cliffhanger. However, it's WELL worth the angst you will experience in the wait between now and mid 2015.
June 20, 2015
This is one of those fun, fast reads--my definition of a speculative beach read.
Gail is Hostage Girl. She's very relatable, very normal, and sick to death of being the frequent target of supervillains. She does her best to hold her own--even if the hospital staff knows her by name--and she always knows heroes like Blaze will show up to save her. Then things go wrong in a bad way. Blaze doesn't save her, and a mad scientist's concoction endows her with powers of her own.
The only thing that frustrated me is the ending. It's a major cliffhanger. The good news is that Supervillains Anonymous comes out on June 30th!
Gail is Hostage Girl. She's very relatable, very normal, and sick to death of being the frequent target of supervillains. She does her best to hold her own--even if the hospital staff knows her by name--and she always knows heroes like Blaze will show up to save her. Then things go wrong in a bad way. Blaze doesn't save her, and a mad scientist's concoction endows her with powers of her own.
The only thing that frustrated me is the ending. It's a major cliffhanger. The good news is that Supervillains Anonymous comes out on June 30th!
April 17, 2019
At 80% in, I realized that I didn't give a damn about any of the characters. Gail was boring. The love story made little sense. It had potential at the beginning, but the Gail just became like every other super special heroine. She was more interesting when she didn't have powers.
February 26, 2019
SUPERHEROES ANONYMOUS by Lexie Dunne is a book I didn't expect to like as much as I did. The premise seemed silly even by superhero standards: a perpetual hostage to supervillains who can't figure out her boyfriend is a superhero (assuming he is) gets superpowers herself. Basically, the "Lois Lane becomes Superwoman" story. However, much to my surprise, I really enjoyed every single bit of this story from beginning to end.
Gail Godwin is an immensely entertaining protagonist and I love how she manages to homage my favorite element of Lois Lane (a strong willed woman thoroughly unintimidated by people who can easily kill her) with being her own character. I love how she reacts to being kidnapped with annoyance rather than fear and her snark is entertaining while not overwhelming.
Lexie Dunne has figured out the secret to a good parody and that's to make it a good example of the genre you're parodying while simultaneously being hilarious. This is a surprisingly solid superhero world and those are usually this side of ridiculous anyway. The villains are off-beat and wacky but they kill people. The superheroes are dedicated, selfless, and just as peculiar. It makes Gail's journey all the more entertaining.
I loved everyone from Angelica to Blaze to Portia. The supporting cast may not always be believable but it's authentic to the genre. In short, this receives a strong stamp of approval and I can't wait to dig into the rest of the books.
9/10
Gail Godwin is an immensely entertaining protagonist and I love how she manages to homage my favorite element of Lois Lane (a strong willed woman thoroughly unintimidated by people who can easily kill her) with being her own character. I love how she reacts to being kidnapped with annoyance rather than fear and her snark is entertaining while not overwhelming.
Lexie Dunne has figured out the secret to a good parody and that's to make it a good example of the genre you're parodying while simultaneously being hilarious. This is a surprisingly solid superhero world and those are usually this side of ridiculous anyway. The villains are off-beat and wacky but they kill people. The superheroes are dedicated, selfless, and just as peculiar. It makes Gail's journey all the more entertaining.
I loved everyone from Angelica to Blaze to Portia. The supporting cast may not always be believable but it's authentic to the genre. In short, this receives a strong stamp of approval and I can't wait to dig into the rest of the books.
9/10
April 12, 2015
Rhaaaaaaaaaa, si j'avais su qu'il y aurait un "TO BE CONTINUED..." à la fin, j'aurais attendu la sortie du T2 en juin avant de le lire xD ça se termine sur un cliffhanger de OUF !
Ce livre est cool avec de bonnes idées. On suit Gail, surnommée Hostage Girl car c'est toujours elle qui est prise en otage ou kidnappée par les Supervillains. Elle est tellement blasée et amère, qu'elle n'arrive même pas à en vouloir à Jeremy de l'avoir plaquer à l'hôpital. Son seul point positif, c'est que Blaze est toujours là pour la sauver ♥
Alors qu'elle réalise que ça fera bientôt 1 an sans kidnapping, ses espoirs s'effondre avec l'attaque d'un scientifique fou qui va changer sa vie du tout au tout. Droguée à uns substance radioactive sensée la tuer à petit feu, c'est l'effet inverse qui se produit : force physique, endurance, hyper-sensitivité, tout en elle se sur-développe. Sauvée in-extremis par des Superhéros, avec eux Gail va devoir apprendre à contrôler ses nouvelles capacités, sortir de son statut de "victime" et accepter d'être désormais une Superhéroïne ! Oh et puis elle va tomber sur Blaze au détour d'un couloir huhuhuh ^^
Mais rien n'est simple et l'arrivée d'une nouvelle Supervillaine n'arrange pas les choses ^^ VIVEMENT LE TOME 2 xD
Ce livre est cool avec de bonnes idées. On suit Gail, surnommée Hostage Girl car c'est toujours elle qui est prise en otage ou kidnappée par les Supervillains. Elle est tellement blasée et amère, qu'elle n'arrive même pas à en vouloir à Jeremy de l'avoir plaquer à l'hôpital. Son seul point positif, c'est que Blaze est toujours là pour la sauver ♥
Alors qu'elle réalise que ça fera bientôt 1 an sans kidnapping, ses espoirs s'effondre avec l'attaque d'un scientifique fou qui va changer sa vie du tout au tout. Droguée à uns substance radioactive sensée la tuer à petit feu, c'est l'effet inverse qui se produit : force physique, endurance, hyper-sensitivité, tout en elle se sur-développe. Sauvée in-extremis par des Superhéros, avec eux Gail va devoir apprendre à contrôler ses nouvelles capacités, sortir de son statut de "victime" et accepter d'être désormais une Superhéroïne ! Oh et puis elle va tomber sur Blaze au détour d'un couloir huhuhuh ^^
Mais rien n'est simple et l'arrivée d'une nouvelle Supervillaine n'arrange pas les choses ^^ VIVEMENT LE TOME 2 xD
May 28, 2022
Loved reading this book again, it was such a great and quick and awesome read! Just so enjoyable! Need to read more!
*First read July 19th, 2015*
Man, this was such a fantastic book! I enjoyed it so much, it was just so freaking good! And yeah, that ending just makes me want to devour the next book now, it's such a cliffhanger! And there's so much to learn, I want to learn it!
*First read July 19th, 2015*
Man, this was such a fantastic book! I enjoyed it so much, it was just so freaking good! And yeah, that ending just makes me want to devour the next book now, it's such a cliffhanger! And there's so much to learn, I want to learn it!
June 20, 2015
Thank god I am reading the books back to back! That Cliffie!
September 30, 2015
This was fun, fun, fun. Lexie Dunne's pacing and chapter breaks seem like the work of a seasoned writer.
Gail Godwin is tired of being known as Hostage Girl. Super Villains mistakenly believe that Super Hero Blaze is her boyfriend, so she finds herself in need of rescuing quite often.Then she develops her own powers.
This story is a terrific blend of self-discovery, adventure and humor with fun sprinkles of romance. A world where Super Heroes and Super Villains are common place is a very fun world to visit.
I am both a little glad and a little disappointed that this book is an installation instead of it's own complete tail.
Gail Godwin is tired of being known as Hostage Girl. Super Villains mistakenly believe that Super Hero Blaze is her boyfriend, so she finds herself in need of rescuing quite often.Then she develops her own powers.
This story is a terrific blend of self-discovery, adventure and humor with fun sprinkles of romance. A world where Super Heroes and Super Villains are common place is a very fun world to visit.
I am both a little glad and a little disappointed that this book is an installation instead of it's own complete tail.
January 5, 2016
Ahaha I forgot to finish up this one XD. Okay, it was great!!!! The characters were really interesting. And it was funny!!! OMG IT WAS SO FUNNY. Thanks for being awesome Lexie Dunne!
January 5, 2015
The nitty-gritty: A clever story that pokes fun at superhero mythology, with some very funny moments, but unfortunately lacked the sizzle and excitement that I was expecting.
So I went on a walk with Blaze, my savior. The man sure to deliver the antidote if I'd been poisoned, who'd personally pulled me out of more fiery buildings than I cared to count and, on one notable occasion, a live volcano. He waited for me to take the elevator down after closing the window. And we walked, silently. Mercifully, the streets were bare, save for us, so nobody gawked at Hostage Girl and her own appointed superhero.
Warning: there may be some spoilers in this review. I just don’t care. I need to speak about the things that bothered me...
I love reading stories about superheroes, especially when the author does something different with the genre. Lexie Dunne gives us a world where superheroes and villains are celebrities, and the general public follows their exciting kidnappings and rescues in real-time on a GPS-like website called the Domino. This story had so much potential, and it certainly sounds good on paper, but it ultimately felt as if all the individual awesome ideas just didn’t gel together. Even worse, it ends on a very abrupt cliffhanger, as if the author suddenly realized she had reached her word limit. But despite this, there were some very funny scenes, and Dunne has a gift for very believable dialog.
The story takes place in Chicago, where superheroes patrol the skies and keep the city safe from supervillains. Gail is a young woman who slaves away at a job she hates, while waiting for the next villain to abduct her. Gail is famously known as “Hostage Girl” because she’s been kidnapped so many times, then rescued by hottie superhero Blaze. Everyone suspects that Girl’s boyfriend Jeremy is actually Blaze, but not even Girl knows for sure. (I'm calling her "Girl" in this review, because that's what all the other characters call her.)
When Jeremy tells her he’s taking a job in New York City, and then Blaze decides to leave as well, the kidnappings suddenly stop. Until one day, a villain named Dr. Mobius grabs Girl and takes her back to his secret lab. Girl is depressed that no one is coming to rescue her, until she realizes that the drugs Dr. Mobius is pumping into her are changing her body and giving her super strength. Before long, Girl escapes and winds up in a secret complex called the Davenport Industries Superpowers Complex, a training and living center for superheroes. As the doctors unravel the mysteries of what the drugs are doing to Girl, she begins her new life as a superhero.
Let’s start with the positives. This was a fun story, and I loved the humor. For example, superheroes guard their origin stories carefully and only tell them to close friends. A blogger named Naomi dishes about the secret lives of superheroes on her blog “Crap About Capes.” And I enjoyed the “behind the scenes” look at what makes a superhero tick, as we follow Girl and her friends going about their lives in the Complex.
I loved the whole idea of the Superpowers Complex, an underground hidden city where superheroes can chill with their own kind, train, and learn the superhero ropes (if they are new, like Girl). It’s here that Girl discovers the identity of her favorite superheroes, since they don’t wear masks while staying at the Complex. I found that idea charming!
I mostly enjoyed the character of Girl, and she takes all the changes in her life in stride. But I wasn’t crazy about how resigned she seems about being called “Hostage Girl.” She’s almost proud of the fact, and the kidnappings are so common that they’ve practically become a normal part of her life. My feminist side wanted to wring her neck and say “Snap out it! You don’t need a man to rescue you!”
Romance doesn’t play a big part in the story, but Girl does seem to be torn between several men. Although she’s bitter about Jeremy dumping her, she develops some complicated feelings for Blaze once she reaches the Complex. And a third guy named Cooper catches her eye. Overall, the romance was kept on the back-burner where it belonged, in my opinion.
My main problem with Superheroes Anonymous was that the plot was so convoluted and scattered that it felt as if it never went anywhere. Once Girl becomes a superhero-in-training, there are pages and pages where she does nothing but train (with a very sadistic woman named Angélica), eat (since she’s been pumped full of an unknown drug by Dr. Mobius, Girl’s been constantly hungry), and worry about her new powers. This section was downright boring, and I wanted an editor to go back and make the story a) more streamlined and b) more exciting. Angélica makes her eat some kind of protein bar that she calls “crap cakes,” and Girl eats a ton of these nasty things. Not only does she eat a lot of them, but we, the readers, are told about each one she forces down her throat. Enough already of the crap cakes!
A couple of plot points made no sense at all, and both involve the drugs that Dr. Mobius forces on Girl. First, ugh, forcing Girl to take drugs just doesn’t fit the light, humorous tone of the story. And then he tells her he’s given her an addiction so that she will have to come back to him in order to get a fix, or die! (Presumably after she’s escaped.) Then—and this is the spoiler,
So, Superheroes Anonymous gets three stars for its humor and potential, but I can't really recommend it. (Although a lot of readers seem to love it on Goodreads!) It definitely had some funny, cute moments, and the potential was there, but in my opinion, it needed polishing to make it a cohesive story. The superhero field is starting to get crowded (which is a good thing!), but in order to stand out for me, you’re going to have to step up your game.
Thanks to Harper Voyager Impulse for supplying a review copy. Quote was taken from an uncorrected proof and may differ in the final version of the book.
This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.
So I went on a walk with Blaze, my savior. The man sure to deliver the antidote if I'd been poisoned, who'd personally pulled me out of more fiery buildings than I cared to count and, on one notable occasion, a live volcano. He waited for me to take the elevator down after closing the window. And we walked, silently. Mercifully, the streets were bare, save for us, so nobody gawked at Hostage Girl and her own appointed superhero.
Warning: there may be some spoilers in this review. I just don’t care. I need to speak about the things that bothered me...
I love reading stories about superheroes, especially when the author does something different with the genre. Lexie Dunne gives us a world where superheroes and villains are celebrities, and the general public follows their exciting kidnappings and rescues in real-time on a GPS-like website called the Domino. This story had so much potential, and it certainly sounds good on paper, but it ultimately felt as if all the individual awesome ideas just didn’t gel together. Even worse, it ends on a very abrupt cliffhanger, as if the author suddenly realized she had reached her word limit. But despite this, there were some very funny scenes, and Dunne has a gift for very believable dialog.
The story takes place in Chicago, where superheroes patrol the skies and keep the city safe from supervillains. Gail is a young woman who slaves away at a job she hates, while waiting for the next villain to abduct her. Gail is famously known as “Hostage Girl” because she’s been kidnapped so many times, then rescued by hottie superhero Blaze. Everyone suspects that Girl’s boyfriend Jeremy is actually Blaze, but not even Girl knows for sure. (I'm calling her "Girl" in this review, because that's what all the other characters call her.)
When Jeremy tells her he’s taking a job in New York City, and then Blaze decides to leave as well, the kidnappings suddenly stop. Until one day, a villain named Dr. Mobius grabs Girl and takes her back to his secret lab. Girl is depressed that no one is coming to rescue her, until she realizes that the drugs Dr. Mobius is pumping into her are changing her body and giving her super strength. Before long, Girl escapes and winds up in a secret complex called the Davenport Industries Superpowers Complex, a training and living center for superheroes. As the doctors unravel the mysteries of what the drugs are doing to Girl, she begins her new life as a superhero.
Let’s start with the positives. This was a fun story, and I loved the humor. For example, superheroes guard their origin stories carefully and only tell them to close friends. A blogger named Naomi dishes about the secret lives of superheroes on her blog “Crap About Capes.” And I enjoyed the “behind the scenes” look at what makes a superhero tick, as we follow Girl and her friends going about their lives in the Complex.
I loved the whole idea of the Superpowers Complex, an underground hidden city where superheroes can chill with their own kind, train, and learn the superhero ropes (if they are new, like Girl). It’s here that Girl discovers the identity of her favorite superheroes, since they don’t wear masks while staying at the Complex. I found that idea charming!
I mostly enjoyed the character of Girl, and she takes all the changes in her life in stride. But I wasn’t crazy about how resigned she seems about being called “Hostage Girl.” She’s almost proud of the fact, and the kidnappings are so common that they’ve practically become a normal part of her life. My feminist side wanted to wring her neck and say “Snap out it! You don’t need a man to rescue you!”
Romance doesn’t play a big part in the story, but Girl does seem to be torn between several men. Although she’s bitter about Jeremy dumping her, she develops some complicated feelings for Blaze once she reaches the Complex. And a third guy named Cooper catches her eye. Overall, the romance was kept on the back-burner where it belonged, in my opinion.
My main problem with Superheroes Anonymous was that the plot was so convoluted and scattered that it felt as if it never went anywhere. Once Girl becomes a superhero-in-training, there are pages and pages where she does nothing but train (with a very sadistic woman named Angélica), eat (since she’s been pumped full of an unknown drug by Dr. Mobius, Girl’s been constantly hungry), and worry about her new powers. This section was downright boring, and I wanted an editor to go back and make the story a) more streamlined and b) more exciting. Angélica makes her eat some kind of protein bar that she calls “crap cakes,” and Girl eats a ton of these nasty things. Not only does she eat a lot of them, but we, the readers, are told about each one she forces down her throat. Enough already of the crap cakes!
A couple of plot points made no sense at all, and both involve the drugs that Dr. Mobius forces on Girl. First, ugh, forcing Girl to take drugs just doesn’t fit the light, humorous tone of the story. And then he tells her he’s given her an addiction so that she will have to come back to him in order to get a fix, or die! (Presumably after she’s escaped.) Then—and this is the spoiler,
So, Superheroes Anonymous gets three stars for its humor and potential, but I can't really recommend it. (Although a lot of readers seem to love it on Goodreads!) It definitely had some funny, cute moments, and the potential was there, but in my opinion, it needed polishing to make it a cohesive story. The superhero field is starting to get crowded (which is a good thing!), but in order to stand out for me, you’re going to have to step up your game.
Thanks to Harper Voyager Impulse for supplying a review copy. Quote was taken from an uncorrected proof and may differ in the final version of the book.
This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.
March 31, 2019
This one could have been good, but Gail came off as a doormat and so very dumb. How is it that she didn't realize that Jeremy and Blaze were the same person, especially when the both disappeared at the same time. Also, when Jeremy left, Gail didn't really seem to care. After 90 pages I'm giving this one up, I find I don't care for Gail or what happens to her, this one just isn't for me.
March 24, 2020
I love a snarky heroine.
Have intended to read this book ever since I heard the author speak at a C2E2 panel years ago but just hadn't picked it up until now. It was precisely the zippy, distracting read I needed in this moment.
Have intended to read this book ever since I heard the author speak at a C2E2 panel years ago but just hadn't picked it up until now. It was precisely the zippy, distracting read I needed in this moment.
January 2, 2018
It was time for a quick and easy read, with a little humor. This series, so far, is making for some good vacation reading.
March 4, 2018
Great escapist fare, perfect for a lazy afternoon. Surprised Hollywood hasn't ruined it by making it into a movie.
February 17, 2021
While this was a intriguing idea, I am not convinced I am going to continue this series. I rated it 2.5 (rounded up to 3). I hate cliffhangers in series.
February 8, 2019
Amusing brain candy. However, I found it hilarious that my very uncommon last name is the name of the name of the villian jail/psych ward (think Arkham Asylum for this book world).
June 2, 2020
Enjoyable fun read. Quick, amusing, a little romance. Reminded me of Renegades.
June 6, 2015
This is going to sound weird, but Gail should really talk to Emp from EMPOWERED. They can discuss being Hostage Bait and maybe start a union for folks who get taken hostage frequently. To be fair, once Gail gets powers this is less of an issue...Emp kind of became hostage Bait after getting her powers. I still think they'd have a lot to talk about though.
What happens when a hero decides to switch cities to protect, but forgot to send that memo to one of his villains who's been incarcerated for a few years? Well that hero's favorite hostage gets to gain super powers, lose a mind numbing job and oh yeah - a great beach bod without any of the workout.
Or she dies horribly after being hooked on some super villain drug. It could have gone either way for Gail.
Throughout superhero lore there's almost always that one certain person that the superhero always seems to be saving. The most (in)famous being Lois Lane to Metropolis' Superman. Villains of all sorts gleefully kidnapped her throughout the long history of the comic/tv/movie franchise. Gail is her sister in spirit, having found herself inexplicably targeted by most of (if not all of) Chicago's illegal minded betheren? Is it because everyone assumes her boyfriend is really the city's patron hero Blaze (not the theory she ascribes to)? Does Blaze have some sort romantic interest in her (even though he never says a single word to her during his routine savings)?
Let's just say the reality of the situation fits in with the rest of Gail's really bad luck throughout the novel.
I went into this expecting a fun, humorous romp and that's what I was given, plus so much more. Gail, and the reader, gets to see first hand what happens when you're suddenly given super powers and let me tell you its not as advertised. So don't go chasing radioactive waste or allowing mad scientist's use you as a guinea pig.
Like anything else being a Superhero isn't all its cracked up to be. Saving lives, busting the bad guys, looking cool while doing it...that's all after some intense training, lots of meetings and dealing with some very heavy egos running around. Its really more about managing expectations then anything else. Heroes are expected to have a certain mystique and by golly that's what they're given. So when a villain decides to go to the TRULY dark side and screws with the rulebook...things get ugly.
I liked Gail for the most part. She's down to earth and responds to her ever changing situation remarkably well. Her biggest worry isn't usually whether she'll die or not (by in large her captors tend to have less need for her dead and more need for her alive), but if her company's insurance will continue to cover her. Being kidnapped weekly? Huge insurance liability. Plus she's sarcastic, hardworking and sees the good in people (or situations).
Though I gotta admit her last decision in the end? I wanted to wring her silly super powered neck.
Our cast of characters ranges from only kind of given personality (like Guy's brother) to being murky as dishwater with their motivations (I'm still not convinced Jeremy isn't two shades short of turning dark just to get some damn recognition...or at least control over his life). The archetypes are well know and played off here to various degrees, especially as Gail sees their "real" lives and is surprised by the differences.
What worked less for me was the journalist thread that wove in and around the rest and ultimately informed the ending sequence. It just honestly made so little sense to me that Gail would do that. She knew first hand what could happen (on several personal experience levels) and yet she chose the naive path. With crippling dread I read with only the mildest of hope that it would be okay. Though I did start hurling insults at the people on the last page for being presumptuous and stupid, on behalf of Gail who was shell shocked, so that at least means my emotions were thoroughly invested right?
What happens when a hero decides to switch cities to protect, but forgot to send that memo to one of his villains who's been incarcerated for a few years? Well that hero's favorite hostage gets to gain super powers, lose a mind numbing job and oh yeah - a great beach bod without any of the workout.
Or she dies horribly after being hooked on some super villain drug. It could have gone either way for Gail.
Throughout superhero lore there's almost always that one certain person that the superhero always seems to be saving. The most (in)famous being Lois Lane to Metropolis' Superman. Villains of all sorts gleefully kidnapped her throughout the long history of the comic/tv/movie franchise. Gail is her sister in spirit, having found herself inexplicably targeted by most of (if not all of) Chicago's illegal minded betheren? Is it because everyone assumes her boyfriend is really the city's patron hero Blaze (not the theory she ascribes to)? Does Blaze have some sort romantic interest in her (even though he never says a single word to her during his routine savings)?
Let's just say the reality of the situation fits in with the rest of Gail's really bad luck throughout the novel.
I went into this expecting a fun, humorous romp and that's what I was given, plus so much more. Gail, and the reader, gets to see first hand what happens when you're suddenly given super powers and let me tell you its not as advertised. So don't go chasing radioactive waste or allowing mad scientist's use you as a guinea pig.
Like anything else being a Superhero isn't all its cracked up to be. Saving lives, busting the bad guys, looking cool while doing it...that's all after some intense training, lots of meetings and dealing with some very heavy egos running around. Its really more about managing expectations then anything else. Heroes are expected to have a certain mystique and by golly that's what they're given. So when a villain decides to go to the TRULY dark side and screws with the rulebook...things get ugly.
I liked Gail for the most part. She's down to earth and responds to her ever changing situation remarkably well. Her biggest worry isn't usually whether she'll die or not (by in large her captors tend to have less need for her dead and more need for her alive), but if her company's insurance will continue to cover her. Being kidnapped weekly? Huge insurance liability. Plus she's sarcastic, hardworking and sees the good in people (or situations).
Though I gotta admit her last decision in the end? I wanted to wring her silly super powered neck.
Our cast of characters ranges from only kind of given personality (like Guy's brother) to being murky as dishwater with their motivations (I'm still not convinced Jeremy isn't two shades short of turning dark just to get some damn recognition...or at least control over his life). The archetypes are well know and played off here to various degrees, especially as Gail sees their "real" lives and is surprised by the differences.
What worked less for me was the journalist thread that wove in and around the rest and ultimately informed the ending sequence. It just honestly made so little sense to me that Gail would do that. She knew first hand what could happen (on several personal experience levels) and yet she chose the naive path. With crippling dread I read with only the mildest of hope that it would be okay. Though I did start hurling insults at the people on the last page for being presumptuous and stupid, on behalf of Gail who was shell shocked, so that at least means my emotions were thoroughly invested right?
October 25, 2014
Istyria book blog ~ B's world of enchanted books
2.5 stars
Dammit! Dammit, dammit, dammit! You were so good the whole time! I had so much fun and then you ruined it with that ending. It's the stupidest, most ridiculous ending, seriously. It doesn't make sense at all. Dammit!
Gail has been rescued by superhero Blaze so many times that the media has dubbed her Hostage Girl. Most people are convinced Blaze is just Gail's boyfriend Jeremy, but she's sure he's not. When both Jeremy and Blaze leave town in the same week, the villains lose interest. Gail returns to her normal life... until she wakes up strapped to a metal table by a mad scientist. After getting out of there, now more than human herself, she's taken into the secret underground world of superheroes where she comes to terms with her powers and has more than one surprising reunion.
I was having a lot of fun with this one! Just like Crimson Son by Russ Linton, it felt like watching a superhero movie. The story is pretty standard but I didn't care because I liked the main character and I had a lot of fun! Plus there's a really sweet, slow romance going on and I loved that! But than the last chapter just flushed all of that down the drain. It's a cliffhanger, yes, but that's not what I hated. I do'nt mind cliffhangers. It's the ending itself that I truly hated. I was literally cursing and I felt the need to punch something. It doesn't make sense at all and it's so very, very stupid. Others may not hate it, I don't know, but I did and it ruined the whole story.
I really liked Gail. She had a good sense of humor, she was very sarcastic, but also brave and sweet when she wants to be. I liked the other characters too but for the sake of spoilers, I cannot tell you more than that. The story itself was pretty standard and there was nothing very original but the thing that made me enjoy it was Gail and her sarcasm. And the romance. Until that last chapter, this was going to be at least 4 stars, for sure.
If you love superhero books like me, you might want to give it a shot. I'm going to erase that last chapter from my mind and make the ending that this book should have had. Because this one just makes me want to punch a hole in the wall.
This review is also (or -soon- will be) posted on Istyria book blog
November 30, 2014
I was in a superhero mood and saw this on black Friday weekend sale for 2.99. If you are in the mood for fun, fast, superhero fiction that mirrors an old reliable comic book pick this up- I felt it was well worth the read- point in fact I read it over a weekend. I did give it 3 stars- which is an average for me, but it didn't score a 4/5 star in my books for a couple reasons-
First, what to like: SUPERHEROES!. This novel refreshingly plays homage to my old X-men comics of old- with a bit of corporate structure thrown in. Yes, there are some logic gaps but nothing outside what I would expect from a comic book story line. Gail was fun- more of a victim than I was hoping but fun and an easy character to understand. I would have liked it more if we could have seen more growth with her in this installment (since she's that kind of character), but more about that in a sec. If you like X-men I think you'll like this.
Issue: Ok, this is something other people have commented on- the cliffhanger. For me it was a problem. I'm all for cliffhangers- ONCE the story has ended and it's leading into a new plot line. This novel reminded me of a novel chopped in half. Fine if part 2 is already out, or the novel actually ties up a plot but this one doesn't. It's a first part and stops mid conflict. If, like me you can't stand putting a novel down for a few months and picking it back up- wait for the second part to come out, but if that reading/writing style doesn't bother you, by all means go ahead.
As it is, though I recommend this book and will be interested to see how part 2 ends.
First, what to like: SUPERHEROES!. This novel refreshingly plays homage to my old X-men comics of old- with a bit of corporate structure thrown in. Yes, there are some logic gaps but nothing outside what I would expect from a comic book story line. Gail was fun- more of a victim than I was hoping but fun and an easy character to understand. I would have liked it more if we could have seen more growth with her in this installment (since she's that kind of character), but more about that in a sec. If you like X-men I think you'll like this.
Issue: Ok, this is something other people have commented on- the cliffhanger. For me it was a problem. I'm all for cliffhangers- ONCE the story has ended and it's leading into a new plot line. This novel reminded me of a novel chopped in half. Fine if part 2 is already out, or the novel actually ties up a plot but this one doesn't. It's a first part and stops mid conflict. If, like me you can't stand putting a novel down for a few months and picking it back up- wait for the second part to come out, but if that reading/writing style doesn't bother you, by all means go ahead.
As it is, though I recommend this book and will be interested to see how part 2 ends.
January 8, 2015
Superheroes Anonymous by Lexie Dunne follows the adventures of Gail Godwin, otherwise known as Hostage Girl, in a world where superheroes and villains exist as celebrities and fodder for gossip websites. A Chicago reporter, Gail — or Girl, as her friends call her — is constantly kidnapped and held hostage by supervillains and subsequently saved by Blaze, one of the most popular heroes. The gossip columnists speculate that Blaze’s identity is Jeremy, Girl’s real-life boyfriend, but she doubts it. However, when Jeremy breaks up with her and moves to Miami, Blaze leaves Chicago for Miami. With no hero to save her, Girl is captured yet again and injected with a serum that gives her superpowers of her own.
With this event, Girl is formally inducted into the underground realities of being a superhero. She learns the real-world identities Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
With this event, Girl is formally inducted into the underground realities of being a superhero. She learns the real-world identities Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
May 8, 2015
Ever wanted to know what the inner universe of superheroes is really like? Meet Gail Godwin, or Hostage girl as she's known. When supervillains begin to believe she's the main squeeze of Blaze, a major superhero who ends up rescuing her quite often, Gail soon begins to accept being kidnapped and menaced by supervillains as a weary fact of life, a superhero feat in itself. Then she's kidnapped by a mad scientist and her life changes...
This was a fun read, with characters who might not be what they seem, and I loved Gail and the real Blaze. Gail's hardships make you wonder why she hasn't gone darkside. I could totally see the movie in my head. And, in the sequel, the SUPERVILLAINS may take center stage...
This was a fun read, with characters who might not be what they seem, and I loved Gail and the real Blaze. Gail's hardships make you wonder why she hasn't gone darkside. I could totally see the movie in my head. And, in the sequel, the SUPERVILLAINS may take center stage...
April 28, 2018
This should have got three or even four stars. It's an amusing story with an interesting character as the lead. The world is an interesting one too.
However... The book needs an editor. I had to fill in a bunch of missing words as I went along and that jars me out of the narrative. But the biggest failing here is that the book ends on a hulking great cliffhanger which is, frankly, insulting. If this had come in a full-priced ebook, I'd be livid. The cliffhanger itself is broadly illogical and not a bit stupid. I'll probably read the next book to see what happens eventually, but right now I'm kind of feeling like I've been betrayed. Yes, cliffhangers are a staple of the genre in comics, but they have more or less no place in books.
However... The book needs an editor. I had to fill in a bunch of missing words as I went along and that jars me out of the narrative. But the biggest failing here is that the book ends on a hulking great cliffhanger which is, frankly, insulting. If this had come in a full-priced ebook, I'd be livid. The cliffhanger itself is broadly illogical and not a bit stupid. I'll probably read the next book to see what happens eventually, but right now I'm kind of feeling like I've been betrayed. Yes, cliffhangers are a staple of the genre in comics, but they have more or less no place in books.
August 31, 2016
I enjoyed this clever take on the superhero mythos. This time, it's from the Lois Lane perspective. Poor Gail Godwin has been kidnapped so many times that she is better known as Hostage Girl.
Hostage Girl is so resilient that I was a little disappointed when one of those extended kidnappings resulted in Gail's acquiring her own super powers. She was awesome enough before.
I would have given this book another star except that it ends on a cliff-hanger. I consider this a cheap trick on the part of authors and really dislike it. Aside from that, I enjoyed the book - but I would never recommend it without first cautioning the other reader about the cliff-hanger.
Hostage Girl is so resilient that I was a little disappointed when one of those extended kidnappings resulted in Gail's acquiring her own super powers. She was awesome enough before.
I would have given this book another star except that it ends on a cliff-hanger. I consider this a cheap trick on the part of authors and really dislike it. Aside from that, I enjoyed the book - but I would never recommend it without first cautioning the other reader about the cliff-hanger.
January 8, 2015
Half a book
This started oddly but well.
The protagonist has the unmentioned power to not be traumatized by her frequent kidnappings. Then it follows the cover blurb, and Gail slowly becomes a real character. Still a kidnapping victim, but a real character.
Then the last section happens, and it is confused and poorly plotted. There is no resolution, just a lazy "cliffhanger" setup for the next book. The book without all that pesky character introduction and development.
If it were complete then I could recommend it. If.
This started oddly but well.
The protagonist has the unmentioned power to not be traumatized by her frequent kidnappings. Then it follows the cover blurb, and Gail slowly becomes a real character. Still a kidnapping victim, but a real character.
Then the last section happens, and it is confused and poorly plotted. There is no resolution, just a lazy "cliffhanger" setup for the next book. The book without all that pesky character introduction and development.
If it were complete then I could recommend it. If.
November 28, 2014
A really fun satire adventure of comic book heroes. We don't know why yet, but a generation ago superheroes and villains manifested powers and are now a part of everyday life! The play on comic book heroes was lots of fun, the writing is sharp and the romance is cute. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, but I'm holding it together mostly >.>.
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