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Wearing the Cape #4
Small Town Heroes
Astra has become one of the most popular Sentinels in Chicago, past scandals notwithstanding, and is now the team leader of the Young Sentinels. But on their first big solo outing, the new junior Sentinels fall into a new scandal—one which could cost them the team. And Astra has a dream visit from Kitsune, the odd shapeshifter-thief who precipitated the battle between the Sentinels and Villains Inc. the year before. The dream warns of a fresh disaster, in a town Astra has never seen before and that may not actually exist.
Astra’s efforts to find the town from her dream leads to her “recruitment” by the shadowy Department of Superhuman Affairs, and she leaves the team behind in Chicago to learn more about the DSA’s secrets than are good for her, face old enemies, and discover a little town called Littleton. Fortunately for Astra, "leaving the team" does not mean she’s on her own.
Astra’s efforts to find the town from her dream leads to her “recruitment” by the shadowy Department of Superhuman Affairs, and she leaves the team behind in Chicago to learn more about the DSA’s secrets than are good for her, face old enemies, and discover a little town called Littleton. Fortunately for Astra, "leaving the team" does not mean she’s on her own.
253 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
71 people are currently reading
288 people want to read
About the author
Marion G. Harmon
24 books290 followersMarion G. Harmon picked up a Masters of History degree because he likes stories. He resides in Las Vegas, where he dabbles in various aspects of financial planning while trying to get the people in his head onto the page so they’ll stop pestering him.
Addendum: M.G.Harmon still lives in Las Vegas, but has ceased telling other people how to invest their money to become a "professional author," whatever that is. He has written nine books, all about Astra and Company. They still won't leave him alone.
Addendum: M.G.Harmon still lives in Las Vegas, but has ceased telling other people how to invest their money to become a "professional author," whatever that is. He has written nine books, all about Astra and Company. They still won't leave him alone.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 27, 2023
This series is a nice action packed read. Good character build up over each book. Recommended
January 16, 2015
So the main character of the series, Astra, gets herself taken away from Chicago, her home, and her friends, because she sees a vision of something she should not know anything about. She makes new friends, learns how to work with others who are extremely competent, and her old team gets to meet the new ones.
I liked this book because it maintains that in the world of superheroes, the most dangerous ones are the ones that can plan. Astra is depicted as someone who is learning how to do this, and she spends the book recognizing she is around people who do it well. A team of third-string supersoldiers is depicted as being a match for a first-string villian because of teamwork, and these opponents are the most dangerous, not because they are the most powerful that Astra has faced, nor because the Young Sentinals are weaker than the main Sentinal team, but because this group works well together. All of the supers (and other leadership figures) are highly competent and dangerous, and that makes for a better story than many.
The book can get a little corny/sappy occasionally, and that may be because the main character is a pixie teenage girl. But it helps that everyone is competent, and the main hero, while competent and universally accepted, still has much to learn and the others around her have much to teach.
I liked this book because it maintains that in the world of superheroes, the most dangerous ones are the ones that can plan. Astra is depicted as someone who is learning how to do this, and she spends the book recognizing she is around people who do it well. A team of third-string supersoldiers is depicted as being a match for a first-string villian because of teamwork, and these opponents are the most dangerous, not because they are the most powerful that Astra has faced, nor because the Young Sentinals are weaker than the main Sentinal team, but because this group works well together. All of the supers (and other leadership figures) are highly competent and dangerous, and that makes for a better story than many.
The book can get a little corny/sappy occasionally, and that may be because the main character is a pixie teenage girl. But it helps that everyone is competent, and the main hero, while competent and universally accepted, still has much to learn and the others around her have much to teach.
June 6, 2023
In Small Town Heroes, Harmon pulls his heroine Astra out of Chicago and off on her own in his world’s version of Cuba. She’s receiving visions of a town being burned to the ground and learns that it’s in Guantanamo Bay in a way that fits in very nicely with Harmon’s super universe. Castro has been overthrown in this world, replaced by a disturbing super-powered dictatorship. Add in U.S. military forces, top secret research projects and a couple handfuls of surprises and you have the makings of yet another great novel in the Wearing the Cape series.
There is a great mystery that forms the thread upon which the whole novel is built, and I found the solution totally satisfying. It’s also really fun to see the developing Young Sentinels team in action at different parts of the book. The team is growing in both size and experience and they are clearly going to be a lot of fun in the future.
If you’ve enjoyed the first books in this series, you’ll be pleased with this one. I also think it makes a fairly good jumping in point if you’re wondering what the series is all about.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
There is a great mystery that forms the thread upon which the whole novel is built, and I found the solution totally satisfying. It’s also really fun to see the developing Young Sentinels team in action at different parts of the book. The team is growing in both size and experience and they are clearly going to be a lot of fun in the future.
If you’ve enjoyed the first books in this series, you’ll be pleased with this one. I also think it makes a fairly good jumping in point if you’re wondering what the series is all about.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
November 9, 2019
It’s easy to tell if you like a book or not, but often harder to say why. Some books you read all in one sitting, without meaning to. Others you have to force your to finish, pulling from an inner well of self control (or maybe a bit of Masochism).
This book, I devoured in a single day. Seeing how much I liked this book, it made me realize why I’m having such a hard time finishing another book I’m reading. The other book lacks depth. It needs more subplots.
The wearing The Cape books never lack for depth. There is always something of some importance going on. You never feel like the book is dragging just because the author needs to fill some space. Harmon always has a pot in the fire, even the slower scenes simmer with the possibilities of conflict.
These books are an amazing testament to what superhero books can be. I wish there were more like it. Harmon is seriously underrated.
This book, I devoured in a single day. Seeing how much I liked this book, it made me realize why I’m having such a hard time finishing another book I’m reading. The other book lacks depth. It needs more subplots.
The wearing The Cape books never lack for depth. There is always something of some importance going on. You never feel like the book is dragging just because the author needs to fill some space. Harmon always has a pot in the fire, even the slower scenes simmer with the possibilities of conflict.
These books are an amazing testament to what superhero books can be. I wish there were more like it. Harmon is seriously underrated.
June 7, 2017
Another Wearing the Cape novel. Spoilers ahead for earlier ones.
Hope and the Young Sentinels, still not old enough to legally fight villains, are off doing disaster relief with a flood. (Disaster relief is actually a big chunk of superheroics.) Another team -- from a reality show -- also show up. Trouble ensues.
And they get pulled, and Hope learns it may be trouble from their certification point of view. They're grounded until the investigation is over. Though Hope, being the only heavy hitter handy, is sent to a bank robbery, where someone from the team shows up. Her intention is to apologize, but she has her dragon help without quite realizing the danger the robbery poses to her.
Meanwhile, Hope dreams. Kitsune is back, it seems -- and shows her a town on fire. Shell, with all her powers, can't track it down, but Jacky can. Hope uses the resulting knowledge to get herself into a top secret government base. There, the tale unfolds. It includes some ramifications from a wish that Hope had not realized; a bed-and-breakfast; a challenge coin; a strange ring Ozma gives her and when she learns to use it; the Most Serene Republic of Cuba; someone assigned to watch a team who manages to help by watching from the right place; Hope's meeting some friends of Jacky's from New Orleans; Hope's being told something she already knew, and having to act quite surprised; and much more.
Hope and the Young Sentinels, still not old enough to legally fight villains, are off doing disaster relief with a flood. (Disaster relief is actually a big chunk of superheroics.) Another team -- from a reality show -- also show up. Trouble ensues.
And they get pulled, and Hope learns it may be trouble from their certification point of view. They're grounded until the investigation is over. Though Hope, being the only heavy hitter handy, is sent to a bank robbery, where someone from the team shows up. Her intention is to apologize, but she has her dragon help without quite realizing the danger the robbery poses to her.
Meanwhile, Hope dreams. Kitsune is back, it seems -- and shows her a town on fire. Shell, with all her powers, can't track it down, but Jacky can. Hope uses the resulting knowledge to get herself into a top secret government base. There, the tale unfolds. It includes some ramifications from a wish that Hope had not realized; a bed-and-breakfast; a challenge coin; a strange ring Ozma gives her and when she learns to use it; the Most Serene Republic of Cuba; someone assigned to watch a team who manages to help by watching from the right place; Hope's meeting some friends of Jacky's from New Orleans; Hope's being told something she already knew, and having to act quite surprised; and much more.
December 28, 2021
Alice in wonderland meets superhero kind of feeling.
Astra is the most popular hero of the Sentinels. Things are going just fine until she starts having weird dream visits from a "not quite villain, but not a fried either" acquaintance that might just be prophetic. Problem is that the village she sees burning in her dream doesn't technically exist. Enter the government spooks...
Book 4 is definitely a good read, at times slightly disjointed, but full of new places and interesting people.
Merged review:
Alice in wonderland meets superhero kind of feeling.
Astra is the most popular hero of the Sentinels. Things are going just fine until she starts having weird dream visits from a "not quite villain, but not a fried either" acquaintance that might just be prophetic. Problem is that the village she sees burning in her dream doesn't technically exist. Enter the government spooks...
Book 4 is definitely a good read, at times slightly disjointed, but full of new places and interesting people.
Astra is the most popular hero of the Sentinels. Things are going just fine until she starts having weird dream visits from a "not quite villain, but not a fried either" acquaintance that might just be prophetic. Problem is that the village she sees burning in her dream doesn't technically exist. Enter the government spooks...
Book 4 is definitely a good read, at times slightly disjointed, but full of new places and interesting people.
Merged review:
Alice in wonderland meets superhero kind of feeling.
Astra is the most popular hero of the Sentinels. Things are going just fine until she starts having weird dream visits from a "not quite villain, but not a fried either" acquaintance that might just be prophetic. Problem is that the village she sees burning in her dream doesn't technically exist. Enter the government spooks...
Book 4 is definitely a good read, at times slightly disjointed, but full of new places and interesting people.
November 13, 2014
I watched the timer on the website eagerly to buy the fourth Wearing The Cape ebook by Marion G. Harmon. Small Town Heroes (Amazon) was worth the wait and as much fun as the previous three. This time, borrowing from Eureka (TV Show) Astra is sent a dream that a small town will be destroyed. Littleton is in an alternate reality from Guantanamo Bay on a Cuba that has discovered capitalism and is run by a hidden super-powered person. The bad guys want to steal something from the town. It’s a good time for Astra to leave Chicago because of a scandal from an inadvertent fight during a flood rescue mission. Astra may have all the powers of Supergirl except for x-ray vision, but she is facing super villains and needs all the help she can get. I’m waiting for the next.Review printed in the Philadelphia Weekly Press
April 26, 2018
Okay, next in the series and it's a fairly good one. We see more of the world the Chicago Sentinels operate in and this book focuses much more heavily on Astra, which I found more appealing than the last book.
Problems... The plot comes over as a bit cluttered and there's a bucket load of stuff left unresolved at the end which is obviously there to make life difficult at the start of the next book. Still, the story seems complete even if there are threads hanging, and the ending's upbeat to make you feel like something has been achieved.
Problems... The plot comes over as a bit cluttered and there's a bucket load of stuff left unresolved at the end which is obviously there to make life difficult at the start of the next book. Still, the story seems complete even if there are threads hanging, and the ending's upbeat to make you feel like something has been achieved.
October 25, 2014
This is an excellent way of continuing the serial and filling in some of the context to sustain interest.
http://opionator.wordpress.com/2014/1...
http://opionator.wordpress.com/2014/1...
November 8, 2014
Yay! After finally getting news of passing the bar, I treated myself to binge-reading this in 24 hours. Holy moley, batman! What an intense ride...
To stick with the theme of my past reviews, I would compare Small Town Heroes to a delicious banquet of tapas--it was written in a much more episodic way than the previous books, but each section was packed with its own bits and pieces of surprising morsels.
The Big Picture
To put this in sci-fi/fantasy nerd terms: This book is 1 part X-men, 2 parts Buffy (season 5-ish), and 1 part Eureka.
The X-Men part is obvious, and definitely the major theme of all the books in this series: the idea of superheroes, how they would have to function in modern society, and the clashes between "normal" people and "capes" are well-thought out. It's a danger in this genre to get too cliché; X-men is a huge canon and thus sort of explores everything there is about this dynamic (it's very similar to Tolkien and high fantasy). But Harmon does a really good job because his infrastructure is realistic and well-thought-out (with just teensy minor slips in things that don't necessarily make sense, but don't really have to necessarily--they're just little things that would bother people who have experience in the legal field and/or the military field--Certainly nothing as bad as say, an episode of Criminal Minds). The back and forth between the US Government makes sense, and the global politics are an extension of our modern-day geopolitical sphere in a way that doesn't make me cringe (unlike a lot of futuristic novels that feature China as being...well...a conglomerate new Mongol Empire et al).
As for Buffy, the similarities are both obvious and super deep, I promise. I've said it before, and I've said it again--HOPE AND JACKY ARE MADE FOR EACH OTHER. THEY NEED TO JUST KISS. I did, in fact, notate my digital copy many times with "OMG JUST KISS ALREADY." But seriously--Hope is a tiny blonde girl who kicks ass and deals a lot with being "The Chosen One." She's a team leader and had to sort of figure everything out--balancing life and school and saving the world and love. Jacky is A RELUCTANT VAMPIRE WITH A SOUL. She's a Dark Avenger of the Night who hates other vampires, kicks ass, and has excellent hair. What I am saying is that Hope is Buffy and Jacky is Angel and I WON'T hear any arguments otherwise. The dynamic became even more obvious in this book--Jacky coming out of her "city" (a la Angel coming out of LA) for a single call to save Hope's butt all like, "Girl, you don't know ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT YOUR'E GETTING INTO" is, surely a bit protective but also THE ACT OF SOMEONE MADLY IN LOVE. Also, Hope finds out her besties are lesbians which is TOTES SIMILAR to Willow going gay with Tara. And Kindrake is definitely the Dawn character of this novel--an undoubtedly powerful, but inexperienced and whiny character who has potential to be really cool but for now is sort of a dweeby younger sister for everybody. There's a lot of heart-stopping WTF WHY moments in this book and if you blink you might miss them because Hope is (admittedly) a little self-absorbed (at least she ADMITS that she's being a bitch for thinking "WHAT ABOUT ME?!?!?!" when Julie and Megan come out together). Again, very similar to Buffy. I love it. I love it so much. Not to mention, way to make a shoutout on the intersection of "Sunnydale" and "Camelot." Jesus Christ, who were the city planners for Littleton? You might as well call it "Armageddon" and "Gomorrah."
As for the Eureka bits--Come on. Littleton is a secret science-y facility created out of nowhere with extreme technology and retired military and science minds? AND THERE'S A SHERIFF? AAAAND the US Marshalls? Shelly is totes the Fargo. That Cat lady (whose name I can't remember ugh) is Allison Blake. Angel is Deputy Jo. But unexpectedly, the entire plot is well-done and DOESN'T come across as fanfiction. It's a really cool idea and sort of obvious--and I love that it's in GUANTANAMO BAY which actually makes a HELL of a lot sense.
OK so things that I thought were super cool and would love to see more of
1.) The Littleton plot line deserves its own little spin-off series I think. Hell, I think Jacky deserves more books about what she's been up to and her own series, but that's just me. I'm intrigued. I want to know more.
2.) QUEER PHI MU SISTERS IS TOTALLY AFTER MY OWN HEART BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT I WAS AND WHAT SEVERAL OF MY SISTERS WERE AND THAT'S AMAZING. AAAMAAAAZING. Positive role models! LIOB was used! Although it's unusual to sign-off that way with a non-sister, that alone made me imagine the Bees secretly telling Hope all the Phi Mu secrets and signs and everything just to make sure she doesn't feel left out. I love it. I love it so much. I think Hope's reaction was...accurate, and it sucked, but again, it was handled well because she admits that she sucks for acting that way. I felt a little cheated because I feel like oh hey, Hope, you know how Julie just realized she was gay FOR THE RIGHT PERSON? MAYBE YOU SHOULD LOOK AT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JACKY, HUH? But...well...realistically, probably not going to happen. BUT IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE OK? Ugh. I could write a dissertation paper on the subject.
3.) Kindrake has a lot of potential as a character and I sort of want Shelly or Ozma to put her in her place. There's a few intriguing lines that imply that she's in it for the fame and glory and that she's a burned out child star--I wouldn't be surprised if she pulls some dumb drunken shit and as a result needs a dressing down which would be TOTALLY WORTH IT TO WATCH LIKE ON THE LEVEL OF OHHH MANNN SASSS FROM OZMA. Honestly I'm envisioning her as Magenta--the shape-shifting, disaffected youth, Asian gerbil girl from Sky High. So perfect.
4.) I really loved the shifting POVs from the last book and while this one makes sense as being Hope-centric, I really wish I could get that back again for some of the next books? I love the Young Sentinels--I mean, I'm a sucker for Young Justice, Young Avengers and Runaways, and Young Sentinels as a group echo a lot of the good of that--so I'd love to hear more from them. I don't find it distracting; I think it's a great way to learn more about the other characters. And UNF...Grendel...yum....
5.) FINALLY! A GLOSSARY OF CHARACTERS! I was so excited to see this in the back. Honestly I also wish I knew what everybody LOOKED like--if there was a small, illustrated ebook companion character guide with accurate artwork, I would buy that in a heartbeat, if only to create my own fanart as references. The amount of characters in here is staggering--again, it's like Buffy in that regard. Knowing who does what, where, and why, and who looks like what would be useful. For example...I thought Leroy was Black? Is he not Black? I am so confused.
Things that I was a little squiffed by and need a bit of work
1. ) Hope's weirdly unconvincing crush on Grendel. She's projecting. Clearly she has an unrequited love thing. Like she just automatically seems to fall for the most attractive-yet-unattainable man she sees. First it was Atlas, who was surprisingly attainable, but wasn't supposed to be (but dies so it's OK). Then it was Seven (who is probably secretly gay but we don't really figure out why Hope doesn't do anything with him? Is it the fact that they just...don't ever kiss again???). Now it's Grendel (and Darren). First sign of an oblivious lesbian. If the only men you're attracted to are men that you know you can't POSSIBLY actually hook up with...well...look at your life. Look at your life choices. Just sayin'. Honey, you're probably GAY. For JACKY.
2.) The only line that actually made me cringe: "You're from the Middle East. I should have covered up more." plus the response of "It is refreshing to meet a young person who is culturally sensitive." Dude. I'm sorry. I have many Middle Eastern friends, and I myself have been on the receiving end of statements like this, being Chinese. Let me just tell you--that shit is racist. It's racist to assume that:
a) A person of Middle Eastern descent would be conservatively Muslim
b) that just because he looks like Jafar and he has a "foreign" last name he's FOB or something or geographically from that area
c) That actually he's even Muslim at all--loads of people from the Middle East are like Coptic and Christian and stuff
d) That you know his culture and his religion and his preferences simply by looking at him
e) He even disproves your assumptions by talking about how he's used to Western standards of dress etc.
...what I'm saying is that Hope has dangerously danced the line of being Asia-obsessed before (her whole gushy Kwan-Yin thing in the first couple of books and her long descriptions of East Asian art raised a couple of Asian-fetish red flags for me, but ultimately I was able to dismiss them because of the cultural competency in the other areas of the book) but this. THIS. Ugh. It was disappointing. I literally had to just put down my tablet and stare for a little bit because I couldn't believe it was coming out of Hope's mouth. I mean...realistic. Sure. I can see a rich white liberal girl from Chicago saying this. I honestly can. It's a very...well-meaning, but ignorant thing to say, which I feel realistically fits Hope's character. And I guess a peace-loving breakthrough like Darvish would be as diplomatic as possible. But I can't help but think it could have been handled with more embarrassment and correction on Hope's part--something more like "While it is nice to consider other cultures, you are assuming too when you apologize in such a manner." I don't know. It bothered me. What can I say?
3.) Some of the battle scenes, while realistic in their confusion, might be a bit too confusing. The thing with battles and fights is that because they're so fast-paced, readers tend to BLAST through them. Or at least, I do, and I think I'm not alone in this regard. Certain words and phrases stand out--BOOM, crash, punched, ouch, etc. But so much STUFF happens in these scenes and Hope is such a confusing narrator sometimes (she flips between coms so much and Shell vs. Shelly got a bit confusing) that following the action becomes difficult. Compound that with a large number of villains, and you end up having to re-read battles and figure out who does what, where.
4.) I think I'm going to need an academic style paper on the Time Traveling Anarchist and what exactly he did and why and the whole neural net seeds thing. The whole Shelly-who-killed herself vs. Shelly-the-original-android-who-got-destroyed vs. Shelly-the-real-girl now. vs. Shell-the-backup-copy-of-Shell-the-android vs. NOW OK ANOTHER "GUARDIAN" OR WHATEVER is getting really hard to follow. Or maybe a diagram? I would settle for a diagram. But seriously--the Dante Valentine books feature academic papers as goodies in the back, which i love. I would LOVE something similar.
5.) The mysterious Event. I know, I know, the point of it is NOBODY UNDERSTANDS it. But I think I'd love to read more journalistic articles (like the chapter heading quotes, but bigger) on the subject. What exactly happened? Also the science of breakthroughs. I'm sorry--building a world this complicated, this detailed, it calls for these things. Or maybe i just want them so hard because I'm a fangirl. Hey, Tolkien had the Silmarillion. JK Rowling has Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, Quidditch Throughout the Ages, AND Pottermore. Rick Riordan has the Demigod Files AND the Demigod Diaries. Come on...pleeeeeease?
-----
So, to sum up this very long-winded, fangirly review:
THIS BOOK. I LIKE IT. ANOTHER! *smashes a coffee cup on the floor but not her tablet because that shit's expensive*
To stick with the theme of my past reviews, I would compare Small Town Heroes to a delicious banquet of tapas--it was written in a much more episodic way than the previous books, but each section was packed with its own bits and pieces of surprising morsels.
The Big Picture
To put this in sci-fi/fantasy nerd terms: This book is 1 part X-men, 2 parts Buffy (season 5-ish), and 1 part Eureka.
The X-Men part is obvious, and definitely the major theme of all the books in this series: the idea of superheroes, how they would have to function in modern society, and the clashes between "normal" people and "capes" are well-thought out. It's a danger in this genre to get too cliché; X-men is a huge canon and thus sort of explores everything there is about this dynamic (it's very similar to Tolkien and high fantasy). But Harmon does a really good job because his infrastructure is realistic and well-thought-out (with just teensy minor slips in things that don't necessarily make sense, but don't really have to necessarily--they're just little things that would bother people who have experience in the legal field and/or the military field--Certainly nothing as bad as say, an episode of Criminal Minds). The back and forth between the US Government makes sense, and the global politics are an extension of our modern-day geopolitical sphere in a way that doesn't make me cringe (unlike a lot of futuristic novels that feature China as being...well...a conglomerate new Mongol Empire et al).
As for Buffy, the similarities are both obvious and super deep, I promise. I've said it before, and I've said it again--HOPE AND JACKY ARE MADE FOR EACH OTHER. THEY NEED TO JUST KISS. I did, in fact, notate my digital copy many times with "OMG JUST KISS ALREADY." But seriously--Hope is a tiny blonde girl who kicks ass and deals a lot with being "The Chosen One." She's a team leader and had to sort of figure everything out--balancing life and school and saving the world and love. Jacky is A RELUCTANT VAMPIRE WITH A SOUL. She's a Dark Avenger of the Night who hates other vampires, kicks ass, and has excellent hair. What I am saying is that Hope is Buffy and Jacky is Angel and I WON'T hear any arguments otherwise. The dynamic became even more obvious in this book--Jacky coming out of her "city" (a la Angel coming out of LA) for a single call to save Hope's butt all like, "Girl, you don't know ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT YOUR'E GETTING INTO" is, surely a bit protective but also THE ACT OF SOMEONE MADLY IN LOVE. Also, Hope finds out her besties are lesbians which is TOTES SIMILAR to Willow going gay with Tara. And Kindrake is definitely the Dawn character of this novel--an undoubtedly powerful, but inexperienced and whiny character who has potential to be really cool but for now is sort of a dweeby younger sister for everybody. There's a lot of heart-stopping WTF WHY moments in this book and if you blink you might miss them because Hope is (admittedly) a little self-absorbed (at least she ADMITS that she's being a bitch for thinking "WHAT ABOUT ME?!?!?!" when Julie and Megan come out together). Again, very similar to Buffy. I love it. I love it so much. Not to mention, way to make a shoutout on the intersection of "Sunnydale" and "Camelot." Jesus Christ, who were the city planners for Littleton? You might as well call it "Armageddon" and "Gomorrah."
As for the Eureka bits--Come on. Littleton is a secret science-y facility created out of nowhere with extreme technology and retired military and science minds? AND THERE'S A SHERIFF? AAAAND the US Marshalls? Shelly is totes the Fargo. That Cat lady (whose name I can't remember ugh) is Allison Blake. Angel is Deputy Jo. But unexpectedly, the entire plot is well-done and DOESN'T come across as fanfiction. It's a really cool idea and sort of obvious--and I love that it's in GUANTANAMO BAY which actually makes a HELL of a lot sense.
OK so things that I thought were super cool and would love to see more of
1.) The Littleton plot line deserves its own little spin-off series I think. Hell, I think Jacky deserves more books about what she's been up to and her own series, but that's just me. I'm intrigued. I want to know more.
2.) QUEER PHI MU SISTERS IS TOTALLY AFTER MY OWN HEART BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT I WAS AND WHAT SEVERAL OF MY SISTERS WERE AND THAT'S AMAZING. AAAMAAAAZING. Positive role models! LIOB was used! Although it's unusual to sign-off that way with a non-sister, that alone made me imagine the Bees secretly telling Hope all the Phi Mu secrets and signs and everything just to make sure she doesn't feel left out. I love it. I love it so much. I think Hope's reaction was...accurate, and it sucked, but again, it was handled well because she admits that she sucks for acting that way. I felt a little cheated because I feel like oh hey, Hope, you know how Julie just realized she was gay FOR THE RIGHT PERSON? MAYBE YOU SHOULD LOOK AT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JACKY, HUH? But...well...realistically, probably not going to happen. BUT IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE OK? Ugh. I could write a dissertation paper on the subject.
3.) Kindrake has a lot of potential as a character and I sort of want Shelly or Ozma to put her in her place. There's a few intriguing lines that imply that she's in it for the fame and glory and that she's a burned out child star--I wouldn't be surprised if she pulls some dumb drunken shit and as a result needs a dressing down which would be TOTALLY WORTH IT TO WATCH LIKE ON THE LEVEL OF OHHH MANNN SASSS FROM OZMA. Honestly I'm envisioning her as Magenta--the shape-shifting, disaffected youth, Asian gerbil girl from Sky High. So perfect.
4.) I really loved the shifting POVs from the last book and while this one makes sense as being Hope-centric, I really wish I could get that back again for some of the next books? I love the Young Sentinels--I mean, I'm a sucker for Young Justice, Young Avengers and Runaways, and Young Sentinels as a group echo a lot of the good of that--so I'd love to hear more from them. I don't find it distracting; I think it's a great way to learn more about the other characters. And UNF...Grendel...yum....
5.) FINALLY! A GLOSSARY OF CHARACTERS! I was so excited to see this in the back. Honestly I also wish I knew what everybody LOOKED like--if there was a small, illustrated ebook companion character guide with accurate artwork, I would buy that in a heartbeat, if only to create my own fanart as references. The amount of characters in here is staggering--again, it's like Buffy in that regard. Knowing who does what, where, and why, and who looks like what would be useful. For example...I thought Leroy was Black? Is he not Black? I am so confused.
Things that I was a little squiffed by and need a bit of work
1. ) Hope's weirdly unconvincing crush on Grendel. She's projecting. Clearly she has an unrequited love thing. Like she just automatically seems to fall for the most attractive-yet-unattainable man she sees. First it was Atlas, who was surprisingly attainable, but wasn't supposed to be (but dies so it's OK). Then it was Seven (who is probably secretly gay but we don't really figure out why Hope doesn't do anything with him? Is it the fact that they just...don't ever kiss again???). Now it's Grendel (and Darren). First sign of an oblivious lesbian. If the only men you're attracted to are men that you know you can't POSSIBLY actually hook up with...well...look at your life. Look at your life choices. Just sayin'. Honey, you're probably GAY. For JACKY.
2.) The only line that actually made me cringe: "You're from the Middle East. I should have covered up more." plus the response of "It is refreshing to meet a young person who is culturally sensitive." Dude. I'm sorry. I have many Middle Eastern friends, and I myself have been on the receiving end of statements like this, being Chinese. Let me just tell you--that shit is racist. It's racist to assume that:
a) A person of Middle Eastern descent would be conservatively Muslim
b) that just because he looks like Jafar and he has a "foreign" last name he's FOB or something or geographically from that area
c) That actually he's even Muslim at all--loads of people from the Middle East are like Coptic and Christian and stuff
d) That you know his culture and his religion and his preferences simply by looking at him
e) He even disproves your assumptions by talking about how he's used to Western standards of dress etc.
...what I'm saying is that Hope has dangerously danced the line of being Asia-obsessed before (her whole gushy Kwan-Yin thing in the first couple of books and her long descriptions of East Asian art raised a couple of Asian-fetish red flags for me, but ultimately I was able to dismiss them because of the cultural competency in the other areas of the book) but this. THIS. Ugh. It was disappointing. I literally had to just put down my tablet and stare for a little bit because I couldn't believe it was coming out of Hope's mouth. I mean...realistic. Sure. I can see a rich white liberal girl from Chicago saying this. I honestly can. It's a very...well-meaning, but ignorant thing to say, which I feel realistically fits Hope's character. And I guess a peace-loving breakthrough like Darvish would be as diplomatic as possible. But I can't help but think it could have been handled with more embarrassment and correction on Hope's part--something more like "While it is nice to consider other cultures, you are assuming too when you apologize in such a manner." I don't know. It bothered me. What can I say?
3.) Some of the battle scenes, while realistic in their confusion, might be a bit too confusing. The thing with battles and fights is that because they're so fast-paced, readers tend to BLAST through them. Or at least, I do, and I think I'm not alone in this regard. Certain words and phrases stand out--BOOM, crash, punched, ouch, etc. But so much STUFF happens in these scenes and Hope is such a confusing narrator sometimes (she flips between coms so much and Shell vs. Shelly got a bit confusing) that following the action becomes difficult. Compound that with a large number of villains, and you end up having to re-read battles and figure out who does what, where.
4.) I think I'm going to need an academic style paper on the Time Traveling Anarchist and what exactly he did and why and the whole neural net seeds thing. The whole Shelly-who-killed herself vs. Shelly-the-original-android-who-got-destroyed vs. Shelly-the-real-girl now. vs. Shell-the-backup-copy-of-Shell-the-android vs. NOW OK ANOTHER "GUARDIAN" OR WHATEVER is getting really hard to follow. Or maybe a diagram? I would settle for a diagram. But seriously--the Dante Valentine books feature academic papers as goodies in the back, which i love. I would LOVE something similar.
5.) The mysterious Event. I know, I know, the point of it is NOBODY UNDERSTANDS it. But I think I'd love to read more journalistic articles (like the chapter heading quotes, but bigger) on the subject. What exactly happened? Also the science of breakthroughs. I'm sorry--building a world this complicated, this detailed, it calls for these things. Or maybe i just want them so hard because I'm a fangirl. Hey, Tolkien had the Silmarillion. JK Rowling has Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, Quidditch Throughout the Ages, AND Pottermore. Rick Riordan has the Demigod Files AND the Demigod Diaries. Come on...pleeeeeease?
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So, to sum up this very long-winded, fangirly review:
THIS BOOK. I LIKE IT. ANOTHER! *smashes a coffee cup on the floor but not her tablet because that shit's expensive*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2023
Solid 3 once again.
This book is once again getting knocked down several points because Shel, Shelly, and Astra all act like giggly little schoolgirls fairly frequently. And I really don't care for Astra's thoughts about fashion or her society upbringing. Her regular life is terribly uninteresting.
Good choice bringing Artemis back. More of this please.
Bad choice doubling the annoying Shel/Shelly situation. Maybe it's just the narration, but they always come across as the creepiest valley girls. But Astra sure was a jerk to Shelly when they first met up.
This book is much better with worldbuilding than actual story this time around. It was okay.
This book is once again getting knocked down several points because Shel, Shelly, and Astra all act like giggly little schoolgirls fairly frequently. And I really don't care for Astra's thoughts about fashion or her society upbringing. Her regular life is terribly uninteresting.
Good choice bringing Artemis back. More of this please.
Bad choice doubling the annoying Shel/Shelly situation. Maybe it's just the narration, but they always come across as the creepiest valley girls. But Astra sure was a jerk to Shelly when they first met up.
This book is much better with worldbuilding than actual story this time around. It was okay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2018
I seem to have forgotten to review this one, I honestly can't quite remember if it was a 3 or a 4 star, but I think it was 3. Some literal world-building involved and new and old characters converging on a small town.
March 20, 2019
Great adventures
This is a series of adventures that add up to a great arc. Keeps getting better. I’ll read the next for sure.
This is a series of adventures that add up to a great arc. Keeps getting better. I’ll read the next for sure.
December 10, 2019
A little disjoint, or just too much world building in a short period for me to handle. Whatevs, loved it and read the rest of the series as well.
February 19, 2020
Somewhere around 3.5 for me. Continues with most of the strengths of the series without really pushing the boundaries too much. If you like the series, take a read.
November 12, 2020
This was a fairly fun entry, if a bit confusing at times. Hope makes a good main character, much happier with focusing only on her. This has been a very enjoyable series so far.
October 13, 2024
Enjoyed the story, felt it was a loooot of fluff for a 3 minute fight in the end.
July 23, 2018
I'd read the first 3 books a while back, and wasn't certain if I wanted to continue. Eventually I read this, having nothing better at hand. It was, as I expected, not very good. I believe the reason I think so is that there is just no suspense. It is a problem with these longer series: Nothing important can go wrong. If it did the series would change too much as a result, and loose readers, so they go bland. There can be titanic fights, and the worlds destruction might be just about to happen, but everyone knows that even the supporting cast (meaning anyone introduced more than a book ago) are gonna be fine, Plot-Armor is in full effect.
January 18, 2016
Wearing the Cape is one of my favorite Capepunk series. No, scratch that, it's my favorite Capepunk series period. What is Capepunk you may ask? They are prose-based superhero stories about the consequences for people in a world which various comic book tropes are true. The shorter version, they're stories about the little guy having to deal with people who can bench-press buses.
Small Town Heroes is the fourth book following the adventures of Hope Corrigan a.k.a the superheroine Astra and the fifth in the series overall. It has been a couple of years since the events of the original novel and she's now nineteen. Unfortunately, her problems have only grown as people refuse to let go of her relationship with the superhero Atlas.
Astra's friends have started suffering for her fame, too, as they've gone from being her circle of high school friends to 'Astra's posse.' This has both good and bad effects as they find themselves under a microscope but also aware this can be exploited to their benefit.
It does, however, mean they are a great deal more secretive than they used to be. When a pair of her friends come out as being in a lesbian relationship, Astra is floored. Not because of their sexuality but that they didn't tell her. I liked this because human drama is one of the ways the series distinguishes itself from other Capepunk novels.
Small Town Heroes follows Astra as she takes a break from all this to guard an American research facility located in an extra-dimensional pocket near Guantanamo Bay. It's an interesting reminder 9/11 didn't happen in the Wearing the Cape world as she's unaware the base exists until it's pointed out to her. Cuba has changed drastically in the post-Breakthrough world with a supervillain dictator named the Tyrant ruling it semi-benevolently.
Much of the book deals with Astra's relationship with her teenage friend Shelly. I'm not a big fan of the character so this wasn't my favorite part. Despite this, I very much enjoyed their interaction. Shelly is an important part of Astra's life and I liked how the author has finally found an appropriate role for the character after several false starts.
If I have a complaint about the book it's the fact not much happens during it. It's a fairly self-contained plot and doesn't really advance the overarching story all that much. We get some characterization for Astra but nothing which really tells us anything new. I hope the book's otherwise dramatic plots aren't slowing down for the purposes of franchising. I love Astra but want to see the books keep their big, dramatic moments.
In conclusion, a worthy entry into the series but not exactly its best either. It kind of leaps tall buildings in a single bound rather than flies.
8/10
Small Town Heroes is the fourth book following the adventures of Hope Corrigan a.k.a the superheroine Astra and the fifth in the series overall. It has been a couple of years since the events of the original novel and she's now nineteen. Unfortunately, her problems have only grown as people refuse to let go of her relationship with the superhero Atlas.
Astra's friends have started suffering for her fame, too, as they've gone from being her circle of high school friends to 'Astra's posse.' This has both good and bad effects as they find themselves under a microscope but also aware this can be exploited to their benefit.
It does, however, mean they are a great deal more secretive than they used to be. When a pair of her friends come out as being in a lesbian relationship, Astra is floored. Not because of their sexuality but that they didn't tell her. I liked this because human drama is one of the ways the series distinguishes itself from other Capepunk novels.
Small Town Heroes follows Astra as she takes a break from all this to guard an American research facility located in an extra-dimensional pocket near Guantanamo Bay. It's an interesting reminder 9/11 didn't happen in the Wearing the Cape world as she's unaware the base exists until it's pointed out to her. Cuba has changed drastically in the post-Breakthrough world with a supervillain dictator named the Tyrant ruling it semi-benevolently.
Much of the book deals with Astra's relationship with her teenage friend Shelly. I'm not a big fan of the character so this wasn't my favorite part. Despite this, I very much enjoyed their interaction. Shelly is an important part of Astra's life and I liked how the author has finally found an appropriate role for the character after several false starts.
If I have a complaint about the book it's the fact not much happens during it. It's a fairly self-contained plot and doesn't really advance the overarching story all that much. We get some characterization for Astra but nothing which really tells us anything new. I hope the book's otherwise dramatic plots aren't slowing down for the purposes of franchising. I love Astra but want to see the books keep their big, dramatic moments.
In conclusion, a worthy entry into the series but not exactly its best either. It kind of leaps tall buildings in a single bound rather than flies.
8/10
February 15, 2017
Still too many names ( and code names ) but fun.
3.5
The politics can be entertaining in some books. I couldn't get into them here. I'd rather hear about Hope's home life and when she tries to be normal. I'd also rather read about action scenes, which this book did have. However, all the action seemed easy. The biggest threat came from reporters. And I guessed how they would trick the bad guys at the end, so that wasn't a surprise.
Shelly? Cool, but weird. Can anyone be less human while still being human? Even Jacky is more human.
Thank goodness we are in Astra's pov only, and she got the spotlight over the rest of the Young Sentinels. And her crush on Grendel was gone. I'd rather Seven came back.
Military twist felt unrealistic. Way too laid back. The troops joked, okay, but they didn't come across as super organized the way I expect.
I'm still not sure magic powers fit with super powers, though it does allow for some creative ideas (alternate reality pockets for avid fishers).
For an $8 book, there were quite a few typos. Not tons, but enough for me to pick up on ("Hi Hope" should be "Hi, Hope" and such).
Good way to work together at the end. The betrayal was unexpected. I liked the diner scene and the "Get out now," and that there is a possibility where it doesn't turn into explosions. Oh, and Galahad was awesome, for a human.
The snippets from Hope's journal are fun. I don't want any more time travel, though. Just, no.
3.5
The politics can be entertaining in some books. I couldn't get into them here. I'd rather hear about Hope's home life and when she tries to be normal. I'd also rather read about action scenes, which this book did have. However, all the action seemed easy. The biggest threat came from reporters. And I guessed how they would trick the bad guys at the end, so that wasn't a surprise.
Shelly? Cool, but weird. Can anyone be less human while still being human? Even Jacky is more human.
Thank goodness we are in Astra's pov only, and she got the spotlight over the rest of the Young Sentinels. And her crush on Grendel was gone. I'd rather Seven came back.
Military twist felt unrealistic. Way too laid back. The troops joked, okay, but they didn't come across as super organized the way I expect.
I'm still not sure magic powers fit with super powers, though it does allow for some creative ideas (alternate reality pockets for avid fishers).
For an $8 book, there were quite a few typos. Not tons, but enough for me to pick up on ("Hi Hope" should be "Hi, Hope" and such).
Good way to work together at the end. The betrayal was unexpected. I liked the diner scene and the "Get out now," and that there is a possibility where it doesn't turn into explosions. Oh, and Galahad was awesome, for a human.
The snippets from Hope's journal are fun. I don't want any more time travel, though. Just, no.
December 16, 2014
Like superheroes? You will love this!
What DC and Marvel movie writers I tear hope to be, when they grow up, is what Mr. Harmon already is. The Sentinels stories are fun, moving romps, well written by an unsung great. His plots are moving and entertaining. His work is as enjoyable for adult fans of the genre as well as incredibly engaging for younger adult readers that may have some trouble getting into fiction. His characters are far more real and inspiring than anything that has come out of Marvel and DC movies. He treats the reader to wonderfully complex plots that are at the same time to follow, yet never ceases to be entertaining and engaging. He is the only author I have read that successfully mashes together superhero and supernatural worlds into a believable and somehow real feeling universe. The fact that Disney or Warner Brothers hasn't snatched him up is mind boggling. Parents, you can feel safe letting teens read this. There is romance and a few adult situations but they are handled tactfully, healthily and realistically. I heavily encourage this for teens, and would recommend starting them at the beginning of the series. And if you have a female teen, bribe them to read d this. With the main character being a young woman, she is in my opinion the best self rescuing princess ever.
What DC and Marvel movie writers I tear hope to be, when they grow up, is what Mr. Harmon already is. The Sentinels stories are fun, moving romps, well written by an unsung great. His plots are moving and entertaining. His work is as enjoyable for adult fans of the genre as well as incredibly engaging for younger adult readers that may have some trouble getting into fiction. His characters are far more real and inspiring than anything that has come out of Marvel and DC movies. He treats the reader to wonderfully complex plots that are at the same time to follow, yet never ceases to be entertaining and engaging. He is the only author I have read that successfully mashes together superhero and supernatural worlds into a believable and somehow real feeling universe. The fact that Disney or Warner Brothers hasn't snatched him up is mind boggling. Parents, you can feel safe letting teens read this. There is romance and a few adult situations but they are handled tactfully, healthily and realistically. I heavily encourage this for teens, and would recommend starting them at the beginning of the series. And if you have a female teen, bribe them to read d this. With the main character being a young woman, she is in my opinion the best self rescuing princess ever.
October 2, 2014
Life goes on? Hardly!
After being promoted to team leader in Young Sentinels, Hope Corrigan aka Astra is spending her time like a good superhero: training, leading her new team, and rescuing families from floods. Alas, when a team of Hollywood capes decides to mix it up, Astra and her Sentinels are caught up in the brawl and sidelined pending investigation. Never fear, though, as Hope's old friend, the dream-walking shapeshifter Kitsune (from Villains, Inc) decides to Knights of the Old Republic this story up by giving her dreams of a disaster. Being Hope, she naturally follows these dreams, dragging Shelly (both of them!), Ozma, Brian, and all her old friends along the way.
This series continues on a strong keel. I think this entry exceeds Young Sentinels's acheivements a bit, since that book felt a bit too much like setup, though it did have some strong personal climaxes. Small Town Heroes manages to progress Astra both personally and in her "profession" as World's Most Awesome Pint Sized Atlas A-class, proving to everyone once again that though she may fight against it, the world has big things in store for her.
I, for one, can't wait to find out what they are.
After being promoted to team leader in Young Sentinels, Hope Corrigan aka Astra is spending her time like a good superhero: training, leading her new team, and rescuing families from floods. Alas, when a team of Hollywood capes decides to mix it up, Astra and her Sentinels are caught up in the brawl and sidelined pending investigation. Never fear, though, as Hope's old friend, the dream-walking shapeshifter Kitsune (from Villains, Inc) decides to Knights of the Old Republic this story up by giving her dreams of a disaster. Being Hope, she naturally follows these dreams, dragging Shelly (both of them!), Ozma, Brian, and all her old friends along the way.
This series continues on a strong keel. I think this entry exceeds Young Sentinels's acheivements a bit, since that book felt a bit too much like setup, though it did have some strong personal climaxes. Small Town Heroes manages to progress Astra both personally and in her "profession" as World's Most Awesome Pint Sized Atlas A-class, proving to everyone once again that though she may fight against it, the world has big things in store for her.
I, for one, can't wait to find out what they are.
October 12, 2014
Good book. Still undecided if I like the story solely from Astra's POV or the changing POV's from the last book. However, I would say that this book is follows the typical Hope Corrigan/Astra format. She really hasn't changed much from any of the other books. As usual very Shelly centric . . .. I don't know why but Shelly kind of bugs me. I wish other characters would be brought into the spotlight. Also some things were revealed about some minor characters that came as a shock to me so I'll have to reread the other novels to see if there were any hints/clues/mentions of this new information that I had missed or just did not remember. I was hoping for more of Grendel, but it did not hurt the story that he was not in as much as I would have liked him to be.
Still an all around good book that is very entertaining to read.
Still an all around good book that is very entertaining to read.
March 5, 2016
In this installment of the adventures of Astra, Hope responds to a psychic signal to help that leads her to a very special small town in...well....the middle of nowhere. Bit more to it than that, but hard to say more without giving a way spoilers. I actually liked the small town. It was a fun read, though I did become somewhat confused with the continually growing community of super beings. I can't decide if I like the Shellys either. Now that there are two of them, it tends to get confusing. That Hope gets confused too sort of works. Then again, maybe the Shellys could use a stand alone story. It would be interesting if one of them could get there own stand alone novel at some point. Lots of possibilities? Anyway, this was another interesting tale. Its nice to see the character development and the progression of the overlying story arc. Definitely lots more story to see.
February 1, 2015
Another great book in this superhero series. This time Hope aka Astra is leading her own team and I really enjoyed watching her character mature and progress as she faced new challenges. Liked seeing other familiar faces from previous book too. This story was intriguing as you waited to see if Astra could stop disaster taking place. The only problem is having to wait for the next installment! Anyone who likes this series or superhero books will love it.
October 7, 2014
Small Town Heroes was just ok. The previous book had spent a fair bit of time establishing the Young Sentinels group so I was expecting and hoping for more from them. However, they made essentially only a token appearance at the end. This book felt more like a short story than a sequel to the previous works.
January 23, 2021
Another great addition to the series
This entry in the series is back to focusing on Astra's POV. She has to draw on all the training she's recieve from the Sentinels to face an unknown threat facing a mysterious government instalation. As clues to the nature and goals of the threat appear, Astra has to find a way to stop them.
This entry in the series is back to focusing on Astra's POV. She has to draw on all the training she's recieve from the Sentinels to face an unknown threat facing a mysterious government instalation. As clues to the nature and goals of the threat appear, Astra has to find a way to stop them.
February 2, 2016
I love these books, I think Hope is about as perfectly normal as you could expect someone who can throw a tank around like a beach ball. The story telling is amazing I don't see how this hasn't been snapped up by a publisher somewhere.
I am ordering the next book when I get paid, I'm going to be so annoyed when I run out of new instalments.
I am ordering the next book when I get paid, I'm going to be so annoyed when I run out of new instalments.
October 26, 2016
And we're back to a single perspective - Astra! Much better.
Just another fun super hero read - if you liked the other ones, buy this one too. I'm really enjoying watching the larger story develop - I think we're finally starting to see pieces of the bigger world be moved into place to see a much bigger storyline. Can't wait to read the next one.
Just another fun super hero read - if you liked the other ones, buy this one too. I'm really enjoying watching the larger story develop - I think we're finally starting to see pieces of the bigger world be moved into place to see a much bigger storyline. Can't wait to read the next one.
March 10, 2020
Great continuation.
This series is probably the most realistic treatment of superheroes around. With this volume the universe gets bigger and more complex but in ways that flow naturally from what has come before.
This series is probably the most realistic treatment of superheroes around. With this volume the universe gets bigger and more complex but in ways that flow naturally from what has come before.
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