Vigilante

by Shelley Harris

Have you ever wanted to step out of your life and be someone different?From the author of JUBILEE - a Top 10 bestseller and Richard & Judy choice - the story of woman who decides to become a hero.Jenny Pepper never expected to end up like this. Tired of her unglamorous part-time job, the relentless domestic grind, and bewildered by her teenage daughter, one night Jenny stumbles into a vigilante rescue. Suddenly her world is exciting again. No longer is she ordinary, trying to understand her place in life - now she's a hero. In the costume, she can be anyone she wants. And so her secret life begins. But when the dangers become very real, Jenny's need for adventure takes a different turn.We all want to feel special, and we all have a moment in our lives when we realise that - just perhaps - we might be more extraordinary than we think...Readers 'Funny, sad and marvellously entertaining ...it will leave many readers with some interesting questions about their own lives.' Goodreads 5 star'A sensitive and raw depiction of a long marriage and motherhood and identity and self worth. Loved it.' Goodreads'A surprisingly touching look at a female mid-life crisis in the face of frightening and tragic events... Jenny Pepper - the protagonist, the Vigilante herself - is so vulnerable and so righteously angry; so wonderfully, hilariously, movingly true.' Goodreads 5 star'Shelley Harris has done 'that' thing. Written a book that deals with some dark issues, and looks quite deeply at relationships whilst still being funny and an easy read. Vigilante is one of those books that make you gasp and smile within one paragraph. Light-hearted at times, yet deadly serious at others. A finely balanced story that delivers a satisfying punch.' Goodreads

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Feminism, Crime

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 8, 2015

About the author

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Shelley Harris was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1967, to a South African mother and a British father. She has worked, among other things, as a teacher, a reporter, a mystery shopper and a bouncer at a teen disco. When she is not writing, she volunteers at her local Oxfam bookshop, helping customers find just the right book. Her first novel Jubilee was a Richard & Judy Book Club choice, a Top Ten bestseller and was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize. Vigilante is her second novel.

Reviews

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny Pepper is bored with the routine of her life. She manages a charity bookshop and looks after her husband and daughter but where's the excitement and fulfilment in her life? Where's her sense of purpose? There's nothing really wrong - just her life lacks that certain something. An invitation to a fancy dress party sparks her interest and she spends a lot of time and energy on her costume as she intends to go as a female super hero. But on her way to the party she stumbles across a woman being mugged and she intervenes. Feeling the adrenalin rush and the sense of satisfaction, Jenny wants to do it again - to right wrongs and to fight for justice.

Naturally the masked mystery woman catches the imagination of the public and the press alike and Jenny fears her secret will be revealed especially when she starts going out in the evenings dressed in costume and getting involved in protecting victims. Foolhardy maybe, but backed up by self defence classes and basic common sense Jenny soon becomes a local legend.

But the test is to incorporate what she has learned into her everyday life rather than throwing it all up and starting afresh when she really does have a good marriage and good friends and w worthwhile job. This is a roller coaster of a book which will appeal to anyone who thinks their life lacks excitement and purpose. It is funny, sad and marvellously entertaining to read but it will leave many readers with some interesting questions about their own lives I think. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautifully written, realistic portrayal of a woman struggling to find herself once her daughter no longer needs her in quite the same way as when she was younger. A sensitive and raw depiction of a long marriage and motherhood and identity and self worth. Loved it.

[Maya Panika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised by how quickly this story drew me in, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it. Though it sounded intriguing, the book, when it arrived, put me off; the cover, the blurb, made it sound silly and chic-litty. It was neither. I thought too, that it would be funny; a quick and easy read, a bit of a laugh. It wasn't really any of those things, either. It was occasionally funny, in a dark, disturbing, Inside Number 9 sort of way. But it was mostly, a surprisingly touching look at a female mid-life crisis in the face of frightening and tragic events. The characters, the situation, the whole package, was very believable and all too desperately, heart-breakingly real. Jenny Pepper - the protagonist, the Vigilante herself - is perfection: so vulnerable and so righteously angry; so wonderfully, hilariously, movingly true.
My only problem with it (and such a teeny, tiny problem it is too, though I'm about to make it sound much more than it is) was towards the end, almost the very end, when... Well, I can't spoil (you'll know what I mean when you get there)... but I was so irritated by the sudden ineptitude, the stupidity, the sudden display of silly-woman syndrome that I wanted to hurl the book through a window. Someone will tell me it was the natural reaction of a normal person. I accept it probably was, but dear God, it did annoy me.
That one frustrating moment aside, this is a rather magnificent novel: a beautifully observed look at small-town family life, readable and compelling; far more complex, far better, than it pretends to be. It is tailor-made for a Radio 4 Book of the Week. It is sure to get a TV outing too, at some stage, when it will probably star Olivia Coleman and David Tennant, possibly Ben Miller too (as Mr Grafton). Whatever else, don't let the superficiality of the cover and the blurb put you off: this is wonderful stuff.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest this book deserves more like 3.5 stars!

I was lucky enough to win a copy in a goodreads giveaway, I was hooked as soon as I read the premise and it didn't let me down! It was a great story, very suspenseful, I read the whole thing in under a day. Jenny is a very likable, relatable character, and the book balances light hearted moments with more serious topics well.

I was pleasantly surprised by an aspect of the daughter's storyline - you find out in the first few pages so it's not really a spoiler! I know this is something that would've made me more interested to read the book so I thought I'd add it to my review.
Jenny has suspicions that her teenage daughter Martha might be gay, and I went through the exact same thing at her age. If I'd read this book as a teenager/before coming out, it might have given me a bit more courage and helped me to see things through my mum's eyes, via Jenny's narrative. So I really liked that part! It wasn't made into a big deal and doesn't dominate the main storyline, but it was great to see that representation nonetheless.

I'd certainly recommend this book to anyone, in the mean time I'll be hoping for a tv adaptation!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny Pepper is a pretty ordinary woman. She works in a charity bookshop, she has an angst-ridden teenage daughter who is into steampunk and is most probably gay. Her husband is a successful designer and Jenny tidies up a lot. Jenny feels fat and invisible. She gave up a career as an actress to be a wife and mother. When she was an actress, people noticed her. Now she's a wife and a mother, she's seems to be wearing her own personal invisibility cloak. Jenny is fed up.

It is a completely different cloak that changes Jenny's life. An invitation to a fancy-dress party would usually be her biggest dread, but when she hits on the idea of dressing as a super-hero, complete with mask and cloak, she begins to feel excited. Jenny buys the outfit in secret, guarding it until the day of the party, nobody has any idea of what she will be dressed as.

The night of the party arrives and Jenny is ready. On her way to the venue she stumbles upon a mugging and leaps into action, becoming a real-life super hero. She is noticed, she is admired, she feels great. Jenny decides that this is the life for her, she will go out there and protect the public from the bad guys.

Up to this point, Vigilante is best described as a funny, well-written, if a little over the top, story about a woman going through a mid-life crisis. It soon turns into a tale of terrifying attacks on young girls, and a mother's realisation that her own daughter is in danger, and that a fantasy life is not always better than real life.

I like Jenny, she's very real, she likes books and reading and she's a little unsure of herself. She's funny and bright and a little bit mad.

Shelley Harris has done 'that' thing. Written a book that deals with some dark issues, and looks quite deeply at relationships whilst still being funny and an easy read. Her writing is sharp and assured, and a little bit different.

Vigilante is one of those books that make you gasp and smile within one paragraph. Light-hearted at times, yet deadly serious at others. A finely balanced story that delivers a satisfying punch.

[Anne Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny Pepper abandoned her career as an actor to become a mother; now she finds herself increasingly marginal in her teenage daughter’s life and unstimulated in her work as the manager of a charity bookshop, the spark long having gone from her marriage. Rendered virtually invisible by dint of her age, unglamorous job and gender, tidying-up has become her life’s purpose until, en route to a fancy dress party, she witnesses a woman being attacked. Although lacking the skills of a comic-book superhero, Jenny does manage to save the woman from harm. Soon, her secret identity has become an addiction, threatening her marriage, friendship and her own safety. When a masked villain stalks the town, preying on girls the age of Jenny’s daughter, her alter ego is tested to the limit.
Full review http://annegoodwin.weebly.com/annecdo...

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jenny is a 40ish mum who is bored. Bored with daily life in the bookstore she manages (even though she loves books!). Bored that she and her husband never goes anywhere. Worried about her teenage daughter who is drifting away from her. She is a normal woman, doing normal things.

But then the book takes a turn when she helps someone. And then maybe she could help more? Oh Jenny. Sure, yes good that you saved people, but that is so dangerous. Vigilantism is, oh I am torn. She helps people, but well I do not have to tell you how hurt she can get. The mask wont hell you there.

Then the book took another suspenseful turn as something bad is going on in town.

But, it was a good book. Jenny was just so normal, in a good way, just like anyone of us. Except that she sure makes her own story exciting.

[Marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was drawn by this book believing it would be a light-hearted story about a dissatisfied housewife, becoming a heroine to feel alive and necessary once again. What I read instead was a gripping story incorporating lots of very contemporary issues. Gender equality, violence on women, relationships with teenage children, the role of media and technology amongst youth, crime and police's response to it; these were but a few themes explored in 'Vigilante'. I certainly did not expect the protagonist to stumble upon a serial rapist and killer-which I believe was at times over dramatised. However, Shelley Harris very skilfully depicts Jenny's reasoning, behaviour, and suspicions making her incredibly humane and relatable. A very pleasant read which allows us all to pinpoint the superhuman strengths and achievements of women.

[Merry · Rating 2 out of 5]

A strange book overall. I liked the writing, I believed in most of the characters and I absolutely loved the middle-aged woman's perspective in the early stages but the subsequent plot development irritated me. I found it unfunny verging on ridiculous and pompous.
It's a shame because I wanted to like it.

[Julie Cohen]

A generous, thoughtful, and often profound book about a woman who takes life into her own hands. I absolutely wept my heart out at the ending, and I am still thinking about Jenny Pepper. One of my favourite books this year.

[Joanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jian Hou · Rating 3 out of 5]

What prompted me to pick this up was the cover. It just looked so cool: Wife, mother, hero, VIGILANTE. The book started off slow, laying the groundworks for the main character's background: Jenny Pepper, a married middle-aged woman with a teenage daughter and a successful husband. She started to describe her life in which we began to sense her insecurity and dissatisfaction. She yearned for the youth and carefree lifestyle of her daughter, she felt constantly looked down upon due to her choice of being a housewife and occasional caretaker of a charity bookstore, and she felt she's no longer desirable to her husband. All in all, she was disillusioned with how life turned out for her and wondered how it could have been different if she had made a different choice in her past.

That all changed one day when she was on her way to a party in a superhero costume (capes and all), she stumbled into a mugging and helped to catch the mugger. Suddenly she felt empowered, in control and alive again. She returned to her costume again and again for that rush, and took to patrolling the streets regularly especially when a serial rapist was targeting the girls from her daughter's school. The later parts of the book showed her struggle to abandon her vigilante adventures in view of personal danger and the toll it was taking on her relationships with his increasingly suspicious husband.

I find the writing good enough to keep me reading, but it did not grip me. I felt it's mostly because I did not really feel invested in Jenny's struggle. Her reasons for donning the costume did not strike me as consistent with the theme of a woman wanting to feel empowered again and relishing a second chance at her dreams. Her motivation for doing it sounded kind of selfish, and there's no real conflict in her choices: she always came to the crime scenes by accident, and the consequences of her 'hobby' were not dire enough personally to her (as seen in a later chapter). The author also tried to inject a few motifs into the plot: sexual violence, feminism, gay issues, but these again felt out of touch with the main theme. This clash in theme was made worse by the mystery thriller ending, in which the revealing of the main antagonist was not that surprising either.

I would classify this as an enjoyable book, but nothing outstanding here to see.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a month or so since I read this book but it has left a strong positive impression on me - enough to award it five stars. I thought it was quite different - bored housewife acts on impulse, feels free, dramatic things happen, things start to get better - but are still not perfect. I felt that the escapism wish for Jenny, our main character was well expressed - that sense of first world ennui that unfortunately strikes too often dealt with in a fairly novel way.

[Snoakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vigilante is the story of Jenny Pepper - a women who is tired of domestic drudgery, envies her husband's more glamorous-seeming job and basically feels invisible. When she successfully foils an attempted mugging she embarks on a secret life as a vigilante.
Jenny is a believable character and the effects of her secrecy on her family are well explored as is the real danger she puts herself in as she prowls the streets in full superhero garb.

[Hayley Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny Pepper is everything I love, and want, in a character. She is the hero of a book that never usually gets written. She is the woman you never see in a movie or a TV series (unless she's a passing 'wife' to show how miserable and dull the male lead's life is). She is so many women; the story that isn't about spies, hit men, soldiers or Kings. She is 'ordinary', but only because we live in a society that says the only interesting stories are the stories belonging to men.

Jenny is a woman who feels her prime has passed. Her memories of being an actress, of being looked at on the street, of fun, of kisses, of being wanted; they torment her and not only that, they seem like a long time ago. When Jenny looks at her body she sees shame, loss, disappointment. If we think about how women are presented in the media, in movies, in books, they are always through the male gaze. Jenny Pepper sees herself through the male gaze and feels like nothing.

What I love about Harris' writing is how funny it is whilst at the same time showing such flaws and worries and sadness in her characters. If I was Harris I would write all the time because I wouldn't be able to believe just how darned good I was. I laughed, hard, at so many sentences. I highlighted a few to put into this review, but it ended up being so many that I didn't know what to choose. A part where a male customer in Jenny's bookshop patronises her about the use of 'vicariously' is one of my favourite sentences in fiction in, well, years.

Jenny's sense of disquiet is kicked off by the discovery of her husband Elliot's fantasy woman: a cartoon character with a flat stomach and perfect, hairless body. She looks at herself the way women are trained to see themselves. She looks at herself the way she feels men will look at her. And, she, who was an actress and beautiful and had excitement at parties, in doorways, in halls, is suddenly invisible. Gosh. I can't even put into words how moving and pertinent some of the stuff in this book is.

Harris' writing is so elegant and effortless it would be easy to miss the depths she explores. Jenny's feeling of being totally defined by her role as wife and mother. How nobody wants to hear about her job, her life, her thoughts, and how glamorous and exotic Elliot is - like the interesting parts of him automatically wipe out anything about her when they talk to other people. This writing buzzes with disappointment and confusion. It is also full of hope.

There is a sex scene so utterly brilliant and true, sad and inevitable between Jenny and Elliot that, as a reader, you don't know whether to jump into the book and shout at them, or sit back and acknowledge the change that occurs in a certain type of long term relationship with nodding frustration. I don't know how to describe it. Shelley Harris is one of the best writers working in the business today.

Jenny becomes an accidental superhero - mostly because she dresses up as a superhero for a party when everybody there expects her to be something homogenous. The scene in which dress-up superhero becomes real superhero is utterly compelling and breath-taking. You will Jenny Pepper to become a real super hero. She deserves that, doesn't she?

I'm never going to write reviews that reveal plot. Needless to say this book starts off as an exploration of what it feels like to be a middle aged woman, a brave, intelligent, good-wife, good-mother, disregarded woman and turns into something different. Jenny's relationship with her daughter Martha is full of questions and pathos. The book explores the difference between reality and fantasy and whether it's possible to live our fantasies without risk or danger.

The world in which Jenny Pepper enters into is uplifting, thrilling and frightening. The plot has all the twists and turns of a thriller, but with heart, originality and flair. This is a book that makes you think. If you dare dismiss it by the description of Jenny Pepper, then that shows exactly how important this novel is, how important it is to hear Jenny's voice.

Fantasy and reality are things that we all play with in our heads. Fantasy is safe. We are always the superhero. Even things that hurt us, don't really because we have ways that make it acceptable or easy. This book isn't afraid to question what it's like to be a wife and mother, to feel useless, powerful, powerless, loved, unloved, scared and desperate. Shelly Harris has written a book that should be read by everybody.

To ignore Jenny Pepper is a mistake so many people make in real life. Vigilante is a book that pushes you into the world of a woman it's easy to ignore. I loved it. I felt like I wanted to thrust this novel into the hands of every person who loves a male-led thriller, who doesn't think of women other than whether they are attractive and arousing, who allows for the sexualisation of teenage girls, and of women in a way that doesn't allow them to be the hero of their own story. To exist.

If you don't read it, you are missing out on a book that says so much about our society; a book that shows you a life that is often ignored, that shows you the dangers of ignoring women who aren't admired in the traditional way.

I love Jenny Pepper, and so will you.

[Yvette Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! Jenny is a forty-something wife and mother, working in an op shop selling books. Someone donates a mask, and she decides to put together a superhero costume for a fancy dress party. I found this relatable, honest, and just lovely. I finished with a smile on my face. Excellent piece of writing.

[Julie Cordiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a unique story, which at first seemed improbable but the more I read, the more I was drawn into Jenny's life and experiences. Shelley has a deft touch that makes it easy to feel empathy for the characters. A roller coaster of emotions which was very satisfying.

[Dana L · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was slow to start that I stopped reading it for two years. Thought it was time to finish it, so I skipped a couple chapters and really enjoyed the ending.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Utter tosh

[Philippa East · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great original take on the superhero genre. Bridget Jones meets Kick Ass.

[Rachel van Rookhuijzen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not for me. Interesting and hit a nerve about a middle age mom trying to figure out her identity. But ultimately I couldn't fully connect with the main character and didn't agree with her actions.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mate this book jeez. Women are great

[Janet Westwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really disappointed with this book it had good reviews but it didn't tick any of my boxes.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would I have normally picked up a book starring a mother who donned a mask and cape to transform herself into a secret Vigilante? Probably not. I watched the odd repeat of Batman and Robin when I was growing up, gave a passing nod to Wonder Woman and her Kapows and Biffs, but that's about as far as my interest in super heroes went. But when I heard that Shelley Harris had dressed up in cape, mask and Dr Martin boots and paced the streets of High Wycombe looking for good deeds so that she could get a feel for her main character, then I was interested.
From her High Wycombe experience came Harris' main character, Jenny Pepper. Although Harris would be quick to assert that actually, Jenny is borne from the hearts of many, many women in their forties who are mothers to teenagers and all the angst and hormones which go with that. They cheerfully go about motherhood and the domesticity which accompanies it, but nonetheless, dislike their donning of a cloak of invisibility. In Vigilante, they lament their passing youth and identity in the same way men have been doing in literature for years.
So, how do you go from mum and charity book shop manager by day, to super hero - without any super powers, in fact, a little extra run of the mill human fitness wouldn't have gone a miss - by night? Clad in her not unattractive superhero costume on the way to a fancy dress party, a choice of outfit influenced by Jenny's heightened disgruntlement, she finds herself witnessing a mugging. In her inimitable, none-superhero type way, Jenny wrestles the attacker to the ground and just about manages to keep him there until the police arrive. Thrilled by the power of doing something meaningful, Jenny rushes from the scene and her true identity remains a secret. Jenny Pepper, Vigilante, later to re-brand herself as Liberty, is formed.
Events in Jenny's town take a darker turn when it experiences a spate of attacks, all of which have been on girls from teenage daughter, Martha's school, indeed, Martha's school year. She and all her peers are in danger. Jenny knows the vigilantism is precarious. The police are calling for her to hand herself in and by now a couple of people know Liberty's true identity and counsel her to stop. They are right of course: Jenny doesn't have the skill to take on the attacker herself, but she's promised his latest victim that she will find him. She is compelled to continue.
And she's enjoying the ride.
Vigilante is about a lot more than a mother who dresses up in superwoman clothing to try to right the wrongs in her small town. Vigilante is about midlife boredom and lack of confidence, relationships, teenage hormones and sexuality. It isn't the light-hearted romp I might have expected from the amusing cover, Liberty's mask drying on the washing line amidst the family's smalls, and which you might expect when Jenny Pepper first delves into her personal locker at work, à la Mr Benn, to retrieve her mask. Indeed, there are many wry moments, and I laughed out loud at the 'parking incident', but this is no comedy. It's more subtle than that. It's contemporary fiction at its best - a cast of recognisable, honest and flawed characters, muddling through brilliantly observed new millennium living.

[Angela Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I know Shelley personally. We have the kind of friendship that sprung from fireside chats in a writers’ retreat. Where your admiration for the person’s work, spreads to an admiration of them. I like Shelly. I love her book.

Vigilante has an amazing premise: a woman, a real woman, a mother, dresses up like a superhero and fights crime in her sleepy English town. Except this isn’t a cartoon caper of the likes of Kick Ass, this is a visceral, heartfelt act of courageousness by one woman who feels she is disappearing into the mundane mediocrity of her daily grind. Jenny Pepper is flesh and blood and very real. Not simply a midlife crisis, Jenny’s story is a battle cry against hers and the fate of many: the disappearing middle aged woman. She was once young, once lithe, once felt sexy, once full of dreams, and hopes and aspirations. Now she is invisible. Until she puts on her mask. Perversely, by covering up she becomes unavoidable – even if that means people laugh at her, or worse.

With a guttural scream Vigilante shakes what we’ve come to accept: that women reach a certain age and vanish into the background. It slashes through the sexualisation of young women. Tears at the social conditioning that tells us women are weak. Shreds the notion that only men are heroes. Fashion. Footwear. Roles. Sexuality. Society. Marketing. Motherhood. Expectations. Fear. Suppression. Sacrifice. Kick! Smack! Kerpow! Vigilante takes them all on. It shouts of the army of women that cook, feed, clean, that sacrifice their own bodies, their attractiveness, their dreams on the alter of their children. This is a story of love, and fear, and hope, and anger. The effortless fast-paced twists and turns of Jenny’s journey, ever closer to the dark corners of humanity, rip along like flayed fishnet stockings. I’m not playing dress up, I’m not playing at all: Vigilante is one of the great feminist novels of our age. It’s time to fight back. Ladies, don your masks.

[Alex Sarll]

All sorts of books find themselves catching my attention for one or another reason, but there are certain areas I generally avoid. Looming large among these: the novel about a middle-aged modern Briton having a bit of a crisis. Regardless of the book's brow height, situations more everyday than my own everyday life tend to leave me cold (though for some reason - and I don't think it's just the glamour of distance - Yanks like Franzen are able to make it all count for something). This one lured me in with the superhero angle - everymum dons a mask, starts battling small-town crime - but there is still a lot of worrying about tidying the kitchen, and then worrying about worrying about tidying the kitchen. It's by no means badly written; the prose is solid and in places very strong, the characters are more plausible than in a lot of award-winning litfic with which I've struggled; the domestic and mystery plots both hold the attention (even though the answer to the latter is incredibly obvious). In places, it's actively delightful - I love that you can now have a novel aimed squarely at a mainstream audience, for whom Richard & Judy nominations actually mean something, in which it's not that big a deal that the narrator's daughter is a lesbian steampunk. But over it all, that relentless mimesis, that emulation of a world of which I already see far too much off the page. More than that - the awareness that some people only read books like this, books reflecting their own suburban lives back at them. Terrifying.

[Kate Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny Pepper has an ordinary life in an ordinary town. She has a husband, a teenage daughter, a job and friends. Everything’s OK, but Jenny’s mundane life is slowly suffocating her. Inside her there is a strong, powerful, dynamic superhero just waiting to burst out. Jenny’s alter ego finds this moment as she is on her way to a fancy dress party wearing a costume and a mask. She begins to lead a double life and her adventures take her further into frightening and sinister situations.
I got more and more hooked into this book as it went on and by the end I literally could not put it down. I loved the ebbs and flows of Jenny’s relationship with her husband, Elliot. I was touched by the very loving relationship between Jenny and her daughter Martha, with all the difficulties and prickly moments that are so normal during teenage years. I liked the presence of lesbians and gay men throughout the story and the depth of Jenny’s friendships, particularly with Allie. I enjoyed the way that both Jenny and her alter ego express themselves physically. The story explores how we can feel and behave differently when we are behind a mask and how anonymity and costume can be liberating and empowering.
At times during the first part I felt a strange irritation with Jenny’s mundane life, her relationships and frustrations, but this probably reflected something in my own life. Perhaps I need to release the superhero inside me! However, overall I loved this book and will recommend it as an enjoyable read.
I received this book for free from Goodreads giveaway.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again I bought a book to the library and couldn't help wanting to read it myself — and I'm very glad I did. At first I was worried because a book about a middle-aged mother who happens to become a vigilante could easily become mocking or too comical, but it somehow manages to avoid that.

I mean, sure, she's not actually that good at being a crime fighter so there are bound to be failures and all that, but she still feels empowered and confident. Everything was portrayed with a certain amount of dignity, which I appreciated. Even when she made mistakes she wasn't made out to be stupid or delusional (though certainly reckless). Also, a lot of very important points are discussed — like her safety, her mental state, whether or not she's actually helping or just making it difficult for the police, etc. — especially once her loved ones figure out what's going on.

The stakes are raised even higher when it becomes apparent that there's a rapist loose targeting teenage girls of her daughter's age. I admit that I couldn’t quite identify with the main character (she's a bit too emotional and irrational for me) but I still enjoyed it. Especially her relationship with her husband, despite the ups and downs they had. It felt like a realistic marriage.

All in all, I really liked it. It was a comfortable read, even if it took me a while to get used to the writing. It had a slightly different flow than what I am used to.

[Morgan Polak · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like the premise — a middle-aged mom becoming a masked vigilante in a small town.

That said, I found the premise a bit too thin to sustain the length of the book (339 pages, not 288 as listed on Goodreads). The story felt like it could have been tighter.

Like some of the other characters, I too struggled at times to take the protagonist, Jenny Pepper, seriously. This was tricky, because the book deals with some very serious issues, so it felt like there was a bit of a disconnect between the tone and the subject matter.

Jenny is also a little paranoid, often assuming that people suspect her of secretly being the hero when they don’t. She often seems more concerned with recognition than with simply helping others, which makes her come across as a bit insecure or even self-absorbed.

That said, the mother-daughter relationship is spot on. Harris captures teenage behaviour really well. There are also some bits that are quite funny, and scenes that are quite emotional.

2.5 stars.

[Loki · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was good. Really, really good. The superhero has always been an elastic metaphor, but few writers have managed to stretch it as far as Shelley Harris does in this book: as a metaphor for mid-life crisis, for body image issues, for issues of violence and sexuality and gender roles, even for mortality - they're all here, and all in a single character. This is a thought-provoking book, for all its silly-seeming framing. If you've any interest at all in the genre, or if you've an interest in how the everyday construction of gender is negotiated - both between people and within a single person - you should read this book.

I don't want to spoil it for you, so I won't go into plot details beyond the basics: the mother of a teenage girl, discontented, finds an unusual outlet for her troubles - and a truckload of new troubles that come with it. It's a slice of life, midlife crisis story with a twist, and I don't know of anything else quite like it, more's the pity.