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Lois Lane
A Real Work of Art
When Lois Lane takes an elective art class, she expects to learn how to be creative--not how to copy. But her teacher has other plans, and Lois finds out the paint brush really is mightier than the sword . . .
18 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2015
10 people are currently reading
230 people want to read
About the author
Gwenda Bond
57 books1,225 followersGwenda Bond is the New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the first official Stranger Things novel, Suspicious Minds, the Lois Lane YA series, and the romantic comedies Not Your Average Hot Guy, The Date from Hell, and Mr. & Mrs. Witch. She has a number of forthcoming projects, including a magical art heist book, The Frame-Up. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in Publishers Weekly, Locus Magazine, Salon, the Los Angeles Times, and many other publications.
She co-founded and chairs the nonprofit Lexington Writer’s Room, and lives in a hundred-year-old house in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband, author Christopher Rowe, and a veritable zoo of adorable doggos and queenly cats. Visit her online at www.gwendabond.com or join her newsletter at www.gwendabond.substack.com.
She co-founded and chairs the nonprofit Lexington Writer’s Room, and lives in a hundred-year-old house in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband, author Christopher Rowe, and a veritable zoo of adorable doggos and queenly cats. Visit her online at www.gwendabond.com or join her newsletter at www.gwendabond.substack.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
April 25, 2015
Lois Lane start a new school and her art teacher is a bit fishy.
This was a nice short story. Now I wish I had requested Lois Lane: Fallout that is published in May. Perfect for anyone that likes Superman or/and Smallville.
I received this copy from the publisher through Netgalley in return for an honest review!
Review also posted on And Now for Something Completely Different and It's a Mad Mad World
This was a nice short story. Now I wish I had requested Lois Lane: Fallout that is published in May. Perfect for anyone that likes Superman or/and Smallville.
I received this copy from the publisher through Netgalley in return for an honest review!
Review also posted on And Now for Something Completely Different and It's a Mad Mad World
May 13, 2015
Lois Lane: A Real Work of Art by Gwenda Bond
Published 2015, Capstone
Stars: ★★★★★
(Prequel short story for Lois Lane: Fallout, just released)
Review also posted at: Slapdash & Sundry
Just like with Cloudy with a Chance of Destruction, I just loved the author's take on Lois Lane. If these snippets are foreshadowing of the quality of her Lois Lane, then I can't wait to get my grabby hands on a copy of Lois Lane: Fallout!!!
"I might not be an art prodigy, but like I said, I do have other talents. There is no one better than me at running into trouble."
The blurbs are right -- if you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer's snark or Veronica Mars' fierce determination and wit, you'll probably love this Lois Lane.
Published 2015, Capstone
Stars: ★★★★★
(Prequel short story for Lois Lane: Fallout, just released)
Review also posted at: Slapdash & Sundry
Just like with Cloudy with a Chance of Destruction, I just loved the author's take on Lois Lane. If these snippets are foreshadowing of the quality of her Lois Lane, then I can't wait to get my grabby hands on a copy of Lois Lane: Fallout!!!
"I might not be an art prodigy, but like I said, I do have other talents. There is no one better than me at running into trouble."
The blurbs are right -- if you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer's snark or Veronica Mars' fierce determination and wit, you'll probably love this Lois Lane.
March 12, 2015
This short story about a teenaged Lois Lane is a great read. I will be on the look out for the next book... Lois Lane: Fall Out. I really enjoyed this especially her messages to smallvilleboy. Too cute. Great read for a Lois Lane or Superman fan.
November 13, 2016
This was like watching an episode of Scooby Doo, I loved it!!
"A real work of art" is a short story set before Lois Lane moves to Metropolis. She finds put her temporary art teacher is really an art forgerer and brings him to justice.
She was so much fun, one of those kinds of know-it-all people that you say you hate but secretly love like crazy! And I definitely want to know more about this Smallville-Guy..
"A real work of art" is a short story set before Lois Lane moves to Metropolis. She finds put her temporary art teacher is really an art forgerer and brings him to justice.
She was so much fun, one of those kinds of know-it-all people that you say you hate but secretly love like crazy! And I definitely want to know more about this Smallville-Guy..
May 13, 2015
This was a perfect little window into Gwenda Bond's interpretation of a young, plucky Lois Lane. I loved her moxy and meddling. Also, her texts to SmallvilleGuy. Can't wait to read Fallout!
July 9, 2016
Rating: 3.5/5
January 9, 2018
Early this morning I read (and really enjoyed) Cloudy with a Chance of Destruction, and after posting my review I noticed this story was available on Wattpad.
So of course I had to read it. And I'm glad I did because this shortie was even more fun than the first one. I seriously loved this!
Lois Lane is starting a new school. Again. And on her first day she has to attend an art class. She's not good at art. Even if her mother insists she spotted a stroke of genius when Lois was six.
Her lesson goes as expected--not well. But, she does end up putting her investigative skills to work when she suspects the creepy art teacher might be someone of interest...
Man, this was so cool. I love her attitude, and her knack for finding trouble wherever she goes. Plus there were some really funny monents in this story. Loved her Rorschach painting. LMAO.
There was a whole lot of great stuff packed into this story!
So of course I had to read it. And I'm glad I did because this shortie was even more fun than the first one. I seriously loved this!
Lois Lane is starting a new school. Again. And on her first day she has to attend an art class. She's not good at art. Even if her mother insists she spotted a stroke of genius when Lois was six.
Her lesson goes as expected--not well. But, she does end up putting her investigative skills to work when she suspects the creepy art teacher might be someone of interest...
Man, this was so cool. I love her attitude, and her knack for finding trouble wherever she goes. Plus there were some really funny monents in this story. Loved her Rorschach painting. LMAO.
There was a whole lot of great stuff packed into this story!
September 6, 2021
Really fun short story! If you like Superman or Smallville, give it a read.
March 13, 2015
I normally don't care too much for short stories, especially ones that are under 50 pages long. I know that a lot can be conveyed in them if the right writer is guiding the ship -- but more often than not, these short stories and novellas for popular YA book series are just useless filler. This was available on NetGalley, so I requested it and hoped for the best. And I got it! Lois Lane is exactly how I wanted her to be - sassy, smart, and self-aware. Of course, she's a teenager, so there is some self-doubt. Lois is constantly moving around as an army brat, and she's in a new town again. All she wants is to figure out something that she's good at, something that can be just for her. So Lois decides to try out an art class, and manages to get into more trouble than you'd think. If you're a fan of Lois Lane (especially as portrayed by Erica Durance on Smallville, who this Lois really reminded me of!), try reading this. I am now super pumped up for the full-length book coming out in May. I enjoyed Gwenda Bond's style and I will LOVE reading more of Lois' misadventures! Highly recommended.
VERDICT: 4/5 Stars
*I received this book from Capstone, on NetGalley. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. This book was published on March 4th, 2015.*
VERDICT: 4/5 Stars
*I received this book from Capstone, on NetGalley. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. This book was published on March 4th, 2015.*
April 24, 2016
I've been drowning myself in short-stories the past two days!
In Fallout, Lois has an interesting permanent record (from before moving to Metropolis) with a few of her 'accomplishments' mentioned in the book. One of them is how she had once exposed an art forger posing as a high school teacher.
This was a fun and quick read! I don't think it needs to be read before Fallout but it does show us the even more reckless side of Lois - before she decided to settle down in Metropolis and rein in her trouble seeking instincts. Here, she doesn't think twice at all before exposing the art teacher for the fraud he is. And she doesn't worry too much about making friends - the way she will in Fallout.
I liked it, but I appreciated the depth we got more from Lois in the book.
There's an odd description in this short story that got me thinking, though:
Are they both beautiful because they're saving the day and Lois is being generous - or is she referring to the woman officer? Because if she is, then my mind immediately goes to Diana Prince/Wonder Woman... She's inhumanly beautiful, right? I don't know. I'm probably reaching.
In Fallout, Lois has an interesting permanent record (from before moving to Metropolis) with a few of her 'accomplishments' mentioned in the book. One of them is how she had once exposed an art forger posing as a high school teacher.
This was a fun and quick read! I don't think it needs to be read before Fallout but it does show us the even more reckless side of Lois - before she decided to settle down in Metropolis and rein in her trouble seeking instincts. Here, she doesn't think twice at all before exposing the art teacher for the fraud he is. And she doesn't worry too much about making friends - the way she will in Fallout.
I liked it, but I appreciated the depth we got more from Lois in the book.
There's an odd description in this short story that got me thinking, though:
Two police officers, one man and one woman, more beautiful than any painting I’d ever seen, walked in.
Are they both beautiful because they're saving the day and Lois is being generous - or is she referring to the woman officer? Because if she is, then my mind immediately goes to Diana Prince/Wonder Woman... She's inhumanly beautiful, right? I don't know. I'm probably reaching.
April 10, 2015
Perfect for fans of Veronica Mars. And of Embassy row.
It was a very interesting short story, I wish i had requested the eGalley for the rest of the book while it was still there. I am fascinated and anticipating its arrival in one of my libraries.
I need to search more into Lois Lane because I'm seeing "SUPERMAN" on GoodReads and NetGalley and I don't know the connection.
It was a very interesting short story, I wish i had requested the eGalley for the rest of the book while it was still there. I am fascinated and anticipating its arrival in one of my libraries.
I need to search more into Lois Lane because I'm seeing "SUPERMAN" on GoodReads and NetGalley and I don't know the connection.
January 5, 2018
Brief and inessential, but decent enough.
March 2, 2020
Oh this is hilarious, totally something I can imagine Lois Lane doing. Reminds me of the schemes she can come up with to get the story.
March 3, 2020
Hilarious
Only Lois Lane would stumble into a situation like this one. Funny stuff. Really liked the little flashbacks, very much.
Only Lois Lane would stumble into a situation like this one. Funny stuff. Really liked the little flashbacks, very much.
March 23, 2017
This is a quick, easy read, and an excellent introduction to Ms. Bond's Lois Lane. Read, fall in love, and seek out the others!
August 10, 2015
I knew the minute I read about the new Lois Lane: Fallout novel by Gwenda Bond way back in the cold days of winter, that this was a book for me. But even before the novel was published, Bond had given us a taste of what was to come in two Lois Lane teaser short stories.
Bond's Lois Lane is a teen aged military brat, the daughter of an Army General. The family has moved around a lot and Lois may not have time to make friends and settle into a school routine, but she has excellent powers of detection and deduction, ideal for solving the mysteries that keep coming her way. Lois does have one "best friend" though, a boy she only knows as SmallvilleGuy, whom she met in a secure online chatroom.
In thisteaser short story, "A Real Work of Art," Lois is once again starting a new school and discovers that she has third period ART, but art is something she is really not good at. As she walks into the studio art room, she notices five students, but more importantly, the unframed museum quality paintings hanging on the wall. The teacher is a pretentious little man called Professor Jacques, and his teaching technique - imitate the painting masters because "originality is highly overrated."
But something about Professor Jacques and his imitated paintings doesn't sit right with Lois. She had just read an article about an art forger in one of her mother's magazines and her suspicions begin to climb, especially when she notices the same particular signature on the paintings in the school studio as the infamous art forger in the article used.
Downloading a cleverly designed phone app that does brushstroke analysis, Lois sneaks back into her classroom after school and activates the app. Waiting for the analysis, she follows Professor Jacques to the post office and discovers more evidence that he is exactly who Lois thinks he is. Is she right? Has Lois uncovered the whereabouts of a famous art forger? Or has she made a terrible mistake?
Bond's Lois Lane is a teen aged military brat, the daughter of an Army General. The family has moved around a lot and Lois may not have time to make friends and settle into a school routine, but she has excellent powers of detection and deduction, ideal for solving the mysteries that keep coming her way. Lois does have one "best friend" though, a boy she only knows as SmallvilleGuy, whom she met in a secure online chatroom.
In thisteaser short story, "A Real Work of Art," Lois is once again starting a new school and discovers that she has third period ART, but art is something she is really not good at. As she walks into the studio art room, she notices five students, but more importantly, the unframed museum quality paintings hanging on the wall. The teacher is a pretentious little man called Professor Jacques, and his teaching technique - imitate the painting masters because "originality is highly overrated."
But something about Professor Jacques and his imitated paintings doesn't sit right with Lois. She had just read an article about an art forger in one of her mother's magazines and her suspicions begin to climb, especially when she notices the same particular signature on the paintings in the school studio as the infamous art forger in the article used.
Downloading a cleverly designed phone app that does brushstroke analysis, Lois sneaks back into her classroom after school and activates the app. Waiting for the analysis, she follows Professor Jacques to the post office and discovers more evidence that he is exactly who Lois thinks he is. Is she right? Has Lois uncovered the whereabouts of a famous art forger? Or has she made a terrible mistake?
July 1, 2015
This review and more can be found at The A P Book Club!
*I received this book as an eARC from Capstone on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I'm a huge sucker for backstories. If there's a novella or a short story that tells about a secondary character and how they ended up as the character we all know and love, I will always give it a chance. So, needless to say, I've been really excited about Lois Lane: Fallout since I heard that Gwenda Bond was writing it. And now, to whet my appetite, there are two teaser short stories!
A Real Work of Art is the first of the two stories that I read. It's very short, but it's enough that I am so glad that we finally get to meet a teenage Lois Lane, before she ever moves to Metropolis and falls in love with Superman. She's already a pretty great investigator, and I loved how her reporting skills are already starting to show. Lois is also pretty hilarious, and I can't wait to read more about her life from her perspective. Even in this short story, Gwenda has established a really strong voice for Lois, and I'm excited to see where that goes.
Even after this small teaser story, I already have so many question about Lois' life! Like, who is SmallvilleGuy? I'm assuming it's Clark Kent, but there's not enough there to be 100% sure. It could be anyone! How will these events play into Fallout? I just really want to know more about Lois in general.
I loved all of the comic book references and the obvious Superman references, and I hope that Fallout continues these trends. I think Gwenda is the perfect person to write about Lois Lane, and I'm so excited for more. This teaser has certainly done its job, and Fallout will be moving to the top of my TBR list! A 4/5.
*I received this book as an eARC from Capstone on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I'm a huge sucker for backstories. If there's a novella or a short story that tells about a secondary character and how they ended up as the character we all know and love, I will always give it a chance. So, needless to say, I've been really excited about Lois Lane: Fallout since I heard that Gwenda Bond was writing it. And now, to whet my appetite, there are two teaser short stories!
A Real Work of Art is the first of the two stories that I read. It's very short, but it's enough that I am so glad that we finally get to meet a teenage Lois Lane, before she ever moves to Metropolis and falls in love with Superman. She's already a pretty great investigator, and I loved how her reporting skills are already starting to show. Lois is also pretty hilarious, and I can't wait to read more about her life from her perspective. Even in this short story, Gwenda has established a really strong voice for Lois, and I'm excited to see where that goes.
Even after this small teaser story, I already have so many question about Lois' life! Like, who is SmallvilleGuy? I'm assuming it's Clark Kent, but there's not enough there to be 100% sure. It could be anyone! How will these events play into Fallout? I just really want to know more about Lois in general.
I loved all of the comic book references and the obvious Superman references, and I hope that Fallout continues these trends. I think Gwenda is the perfect person to write about Lois Lane, and I'm so excited for more. This teaser has certainly done its job, and Fallout will be moving to the top of my TBR list! A 4/5.
April 12, 2015
*I received this book as an eARC from Capstone via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
This is a very short story preview for Gwenda Bond's Lois Lane novel Fallout. I am not that familiar with Lois Lane's history, but it is cool to see Superman's future love interest as a high schooler.
This was a fun short story. The Superman fan service was a little much, but it kept the tone light. Burning vision reference, really? There was also a reference to comic books that I enjoyed.
I'm intrigued who Lois Lane's "SmallvilleGuy" pen pal is. It's probably Clark Kent, but I'm hoping for Lex Luther personally.
The story is kind of cheesy, but a lot of fun. It's a lighthearted short story that sets the tone for the novel. From this short story, I bet Fallout is going to be a fun mystery.
I give this short story a 3/5. I'm going to definitely add Fallout to my tbr list.
This is a very short story preview for Gwenda Bond's Lois Lane novel Fallout. I am not that familiar with Lois Lane's history, but it is cool to see Superman's future love interest as a high schooler.
This was a fun short story. The Superman fan service was a little much, but it kept the tone light. Burning vision reference, really? There was also a reference to comic books that I enjoyed.
I'm intrigued who Lois Lane's "SmallvilleGuy" pen pal is. It's probably Clark Kent, but I'm hoping for Lex Luther personally.
The story is kind of cheesy, but a lot of fun. It's a lighthearted short story that sets the tone for the novel. From this short story, I bet Fallout is going to be a fun mystery.
I give this short story a 3/5. I'm going to definitely add Fallout to my tbr list.
March 10, 2015
Calling all Veronica Mars fans...
If you're looking for a sassy, determined heroine with superior investigative skills and who won't take crap from anyone, look no further. Teenage Lois Lane has got you covered.
Fun, irreverent, improbable and highly entertaining. I can't wait to read the actual novel.
(The only thing I didn't totally care for is Lois Lane's pen pal "SmallvilleGuy." Can't Lois have her own life and adventures pre-Superman, or does her entire life have to be partially defined by the Man of Steel?)
Thank you Capstone via Netgalley for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review. The story can also be read at Capstone's site here.
If you're looking for a sassy, determined heroine with superior investigative skills and who won't take crap from anyone, look no further. Teenage Lois Lane has got you covered.
Fun, irreverent, improbable and highly entertaining. I can't wait to read the actual novel.
(The only thing I didn't totally care for is Lois Lane's pen pal "SmallvilleGuy." Can't Lois have her own life and adventures pre-Superman, or does her entire life have to be partially defined by the Man of Steel?)
Thank you Capstone via Netgalley for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review. The story can also be read at Capstone's site here.
March 17, 2015
Very much a short story teaser, this pitches Lois Lane as not really in control of her future (military father constantly moving the family round; being pressured into college art classes on the behest of her mother), yet taking the bull by the horns when she suspects her nasty professor to be something a bit more sinister. It’s bright and breezy and perfect for the young teen audience, with its first person narrative, easy smarts and casual references to Supes back in Smallville. It is a little too pat, but the throw-away, advertising status it bears doesn't harm it much, and if anyone needed YA novels about Lois solving crimes a la the 21st Century Nancy Drew, then the series looks to be OK.
March 31, 2015
http://librarytalker.blogspot.com/201...
Lois Lane starts at a new school and is forced to take an art class.
But this future intrepid reporter notices something strange about the teacher and she's determined to make sure he doesn't get away with anything.
Final thoughts: Billed as a teaser short story, it's more like a chapter from the middle. We're dropped into the middle and there isn't much development. That being said, it does make me want to read the full novel when it comes out. And my hubby, a comic fan, says it's pretty spot on for Lois Lane.
Rating: 3/5
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Lois Lane starts at a new school and is forced to take an art class.
But this future intrepid reporter notices something strange about the teacher and she's determined to make sure he doesn't get away with anything.
Final thoughts: Billed as a teaser short story, it's more like a chapter from the middle. We're dropped into the middle and there isn't much development. That being said, it does make me want to read the full novel when it comes out. And my hubby, a comic fan, says it's pretty spot on for Lois Lane.
Rating: 3/5
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
April 17, 2015
*Netgalley book review*
I read a few pages from this interesting book.
It got me hooked up from the beginning because our main character, Lois Lane, was going to an art studio. But she was no artist, she had other gifts such as finding out that the art teacher was a painting dealer and she busted him.
I would really like to see in what kind of other trouble Lois get's into, because that's her speciality.
I read a few pages from this interesting book.
It got me hooked up from the beginning because our main character, Lois Lane, was going to an art studio. But she was no artist, she had other gifts such as finding out that the art teacher was a painting dealer and she busted him.
I would really like to see in what kind of other trouble Lois get's into, because that's her speciality.
April 16, 2015
I received this copy from the publisher through Netgalley in return for an honest review!
Amazing loved this so much very entertaining and very Lois Lane. Lois was smart and sassy and the way she was potrayed in this short story reminded me so much of the Lois from Smallville played by Erica Durance. I loved the messages to "smallvilleboy" cute little nod there. I cant wait to read Lois Lane: Fall Out
Amazing loved this so much very entertaining and very Lois Lane. Lois was smart and sassy and the way she was potrayed in this short story reminded me so much of the Lois from Smallville played by Erica Durance. I loved the messages to "smallvilleboy" cute little nod there. I cant wait to read Lois Lane: Fall Out
March 12, 2015
This short story is jam packed with personality, energy, and enthusiasm. I absolutely LOVED it! I wouldn't have thought it possible to get such a strong sense of Lois in these few pages but Gwenda Bond proved me wrong. This is such a fun little tale and gives the perfect insight into Lois's initiative and detective skills, and I for one cannot wait to get my hands on Lois Lane: Fallout.
March 21, 2015
Thanks to netgalley for this short story!
See here for full review.
Veronica Mars meets DC comics as a high school-aged Lois Lane uses intuition and smart phone apps to solve mysteries.
Great teaser story for the book coming later this year. I can't wait to read the novel!
See here for full review.
Veronica Mars meets DC comics as a high school-aged Lois Lane uses intuition and smart phone apps to solve mysteries.
Great teaser story for the book coming later this year. I can't wait to read the novel!
August 13, 2015
This review and more can be found at The Heart of a Book Blogger.
I loved this short story, and I definitely want to read the full-length novel, Lois Lane: Fallout, now after reading it.
*This copy was provide by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.*
I loved this short story, and I definitely want to read the full-length novel, Lois Lane: Fallout, now after reading it.
*This copy was provide by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.*
May 1, 2015
Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review.
In this short story, Lois Lane was starting yet another new high school due to being an army brat. However, she was immediately having problems with her art teacher. Something didn't quite sit well with her about the professor and that had Lois looking into her suspicions.
The story had an interesting mystery and it was also funny.
In this short story, Lois Lane was starting yet another new high school due to being an army brat. However, she was immediately having problems with her art teacher. Something didn't quite sit well with her about the professor and that had Lois looking into her suspicions.
The story had an interesting mystery and it was also funny.
May 26, 2015
4.75 stars for sure!! The only reason it isn't more is because it is soooo short! Way too short! I laughed and giggled throughout this short! I was completely engaged and entertained the entire time! I loved this teaser into Lois's world! The writing was great and flowed very nicely! Lois is a funny & sarcastic character. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
December 19, 2016
I get to meet Gwenda Bond is about a month- she's participating in a YA panel my bookstore is putting on (thanks Megan Shepherd for putting it together!). I plan on reading the Lois Lane books, but before I dived in to book 1, I thought I'd start with this short story. It was a great introduction to Lois, and it's giving off a very cool Veronica Mars vibe.
April 3, 2015
With all of Lois' trademark intuition and forwardness, this is a taster of a new novel chronicling her pre-Daily Planet life.
Unfortunately, wrapping up a case in one chapter doesn't really give you a fair idea of what the real novel is like.
Unfortunately, wrapping up a case in one chapter doesn't really give you a fair idea of what the real novel is like.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews