The Unstoppable Wasp: Built On Hope

Marvel Press Novels

by Sam Maggs

Nadia Van Dyne is new to this. New to being a Super Hero, and stepdaughter of one of the founding Avengers.

Struggling to juggle everything, Nadia is grateful when she's gifted a virtual assistant powered by cutting-edge AI technology. However, everything is not as it seems; Nadia finds she must confront her past to shape her future. Sometimes the best way to effect big change is to think small... super small!

Genres: Marvel, Young Adult, Superheroes, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, LGBT

315 pages, Paperback

First published July 14, 2020

About the author

SAM MAGGS is a bestselling writer of books, comics, and video games, including Marvel Action: Captain Marvel, The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope, Tell No Tales, Con Quest!, and Marvel's Spider-Man PS4. A Canadian in Los Angeles, she misses Coffee Crisp and bagged milk. Visit her online at sammaggs.com or @SamMaggs!

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story takes a tremendous amount of time to go anywhere. It's mainly about how Nadia takes on too many projects and can't maintain a balance. It focuses a lot of time on Nadia's bipolar disorder. It almost has an OCD focus on it, repeating the same information again and again. Nadia is also very twee which can be grating.

What I did like about the book is Nadia's support system. Maggs nails Nadia's character. She's bubbly and bright with a million thoughts running through her head at once. I also liked Nadia's Science Facts that the story often breaks to. I also liked that the book was full of confident women who loved science. I think that's important to shape young female minds and push them towards STEM.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really love the Unstoppable Wasp comic books, so this overwritten dud is a huge disappointment. The plot isn't original -- with Nadia falling under the sway of a questionable mentor while keeping lots of secrets from her closest friends and family -- but a better writer may have been able to make it tolerable by dumping 100 pages and the oh-so-turgid prose.

[kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this one started out very slow paced but got better. I dont think its set in the same MCU im used to so some things threw me off. It wasn’t a bad story just wrapped up very quickly for my liking

[USOM · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

I heard ace spectrum and I came running. I can't keep up with all the recent novelizations of comic book worlds, but once I heard w/w SC and ace spectrum MC plus Marvel I was so sold I immediately requested The Unstoppable Wasp on Netgalley! The Unstoppable Wasp is such a great story because I think we can have this perception that being a superhero is a singular role. But in reality, it takes so many people to get a superhero where they need to be, for backup, for tech, for everything. The Unstoppable Wasp examines us asking for help and for accepting help.

Nadia is on the ace spectrum, but she's also bipolar and deals with coping tactics as well as therapy. Nadia feels this almost crushing sense of responsibility and also drive for productivity - which felt too much pointed at my own life - and so taking a breath and asking for help is a huge struggle. Maybe it's because these two issues felt so close to me, that I loved Nadia so much? She is juggling all these things and feelings of commitment, that she feels so overwhelmed and wanting to take on more and more. I don't want to delve more into why we clicked so much, because that would expose me, but if you ever felt this obsession with productivity you would love Nadia.

full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75* This was just SO MUCH FUN.


- Nadia is such a wonderful character and is truly a gift to the Marvel universe. She's funny, resilient, feminist, honest and beautifully flawed in a way she acknowledges, grows from and apologises for. All I want is a Nadia/G.I.R.L./Ms. Marvel MCU movie please and thank you.
- G.I.R.L. has everything I love in a girl gang. It's messy, supportive, diverse and imperfect (but also, like, so perfect?)
- The diverse cast of characters were everything. Nadia is bipolar and on the ace spectrum. Shay is a black lesbian in a relationship with Ying, who's East Asian. Priya is the daughter of Indian immigrants and Taina is latina and has cereal palsy and uses both a wheelchair and crutches.
- Seeing positive representation of a superhero having therapy and taking medication in a Marvel book made my heart so freaking happy.
- The relationships explored throughout were wonderful to follow. As with everything, they weren't perfect but I loved that they were allowed to be and that Nadia, for the most part, accepted that. I especially loved her relationship with Janet and Bobbi but the friendships were equally great and an awesome portray of teen friendship struggles.
- The mini photo biographies for characters were so cute.
- Whilst I didn't *love* the science explained elements (science isn't my forte and I found they took me away from the story a little bit) I can totally appreciate how some people might love it and how great they'd be for a much younger audience.
- For anyone who's read any of Nadia's previous stories/comics, the first few chapters are a little bit info dumpy but it gets over that fairly quickly and those chapters would be great for those who are new Unstoppable Wasp.
- I will never stop being jealous of the identity reveal of Nadia's driving instructor.

Overall this was super entertaining and perfect for anyone looking for a Marvel read that brilliantly balances the life and struggles of being a teen with those of being a superhero.

TW: bipolar, mental illness

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing novel followup to Wasp’s two comic series. Because of the medium, this is more psychologically in-depth & science-filled than the comics. Even so, it flows well and all the characters I loved from the serieses—Nadia, Jan, Shay, Ying, Priya, Taina, Jarvis, et al—make themselves known herein, including some villains & a new potential G.I.R.L. as well.

Regardless if you loved Jeremy Whitely’s comics of Wasp or not, this book shines with optimism, growth, & real characters.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 3.75 rounded up to a 4. I have a lot of thoughts about this and I don't want to limit myself with no spoilers, so for the sake of things, I'm going to just talk and beware there are slight spoilers below.

I really liked this! The first volume of The Unstoppable Wasp comic is one of my favorite things I've read this year and I have already reread it several times since January. I think it's a great story and one of the best things Marvel has published in the past decade. I guess after volume 2 I was a little nervous to pick this up because I had heard a few things about this, and all of those things I didn't find here.

I've heard some people say that Nadia is too self-centered, I disagree, she feels like Nadia to me, and that the friendship between the girls felt more snarky than anything else. That last point I could see, but to be honest, I see of it more as a friend group of teen girls going through growing pains more than anything else. It's clear that all of them- Nadia and Ying and Priya and Shay and Taina and Alexis all do care about each other, and it's in the moments of them trying to not hurt each other that they realize that it's what they've been doing all along.

I also liked seeing Nadia's mental health journey continue! It's clear that a lot of research was done there and I think it's important to have a main character with bipolar disorder who is actively working on therapy and taking her medication, etc, etc. To be honest, I think a lot about it was handled better than volume 2 where Nadia is diagnosed, but I'll save that for another time.

Ah, Hank and Maria. Dealing with the... legacy? I don't know. Dealing with everything about Hank Pym's character I think is tough just with *everything* that happened. But nonetheless his presence- and Maria's- loom over the series, not just in this book, but in the first two volumes. I like how it handles it here and something I especially liked was the focus on Maria, especially when I don't think the first two volumes really did a ton about Maria's legacy over Nadia, it was mostly just Hank's.

I don't know what it is, but I always have a huge attachment to female characters that were only fridged for man-pain. Maybe cause I'm sad that that's their only purpose in stories so much of the time and I wish they got more. Maria Trovaya was introduced in 1963 pretty much to be Hank's tragic backstory and to be honest, not much has been done to give her a character since then, at least, in my opinion. In the 1960s, she made a statement about ants, she died on their honeymoon (or so we thought, I guess), and then Hank became Ant-Man because of that. But I did really like what the book did here and I think it fleshed out Maria more than the previous two novels did. I quite like these retcons. Her being a list-maker makes sense to me and her being an entomologist is honestly a retcon they should've done ages ago.

I cried when Nadia found Maria's journal, of all her to-do lists and things like that, and then I bawled when Nadia found that list of baby names and the list of things Maria had wanted to do with her future child. It's not a lot, it's certainly not fleshing out Maria as a whole, but I do love the little things like that, because it does seem to me like someone does care, and I wish we could know more about her. I don't know if we ever will, but I can appreciate anything done to give more of a story to Maria Trovaya. I don't know why I love her when she's been given so little, but I do.

Adding onto that, I thought Nadia's continuing journey of realizing she's not her parents and her legacy is her own to make is a really good storyline throughout all of these. She doesn't need to do everything on Maria's list to learn more about her mother. Her life is her own.

Okay. Onto things I had some problems with.

The resolution was far too short. I know it's middle grade and those tend to skew shorter, but this book definitely could have had another 50 pages tacked onto it, in my opinion. The fight scene with Margaret was a good length, but also? I feel like there was no true resolution when Bobbi broke Nadia's trust by telling Janet about Maria's list, just one conversation and everything was fine. I think there could have been more there.

It may just be me, because I love Janet Van Dyne (she's my favorite comic book character of all time), but I really wish there was more of her and Nadia's relationship. I think their relationship is really touching and interesting (the best superhero dynamic is stepmother and stepdaughter, change my mind) and I also felt like there was little resolution to Nadia not wanting to tell her stepmother, who she is very close with, about what's going on. Especially since Nadia seems very aware of not wanting to bring up Janet's own trauma into these things. Maybe that'll be something more to explore in future things? But I feel like there's future conflict there if Nadia doesn't want to tell Janet about this. But also I just wanted more of them. Hanging out. Doing fun stuff. I love them.

Wow! That was a lot. I'm curious in checking out the author's other work. I liked her writing style and think she captured Nadia really well and I would even like to see her write Nadia in the future. But first, Marvel needs to utilize the great character they have already.

[TJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

If we can’t have an Unstoppable Wasp comic book right now, this novel is the next best thing! I was worried about how the transition to prose would go, but Sam Maggs perfectly captures the vibe of the comic and Nadia’s voice here. And this book is so. in. continuity with the original comic series, it’s insane. I’ve read a few Marvel novels, but this is the first I’ve read that tries to establish itself as apart of the comics continuity 100%. I am the target audience for this novel, definitely, but it may be hard for readers new to the Unstoppable Wasp title to get into it. There are references to all sorts of Marvel comics characters and events, and it may be overwhelming— but I absolutely loved it. The plot wasn’t exactly unique or unpredictable, but it had heart. It was so much fun to be back with Nadia and the G.I.R.L.s, and they’re in good hands. I’d love to see the comics revived, but I wouldn’t mind another prose novel as well if it’ll be this high of quality. 5/5 stars.

[Randi (Rampant Reading Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope through Netgalley, so that I could share my review with you!

Trigger Warnings: This book contains a discussion of mental illness (specifically bipolar disorder). It is presented and discussed in a very skillful way, but if you are uncomfortable with this topic, you may want to skip this book.

Finding balance is extremely important, especially when you’re a teenage superhero trying to change the world! Nadia has a lot of things to focus on, but she’s sure that she can do everything if she works hard enough. Between thwarting saving the day as the superhero The Wasp and running GIRL (Genius In action Research Labs), Nadia is struggling to keep up with everything in her life. When she receives a special virtual assistant as a birthday present, Nadia thinks she just might’ve found a way to truly maximize her productivity! She might not be able to make more hours in the day, but she can certainly make those hours count. As Nadia becomes more and more lost in her own responsibilities, she beings to struggle to maintain control over her own life. Relying on her virtual assistant only seems logical, but how can your balance life when things keep changing?

You can get your copy of The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope on July 14th from Marvel Books!

I recently attended an Epic Reads Pride panel moderated by the author of this book, Sam Maggs, which was so much fun! I quite enjoyed reading this story, as it was one of the most unique superhero novels I’ve read from the Marvel Universe! Nadia is an interesting character and I thought the discussion of different mental illnesses was very well incorporated into the story. I’ve previously read quite a few comics about The Wasp, and I think that Sam Maggs did a fantastic job capturing Nadia in novel form. I’m always a sucker for girl-power science teams, so this book was a naturally good fit for me!

My Recommendation-
If you have been wishing for a superhero story full of upbeat characters dealing with real world issues, The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope would be a great choice for your next read! If you loved the Ant-man movies, but wished they had focused more on Hope’s story, this book would be a fantastic choice for you!

[Jelke Lenaerts · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a galley of this book through Netgalley

Oof, this one just wasn't for me. The main character annoyed the living shit out of me. She was so self centered and hypocritical. I couldn't stand her. I was kind of hoping to get some great girl group moments and we barely got any of it. For the rest I think this book overexplained the most simple and unnececary things. It honestly just felt like the author was talking down to the reader and those moments seemed more aimed at a three year old. It just dragged the story down A LOT. I also think this book relies too much on the fact that the reader knows a lot about Marvel already. That kind of bothered me as this is supposed to be a stand alone book but it needs you to have A LOT of prior knowledge. It especially bothered me as some unnececary sciency stuff was overexplained. The author could have better put in more effort in actually explaining stuff nececary to the plot rather than random things. But yeah, besides all that I do think the story was interesting and I read this pretty quickly so it could have been worse.

[Blue · Rating 1 out of 5]

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Thank you Scholastic for this book in exchange for an honest review

Have to admit – this was not for me at all
I am a huge fan of the Avengers and the MCU universe so I was excited to read these book and see where the next journey takes us but I found the whole thing disappointing…
The main character Nadia was super annoying!! There was so much entitlement that she would put Iron Man to shame. She was a hypocrite and had that mindset that she was better than everyone else and I am not here for it. That and there was no growth for her, she remained selfish throughout the whole book.
There wasn’t really an interesting plot. There was a plot but it wasn’t interesting.
Overall, I’m not a fan.

[Anna Druery · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNFd at 53% I might come back to it and finish it. Reading about a character with bipolar disorder was interesting but it felt like the plot just wasn't there. It may pick up in the second half but I just can't stick with it right now

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps I'm being a bit too generous by giving this 4 stars, but so much about this felt groundbreaking. I don't think I've ever read a book narrated by someone with bipolar disorder before, at least not a character who talks openly about their diagnosis and who is navigating how to give and receive support from her chosen family. And who's also a superhero! That alone makes this super compelling. But beyond that, it was fun to dive into the story of a Marvel character I hadn't known much about previously, and learn about her allies (like G.I.R.L.) and her enemies (like A.I.M.). So it was definitely an eye-opening chapter in the Marvel universe. But, I have to be transparent, the story was also a little slow at times and it could have used some more editing; I found myself rewinding a lot to make sure of what was happening.

[Shireen Hakim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nadia and her debut YA novel are enjoyable!
This is the first comic book novelization I have read and I am glad I started the genre. A whole novel gives more room to flesh out the complex, mysterious and lovable super hero characters.
Nadia is a cross between Black Widow and Spider-Gwen; she is tough and hard-working yet has a heart of gold.
The Unstoppable Wasp is great because it introduces a strong and smart team of GIRL superheroes.
I especially liked the brief references to Silk and Captain Marvel.

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, a book with a bunch of kick ass female leads complete with flaws, realistic role models and great advocates for the marginalised. Mental health representatives, disability and normalising taking medication and therapy were all included which could be of great comfort for many.

It was relatable and informative too. I adored the science snippets in these books (as a scientist, I live for stuff like this in books) and even learnt a thing or two too. But these things certainly didn’t detract from the main, action packed epic story of good guys Vs bad guys and all the epic fighting and marvel-esque entertainment you’d expect from a movie!

For fans of the films, they may find this book deviates from the MCU, being based more on the comics and the relations between characters that you would find there (differences in which characters married who etc.. and things like Hank Pym creating Ultron instead of Tony Stark which you would find in the movies). I loved that it had some of my favourite superheroes (namely Bobbi Morse) amongst others which was great to read too.

A great story of juggling life as a teenager whilst upholding your title as an avenger, it’s a great book for teens, adults, fans of marvel and anyone who enjoys reading about superheroes and the fight for good be evil.

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun - if you're unfamiliar with this relatively new Wasp, and the status quo of the Marvel 616 in general, you're in luck on the former, and won't need much of the latter. This standalone story about trust, coming-of-age, mental health and friends is soldly YA, but manages to stay interesting for people who love their comics. Good writing, very much of a specific kind of Girl Power, nice characters. If anything, the arc is limited by the page count, meaning I would have read more.

[Forever Young Adult]

Graded By: Mandy C.
Cover Story: Fan Art
BFF Charm: Big Sister
Swoonworthy Scale: 0
Talky Talk: Adaptation Without Enough Info
Bonus Factors: Marvel, Girl Squad
Relationship Status: Missed Connection

Read the full book report here.

[Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Likes:
-Nadia is a very relatable main character
-Nadia's Science Facts
-Loved the relationship and callbacks to the MARVEL movies
Dislikes:
-The ending came around to fast
-Wish I could have learned more about Priya's powers with plants
Overall Impression:
This book was all around fantastic, and should be read by anyone who loves superheroes and the power of people. When I first read about G.I.R.L, it made me think of the people I'm around with, and I started reflecting on how I should treat my friends. I really wish I would've read this early in the summer instead of towards the end, but I'm glad I got to experience most of it in the wild outdoors of South Dakota. I was surprised at how much information I gathered about bipolar disorder, and it made me realize that even heroes have their struggles, which I think people sometimes forget. By the time I finished this book yesterday, I promised to be a more helpful, braver, and kinder version of myself, just like Nadia:The Unstoppable Wasp.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was NOT expecting that to be her driving instructor. 😂

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5

A bit hard to follow if you're not familiar with the comics, and the plot was pretty predictable. The secondary characters were great, though—I want to see more from G.I.R.L.!

Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Bipolar Disorder

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel about superheroines is a blast of fresh air from the Marvelverse. We witness the struggles of one Nadia Van Dyne as she attempts to juggle many balls in the air. She wants to work on a project that will have an impact on the world. She wants to be a Cool American Teen (her initial caps, not mine) and she wants to connect with her deceased mother. On top of all that, she has to remember to take her medication, see her therapist and attend her driving lessons. No wonder she thinks she needs a little help.

Nadia has formed a sort of family for herself, mainly comprised of a quartet of smart superpowered adolescent females. Tired of the nearly all-boys club that constitutes S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division), Nadia formed G.I.R.L. (Genius in Action Research Labs) that is composed entirely by female geniuses/superheroines. The girls are an eclectic bunch, with differing personalities and skillsets who work very well together in a crisis.

The trouble begins when Nadia gets involved by the contents of her mother’s lost diary. She is quickly subsumed by a to-do list of activities the dead Maria wanted to perform together with her child. She also starts working with an A.I. named VERA.

Nadia is gradually sucked into VERA’s agenda. Anybody who reads science fiction with any care probably guesses where this is going. Fictional A.I.s have a tendency to misbehave and badly too. The trick in the narrative is figuring out who the real villain is, if Nadia is being manipulated, by whom and why. It’s good stuff and we read as Nadia gets pulled under, in spite of warnings by her concerned friends and family.

The fault isn’t entirely due to the machine. Nadia’s worries about whether she’s fitting into American culture, which she finds confusing, her yearning for parental connection and her constant struggle to battle her bipolar disorder and her tendency to mistrust warring with the desire to cast aside government-instilled paranoia render her vulnerable to outside influences.

The entire book presents the message that family isn’t necessarily the one you’re born into but the one you forget out of the mundane activities of your life. It’s a common message, but one presented here with flair, subtlety and the prerequisite acts of fighting the bad guys. Ms. Maggs gives us a special heroine, one with massive flaws but also tremendous virtues, an extraordinary fighting team, a panoply of supporting characters and a compelling plot filled with plausible dialogue, kick-ass fight scenes and an impressive character arc. It’s also filled with useful scientific facts so if you’re keen on that sort of knowledge, I highly recommend this.

I’m bored with a lot of superhero movies. But I could read a book like this repeatedly. It passes the test of a terrific story AND the Bechdel test. Once you start reading, you won’t stop until you reach the end.

[Zoey Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Unstoppable Wasp was an incredibly fun, action-packed book with beautifully fleshed out characters and full of friendship goals. One of my favourite books I've read in a while, I absolutely recommend this one for your next read!

The story itself follows Nadia, an incredibly detailed character who is so lifelike in her voice, her aspirations, and her flaws too. Her personality really jumps off the page, and is an absolute role model for any reader. She's on the ace spectrum, has bipolar disorder, and also goes to therapy -- in fact, I was pleasantly surprised by how normalised therapy was in this, and absolutely loved that she actively tried to use the coping methods she was taught in it.

In this book, we see her navigate the world of being a super hero, while discovering secrets from her family and her struggles to save the world with her fellow superhero G.I.R.L. squad. We also see snippets of her Neat Science Facts, where Nadia includes explanations on some of the cool science that occurs in the book, or just her observations of the world, told with a perfect balance of factual explanation and wit. It's inclusions like these that really bring the book to life, and make you love Nadia even more!

I also absolutely loved the diversity in this book: there were so many characters from different cultural backgrounds, part of the LGBTIQA+ community, and a character who has cerebral palsy, and they all made fantastic friends. You see them grow, encourage, and support each other - the friendships Nadia has with her superhero G.I.R.L. squad were really well written, and had so much heart behind them.

The plot itself was interesting too -- although it took a while to pick up, since the start of the book consisted of a lot of world-building and character-building, it was definitely interesting to see every twist and turn as Nadia begins to uncover a sinister plot surrounding a new AI device that seems a little too good to be true...

Overall, I'd absolutely recommend this book to any love who enjoys strong friendships, found family, beautifully written characters. It's definitely a new favourite of mine,and I'm sure you'll love it too!

[Jaymie · Rating 3 out of 5]

[I received an electronic review copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

3.5 stars. I had mixed feelings on this - things I loved and things that were a struggle. If I hadn't agreed to review this one, I might have been derailed early on and given up before finishing.

A few examples of things I struggled with: The AI plot was almost non-existent for the first third of the book which gave a lot of character development time, but I was distracted waiting for the plot to kick in. There were some stylistic things - name dropping from the Marvel universe, calling Nadia and a 20-something character "girls," which felt weird and jarring. (The teens, sure, but this woman with her own company who is at least 23 or 24, maybe older, didn't feel like someone who should be called a "girl," especially in a book about empowerment,) Nadia's Neat Science Facts were intrusive and interrupted the flow of the story almost every time they came up. (The only one that felt right was one that occurred at the start of a chapter. They aren't footnotes - there are plenty of those, too. These just dropped right into the flow of the story.)

Things I enjoyed: Nadia's found family. The AI plot once it got going. The author's descriptions of the action sequences was exceptionally well-done. (I have read lots of other superhero books, and this isn't always the case. This author is very good at it!) Diversity - race, sexual orientation (F/F romance), and a character with cerebral palsy. The integration of Nadia's mental illness, bipolar disorder, into the book, and the normalization of her going to therapy and taking medication was excellent. The emphasis on women in science.

This was my first introduction to this character - this is NOT the same timeline/universe as what you will find in the MCU. She comes across as naive in this story, but she has a support system that, when it is working well, can protect her and foster her growth. (LGBTQ+)

[Rach · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a perfectly pleasant experience with great themes and a very focused demographic of early to mid teens.

"I’m working very hard on myself. Even if it is not always easy. Which it isn’t."

In this novel, we see Nadia overworking herself to juggle all the great ideas and things she wants to do, while also trying to stay in contact with those she loves, and also promoting the sciences as a field girls and women can thrive in. Her being bipolar was an unexpected addition that I found really refreshing and I hope Nadia can be a way for upcoming youths to see themselves on the page! She really hammers home the importance of her meds, therapy, and plans, which is always great to see those things get more destigmatized. Nadia also asexual and that really is something young me would have gushed over. Honestly there's a lot of great representation within this book, with girls of color, Tai with her cerebral palsy, and a sapphic couple! It's just wonderful. I wish these were the types of books I could read as a young girl.

I do wish the plot had been a little less one-note, but at the same time it fits the demographic perfectly so I'm not all too mad about it. It's a tad predictable, but I still enjoyed the ways Nadia has found herself a new family of her own choosing. Janet makes a wonderful step-mother in this scenario and I can see this dynamic honestly working well for an animated series! It's just different enough from the MCU that I think it could capture new viewers hearts if it did so.

I definitely recommend this book for those within the demographic, but for adults who are well-versed in the world of Marvel and Nadia/Hope, it may be too far a step backwards to be as enjoyable. I still had a lot of fun with it, but the word choice in particular could be potentially grating! I think this would be a great method for introducing the character you love to someone you love who's younger.

[LoAnna Berringer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Disney Book Group, and Marvel Press for sending me an early copy in exchange for an honest review.  This book was special for me not only is the author Canadian which is always exciting but the book also talks incredibly honestly about mental health and struggles that even heroes can have.  Naida (the main character) has bipolar disorder, and also likely has suffered from childhood trauma it's discussed a bit but not too much and anxiety.  I love how open and honest Nadia and those around her are about her mental health struggles, and the fact that she uses medication and therapy to stay in control and they help to keep her accountable.  Teens don't like to be different and all these teens are different in their own way and are diverse without feeling forced, two of the girls are LGBTQ and dating each other, while the other member of the team has Cerebral Palsy and uses crutches for mobility assistance.  This is my third Marvel novel, and I'm a big fan of the comics and the movies.  This is probably my favorite of the three novels, the story was well done and fully executed I immediately wanted to read more by the author.  There were science facts interspersed through the book that tied directly into what was going on in the story which was a fun way of explaining the science behind what was happening while enhancing the reading experience.  They even included some really helpful breathing techniques similar to what I use to manage my anxiety which can be really helpful and could potentially help readers which I love.  I think people who aren't familiar with Marvel characters, and the world might find it a bit confusing because it is all very intertwined, but for fans, there are tons of cool tie ins to some really big characters while also being able to stand on its own.  The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope is out July 14th 2020!
CW/TW mental illness, bipolar disorder, physical violence, cerebral palsy
(Will be cross-posted to Instagram)

[Morgan (youarethelibrarian) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish the last quarter of the book had been what the whole book was like, in which case, my rating would have been higher. I loved the found family aspects of this story, and that we have a main character who has a mental illness that does not DEFINE her, as sometimes happens with characters in books. Nadia firmly falls into the "nobody understands me" time of being a teenager though, so fair warning if you can't stand that. A lot of the distance between Nadia and her friends was a large part of the plot, but I also couldn't help but feel that if the friendships were focused on more, I would have enjoyed it more. Nadia tries to handle things on her own instead of sharing with anyone, which made her very isolated. *Big sigh.*
I think this book will really appeal to teenage girls interested in STEM, and this book has a very feminist feel in that regard. There is a lot of diversity with the characters' ethnicities as well, but I also felt that there was obvious prejudice against white people, and I don't know how to take that. It seemed like it was just commenting on white privilege at times, but at other times, it felt less like that and more like actual prejudice. It was hard to tell, and that is probably not a good sign.
Despite some of the issues, if there is a book that comes after this, or plans for one, I would read it. I really want to see the G.I.R.L.s working together more.

*I received an eARC from Netgalley and the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.*

[Lyndsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We know who you we are, we know why we’re here. And we all know that when we’re together, there’s nothing in this whole world that can stop us.”

I’m not the biggest Marvel comics fan but I do love the movies…with that being said this was such a fun read! The author adds in a lot of marvel super hero reference that any marvel fan (casual or super fan) would really enjoy. There was also a ton of pop culture references and even though I didn’t know them all, it was still fun to read the ones that I did know! And Nadia’s science facts and all the little footnotes were a nice addition to the story.

The story is about Nadia Van Dyne (the Wasp) and her friends who are all apart of the group G.I.R.L. However most of the book does focus on Nadia and how’s she’s learning how to manage life, work and being bipolar and learning that it’s ok to need help from the people that care about you.

My only complaint was the story was a little predictable but let’s just blame that on the fact that most super hero stories usually are. But overall I really enjoyed the book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!

*I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a honest review*

[Garance J. Bonadonna (The Nerdy Artivist) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 STARS

I'm really torn with this book. It was not what I was expecting at all.

The good stuff:
The MC is bipolar and the main theme of the book was her taking her meds and going to therapy.
Diverse characters. All badass in their own way.
The writing was fluid, it read like a diary, it was interesting with a lot about different cultures and neat science facts.
All the pop culture references, I'm here for it.

The bad stuff:
I didn't like the MC. I know she was supposed to be described as selfless and understanding and loving and enthusiastic. But she felt exhausting and selfish and hypocritical to me.
I don't know if it was a good representation of bipolar disorder. I have BPD and we have some things in common like the mood swings, the depression and the anxiety. The MC didn't seem to have all that. She was just over enthusiastic at all times and that bothered me a little. I'd love to hear the opinion of someone who's bipolar.
It was very very very repetitive.
Saw the plot twist from the very beginning and the plot was a little weak. Not enough superhero stuff.

All in all, I liked my reading but it wasn't great. Sam Maggs is undeniably talented as a writer and she has done her research. But the story as a whole lacked depth.

[Ross Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little predictable and on the nose at times, but not bad for a YA book.

Things I liked:
Positive depictions of dealing with mental health issues and people with mental conditions not being defined by disorders.
Themes of found family.
The inclusion of actual scientific topics was appreciated and often interesting.
Complex morality of the tech-bro mentor figure. The comeuppance was deserved and cathartic, but left a path open to redemption.
Good descriptions of environment and character appearances.
Nascent plant-psychic superhero.

Things I didn't like:
The pop culture references will date the book incredibly quickly.
Comic book super-science muddles the actual scientific concepts that are brought up.
Length of time skips were occasionally unclear and could have been more explicit. This is admittedly a nitpick, but it seemed to undercut some of the emotional beats of the story.

Other things:
I'm not sure where it's supposed to slot in, continuity wise - it's clearly not MCU, but I'm not familiar enough with marvel's other franchises to say more than that. The book works fine as a stand-alone, but it seems to be tied into a larger plot structure, both directly related to the main characters and to supporting characters.

Overall it was a fine 6 hour long marvel movie.