Review: Who Is AC?

Who Is AC? by Hope Larson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought this book was an enjoyable read. It was a little confusing at times, but I loved Lin as a character. I could relate to her desire to write and to make new friends, as someone who has been the new gal in town more than once now. Also, I loved the superhero and magical realism elements. The book also had some clever social commentary on technology and its effects on human relationships. I love social media and blogging, but these cyber worlds make us ever so passive aggressive at times! I am glad this book addressed some of those issues, as we all have digital shadows to overcome. If you enjoy superheroes, magic, girl power, and digital communication, you will love this book too.

View all my reviews

Review: Lost Stars

Lost Stars by Claudia Gray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was very well-written and fun to read, and it gave me some new theories regarding the Star Wars: The Force Awakens film, which I will not spoil here, but am happy to discuss with people in person. :) I loved both Thane and Ciena, and I could very much identify with their relationship. Also, I thought the world-building was excellent, and the dialogue was engaging. The only thing about the characters that perturbed me is I sometimes felt that Thane was "mansplaining" to Ciena, and although I understood that loyalty was part of her culture, I also thought it was a bit unrealistic that she would stay loyal to "The Empire" for as long as she did, given her intelligence and her strength of character. Overall, I love how Ciena is a strong female protagonist; I just wanted her to be more sure of herself sooner in the book. The book does a good job of raising sociocultural and sociopolitical questions, though, and I think it would be great for an advanced middle school or high school classroom. It is a long book, but it's worth the read, and unlike some speculative fiction books I have read, the battle scenes do not drag on too long. If you love the Star Wars universe, you'll enjoy this book. I now have the same feeling about the book and the new film that I had about the new Ms. Marvel about a year and a half ago: I must write about them! This feeling led to good results last time, so I intend to listen to it. :)

View all my reviews

Review: Wonder Women: Feminisms and Superheroes

Wonder Women: Feminisms and Superheroes by Lillian Robinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I very much enjoyed this book because it touched on several of my interests: female representation in comics, feminism, postmodernism in comics, and the history of comics. I learned a lot about Wonder Woman that will be helpful to me in my research, and her history in particular is fascinating. I enjoyed her analysis of other female characters in comics, such as the Incredible She-Hulk, Supergirl, and Storm, although I think some of it could have gone more in depth. In particular, I think she could have talked more about intersectionality and how it applies to the characters she discussed. Her application of Judith Butler's gender theories was very beneficial to me, though. The book was accessible and interesting to read, and although it was short, it packed a lot of good information into less than 140 pages. I would recommend it to people who are interested in feminist theory and comics.

View all my reviews