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Available
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Publication
New York : Interlude Press, [2016]
Description
Welcome to Andover... where superpowers are common, but internships are complicated. Just ask high school nobody, Jessica Tran. Despite her heroic lineage, Jess is resigned to a life without superpowers and is merely looking to beef-up her college applications when she stumbles upon the perfect (paid!) internship--only it turns out to be for the town's most heinous supervillain. On the upside, she gets to work with her longtime secret crush, Abby, who Jess thinks may have a secret of her own. Then there's the budding attraction to her fellow intern, the mysterious "M," who never seems to be in the same place as Abby. But what starts as a fun way to spite her superhero parents takes a sudden and dangerous turn when she uncovers a plot larger than heroes and villains altogether.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member keristars
I almost didn't read this book, and I am so glad that I did.
With the increased trend in superhero narratives in the last few years, it was inevitable that I would read a few, but the ones I read were mostly disappointing. I hoped for explosions and action-adventure-spy sorts of plots with secret
Luckily, not only does Not Your Sidekick provide the good superhero things (explosions, chase scenes, government conspiracies, post-apocalyptic scenario), it also fulfilled a growing craving I had for cheesy romance tropes featuring two women. I happen to really love amnesia, fake-dating, and secret identity/disguise tropes, the latter of which you'd think would be more prevalent in superhero stories. Imagine my delight when secret identities are a huge part of the plot of Not Your Sidekick, both the mundane one and the romance.
This isn't a perfect book. While a lot of thought and imagination is visible in the creation of a post-apocalyptic America of the 22nd century, from what food is like with limited water supply, to how people move around or whether they do, and of course things like future tech, most of the day-to-day high school stuff is straight out of the 2017. Many of the plot points towards the end have been telegraphed almost from page one, and there are a few confusing bits of timeline. But, honestly, I didn't care so much about that - I enjoyed the futuristic setting with familiar routines, and it was fun to see how the plot would play out to those waving flags.
Like the best superhero movies (in my opinion, anyway!), this is a feel-good book. Despite the nasty government conspiracies that honestly seem to fit at home in 2017 America, it is incredibly optimistic. It has a post-apocalyptic society but people are getting along and adapting. The main characters are all from very different backgrounds - immigrants from Thailand and China, climate refugees from Louisiana, well-to-do Americans of white and Latinx background - and of course the main character Jess is bi and has a crush on another girl, while one of her best friends is trans.
The diversity of the cast, the optimism, the fun plot (if a little predictable and goofy) - they all make this an indulgent, comforting read and I finished it with a big grin. I hope the next book in the series is just as fun!
With the increased trend in superhero narratives in the last few years, it was inevitable that I would read a few, but the ones I read were mostly disappointing. I hoped for explosions and action-adventure-spy sorts of plots with secret
Show More
identities and, well, fun. I did not get that, and it turned me off the genre in general.Luckily, not only does Not Your Sidekick provide the good superhero things (explosions, chase scenes, government conspiracies, post-apocalyptic scenario), it also fulfilled a growing craving I had for cheesy romance tropes featuring two women. I happen to really love amnesia, fake-dating, and secret identity/disguise tropes, the latter of which you'd think would be more prevalent in superhero stories. Imagine my delight when secret identities are a huge part of the plot of Not Your Sidekick, both the mundane one and the romance.
This isn't a perfect book. While a lot of thought and imagination is visible in the creation of a post-apocalyptic America of the 22nd century, from what food is like with limited water supply, to how people move around or whether they do, and of course things like future tech, most of the day-to-day high school stuff is straight out of the 2017. Many of the plot points towards the end have been telegraphed almost from page one, and there are a few confusing bits of timeline. But, honestly, I didn't care so much about that - I enjoyed the futuristic setting with familiar routines, and it was fun to see how the plot would play out to those waving flags.
Like the best superhero movies (in my opinion, anyway!), this is a feel-good book. Despite the nasty government conspiracies that honestly seem to fit at home in 2017 America, it is incredibly optimistic. It has a post-apocalyptic society but people are getting along and adapting. The main characters are all from very different backgrounds - immigrants from Thailand and China, climate refugees from Louisiana, well-to-do Americans of white and Latinx background - and of course the main character Jess is bi and has a crush on another girl, while one of her best friends is trans.
The diversity of the cast, the optimism, the fun plot (if a little predictable and goofy) - they all make this an indulgent, comforting read and I finished it with a big grin. I hope the next book in the series is just as fun!
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LibraryThing member ElleGato
This is a hard book for me to review.
There's so much I liked: the representation in this book is wonderful. The characters are diverse and well-written, their motivations completely understandable, their insecurities poignantly expressed. Jess, the main protagonist, is a breath of fresh air--she's
I also really enjoyed the world in which this book takes place; the author manages a blend of authenticity alongside the bizarre, a world we can both recognize and find strange. There's a logic to the society, a sense of intrigue that's built up quietly and effectively.
But I didn't enjoy the actual writing as much. This is more than likely on me, as I don't read much YA normally but I've been attempting to expand. The writing is very abrupt and often loses flow. Many sentences are the same length and structure, impacting the readability. The plot itself is interesting and well-crafted but the way it's played out in the book doesn't allow for a real sense of urgency and I felt the ending removed the stakes if you will, forcing the danger into a sort of background murmur that made it difficult to believe.
Lee is incredibly talented at creating characters and situations which ring 100% true. The representation of diverse races, genders, and sexualities is threaded through the book seamlessly, and the romance is sweet and realistic for teenagers. I suppose the writing isn't my taste but I do think I will read the sequel because the characters are definitely worth it.
There's so much I liked: the representation in this book is wonderful. The characters are diverse and well-written, their motivations completely understandable, their insecurities poignantly expressed. Jess, the main protagonist, is a breath of fresh air--she's
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stubborn without being cruel, desperate without being a caricature, loving despite her situation. Her friends and their support are wonderful, and the love interest is built up slowly and carefully, crafted in a sweet and authentic way.I also really enjoyed the world in which this book takes place; the author manages a blend of authenticity alongside the bizarre, a world we can both recognize and find strange. There's a logic to the society, a sense of intrigue that's built up quietly and effectively.
But I didn't enjoy the actual writing as much. This is more than likely on me, as I don't read much YA normally but I've been attempting to expand. The writing is very abrupt and often loses flow. Many sentences are the same length and structure, impacting the readability. The plot itself is interesting and well-crafted but the way it's played out in the book doesn't allow for a real sense of urgency and I felt the ending removed the stakes if you will, forcing the danger into a sort of background murmur that made it difficult to believe.
Lee is incredibly talented at creating characters and situations which ring 100% true. The representation of diverse races, genders, and sexualities is threaded through the book seamlessly, and the romance is sweet and realistic for teenagers. I suppose the writing isn't my taste but I do think I will read the sequel because the characters are definitely worth it.
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LibraryThing member RealLifeReading
I’ve had this book on my TBR for a while but never got around to picking it up from the library. But I wanted to read a book with an Asian superhero for Asian Lit Bingo so this filled the theme perfectly.
Although when we first meet Jess Tran, she’s desperately trying to find out what exactly
And since Jess will be turning 17 in a week, she needs to find out what powers she has, as no one has presented with powers after the age of 17.
She doesn’t even have an “unacceptable” ability like the power to change the colour of her fingernails. She’s resigned to the possibility that she will never have powers and lands herself a dream internship instead. But it turns out that she’s working for the town’s villains (and her parents’ enemies). On the other hand, she gets to work with Abby, whom Jess has had a secret crush on.
I love that Jess is bisexual Vietnamese- Chinese, and that she struggles with trying to figure out who she is. The background to the story is fun and Jess and her friends are very appealing. The romance in the story was sweet too. But parts of the book were a bit meandering and the plot wasn’t the greatest. I don’t want to spoil it for you but it’s kind of the way Superman puts on his glasses and tada he is unrecognisable as Clark Kent.
It was a fun read though and I’m looking forward to reading the second book in the series, Not Your Villain, which has Bells as the main character.
Although when we first meet Jess Tran, she’s desperately trying to find out what exactly
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her superpower is – does she even have any in the first place? Why so desperate? Well, it is post World War III, and there are meta-humans. More specifically, her parents are superheroes – her father can fly and so can her older sister. Her parents are Smasher and Shockwave, the two resident heroes of Andover. C-list heroes that is.And since Jess will be turning 17 in a week, she needs to find out what powers she has, as no one has presented with powers after the age of 17.
She doesn’t even have an “unacceptable” ability like the power to change the colour of her fingernails. She’s resigned to the possibility that she will never have powers and lands herself a dream internship instead. But it turns out that she’s working for the town’s villains (and her parents’ enemies). On the other hand, she gets to work with Abby, whom Jess has had a secret crush on.
I love that Jess is bisexual Vietnamese- Chinese, and that she struggles with trying to figure out who she is. The background to the story is fun and Jess and her friends are very appealing. The romance in the story was sweet too. But parts of the book were a bit meandering and the plot wasn’t the greatest. I don’t want to spoil it for you but it’s kind of the way Superman puts on his glasses and tada he is unrecognisable as Clark Kent.
It was a fun read though and I’m looking forward to reading the second book in the series, Not Your Villain, which has Bells as the main character.
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LibraryThing member pwaites
Not Your Sidekick is an adorable YA LGBT superhero story. Jess Tran’s parents are the resident superheroes of Andover, Nevada. Jess wants nothing more than to be a superhero herself, but unlike her gifted sister, she’s never manifested powers. Determined to try and make her own path in life
Essentially, Not Your Sidekick was a fun piece of fluff. “Cute” is a very good description. I can get easily annoyed by books where the romance is a significant element, but for whatever reason this one worked for me. As such, I enjoyed it even when most of the plot were incredibly obvious (such as the identity of the mysterious “M”). I also found the prose mediocre and a bit workmanlike but was drawn into the story to the point where it didn’t overly bother me.
I knew it was a superhero story, but I didn’t know much else about Not Your Sidekick‘s genre or setting before going in. Turns out, it takes place over a hundred years in the future after a series of natural and nuclear disasters have resulted in the genes for superpowers being expressed. The United States is gone, replaced with a North American collective that registers everyone with superpowers and places the most powerful onto an elite crime fighting team.
While there are obviously some technological and political differences, I don’t think the social and cultural differences of a book set a hundred years in the future after a WWWIII were fully developed. For instance, high school is virtually unchanged from the way it is today, complete even with AP classes and student government (does the Collective even have an elective government?). While I thought the world building premise had potential, I would have liked to see it more fully developed.
This very cute story is the first in a trilogy, the next book of which sounds like it will focus on Jess’s trans friend Bells. I’m planning on reading it, and would recommend this series to anyone looking for a fun superhero story with a focus on queer characters and characters of color.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
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nevertheless, she applies and is accepted for a prestigious internship… which turns out to be for the town super villain. On the bright side, she gets to spend some time with her crush, Abbie. But as her internship progresses, Jess will begin to realize that there are secrets yet to be uncovered.Essentially, Not Your Sidekick was a fun piece of fluff. “Cute” is a very good description. I can get easily annoyed by books where the romance is a significant element, but for whatever reason this one worked for me. As such, I enjoyed it even when most of the plot were incredibly obvious (such as the identity of the mysterious “M”). I also found the prose mediocre and a bit workmanlike but was drawn into the story to the point where it didn’t overly bother me.
I knew it was a superhero story, but I didn’t know much else about Not Your Sidekick‘s genre or setting before going in. Turns out, it takes place over a hundred years in the future after a series of natural and nuclear disasters have resulted in the genes for superpowers being expressed. The United States is gone, replaced with a North American collective that registers everyone with superpowers and places the most powerful onto an elite crime fighting team.
While there are obviously some technological and political differences, I don’t think the social and cultural differences of a book set a hundred years in the future after a WWWIII were fully developed. For instance, high school is virtually unchanged from the way it is today, complete even with AP classes and student government (does the Collective even have an elective government?). While I thought the world building premise had potential, I would have liked to see it more fully developed.
This very cute story is the first in a trilogy, the next book of which sounds like it will focus on Jess’s trans friend Bells. I’m planning on reading it, and would recommend this series to anyone looking for a fun superhero story with a focus on queer characters and characters of color.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
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LibraryThing member reader1009
teen superhero comedy/adventure (7th/8th grade and up) - in a post-WWIII, post nuclear-disaster world, Vietnamese-American teen Jess has crush on her new co-worker Abby, who just might be Jess' family's nemesis' daughter; meanwhile Jess' little brother has crush on Jess' (trans) male best friend
I read about half of this--page 153 or so, before deciding to skip the rest. I was liking the characters and plot OK, but just didn't feel compelled to continue reading. Jess did feel a little young for a 16-year-old, but some 16-year-olds are pretty "young" anyway; I would almost put this in the middle-grade range because of the cuteness of the romances ("Her hair is so fluffy!"--paraphrased, not a direct quote), except for the scene where Jess and her classmate are discussing whether or not to put a sex scene into their English writing assignment.
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w/possible Creole heritage, who is actually in love with Jess' other best friend Emma, who is Latina. Definitely lots of points for diversity, though it comes across as a bit heavy-handed at times (it's enough to know that Emma's mom made horchata, she doesn't need to also talk about her cousin's quinceanera on the same page--I did however like the brief discussion on pronoun usage for trans and other gender fluid identities, and I felt the spare usage of Vietnamese words was a nice touch); the author identifies herself as bisexual.I read about half of this--page 153 or so, before deciding to skip the rest. I was liking the characters and plot OK, but just didn't feel compelled to continue reading. Jess did feel a little young for a 16-year-old, but some 16-year-olds are pretty "young" anyway; I would almost put this in the middle-grade range because of the cuteness of the romances ("Her hair is so fluffy!"--paraphrased, not a direct quote), except for the scene where Jess and her classmate are discussing whether or not to put a sex scene into their English writing assignment.
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LibraryThing member AKBouterse
Super super cute superhero story with great characters who are so diverse. This is not the type of book I've been picking up lately and it is probably written for an audience younger than me but I still really enjoyed it.
The last superhero movie I saw was Wonder Woman but that has been the lone
Was this book predictable? Yes. Was that a bad thing? I don't think so. This book definitely plays on the tropes of the genre. I predicted basically every plot twist as soon as hints about them were introduced but I don't really mind that. There are only a few tropes that I always hate but most of the time, I don't mind if a story relies on tropes within a genre as long as the story around it is unique and entertaining and the tropes are handled well. I think this book hits those marks. I think just having better representation and good representation (the main character has a crush on a girl and one of her friends is transgender) makes it a unique take on the tropes and different from basically any popular super hero movie.
I liked the characters in this book. I like the relationship between the main character and her friends. I wish we could have seen more of their background together and their friendship. Once Jess started getting involved in a relationship, we started hearing a lot less about her and her friends. I wish we could have had more of a balance, though it did get a little better towards the end of the book.
I would definitely recommend this book because I do think it was fun and I enjoyed my time reading this but you should be aware that you will probably find this book predictable. If that is something that will bother you, you might want to give this one a pass but otherwise, I think this is a very quick, enjoyable read.
The last superhero movie I saw was Wonder Woman but that has been the lone
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one in the past 5 or 6 years. I used to go see every single Marvel movie but eventually, I just lost interest. I say this to say that I was a little nervous going into this book because I wasn't sure if I would love the plot. I don't love superhero stories anymore and this book was written for a younger audience that me. Luckily, none of those fears were warranted.Was this book predictable? Yes. Was that a bad thing? I don't think so. This book definitely plays on the tropes of the genre. I predicted basically every plot twist as soon as hints about them were introduced but I don't really mind that. There are only a few tropes that I always hate but most of the time, I don't mind if a story relies on tropes within a genre as long as the story around it is unique and entertaining and the tropes are handled well. I think this book hits those marks. I think just having better representation and good representation (the main character has a crush on a girl and one of her friends is transgender) makes it a unique take on the tropes and different from basically any popular super hero movie.
I liked the characters in this book. I like the relationship between the main character and her friends. I wish we could have seen more of their background together and their friendship. Once Jess started getting involved in a relationship, we started hearing a lot less about her and her friends. I wish we could have had more of a balance, though it did get a little better towards the end of the book.
I would definitely recommend this book because I do think it was fun and I enjoyed my time reading this but you should be aware that you will probably find this book predictable. If that is something that will bother you, you might want to give this one a pass but otherwise, I think this is a very quick, enjoyable read.
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LibraryThing member Rosechaser110
I liked this book more than I thought I would. I like superhero stories, but they are way too serious sometimes and pretty similar to each other.
This book was a funny/fluffy superhero story. The main character is not the typical superhero, she is from a superhero family but has no powers and
The first part of the story is very focused on the characters and their relationships, so not much happened, but at the end it got really interesting.
I don't really have much to say about this book, it's pretty short and a quick read and I really enjoyed it. So, if you are into superheroes, give it a try :)
This book was a funny/fluffy superhero story. The main character is not the typical superhero, she is from a superhero family but has no powers and
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everyone in her family has lost hope on her, so she gets an internship in a tech company that turns out to be owned by her parent's enemies. I liked this premise, it was kinda simple, but managed in a way that made it refreshing and light. I enjoyed the characters and the romance. I think is the first book I've read where the main pairing is f/f, and it was really cute. The first part of the story is very focused on the characters and their relationships, so not much happened, but at the end it got really interesting.
I don't really have much to say about this book, it's pretty short and a quick read and I really enjoyed it. So, if you are into superheroes, give it a try :)
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Subjects
Awards
Language
Original publication date
2016-09-08
Physical description
283 p.; 21 cm
ISBN
9781945053030
Local notes
GLSEN Rainbow Library 6th Grade-8th Grade Book List
Best for 5th Grade - 8th Grade
Best for 5th Grade - 8th Grade
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