The Supervillain and Me

Banas, Danielle. The Supervillain and Me. MacMillan Children's Publishing Group, 2018.

Abby's brother is a superhero, so he is always out of the house saving the world. Her father is the mayor and is busy trying to run the city. So when a new super arrives in town and everyone says he's a supervillain, Abby has got to figure out what is going on with him. The Iron Phantom claims that the mayor is plotting something for the town, and Abby helps him solve this mystery while also trying to discover his true identity.

I have read more than a few superhero stories, and I love that they are full of action and exciting, intense plots and battles and are real page turners. If that's what you like, too, this book is not for you. If, however, you enjoy rom-coms and books that focus on relationships instead of a plot, then you will definitely enjoy this story.

This is not really a superhero story. It's a love story set in high school - complete with plenty of high school drama - that happens to also involve superheroes, just like it happens to include a bisexual character who is on stage for about five minutes before disappearing once again. If you think of this book as a contemporary romance, it's an acceptable, although not stand-out, story. For a superhero story, though, it fell short: there is a serious lack of world-building and shortage of action sequences or plots. Even the supposed plot twist is easily discoverable early on. Rather than being a page-turner, this story plodded.

If you are looking for a superhero story, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a contemporary romance, there are still better options elsewhere.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: language, some violence
Overall Rating: 2/5 stars

Read Instead: Renegades by Marissa Meyer; Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purposes of review.