Reviews

The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope by Sam Maggs

aimmyarrowshigh's review against another edition

5.0

Loved this so much. Nadia is my blorbo and everyone in G.I.R.L. is so great. I liked this story's pacing and the space it gave Nadia's inner life, and I appreciated how much the Red Room was allowed to inform her actions and decision-making. Could have used more Ying, but I loved seeing Priya in action!

girlreading's review against another edition

4.0

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

jkdehaven's review against another edition

4.0

The book The Unstoppable Wasp tells a story about Hope van Dyne, aka the Wasp in Marvel Comics. In this story she is trying to learn how to balance all of her competing interests, such as running her G.I.R.L. lab, moving, and learning to drive. However, when she discovers something unexpected left by one of her birth parents, all of these desires continue to be challenged. I enjoyed reading this book. I thought it portrayed someone dealing with mental illness in an interesting and realistic way. I also thought that it dealt with the importance of learning to prioritize as a teenager while also challenging some of the predominant views in Silicon Valley. I thought there where some unnecessary plot holes at the end of the book, but otherwise I recommend it for teenagers.

tentwentyfourty's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Nadia🫶🏾

scribe391's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Set in Cresskill New Jersey, and partly narrated by sixteen year old Nadia Van Dyne, Maggs’s plot is an action packed Marvel adventure.

alysasuh's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful

3.5

spideyreads's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I thought this was a pretty fun read. As a ballet dancer, I appreciated all the little technical details and the fact that the author included how ballet heavy the Red Room was. This book definitely satisfied my want for more Marvel novels, but it wasn't my favorite. I preferred Loki: Where Mischief Lies, but this is definitely lighter. I just love the main character, Nadia. Seeing a super hero working through her own mental health and adjusting to a new country while trying to be a "Cool American Teen" was refreshing. Fast paced and interesting read, even though the plot was predictable. 

1tiffani1's review against another edition

5.0

I want more!!!

robinlikesreading's review against another edition

4.0

Well, this was sure an interesting read. I'm a huge fan of Marvel comics and the MCU but I never actually read a Marvel novel.

And I'm really impressed. This book is about Nadia, the daughter of Hank Pym (the original Antman) and the stepdaughter of Janet (the original Wasp). She's bipolar, a feminist and really smart. What's not to love?

And that driver instructor reveal at the end though...... what a twist

booksandpops4000's review against another edition

4.0

I thought this was a great marvel novel. I thought this book was so modern and so prefect. I really loved the adventure and the cast of female characters. I also really liked the focus on science and the science facts were dropped through out. I also really liked how this book focused on found family and also female friendship. I also loved that this book had main character that was struggling with the bi polar disorder. I def really loved this character and would read more books in the future. Loved the characters from agents of shield that popped up!