defunctfridge's review against another edition
3.0
this was a super fun book! I think the writing gets wonky at times but otherwise I did really enjoy it. its a classic superhero tale :))))
dancevera's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Transphobia
dinosaursatwork's review against another edition
The writing style is for younger audiences and does not keep my attention. It feels a bit overwritten and, after 22% of the book, I have not begun to care about anyone or anything unfortunately.
gingerblivet's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t think it’s exactly normal to kiss a book when you finish, but I would say it’s perfectly appropriate to kiss THIS book. A beautiful work, full of themes I’ve been geeking out about my entire life, and questions I could have sworn I was done asking myself. Somehow, I’m not all that broken up to know that I apparently didn’t have the answers I thought I did.
malloreigh's review against another edition
5.0
EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. This action-packed superhero story is fun and exciting, and its heroine is all of us as a teenager: unsure of herself, figuring things out, afraid. But she’s also brave, and resilient, and a transgirl learning how to live her truth through a series of very exceptional circumstances.
the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Medical content, and Gore
Minor: Rape
possibilityleft's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
librareryn's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
ominousevent's review against another edition
I think it's really really great that this book exists, but I am just not in its target demographic and the style and tone did not work for me.
ratgrrrl's review against another edition
5.0
The Hero We Need
CW: Transphobia, Queerphobia, Abusive Family, Friends, Coworkers, Slurs and Threats (Portrayed as appropriately awful of course)
I feel incredibly emotional after finishing this book.
I'm a transfemme in my mid-30s who doesn't often get on with YA stories, but the quality and content of this were more than enough to keep me rapt. With the world as hateful and scary as it is right now books like this are so incredibly important and the fact that it is written and performed with such heart, honesty, and raw human emotion is utterly breathtaking.
The highs are heady and powerful and the lows are gut wrenching and heartbreaking in Danielle's story. The pure trans joy I felt reading this was incredible, as was just how brutal and close to home the vehement transphobia espoused by a number of characters. Honestly, so much so that, while I was absolutely devouring this book, I did have to take a few breaks simply as my mental health isn't as robust as I would like it to be and I did find some of the scenes rather triggering. This isn't a complaint or an issue. We shouldn't shy away from how virulent and abhorrent people can be about and to us simply for being who we are.
There are many books I read that I'm thankful for existing and nearly all stories make the world a more beautiful and incredible place, but this is one of the ones that genuinely, tangibly adds something of such great importance and wonder.
I do have a few criticisms of the book. Unfortunately, it does use the superhero trope of superheroes essentially being cops, cops being portrayed in a positive light (ACAB), and prison being an easy and thoughtless decision, as well as the Jack Bauer/ Reacher aspect of normalising torture and intimidation as an acceptable and effective method of operation 'if the needs must'. This last point is not as egregious as in The Iron Widow, a book I otherwise thoroughly enjoyed, but Dreadnought falls into the trap of questioning when things go 'too far', while allowing a lot that shouldn't actually be acceptable. This all comes down to the politics of the book being a little too centrist for my liking. Yes, the government are criticised, but it is watered down with similar logic to not all cops (Yes, all cops and the entire police and prison complex).
The other issues surround the somewhat appropriate, but unexplored dive into horrific incel behaviour of Danielle's best friend, and the unaddressed transphobia, passive transphobia, and enabling of the Justice League equivalents. This is an ongoing series, so these may be explored further, but some events towards the end of the novel mean that certain characters will not be held accountable. There are some threads that seem to just drop, but we will see if they are explored more in further books.
While I have my criticisms, I heartily recommend this book and genuinely loved it and the phenomenal performance.
Thank you.
CW: Transphobia, Queerphobia, Abusive Family, Friends, Coworkers, Slurs and Threats (Portrayed as appropriately awful of course)
I feel incredibly emotional after finishing this book.
I'm a transfemme in my mid-30s who doesn't often get on with YA stories, but the quality and content of this were more than enough to keep me rapt. With the world as hateful and scary as it is right now books like this are so incredibly important and the fact that it is written and performed with such heart, honesty, and raw human emotion is utterly breathtaking.
The highs are heady and powerful and the lows are gut wrenching and heartbreaking in Danielle's story. The pure trans joy I felt reading this was incredible, as was just how brutal and close to home the vehement transphobia espoused by a number of characters. Honestly, so much so that, while I was absolutely devouring this book, I did have to take a few breaks simply as my mental health isn't as robust as I would like it to be and I did find some of the scenes rather triggering. This isn't a complaint or an issue. We shouldn't shy away from how virulent and abhorrent people can be about and to us simply for being who we are.
There are many books I read that I'm thankful for existing and nearly all stories make the world a more beautiful and incredible place, but this is one of the ones that genuinely, tangibly adds something of such great importance and wonder.
I do have a few criticisms of the book. Unfortunately, it does use the superhero trope of superheroes essentially being cops, cops being portrayed in a positive light (ACAB), and prison being an easy and thoughtless decision, as well as the Jack Bauer/ Reacher aspect of normalising torture and intimidation as an acceptable and effective method of operation 'if the needs must'. This last point is not as egregious as in The Iron Widow, a book I otherwise thoroughly enjoyed, but Dreadnought falls into the trap of questioning when things go 'too far', while allowing a lot that shouldn't actually be acceptable. This all comes down to the politics of the book being a little too centrist for my liking. Yes, the government are criticised, but it is watered down with similar logic to not all cops (Yes, all cops and the entire police and prison complex).
The other issues surround the somewhat appropriate, but unexplored dive into horrific incel behaviour of Danielle's best friend, and the unaddressed transphobia, passive transphobia, and enabling of the Justice League equivalents. This is an ongoing series, so these may be explored further, but some events towards the end of the novel mean that certain characters will not be held accountable. There are some threads that seem to just drop, but we will see if they are explored more in further books.
While I have my criticisms, I heartily recommend this book and genuinely loved it and the phenomenal performance.
Thank you.