The Heroine with 1,001 Faces - a Look at the Heroic Journeys of Heroines

The only reason I purchased this book was because I happened across it while scrolling through "Nancy Drew" items on Amazon.  The description of the book on the website claims the author "explores how heroines ... have flown beneath the radar even as they have been bent on redemptive missions."  The description goes on to cite examples, "[f]rom Bluebeard's wife to Nancy Drew, and from Jane Eyre to Janie Crawford, women have long crafted stories to broadcast offenses in the pursuit of social justice."  Based on this, I felt the book might have some valid research material about not just Nancy Drew, but the representation of women in general in folklore, fairy tales, and fiction through the ages, and so I bought it.  I do not regret buying the book, because even though the chapter with Nancy Drew does not spend a lot of time on the sleuth, it does offer up some interesting views on the character, the books, and the relationship with the stories and the writing of them.

The Heroine with 1,001 Faces is authored by Maria Tatar, who is a professor at Harvard University and who has written books on folklore, German studies, and children's literature.  In the introduction to the book (which is an astounding 15 pages in length - the longest introduction I have ever seen in a book!), Tatar readily states that this book is in response to Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces (first published in 1949), which purported to study "the mythological structure of the journey of the archetypal hero found in world myths" (The Hero with a Thousand Faces).  But, as Tatar appropriately points out, Crawford's book focuses solely on the journey of the male hero.  "What about the women?" Tatar asks on the first page of her introduction.  Whereas Crawford posed the answer that question with the thought that  women are "the mother of the hero; she's the goal of the hero's achieving' she's the protectress of the hero..." (p. xii).  Tatar indicates that the goal of her book is to look at these myths, folktales, and heroic journeys from a different point of view, and thereby showing that the women in these stories were on their own journey, spurred on by their curiosity to seek justice and right wrongs.  It is Tatar's belief that women have their own heroic journey, not with swords and violent battles, but with words and wiles and a wealth of other non-violent means at their disposal.

Nancy Drew is not discussed until Chapter 5, "Detective Work: From Nancy Drew to Wonder Woman."  This is due to the fact that Tatar relates her studies in a chronological fashion, starting with the earliest myths and folklore and working her way forward to the present time, with female detectives, magic wielders, and super heroes.  However, the chapter starts off with a look at characters from the television series, Sex and the City and Girls.  I get the sense that Tatar is trying to connect these characters as writers to the investigative work done by detectives; however, the connection feels tenuous at best, and I don't think the author accomplishes her goal.  It is not until nine pages into the thirty-eight page chapter that Tatar actually gets to the discussion of female sleuths.  Even then, Nancy does not fully get discussed until the twelfth page, where Tatar begins a section on "The Mysteries of Nancy Drew, 'Best of All Girls Detectives.'"  She opens with a fact I did not realize - the year that Nancy Drew debuted (1930) also happens to be the same year Agatha Christie's spinster sleuth, Miss Marple, made her first appearance!  

Tatar gives some brief background on the creation of Nancy Drew by Edward Stratemeyer and his hiring of Mildred Wirt (Benson) to write those early stories of Nancy Drew.  She even references the citing by many Supreme Court Justices and other influential women of Nancy Drew as their source of inspiration and encouragement to pursue their careers of choice.  Tatar looks at Nancy Drew from the standpoint that in addition to her desire to seek justice for others, she does so while embodying "the ethics of care."  She cites to a comment made by George Fayne in The Sign of the Twisted Candles, in which Nancy's friends remarks, "You are always putting yourself out to do a kindness for somebody or other who simply doesn't count in your life at all."  It is Tatar's position that while Nancy Drew works to ensure law and order are followed, she never does this at the expense of others (p. 210).  The young sleuth may risk her life time and time again to help those in need, she always does so with a kind word.

The author then posits the question of why the Nancy Drew (and Hardy Boys, as well as other similar series) books were banned from libraries. While Tatar fails to directly answer the question, she does point out that despite these attempts to keep the books out of the hands of children, it only seemed to fire up their desire for the books all the more (p. 211).  She theorizes that when reading books, we are doing exactly the same thing as the detective in the story - we are "[d]ecoding mysteries, sorting out the truth, finding meaning" (p. 211); and thus, when young readers pick up a Nancy Drew book, they are doing the same exact things that Nancy is doing in the book.

What honestly piqued my interest the most about this section of the book is Tatar's comparison of the stories involving "ownership" and "legitimacy" with how the books were written.  She looks at the fact that a number of the mysteries involve stolen or lost items that need to be found and returned to their original owners with the manner in which Stratemeyer farmed out his outlines and plots to ghostwriters, who in turn provided completed books for which they had no ownership right to (even though the work was their own).  As she states, "Dual authorship had a built-in rivalry between a public face (Carolyn Keene a/k/a Edward Stratemeyer) and a secret ghostwriter (Mildred Wirt Benson), and the books themselves reproduce that rivalry by putting their heroine on the trial of counterfeiters and thieves, those who appropriate the property that rightfully belongs to others" (pp. 212-13).  Tatar even wonders if perhaps Benson "somehow wrote her own struggle with authorial identity into the series (consciously or not), turning Nancy into a sleuth who uncovers, among other things, true identities, the genuine article, the real thing?" (p. 213).  While I don't know that I would answer that question in the affirmative, I do admit it is something interesting to think about.

Tatar wraps up her section on Nancy Drew by discussing how her longevity and legacy has inspired so many strong female characters that have come after, specifically looking at Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter books and films.  She even goes so far as to say that Hermione "exceeds Nancy's passion for justice by becoming a social activist who founds ... an organization designed to advocate for the rights of an oppressed group" (p. 215).

The author's look at Miss Marple, Wonder Woman (of whom she claims has certain detective-like skills and stories that fit the archetype), and other modern detectives provides for some interesting insight into those characters; but, for me, it was the seven-and-a-half pages about Nancy Drew that drew my attention. Seven-and-a-half pages out of a 290-page book is certainly not a very large part by any means, but I suppose when you are covering decades' and centuries' worth of material, we can be grateful she devoted that much space to our favorite female sleuth.

(As far as the rest of the book goes, I did attempt to read the chapters, but to me, a lot of the material felt like it was repetitive.  It seemed to go over the same theories and observations, but simply applied them to different characters and stories throughout history, and I became a bit bored with it all, so I skimmed through it.)

 

RATING:  7 heroines who are much too flip out of 10 for looking at women in literature (myths, folktales, and fiction) through a new lens, and showing their accomplishments within their own heroic journeys!

Holiday Heroine - Book Six of the Heroine Complex

Well, six years ago I picked up the first book in this series, thinking it was just a one-off book - but I liked the premise and the cover, so I bought it, I read it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Then a second book came out, and I was over the moon.  And then a third.  And a fourth.  And a fifth!  And now I have read the sixth book in the series, but am saddened over the fact that this is the final book in the "Heroine" series by Sarah Kuhn.  I have grown to love these characters - Bea Tanaka, her sister Evie Tanaka, and their "sister" (friend) Aveda Jupiter - as well as all of the assorted supporting characters, love interests, frenemies, and family members.  Kuhn truly did create a huge family over the course of these six books, and it's a shame to have to say goodbye (although, admittedly, there is one thing about the series I won't miss - more on that later....)

Holiday Heroine is the final journey of Bea Tanaka (and no, before you get worried, that is not referring to a death by any means!).  Bea was first introduced simply as Evie's younger sister, who Evie basically had to raise after their mother died and their father took off.  Bea was viewed as a bit of a trouble maker, and it was Evie's job to take care of her and see to it that Bea stayed out of trouble.  In Heroine's Journey, the third book in this series, Bea's powers were tested by a malevolent force, and she nearly turned completely to the "dark side," all with the idea that she was going to be reunited with her mother.  Now, here we are three books later, and Bea has grown up - and in this book, she is determined to prove to everyone - her sister, her co-workers, and her boyfriend (Sam) that she truly is grown up and can keep her powers under control.

But the real question is - can she?

Kuhn provides readers with a holiday-centric story as Bea is prepared to celebrate the Christmas holidays in the middle of summer with her family - Evie and Aveda are coming for a visit, along with Nate and .. uhm ... Sam - which could be kind of awkward, since Bea and Sam sort of broke up.  The only problem is, Bea doesn't remember the break up.  She also doesn't remember spending the afternoon at her office in Maui completing reports.  Nor does she remember cleaning up her tiny apartment in Hawaii and charging her phone.  Either Bea is having black-outs, or something crazy is going on.  When she comes across a picture of her and Pika with ice cream - something that wasn't going to happen until Friday - does it dawn on Bea what is really going on.  Bea Tanaka is time-traveling!

With all of the other crazy things that have happened in this series - demons, other dimensions, ghosts, vampires, and such - why should time travel be so out of the ordinary?  Bea is both excited and frightened at the prospect of traveling through time.  And just like all of the movies she has seen, she must avoid doing anything that could potentially alter the timeline.  This is what she tells herself to excuse the fact that she doesn't say anything to Team Evie/Aveda about the time-traveling.  Instead, she decides to show everyone just how grown up she is and figure it out herself.  If only she could figure out how to control when it happens and to what time she goes.  But things go crazy (as if they weren't crazy enough!) when she wakes up and discovers that Sam is no longer in the timeline - it's as if he never existed at all!  So, she does what any normal person does and goes back to try to correct that mistake.  But in so doing, she erases her sister from the timeline!

And if all of these things weren't bad enough, Nate's evil mom, Shasta, is back on the scene, working overtime to convince Bea that she must sacrifice Evie's soon-to-be-born baby in order to save all of humanity!

There are plenty of twists and turns, and lots and LOTS of angst (a lot of which would probably have been completely unnecessary had Bea simply told Evie, Aveda, Nate, Scott, and the rest of the team what was going on from the very beginning!) - but there are also plenty of fun scenes wit the time-traveling element.  We get to see more of Sam's family.  We get to see Nate and Evie as doting parents.  We get to see a wild beach battle against a gigantic sea monster.  We even get a talking chicken!  (Yeah, trust me, it's a bit weird at first, but you just go with it....)

The one thing I could have done without in this book (and this has been actually building in the last couple of books) is the whole "white people are stereotyping and discriminating against people of color, and therefore white people are bad" sentiments scattered throughout the story.  Yes, I'm not oblivious to the fact that there are still people out there who discriminate, and yes, I do understand that racism can have an impact on people in different ways.  But when I'm reading fictional stories for enjoyment, I don't need those kind of things shoved down my throat when they add nothing crucial to the story.  The first three books in this series barely touched on those issues - they focused on the characters, their coming to terms with their powers and their family around them, and their battles against the demons coming through from the other dimension.  I thought that was the focus of this series.  But starting with Haunted Heroine, moreso in Hollywood Heroine, and now much more in Holiday Heroine, it's almost as if Kuhn feels it necessary to push this sentiment into the story, despite it lacking any substantive purpose for the story.

But I was able to look beyond that to the story as a whole, which I enjoyed overall.  Evie, Aveda, and now Bea have all managed to find their balance (and their husbands/boyfriends), and I can see them having their happily ever afters.  I'll miss these characters, but it's satisfying to know that their family has finally been firmly established, and whatever happens in their futures, they will face them as more than a team - but as a family!

RATING:  8 canoes toppling to the ground out of 10 for bringing the story of this terrific trio of super-powered ladies to a satisfying and happy conclusion!

Hollywood Heroine - Book Five of the Heroine Complex

The superhero duo of the century return in their fifth adventure, as author Sarah Kuhn brings fans the latest tale of the mighty Aveda Jupiter and Evie Tanaka - along with their rag-tag team of spouses, sisters, friends, and assistants!  I never imagined when I picked up and read the first book, Heroine Complex, that this would become an ongoing series, let alone that I would get so caught up in these characters that I would anxiously wait for each book to come out (and before you ask, yes, I've already checked, and there is a sixth book on the schedule!).  And one of the things that I have been enjoying about the series is that the books rotate the main character - first it was Evie, then Aveda, then Bea - then it returned to Evie, and with this book, Aveda, and the next book will once again spotlight Bea.  This provides Kuhn with the opportunity to not only spotlight different characters in the "family," but it also gives her the opportunity to present each book with a different style and feel.  And this latest entry in the series is no different.

Hollywood Heroine finds Aveda and Evie heading to Hollywood to watch the development and filming of the new television series based on their adventures as the superheros of San Francisco!  And when they meet the actresses who will be portraying them, they are surprised to discover just how much alike the women are to themselves.  The director, though, is a whole 'nother story!  The man has his own strange visions for the show, including the idea of having a vampire written into the story (which, as readers who have been following the series, have never been in any of the dynamic duo's adventures).  Aveda and Evie are put off by the man's attitude and his revision to their adventures - and when the man portraying the vampire takes his method acting a bit too far and actually bites the actress portraying Aveda Jupiter ... well, there's no hesitation that the real Aveda Jupiter is going to jump in and save the day!  Only - no one asked her to, and no one wanted her to, and her actions result in Aveda and Evie being thrown off the set and barred from watching future filming!  Something is definitely not right here, but is it supernatural in nature or just the way of Hollywood film makers?

Aveda is determined to get to the bottom of it, but also finds herself dealing with a plethora of other problems as well.  Scott (her scrumptious husband) has come out to Los Angeles with them to look into starting a surf club for teens there locally.  It is  dream come true for him, and Aveda wants nothing more than for her husband to follow his dreams. But does that dream also have to include the Magnificent Mercedes f/k/a Mercedes McClain?  Mercedes was a friend of Aveda's when she first began doing the hero thing - but it turned into a competition, and Mercedes had no problem taking credit for Aveda's heroics, stealing the limelight while trying to remind Aveda on a daily basis the only reason she got as far as she did was because of her race!  Now, years later, Mercedes has made a name for herself as Los Angeles' local hero, and she seems to have set her sights on Scott.  And if that weren't enough, Pippa, the Jupiter/Tanaka team's latest assistant, seems to be having issues with her best friend Shelby ghosting her (which is probably easy to do, since Shelby is an actual ghost!), and Aveda feels she has to help her by involving her in this latest adventure.  And there's also the odd issue of her mother sending her pictures of oranges, then containers, and then the weird phone calls to check in (which her mother never does).  With so much going on, so many problems to solve, Aveda Jupiter is pushing herself to the very edge...

Which is exactly what someone is wanting to happen!

Yes, if Aveda Jupiter and Evie Tanaka are involved, you know the adventure is going to involve supernatural hi-jinks of some kind. Is it still that demon Shasta, bound and determined to get Evie's baby?  Or is it real vampires that have invaded Hollywood?  Or is it something else entirely?  Whatever it is, Aveda is on the case - but she's concerned that Evie does not seem overly interested in investigating; rather, she's more interested in taking in the sights and checking out the local food fare!  After all, this trip to Hollywood was supposed to be a vacation.  Is Evie slowly pulling away from the team, now that she is having a baby?  Will she and Nate move away and give up the hero job altogether?  Bea already moved to Hawaii, and Lucy and Rose had moved out of the headquarters, so was her team/family slowly falling apart, leaving Aveda all alone?  Was this what her future held?   Kuhn puts poor Aveda through the ringer as not only must she deal with the very real threat of the vampires in the city, but she must also figure out how not to push her husband away, deal with Evie's pregnancy and desire to step away from the heroing, her sister's absence, her weapons and tactical expert no longer on site and readily available, and her new assistant's self-esteem issues.  Oh, and what happens when Aveda realizes that she is .... nah, I can't say that, it would give away a huge part of the story!

This one has it all!  Secret underground tunnels, searches for the elusive tome, vampire bats, steamy dreams, huge supernatural battles, internal conflict, relationship problems, and a new, energetic assistant who is such a bundle of energy, for me, she personally stole a lot of the limelight away from Aveda - I absolutely LOVE Pippa and hope that Kuhn will eventually give her a book of her own (hint! hint!).  But on top of this, it also has something that feels very much like a soap box and less like a true story element - yes, I'm aware discrimination still occurs, particularly in Hollywood and more particularly when it comes to women of color.  And while that element certainly plays a part of this story, there are times where it feels less like the story and more like the author simply ranting about it, which became distracting after a while.  There were times where it flowed naturally into the story, and there were times where it simply read like a rant aimed at the readers.

But, aside from that, Kuhn does provide an amazingly fun story to read, and I still find myself thoroughly engaged with each of the characters.  Looking forward to the trip to Hawaii in the next book so we can see Bea shine!

RATING:  8 cheeseburger potstickers out of 10 for some fabulous Hollywood supernatural mayhem and the guts to even mention a weremervampire!!!

Haunted Heroine - Book Four of the Heroine Complex

When Sarah Kuhn began this series, it was the story of Evie Tanaka and how she came to terms with becoming a superhero.  When the second book came out (which was a surprise, since I didn't realize this was going to be a series when I bought the first one!), Kuhn shared the story of Aveda Jupiter, Evie's best friend and crime-fighting partner.  Then, when the third book came out (which, needless to say, had me over-the-moon excited), Kuhn gave us the chance to get to know Evie's kid sister, Bea Tanaka, as she faced some of her own demons.  Now, as we settle in to Kuhn's fourth book in this wonderful series, Team Tanaka/Jupiter faces a whole bunch of new unknowns from both the present and the past!

Haunted Heroine brings Evie back to a college life she thought she left behind years ago.  But when she gets invited to visit the college she dropped out of so many years ago, Aveda sees this as the break Evie needs from everything going on in her life - in particular, her pregnancy!  With the tension growing between Evie and Nate (her husband and father to her child), Evie agrees, even though she is curious as to why she got invited back to a college from which she did not graduate.  Before she gets the chance to find out, though, a ghost attacks a student, and Evie steps in to save the day!  The provost of the college then reveals to Evie and Aveda that this is not the first supernatural attack on campus, and knowing of their recent triumphs against the demons popping up all over San Francisco, she asks the two of them to go undercover to protect the students and perhaps find the source of the supernatural attacks.  An opportunity to live out the college days they never had, plus solve a supernatural mystery?  How could they pass this up?!

I have to give Kuhn credit - each of her books is fresh and unique.  Even though the characters and some of the underlying plotlines are ongoing, each book manages to have not only its own individual story, but also its own "feel," for lack of a better word.  From self-discovery in the first book, to realization in the second book, to recovery in the third book, now we get some plain, good old-fashioned supernatural mystery fun.  Who are the ghosts haunted the halls of Morgan College?  Why are the haunting the school?  And what has caused them to go from merely roaming the halls to actually interacting with the students, sometimes in the most aggressive of ways?  Are they truly ghosts, or could they be demons that have somehow found a new portal across the bay from San Francisco?  Aveda can't wait to find out, but Evie is more concerned about how she is going to deal with the fact she must face the professor that she had a teacher/student affair with all those years ago - a man who made her feel less than what she was while taking advantage of her the whole time.

Kuhn introduces a whole new world of characters at Morgan College - Julie, Pippa, Shelby, Tess, Jocelyn, Victoria, Miriam, Lenora, Richard, Gloria, not to mention Madeline, Clementine, and the perky little bartender at the college party!  Each and every one of them breathe so much life into the story, it's not hard at all to get caught up in the drama that is their lives.  The problem is, each of them is harboring secrets - things they don't want others to know.  And as Evie and Aveda (or Eliza and Angelica, Teachers' Assistants, as they are known to the students at the college) dig deeper into what is going on at the school, they find that all of those secrets lead to some very deadly plans and a few unexpected surprises for both our superhero pair and the reader!

Now, I'm going to say up front there was one aspect of the book that annoyed me a little bit - not going to go into detail, but let's just say that it felt a bit like pandering to some current events in the real world today (and at times, it caused a bit of confusion to me as the reader).  However, that small tidbit certainly did not take away any of my enjoyment of the story.  Kuhn has a superb way of making her characters real - their dialogue, their actions, their responses and feelings - they all weave together to make believable characters that you can easily identify with in a very unbelievable world that you only wish you could live in!

And the only reason I'm still so excited after having finished this fourth Heroine novel is because I've already seen on Amazon that a fifth book is on its way!  Already counting the days...

RATING:  8 cups of supernaturally spiked punch out of 10 for giving us a superhero soap opera with a fun supernatural mystery to spice things up!

Heroine's Journey - Book Three of the Heroine Complex

Heroine Complex, Book 3
Heroine's Journey
Publisher:  DAW
Publication Date (July 2018)
ISBN 10 - 075641445
ISBN 13 - 978-0756414412
373 pages of story

For a book that I never thought would have one sequel, let alone two, I am amazed at the journey these characters have taken (no pun intended). Heroine Complex saw the rise of Evie Tanaka as a superhero. Heroine Worship saw the humbling of Aveda Jupiter. Now, in this third book of the series, Evie's younger sister, Beatrice ("Bea") takes the spotlight as she begins her own journey into becoming a superhero - if she can only figure out how to get out of her own head...

Each of these books has been from a different point of view. The first was Evie's, the second was Aveda's, and now with Heroine's Journey, readers get an inside look at the thoughts of Bea Tanaka, who is still finding the limits to her power of emotional projection. As the back of the book says, Bea's life is full of "should haves." She should have been taken seriously as a powerful hero. She should have been allowed to come on missions with Evie and Aveda. She should have been free to use her powers to save others on a daily basis. But, in Bea's eyes, she is being held back.

So, when a strange new creature nearly takes out Evie and Aveda, and Bea steps in to save the day, she thinks this is the turning point in her life. Evie has finally agreed to let her become a part of the super team on a trial basis. Bea also discovers that she not only can project emotions, but she is able to actually implant thoughts into other's minds, in effect, "suggesting" what they should say or do. But even more important than all of that - the mother she thought had died of cancer years ago could quite possibly be alive, trapped in a demon dimension, calling out to her for help. What else should a super hero do, but help those in need? Right?

While I have to say, the first third of this book is a bit difficult to get through (I mean, Bea's incessant whining about not being allowed to be a full super hero, not being given more freedom, blah, blah, blah) gets a little tired of reading over and over. But starting with the second/third of the book, author Sarah Kuhn picks up the pace, and the story, and it begins to draw you in - particularly as you realize that Bea is developing new aspects to her power, and using those new abilities could very well lead her down a path that will put her at odds with her own sister. And just how far would she be willing to go in order to bring her mother back? That's a tough question, because anyone who has lost a parent will know that you'd do pretty much anything just to have another chance to be with him or her!

Once again, while there are definite heroics and some pretty funny epic battles, at the heart of this book (as with the previous books) is soul-searching and growth, and Bea definitely does a lot of both. And, as with the previous books, there is romance that blossoms, as Bea finds a man of her own in this book - meaning all three heroes now have their very own sweethearts (and it's interesting to note that it is the women who are the strong heroic ones, while the men play more of a supporting, Lois Lane-type role). Kuhn definitely flips the table on the typical hero/love interest story.

I see on Amazon that a fourth book in the series is forthcoming, so I now have something else to look forward to!

RATING:  8 amusement park rides that come to life out of 10 for sharing the human side of heroics, along with the temptations these heroes face to use their powers for selfish gain!

Heroine Worship - Book Two of the Heroine Complex

The one book I never thought would have a sequel, but which I desperately wanted a sequel - well, it actually got a sequel!  Heroine Complex was a fantastic, fun read with a unique spin on the whole super hero genre and with two Asian women as the lead characters.  Aveda Jupiter (also known as Annie Chang to her friends) and Evie Tanaka are back - the only problem is, the demon problem in San Francisco has been cured, and the city no longer needs any super heroes to protect it.

So what's a girl to do?

This is where Heroine Worship picks up, as author Sarah Kuhn brings back Aveda and Evie, along with all of their friends, to face a new and possibly more frightening adventure - Evie's wedding to Nate!  Okay, based on the cover, this story is not quite the "adventure" that I was expecting.  Even the back of the book with its synopsis made it sound like it was going to have a big mystery and another big baddie on the loose in San Francisco.

Instead, Kuhn gives readers page after page of Aveda bemoaning the fact that San Francisco doesn't need her and whining about the fact that the city has come to love Evie and her fire-throwing power far more than they ever did her non-powered antics.  In fact, as the story progresses, it becomes apparent that this book (which, by the way, is told from Aveda's point of view, rather than Evie's like the first book) is one huge identity crisis as Aveda tries to come to terms with the idea that she is no longer the top dog and tries to figure out how to be a better friend to Evie, who is no longer her assistant, but also her friend and co-super hero.

The whining and self-doubt goes on and on ad nauseam, and quite frankly, I was about ready to put the book down after the first hundred pages or so, when there was nothing really interesting happening.  Sure, there were hints of a possible demon still hanging around the city, and yes, Kuhn provides a few scenes of character development with Aveda, Evie, Nate, Lucy, Bea, and Scott.  But the whole "no one like Aveda any more and everyone thinks she's an attention-starved diva" got a bit old when it was repeated over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

Then there was the fight at the wedding dress pavilion in the fashion market.  Okay, that caught a bit of my interest.  Then there was the crazed bride-to-be at the cake shop.  Definitely a pattern developing.  Then the mystery comes to light - just how is this demon controlling people - is it in the air?  Is it in the clothing?  Is it in the undergarments?  There are several viable suspects in the story, and by the second half of the book, I became hooked again, and I couldn't wait to tear through the pages to find out not only how Aveda and Evie were going to stop this new demon, but also who was the human counterpart helping it.  And I'll graciously admit - the person I had pegged as the human culprit was not the one.  So kudos to Kuhn for making the reveal a big surprise (and once it is revealed, the reader will see that the clues were there all along).

There's definitely romance in this one - Aveda does finally break down and admit her feelings for Scott.  The author throws in a couple of rather racy scenes of the two of them getting down and dirty, but it's not too blunt, thankfully.  And Kuhn provides more back story on Aveda (since this is her story, just as the first book was Evie's story).

So, while the book has a slow and rather ambivalent start, it definitely picks up after the half-way mark and makes it well worth the read.  As good as the first book - probably not.  But good enough that I'd buy a third one if Kuhn writes one?  Yes, definitely.

RATING: 7 demon-infested wedding gowns out of 10 for proving that super heroes do not need to be dark and gritty to still be good and enjoyable to read about.

Heroine Complex - "I Am Not A Superhero"

Being a superheroine is hard.
Working for one is even harder.

The tagline on the back cover of Heroine Complex probably describes the story of Evie Tanaka better than any words I could say. Author Sarah Kuhn has written a fun superhero romp through the streets of San Francisco, telling the story of Evie Tanaka, personal assistant to San Francisco's premier (and only) super hero, Aveda Jupiter - better known to Evie as Annie Chang, her childhood friend with whom she grew up. Evie does everything for Aveda: she documents her adventures, she cleans up after Aveda's adventures (making sure Aveda's outfits are stylish and spotless), and she puts up with her boss's tirade of temper tantrums behind closed doors. And she does all of it with a smile on her face, because handling all of this helps her keep a check on her own problem - Aveda isn't the only one in town with super powers.

Kuhn opens the book right in the middle of all the action. Aveda is fighting demon-possessed cupcakes (yes, you read that right!) in a local cupcake store in San Francisco. Evie is present, doing a live video feed of all the action for Aveda's countless fans. Also present is Lucy Valdez, Aveda's bodyguard and personal trainer (as well as weapons expert). Kunh provides plenty of action in that first chapter, but at the same time, readers get a bit of the history that has led to this moment - the fact that portals from the Otherworld have been opening lately throughout San Francisco, and the demons that come through basically take an imprint of the first thing they see, then legions of that particular item, demon-possessed, suddenly start attacking. To date, Aveda Jupiter has been able to handle each and every portal attack with precision and crowd adoration - until today, when the filming of her adventure reveals a horrifying secret - Aveda Jupiter has a zit!

And that pretty much sets the tone for the book - there's plenty of humor, but a good mix of drama and super-heroics as well. Kuhn gives readers a well-rounded group of characters - and while some are more or less background supporting cast (such as Lucy, as well as Evie's sister Bea and Evie and Aveda's longtime friend, Scott), readers get a great deal of background on Aveda and Evie, as well as eventually Nate (the group's resident scientist). There is some unresolved tension and issues between Bea and Evie ... Between Scott and Aveda ... between Evie and Nate ... and even some unspoken tension building between Evie and Aveda - - and when Evie is forced to assume Aveda's identity and pretend to be the superhero that everyone adores, all of the stress and tension that Evie has kept under wraps and in control for so many years comes to the front - and literally explodes in a ball of fire!

While the demon-fighting and the in-house squabbles certainly stays to the forefront, there is an underlying mystery of who is opening those portals, what do the mysterious stones they keep finding after the portals close mean, and how in the world can they get rid of that annoying blogger, Maisy Kane, who claims to be Aveda's biggest fan and "best friend," yet seems to always cause them more problems with each blog post? And, of course, we can't forget the boiling (literally!) love story that blooms between Evie and Nate - who make a good pair, by the way - and how that is impacted when Nate's past comes back to haunt him.

Of course, as well with any good book, the resolution not only brings out the identity of the one who has been opening portals (and it's not at all who you would suspect!), but it also sees Evie come to terms with who she is and how she interacts with the people around her and opens the door for a world of new adventures for Aveda Jupiter and Evie Tanaka!

As you can see, this book has a lot of story packed into its 376 pages, and it's definitely well worth the read.  I am normally a fan of series books, not single, one-offers - but this one caught my eye on the shelf, and after passing it by several times, I finally picked it up with a coupon I had, and boy, am I glad I did.  A part of my hopes Kuhn eventually does a sequel to this; but, if she doesn't, it's still one book that will stay in my collection.

RATING:  10 bowls of Lucky Charms (without the purple marshmallows) out of 10 for giving readers a book that has it all - super-heroics, adventure, sci-fi, romance, mystery, and demon-possessed cupcakes, statues, and movie screens!