Ms. Marvel: Vol1 No Normal Book Review

Book name: Ms. Marvel Vol. 1: No Normal

Author name: G. Willow Wilson

Genre: Superhero comics

Release Date: October 15, 2014

Number in Series: 1 of 5

Number of Pages: 120 pages

Review:

    In 2014 a new Superhero burst into the scene. A huge fan of The Avengers, especially Captain Marvel, Kamala Khan Just wants to be a normal girl from New Jersey. She wants to go to parties and eat meat, but her strict Muslim parents have other plans. Having enough, Kamala sneaks out to go to a party being held by some of the popular kids at school. While there a strange mist envelopes the clearing the party is being held. Feeling uneasy, Kamala decides to go back home, but begins to feel woozy and passes out. When she wakes up she’s not Kamala anymore, but Carol Danvers’s Ms. Marvel! What follows is Kamala discovering her new powers and becoming the Superhero Ms. Marvel in Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal!

     Kamala Is a fun character to read about. She’s just a regular not so popular teen wanting more out of life. It’s a great idea to have someone who was always a fan of something suddenly become part of that world. I really liked the part where Kamala was writing an Avengers fan fiction and her mother had no idea what she was talking about. I also love how throughout the first part of this graphic novel she feels people like her are not heroes but realizes, yes, she can be. I also like how parts of her costume come from parts of her religion. The scarf she wears in her hero identity is seen early in the graphic novel as the Hijab she wears to the mosque and the top half of her hero costume is a burkini.

    The only real problem I have with the graphic novel is the art. The cover had me thinking the art was going to match it, but not only does it not match, in fact, the art is very amateur at best and hard to look at sometimes. Overall, I give Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal four out of five stars. I am looking forward to reading more of Ms. Marvel's adventures as a new Superhero in the Marvel universe!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Song like this Book: 

Live Your Story sung by Tina Parol

 The Love Hypothesis Book Review

Book Name: The Love Hypothesis

Author Name: Ali Hazelwood

Genre: Comedy/Romance

Release Date: September 14, 2021

Number in Series: Standalone

Number of Pages: 356 pages

Review:

    What if you told your friend you were in a romantic relationship so she would not feel bad about dating your ex? What if You kissed a random guy from your work, making your friend think he is the person you are in a romantic relationship with? What if you and the guy you kissed agree to a fake date to keep up your charade? Well, that’s just what is happening to Olive Smith. Now she must sell being in a fake relationship with Adam Carlsen, who is known by everyone as a real mean guy. But he is not to her, in fact, he is super nice and supportive. The more they talk and spend time together the more Olive falls for Adam.

    This is a fun book with great characters. I love reading Olive’s reactions to things and her fears, which I find myself relating to at times. I love how she brings up tropes that happen in romantic comedies, that sometimes happen and sometimes do not in the story. Her interactions with Adam are super cute and I had to suppress many squeals as I read. My favorite is early on in the book where they discuss how everyone else sees Adam and he has never really noticed.

     Adam is sadly just a generic good guy to swoon over in this book. I wish there was more from his side of the story but I understand that the author wanted to keep his feelings for Olive more of a secret. But there easily could be so many more squeal-worthy moments if the author wrote some parts from his perspective. I also wish his character would be fleshed out some more.

     The side character is so fun in this book and I love how the author would use their conversations to progress the plot. For example, Olive and her friends talk about why she should be wearing sunscreen which leads to an awkward but silly moment with her and Adam. Olive’s friend's fighting also leads to a revelation later in the book I will not spoil, but I will say it was great writing on the author’s part.

     A few things to note about this book is that it takes place in the scientific community, which I think is a great background for the story. If you are worried there might be some scientific stuff you would not understand, do not be. The scientific stuff is just in the background and only a very small part is in the plot. The other thing of note is that there are some spicy scenes in this story that can easily be skipped. If Spice is not up your alley then I would recommend skipping chapters 16 and 17. Other than that you should be good. to wrap up I give the Love Hypothesis a four out of five!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Song Like This Book: 

Never Knew I Needed by Ne-Yo

 Before Midnight Book Review

Book Name: Before Midnight

Author Name: Cameron Dokey

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

Release Date: March 1, 2007

Number in Series: Standalone

Number of Pages: 193 pages

Review:

    Cendrillion was born the night her mother died and her father wants nothing to do with her. Instead, he leaves to join the king’s court, but not before leaving another child behind at his home, a boy named Raoul. The two children are raised by the household servants and have lived without a word from Cendrillion’s father for sixteen years. Then one fall day, a message arrives, stating that Cendrillion’s father has remarried and her new stepmother and two stepsisters appear not too long after. At first, they do not know Cendrillion’s true heritage, believing her to be just another servant. But things finally come to light just as a grand ball is announced. Unknown to Cendrillion and Raoul, this ball will change their lives forever.

    I feel this is a very poor adaptation of the original Cinderella by Charles Perrault so I do not care too much about spoiling it. You have been warned!!!!

    There is too much focus on Cendrillion’s life before and right after her stepmother and stepsisters come into her life, leaving very little time for the ball aspect of the tale and even less time for the love stories. Cendrillion is mostly okay with her role in life, and she does not even bring up who she is to her stepmother for months. Her identity is only revealed because her friend Raoul saves her from being sent away by telling her stepmother after him, Cendrillion, and one of her stepsisters have a falling out. Also, out of all the stepfamily, only one is mean to Cendrillion, Anastasia, whose heel turns the second she finds out Cendrillion is her stepsister.

     Then there is the romance. Ugh, the romance! Nothing but love at first sight for all couples involved. At least they have Raoul fall in love with one of the stepsisters, not with Cendrillion as I thought. Incredible considering the plot twist That Raoul is the long-lost twin brother of the prince I first believed it would be Raoul and Cendrillion together by the end. But no, he falls head over heels for Anastasia after saving her from being trampled by a horse. Cendrillion’s other stepsister, Amile, just comes out and says she likes this soldier about eighty percent into the book. Those two characters had only one scene together by that point! 

    Then there is Cendrillion and her love interest, Prince Pascal. He is not mentioned until about seventy percent into the book. He sees her at the ball briefly, only for Raoul to brag in and everyone freaks out at the revelation the two are twin brothers. Prince Pascal then meets Cendrillion right before midnight back in the ballroom and they share a dance, which leads to a kiss. Yes, the author followed that part from the Disney version of Cinderella. One big difference is Disney’s Cinderella in barely an hour while a book can be as long as the author wants and can have so much more happen. Instead, the author wanted to spend eighty percent of the 193 pages on Cendrillion’s life before the ball and then rush the rest. This book is not good at all, and I give Before Midnight two out of five stars.

Rating:

    ⭐⭐✰✰✰

A Song Like This Book:

Aeon by Nick Murray and Featuring Juliet Lyons